Wisconsin Teacher Quality

Key Benefits of the Initial Educator Support Seminar

In June 2007, educator stakeholder groups from across Wisconsin examined early implementation of the Wisconsin Initial Educator Support System. From an examination of research, including extensive surveys of initial educators and their mentors, they identified four key benefits of an effective induction program:

• Increased student learning through accelerated new teacher professional growth and development
  • Rapid increase in quality instruction from new teachers
  • Potential increase in student achievement through improved educator retention
  • Effective teachers with a positive effect on student learning
  • Improvement in student learning through the acceleration of new teacher professional growth and development
• Decreased expenses related to staff turnover
  • Reduced turnover costs directed to improved instruction
  • Potential for a greater return on investment through increased educator retention
  • Cost of turnover (financial and human)
  • Educator support programs as a cost-effective strategy for schools
• Improved organizational effectiveness related to continuity of teaching staff
  • Stability and continuity
  • Catalyst to improve school culture
  • Systemic cultural integration of new educators
  • Leadership for a comprehensive and inclusive professional learning community that embraces new teachers and strengthens the school culture and community involvement
• Strengthened mentor commitment to the education profession
  • Collaboration in learning community to change culture
  • Improvement of overall teaching effectiveness and professionalism
  • Expansion, enhancement, and enrichment of professional learning communities beyond physical boundaries
  • Personalization of the profession through meaningful professional development
  • Promising vehicle for school improvement

Wisconsin Induction Model

Participants at the seminar agreed that it would be helpful for the department to develop a Wisconsin Induction Model. One of the resource articles given out at the seminar, Induction Into Learning Communities, and the PI 34 language was used to develop the model. Following are the components of the draft Wisconsin Induction Model.

Overall Design

• Initial educators receive ongoing orientation from the employing school district, which is collaboratively developed and delivered by school boards, administrators, teachers, support staff, and parents.
• Initial educators participate in support seminars provided by the employing school district, which reflect the educator standards and the mission and goals of the school district.

Theoretical Framework

• Professional community members share expertise.
• While novice teachers have gaps in skills and knowledge, they also have areas of expertise and learn alongside experienced teachers.

Length of Induction Program

• The induction program continues throughout the initial educator period (three to five years) until the professional educator stage of a multi-tiered licensing system.
• To move to a professional educator level, an initial educator designs and completes a professional development plan that demonstrates increased proficiency and reflects the standards identified by the team for improvement.

Responsible Parties

• State and district policies support school initiatives.
• Partnerships grow between unions, districts, CESAs, professional organizations, school boards, and teacher preparation programs.

Mentoring Framework

• Mentoring is just one part of a full induction system.
• The initial educator is provided with a "qualified mentor" by the employing school district. The mentoring period may be less than five years.
• Qualified means that the mentor holds an appropriate license.
• Mentor means an educator who is trained to provide support and assistance to initial educators and who will have input into the confidential formative assessment of the initial educator; a mentor is not a part of the formal employment evaluation process.

Teaching Observations

• The mentor has input into the confidential formative assessment of the initial educator and is not part of the formal employment evaluation process.
• Working within local control parameters, priority is placed on district flexibility in designing supports to provide release time for this activity.

Assessment and Evaluation

• The mentor has input in the confidential formative assessment of the initial educator.
• Initial educators use self-assessment and reflection to develop their professional development plan as a component in tiered licensure.

Workload

• Working within local control parameters, priority is placed on district flexibility in designing supports to provide release time or reduced load whenever possible.

Teaching Assignments

• Working within local control parameters, priority is placed on district flexibility in designing and providing supports to initial educators for challenging assignments.

External Supports

• Institutions of higher education provide a professional development plan team member for initial educator professional development plan review teams.
• Electronic tools provide online access to professional development plans and professional development resource lists.
• District professional development plans processes and induction programs.

Impact
Key benefits of an effective induction program are as follows:

• Increased student learning through accelerated new teacher professional growth and development
• Decreased expenses related to staff turnover
• Improved organizational effectiveness related to continuity of teaching staff
• Strengthened mentor commitment to the education profession

The Systematic Teacher Induction and the Evolution of 21st Century Learning Communities chart was developed by the National Commission on Teaching and America's Future (NCTAF). Resource: Fulton, K., Yoon, I., & Lee, C. (August 2005). Induction into learning communities. Washington DC: National Commission on Teaching and America's Future. The Wisconsin Induction Model portion was based on the chart components to show a comparison based on PI 34 requirements. Developed: September 2007.

The information on this website was provided by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction.