Teacher Educator and Mentoring

TEAM

(Teacher Educator and Mentoring)

District Support Plan

Wethersfield Public Schools

Years Covered by This Plan 2011-2014

District Facilitator: Sally Dastoli

Interim Superintendent: Dr. Thomas McDowell

Revised April 2011

TEAM Coordinating Committee 2010-11:

Sally Dastoli, Director of Curriculum and Instruction

Timothy Howes- Director of Human Resources

Michele Cirillo - English Teacher - Silas Deane Middle School

Ashley Cole – Grade 1 Teacher – Charles Wright Elementary School

Steve Cook – Principal – Silas Deane Middle School

Marie Gray – Supervisor of Teaching and Learning

Pauline Greer – Grade 6 Teacher – Webb Elementary School

Pam Guida - Reading Consultant - Silas Deane Middle School

Andrea Haas – Art Teacher – Wethersfield High School

Maresa Harvey – Principal – Highcrest Elementary School

Cynthia Hunt - Social Studies Teacher - Silas Deane Middle School

Carol Paskiewicz - Teacher - Wethersfield High School

Maria O’Rourke – Grade 1 Teacher – Charles Wright Elementary School

Patty Wright – Reading Consultant – Charles Wright/Hanmer Elementary Schools

Table of Contents

The Mission of the TEAM Program

The Mission of Wethersfield Public Schools

Beliefs of the Wethersfield Public Schools

Wethersfield School District’s TEAM Support Plan

I. Wethersfield’s Three Year Team Objectives and Supporting Activities

II. Wethersfield’s TEAM Coordinating Committee (TCC)

III. Process to Select and Recruit TEAM Mentors

IV. Process for Reviewing Reflection Papers

V. Process for Collecting Beginning Teachers Two-Year Support Plans and Ensuring Collaboration on Professional Growth Action Plan (PGAP) and TEAM Modules

VI. Procedures for Handling Special Circumstances

VII. Process for Providing Resources Necessary for Supporting TEAM Activities

VIII. Year-end Evaluation

APPENDIX A

T E A M Mentor Application

Summer Letter - Mentors

Mentor Letter

Mentor Thank You Letter

TEAM MENTOR STIPEND AUTHORIZATION FORM

APPENDIX B

New Teacher Survey

Summer Letter - New Teachers

Category 2 letter

Category 1 letter

TEAM TWO-YEAR BEGINNING TEACHER SUPPORT PLAN TIMELINE

Please submit this plan to the Director of Curriculum and Instruction (TEAM District Facilitator) within 30 days of your entry date into the classroom.

BT Completion Letter

The Mission of the TEAM Program

To promote excellence, equity and higher achievement for Connecticut students by engaging teachers in purposeful exploration of practice through guided support and personal reflection.

The Mission of Wethersfield Public Schools

Education in Wethersfield is the shared responsibility of schools, students, families, and other community agencies working together so that Wethersfield students may realize their full potential. Accordingly, the mission of the Wethersfield Public Schools is to ensure that all students will:

●Acquire skills and knowledge for life-long learning, enabling them to compete in a global economy;

●Develop a positive sense of self, enabling them to set high expectations;

●Develop self-discipline and function as responsible citizens of society; and

●Develop and understand their ethical, cultural, aesthetic, and intellectual values and respect those of others.

Beliefs of the Wethersfield Public Schools

The Wethersfield Board of Education believes that:

●All Wethersfield students should be educated in a safe and secure learning environment that provides appropriate facilities, personnel, and programs;

●The curricula of the Wethersfield schools should be designed, implemented, and assessed to enable all students to realize their full potential;

●While the schools bear the primary responsibility for the formal education of Wethersfield youth, the family and the community share in that responsibility. To meet that common obligation, the Wethersfield schools should foster a partnership with the community;

●All educational programs should be operated in a fiscally responsible manner;

●The Wethersfield schools should employ and train personnel who will meet the instructional needs of students; and

●All educational programs and services should incorporate current practices and contemporary research, materials, and equipment.

Wethersfield School District’s TEAM Support Plan

I. Wethersfield’s Three Year Team Objectives and Supporting Activities

Objective: Develop and support the TEAM Program

Supporting Activities:

Appoint K-12 teachers and administrators to the TEAM Coordinating Committee (TCC) and establish process for appointing new members;
Establish meeting times, roles and responsibilities, and procedures for TCC;
Develop a “TEAM in Wethersfield” booklet, outlining TEAM support in the district, for new teachers who will be participating in TEAM;
Update policies and procedures relevant to TEAM;
Review TEAM mentor list to ensure a representation of different content areas and grade levels;
Schedule and/or provide opportunities for teachers and administrators to be TEAM trained (i.e. update training, administrator overview, mentor training, and reviewer training);
Identify and recruit additional mentors to meet district needs; and
Develop a feedback mechanism to monitor TEAM program effectiveness (i.e. online surveys, exit interviews).

