Professional Development and Mentoring for NJ Educators

1. Professional Developmentand Mentoring forNJ Educators NJAFPA, October 23, 2014 Cathy Pine, Ph.D. Director, Office of Prof. Development TLE Division, NJDOE

2. Agenda

3. TLE Division: Areas of Focus

4. PD Office Focus • State-level policies and programs supporting on-going professional growth and development of teachers and school leaders including: • Professional development requirements • Standards for professional development • Professional standards for teachers and school leaders • Induction and mentoring supports for new teachers and school leaders • Key questions going forward: What are impacts of supports on educator effectiveness & student learning? What is the State’s role?

5. Brief History of Educator Support Work in NJ • 1998 -99– State teacher PD initiative launched; PTSB appointed • 2001 – Teacher PD requirements implem.; initial PD stds adopted • 2003 – Prof. Standards for Teaching and Leadership adopted; mentoring first required for novice teachers • 2004 - PDAC for school leaders formed; mentoring toolkit introduced • 2005 – School leader PD requirements implemented; mentoring for novice school leaders initiated • 2006 – NJ Collaborative Prof. Learning Toolkit piloted • 2007 – PD standards updated; school-level PD planning regs added • 2009 – Collaborative PL partnership initiated; PLC initiative launched • 2010 – NJ PD policies cited as exemplary in Stanford research study • 2012 – TEACH NJ statute adopted; transformation taskforce report • 2013 – PD regulations revised; PD standards updated • 2014 - Teacher mentoring regulations revised; professional teaching standards updated; PD policies reviewed by PD coached review working group ; State Committee on Professional Learning begins

6. Current Work • District support on revised regulations for PD (2013) and teacher mentoring (2014) • State PD requirements chart http://www.nj.gov/education/profdev/topics/ • Guidance materials (SCIP handbook; revised mentoring toolkit and district mentoring plan template) • Review of administrator mentoring programs • Title IIA discretionary grant oversight: Using Formative Assessments to Improve Teaching and Learning • Proposal to USDE to collect exploratory data on districts’ PD plans and PD implementation

7. Websites: http://www.state.nj.us/education/profdev/http://www.nj.gov/education/AchieveNJ/scip/ Email Help Line: teachpd@doe.state.nj.us Office contact info: 609-943-4201 marisa.miller@doe.state.nj.us cathy.pine@doe.state.nj.us For More Information

8. Agenda

9. Vocabulary: Induction and Mentoring Induction = Programs and practices used to help beginning teachers become competent and effective professionals, including developing an understanding of local school, community and culture. Mentoring = The predominant form of induction practice in which an experienced teacher provides dedicated support to a beginning teacher.

10. Why We Need Systems of Beginning Teacher Support • Conditions of the beginning teacher’s workplace • Full responsibility from day one - Novice teachers perform the same work as veteran teachers • Inequities in teaching assignments – Novice teachers are frequently assigned to teach least proficient students • Lack of curriculum and other key resources • Isolation - Teachers spend most of their time physically apart from colleagues

11. Reasons for New Teacher Support (cont.) • Teacher turnover epidemic • 20% of teachers leave the profession after first year; 40-50% of new teachers leave the profession in first 5 years; cite poor support and working conditions, ineffective leadership • Each day, 1000 teachers leave the profession • Each day, 1000 teachers change districts • Nationally, billions of dollars are spent each year to counteract teacher attrition

12. Benefits of Induction for Beginning Teachers • Introduction to culture and norms of the professional community • Reduced isolation; increased emotional support • Individual support and feedback on professional practice • Improved confidence and job satisfaction • Improved instruction

13. Benefits of Induction for School/District • Improved staff retention rates and reduced costs of teacher turnover • Opportunities for experienced staff to provide leadership and strengthen their own practice • Improved professional community, collaboration and organizational stability • Improved teaching performance leading to improved student learning

14. High Quality Induction Is a Good Investment

15. Revised NJ Mentoring Regulations: May 5, 2014 Impetus for change - to align with: • TEACH NJ requirements/language • Revised PD regulations • Research and best practices Intent of revisions: • Specifybaseline supports for all non-tenured teachers (not just novice) • Maintain accountability but reduce district reporting burden • Build in flexibility for district design and implementation • Update the vocabulary and organization of current regulations Key areas addressed: • Mentoring support • Mentor selection • Mentor training • District accountability for implem.; mentor payment process

16. Mentoring Support • Supports added for experienced teachers new to a district • Via extensive district orientation and individual supports organized through the PDP process based on levels of preparation and experience • Continued 1-1 supports for novice teachers • For full academic year • Includes guided self-assessment on district eval. instrument • Alternate route teachers meet with mentor at least once per week for first 8 weeks; support linked to teacher prep curriculum • Traditional route teachers meet with mentor at least once per week for first 4 weeks • Mentors keep logs of contact time

17. Mentor Selection and Training • Mentors must receive an effective or highly effective rating on district evaluation rubric after 2014 ratings are compiled • Mentor must have completed three years of full-time teaching experience, two within the past five years • Mentor may not serve as mentee’s direct supervisor or conduct teacher evaluations • Mentor training curriculum must include: district evaluation rubric; classroom observation skills; facilitating adult learning; leading reflective conversations about practice; CCSS; NJ professional teaching standards

18. District Level Implementation and Accountability • CSA responsible for creating the mentoring plan • District board of education reviews for fiscal impact • CSA/superintendent submits annual statement of assurance (SOA) to County Office • Non-publics submit annual SOA to Provisional Teacher Program Office/Licensing • Plan is kept in district • Plan shared with each School Improvement Panel (ScIP) • Mentor logs submitted to central office • Central office mediates mentor payments

19. School Level Implementation and Accountability • ScIP oversees implementation of district mentoring program at school level, keeping in mind confidentiality concerns

20. Going Forward Districts should: • Revise their mentoring plans to align with new regulations, particularly to ensure the proper orientations are in place for experienced teachers new to the district • Submit SOA to county office (SOAs were due July 1) • Share district plan with School Improvement Panels and discuss how ScIPs can support it at the building level • Create a mentor contact log sheet ,a process for collecting these in central office,and a process for paying mentors (No paid mentors are required for experienced first-year teachers new to the district) • Identify or create mentor training activities

21. Going Forward Schools should: • Create a climate of support and collaboration • Determine how ScIPs will support the mentoring program • Ensure each provisional teacher receives a 1-1 mentor and is registered with the Provisional Teacher Program • Ensure new teachers have an individual PD plan • Ensure mentors’ needs for resources and contact time are met • Ensure other requirements of Provisional Teacher Program are met

22. Agenda

23. TEACHNJ Act Emphasizes Support and Growth • Identifies mentoring, evaluation and professional development as elements needed to assure educator effectiveness • Requires PD for teaching staff members through an individual PD plan • Creates the School Improvement Panel (SCIP) with responsibility for oversight of teacher mentoring, recommending PD opportunities and ensuring that evaluations are implemented • Requires a corrective action plan and additional PD for struggling teaching staff members not meeting performance standards in summative performance evaluation • Requires all new first-year teachers to be mentored in a research-based program that is based on professional standards for teachers

24. Important ScIP Considerations • Will the ScIP be expanded to include more teachers? (teachers must make up at least 1/3 of the committee) • What is the ScIP’s relationship to the school-level PD committee (if one still exists)? • What is the ScIP’s relationship to the district-level DEAC? • How will the principal share necessary data and information with the ScIP while respecting confidentiality concerns? • How will this committee have powerful conversations about teacher support and growth while respecting the confidentiality of individuals?

25. What the ScIP Should and Should Not Do ScIP should: • Review aggregate mentorship, evaluation and professional learning data to make informed program improvements • Promote organized, transparent communication ScIP should not: • Allow teachers to conduct observations without approval from local representation • Examine evaluation or mentorship data at the individual teacher level

26. How the ScIP Can Support Professional Learning • Identify PL learning needs: • Analyze aggregate evaluation data according to the observation instrument • Use needs assessments, surveys, emails, other staff input • Create plans for implementing the necessary activities and supports • Short-term PL activities • Long-term PD planning • Support the principal in developing the school-level PD plan and revise as necessary • Review the NJ Standards for Professional Learning to ensure that the PL is of high quality

27. How the ScIP Can Support the District Mentoring Program • Identify new teachers in building, be accessible and serve as source of information and encouragement • Ensure that each new teacher has a PD plan - the mentor can assist in developing this • Identify the critical needs of new teachers • Analyzing aggregate evaluation data according to the observation instrument • Surveys or emails to get feedback from new teachers • Ensure that teachers who are hired later in the year receive appropriate training and support • Support mentor teachers by helping to arrange scheduling and substitutes; ensuring they have necessary training and resources

28. Agenda

29. Updated NJ Professional Teaching Standards: May 5, 2014 • Impetus for change • Previous standards 10 years old • Implement recommendation from the 2012 NJ Transformation Task Force that standards should reflect new national standards •  Align with cooperative national effort that created the revised InTASC “Model Core Teaching Standards” (released in April, 2011) • Align standards with all parts of our effectiveness system – evaluation practice instruments and pre-service accreditation standards “These Model Core Teaching Standards articulate what effective teaching and learning looks like in a transformed public education system – one that empowers every learner to take ownership of their learning, that emphasizes the learning content and application of knowledge and skill to real world problems, that values the differences each learner brings to the learning experience, and leverages rapidly changing learning environments by recognizing the possibilities they bring to maximize learning and engage learners.” (InTASC Model Core Teaching Standards, CCSSO, 2011)

30. Overview of 2014 NJ Professional Teaching Standards

31. Organization of 2014 NJ Professional Teaching Standards

32. Updated Standards: Key Themes

33. Connecting the Education Workforce Dots

34. Websites: http://www.state.nj.us/education/profdev/http://www.nj.gov/education/AchieveNJ/scip/ Email Help Line: teachpd@doe.state.nj.us Office contact info: 609-943-4201 marisa.miller@doe.state.nj.us cathy.pine@doe.state.nj.us For More Information