New Teacher Center Policy News

Summer 2011

 

Great Teaching: A 'Race to the Top' Priority   


The New Teacher Center (NTC) is engaged with numerous state Race to the Top initiatives. Here is an update on our work in two of them: Maryland and Rhode Island.

 

As part of Maryland's Race To The Top initiative, NTC is providing professional development for induction program leaders and mentors throughout the state. Maryland is one of only five states to require a three-year induction period for all beginning teachers, but it seeks to strengthen local program implementation and the effectiveness of mentoring support provided to new educators.

 

Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley recently announced the release of results from NTC-administered 2011 TELL Maryland Survey. As discussed in the May 2011 edition of NTC Policy News, state Teaching, Empowering, Leading & Learning (TELL) surveys collect perceptions of teachers, principals and other licensed educators about the presence of supportive teaching conditions including induction, school leadership, decision-making, resources, and time. Governor O'Malley's blog discusses the importance of listening to Maryland educators so policymakers and school leaders can help to improve those conditions in schools and districts.

 

NTC is assisting the Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) with its Race to the Top commitment to develop a comprehensive statewide induction program to support all first-year educators. Full-time mentor support also will be provided to second-year teachers who work in the state's "urban ring" districts. NTC has participated in the induction coach selection process, supported stakeholder meetings, facilitated information sessions for principals and beginning teachers, and presented Mentor Academy 1.  RIDE is also launching an innovative teacher evaluation system and seizing the opportunity to align the standards and protocols of the new evaluation system with a well-articulated induction system. The strength of RIDE's data systems also allows for the study of the impact of the new induction program.

State Policy News

 Oregon Mentoring Program Re-Funded

 

The state's Beginning Teacher and Administrator Mentoring Program was re-funded at $4.519 million for the 2011-13 biennium, according to the Chalkboard Project. School districts are eligible to apply to the Oregon Department of Education for competitive funding for the upcoming school year. A 2007 law established the Program through which a district may receive up to $5,000 annually for each full-time equivalent beginning teacher and administrator. Funded programs are required to provide "a minimum of 90 hours" of contact annually between each mentor and beginning educator. Read more about the Program here.  

 

 New Vermont Law Requires Principal Mentoring


A new state law requires superintendents to ensure that newly hired principals and technical center directors receive two years of mentoring support, beginning in the 2012-2013 school year. The law also creates a committee to study and evaluate new teacher mentoring programs and offer recommendations to the Legislature by January 1, 2012.  Read Act 20 (H.430) here.

 

North Carolina Cuts Teacher Support Despite Research


Analysis from the Carolina Institute for Public Policy at UNC-Chapel Hill concludes that an investment in new teachers can yield significant gains in student outcomes.
A 2007 cost-benefit study by NTC researchers concluded that every $1.00 invested in comprehensive teacher induction produced a five-year return on investment of $1.66. Despite such available research, North Carolina's 2011-13 state budget cut $53 million in spending on new teacher development, including $18.4 million for teacher mentoring support, according to NC Policy WatchRead the UNC paper here. Read the NTC policy brief here.

Education Reforms Unfunded, Illinois Schools Chief Warns


Illinois enacted a new law (SB 7) aimed at improving teacher performance. But Christopher Koch, Illinois Schools Superintendent and a SB 7 supporter, believes that legislative budget cuts will make it difficult to implement these reforms successfully. Among the cuts was nearly $6.5 million for educator induction and mentoring. Read the Chicago Tribune story here.

Iowa Hosts Summit to Promote Educator Effectiveness


Convened by Iowa Governor Terry Branstad and the Iowa Department of Education, the Iowa Education Summit in July focused on helping teachers and principals become more effective, raising academic standards and putting in place rigorous assessments, and supporting innovation to boost student learning. Currently, Iowa is one of only three states that requires and provides dedicated funding for a multi-year teacher induction program. Read Governor Branstad's Des Moines Register op-ed here.

 Good Reads  


Focus on Teacher Learning

Sam Chaltain, an education writer and blogger, pens a provocative piece about the importance of focusing the policy conversation on how teachers learn. Chaltain calls for spending less time focused on the best and worst teachers and more time on the vast majority who are in the middle. It provides a nice accompaniment to the June column (Teachers Are Learners, Too) by Liam Goldrick, NTC Director of Policy. Read Sam's blog post here.

 

NCTQ Study of Student Teaching Sparks Controversy

Student Teaching in the United States, a report by the National Council on Teacher Quality, evaluated policies and practices at a random sample of the nation's teacher preparation programs. One of its primary findings is the "absence of clear, rigorous criteria" at these institutions for the selection and training of cooperating mentor teachers. The report received criticism from organizations including the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). Read the report here. 

 

New Teachers Seek Support Online

Online mentoring is helping new teachers connect with veteran teachers who might not be able to meet one another face-to-face. NTC's e-Mentoring for Student Success (eMSS) program matches beginning science, math and special education teachers with more experienced teachers in specific content areas. In a recent article, NTC's Alyson Mike talks about teachers feeling more open to discussing certain issues with their mentors because they have an online relationship and don't see each other every day at school.  Read the MindShift article here.  

 

NTC Policy News is a monthly publication by the New Teacher Center. It is produced with funding support from the Joyce Foundation. Based in Chicago, Illinois, the Joyce Foundation invests in initiatives to improve public education and works to close the achievement gap by improving the quality of teachers in schools that serve low-income and minority children.

 

  

 
In This Issue
Great Teaching: A 'Race to the Top' Priority
Oregon Mentoring Program Re-Funded
New Vermont Law Requires Principal Mentoring
North Carolina Cuts Teacher Support Despite Research
Education Reforms Unfunded, Illinois Schools Chief Warns
Iowa Hosts Summit to Promote Educator Effectiveness
Good Reads

ED Teacher Seminars 


The U.S. Department of Education is providing a Summer Seminar presented by teachers for the purpose of sharing information about education policy.  There is one more session available this summer on August 25.  Find more information on these sessions here.

External Affairs Staff 

Policy  

Liam Goldrick, Director 

David Osta, Associate Director  

Dara Barlin, Associate Director 

 

Teaching & Learning Conditions

Andrew Sioberg, Director

 

Communications

Jane Baker, Director 

Tracy Kremer, Senior Manager  

 

External Affairs

Eric Hirsch, Chief Officer

Ann Maddock, Sr. Policy Advisor

Jennifer Burn, Project Manager and Newsletter Editor

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