Rationale |
- Creation of a professional learning community with shared expertise involving entire staff.
- Initial Educators learning collaboratively from experienced teachers in a community of learners that is continually evolving.
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Components |
- Orientation programs and support seminars continue to be provided.
- Focus is on developing teacher skills/expertise for both new teachers and veteran teachers.
- Mentors and novices work in collegial teams.
- Extensive and continuous training is provided for mentors.
- Mentors are selected for skill in content, pedagogy, and ability to coach and work with other teachers.
- Built-in time and multiple opportunities for new teachers to observe and be observed by others.
- Clear expectations and accountability of mentors and new teachers.
- Opportunities for guided reflection and self-assessment of practice.
- Peer coaching/critical friends groups exist in the community.
- Formative and ongoing assessments are evident in community.
- Support for Initial Educators continues throughout probationary period and during initial phase of multi-tiered licensing system.
- Emotional supports are provided by entire learning community for new teachers.
- Reduced workload for new teachers to allow time for observations, planning, learning, and reflection. Also, new teachers placed in less challenging teaching assignments or in team teaching assignments
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Partners |
Partnerships between unions, school districts, professional organizations, CESA’s, Wisconsin DPI and teacher preparation programs. |
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Resources |
- Professional guided networks as well as informal social networks.
- Involvement of teacher preparation institutions.
- Online networks for internal and external communities to provide resources, learning and support.
- Funding assistance through the state including the Peer Review and Mentoring Grant and Mentoring Grant for Initial Educators. (see https://dpi.wi.gov/tepdl/programs/prmg)
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Outcomes |
- Improved teacher retention contributes to continuous teacher growth and improved teacher quality.
- Teachers learning at all levels in a 21st century learning community
- Each community/network of expertise grows in strength and quality
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