Objective: Support beginning teachers to ensure professional growth, development, and retention

Supporting Activities:

Survey new hires to better understand their previous experience and professional development needs;
Assign mentors to beginning teachers within a month of their hire date;
Provide staff training and professional development to meet TEAM requirements and address new teachers’ needs;
Provide on-going systematic professional learning opportunities for new teachers and mentors;
Update the New Teacher Institute to include the following:
An overview of the TEAM program requirements;
An overview of district core areas;
A baseline CCT performance profile self-assessment;
A professional development schedule for new staff matched to district initiatives;
Provide timelines (TEAM Two Year Support Plan Timeline – Appendix) to assist beginning teachers and mentors with the planning of professional growth activities related to the TEAM modules, so thatyear one (1) and two (2) induction will include:
Monthly district support meetings for mentors and beginning teachers;
Regularly scheduled meetings between mentor and mentee; and
Release time provided for classroom observations.
Support teachers in videotaping and critiquing recorded lessons.

Objective: Support and develop a representative K-12 team of effective and knowledgeable TEAM Mentors

Supporting Activities:

Provide staff training and professional development to meet TEAM requirements; and
Recruit new mentors for initial TEAM and/or reviewer training.

II. Wethersfield’s TEAM Coordinating Committee (TCC)

The TEAM Coordinating Committee will consist of:

District TEAM Facilitator (DF);
Director of Human Resources;
One (1) principal;
A maximum of nine (9) TEAM mentors with at least one (1) from each of the elementary, middle and high school levels;
One (1) new teacher currently participating in TEAM;
One (1) teacher who has successfully completed the TEAM requirements in the last three (3) years;
At least one (1) Instructional Supervisor and up to two (2) Instructional Supervisors;
A WFT union representative; and
Up to three (3) additional members assigned by the District Facilitator.

Selection to the committee will be based on the recommendations of building principals. Criteria for selection will be based on recent (within past three years) training and mentoring experience.

All TEAM Coordinating Committee members will serve a rotating three (3) year term with the exception of the District Facilitator and Director of Human Resources. The rotation will be such that at all times at least three (3) TCC members will have had previous experience with the committee.

The TCC will establish a monthly schedule for after school meetings to review and oversee the implementation of the district TEAM plan.

The District TEAM Facilitator will meet with the Superintendent no later than February 1, each year, to provide an update of TEAM activities, including the progress of new teachers completing modules.

III. Process to Select and Recruit TEAM Mentors

In order to have qualified, trained mentors at the elementary, middle and high school levels, Wethersfield will select mentors using the following process:

Teachers will be invited to participate in the mentor program based upon five (5) years of teaching experience and tenure in Wethersfield. They should have at least three (3) years of experience in their current grade level or content area specialty and the recommendation of their building administrator;

All interested teachers will complete the Mentor Application (see appendix A) stating their interest in serving as both a mentor to beginning teachers and as a cooperating teacher to student teachers. Although mentors will not be required to take on both a student teacher and a beginning teacher in the same year, the district will expect a trained mentor to serve in either role for a minimum of one (1) year. An administrator recommendation is required as part of the mentor application process;

The district facilitator and/or the TCC will review the mentor applications annually and select teachers to be trained as mentors. Teachers will be selected to serve as mentors based upon their interest and experience, recommendation of their building administrator, and their grade level and content area;

The district will budget for mentor training for teachers who accept the responsibility of mentorship, and seek opportunities to collaborate with surrounding districts and CREC to update mentors on best practices and essential knowledge. Newly appointed mentors will be provided with Initial Support Teacher Training. The district will also plan for subsequent update training of mentors every three (3) years;

The district facilitator in collaboration with the building principal(s) will assign mentors to beginning teachers to match as closely as possible grade level and teaching assignments. Whenever it is possible, beginning teachers will be assigned a mentor in their same building assignment; and

The district facilitator will upon the hire of a beginning teacher send a letter of introduction to the new teacher and his or her assigned mentor. Whenever possible, this letter will be sent over the summer to provide the beginning teacher support as soon as possible.

IV. Process for Reviewing Reflection Papers

Wethersfield will participate in the Regional Review Process.

The criteria and process for selecting individuals to review reflection papers will be as follows:

Mentors and administrators who have participated in TEAM initial or update training will be considered in the selection of reviewers to participate in the regional review;
Consideration will be given first to active mentors, their current grade level and teaching assignment, and previous experience in the TEAM program;
Reviewers will participate in the reviewer training prior to reviewing papers and will receive update trainings in subsequent years;
If more reviewers are needed, Wethersfield will survey all mentors to determine interest in being trained and serving as a reviewer the following year;
Reviewers selected to participate in the review process are expected to review approximately five (5) to seven (7) papers as part of the regional review committee. This will include:

Reviewing papers from outside the Wethersfield school district;
Reviewers will be paid one (1) hour(contracted curriculum hourly rate) for completing the on-line reviewer requirements for each TEAM reflection paper reviewed and submitted;
Reviewers will select papers to review through the ctteam.org website; and
Reviewers are also expected to attend one (1) to two (2) after school meetings to provide informal feedback to teachers working on their reflection papers.

V. Process for Collecting Beginning Teachers Two-Year Support Plans and Ensuring Collaboration on Professional Growth Action Plan (PGAP) and TEAM Modules

Collection of Beginning Teacher’s support plans will occur as follows:

The beginning teachers and mentor will arrange a meeting with the building administrator to review the Beginning Teacher’s two-year support plan timeline (see appendix) within thirty (30) calendar days from the start of the school year. For teachers hired after the start of the school year, plans will be reviewed within thirty (30) days of hire; and
The new TEAM teacher will forward the plans to the District Facilitator.

To ensure that mentors and beginning teachers are working together to complete the beginning teacher’s Professional Growth Action Plan (PGAP), and are participating in the module process, the following will occur:

Beginning teachers will communicate with the building administrator approximate dates that the PGAPs for a given module will be ready to share and discuss;
The building administrator will review beginning teacher and mentor progress and, if deemed necessary, address concerns with both parties;
The building administrator will meet with the beginning teacher and mentor at least four (4) times during the school year to facilitate the sharing of professional growth activities, successes, resources, and/or to facilitate professional development related for new teachers;
TCC will provide supportive professional development to help new teachers with the module process; and
The District Facilitator will meet with the Superintendent no later than February 1 each year to provide an update of TEAM activities, including the progress of Beginning Teachers completing Modules.

The Beginning Teacher timeline will adhere to the State Department of Education's schedule for module completion. The TCC recommends that the first module be completed no later than January 1st of each school year. In addition, the TCC recommends the following schedule for module completion:

If a TEAM participant has two (2) modules to complete in a year, it is recommended that the modules are completed by:
January 1
May 1

If a TEAM participant has three (3) modules to complete in a year, it is recommended that the modules are completed by:

December 1
February 1
May 1

If a TEAM participant enters the TEAM program midyear, it is recommended that the modules are completed by:

May 1(year 1)
December 1 (year 2)
February 1(year 2)
May 1 (year 2)
December 1 (year 3)

VI. Procedures for Handling Special Circumstances

The procedure for dissolving mentor/mentee placements will be as follows:

Mentor or mentee who believes the match is ineffective will meet first with their building administrator, and/or seek representation or support from a TCC member or union representative, to explore possible resolutions to the situation; and
If the situation is not resolved the building administrator will consult the DF.

Requests for special accommodations will be submitted in writing to and reviewed by the District TEAM Facilitator on a case-by-case basis.

______

VII. Process for Providing Resources Necessary for Supporting TEAM Activities

Resources, time, and opportunities needed for beginning teachers and mentors to experience success are supported as follows:

New teachers to Wethersfield will be provided a district introduction and professional development transition support for up to five (5) additional days beyond the contracted year;
Beginning teachers and mentors will be able to request substitute coverage for meetings and classroom visitations for up to four (4) days of release time over the two (2) year period (substitute budget);
Schools will provide video recording equipment and support so that teachers can videotape lessons and critique with mentor or another teacher leader;
Teachers will be provided substitute coverage, as appropriate, in order to attend TEAM training and /or serve on module review committees;
Teachers will have the opportunity to attend initial or mentor update training in TEAM;
Teachers interested in serving as a module reviewer will be provided the appropriate training;
As appropriate, teachers will participate in any in-house training/ district professional development opportunities that are available;
Teachers will have access to online resources including webinars, videos, and journals from
Mentors will be funded through the state budget; and
Reviewers will be compensated for scoring reflections papers through the district budget.

While the district has limited resources, as has been done previously, to the extent possible the district will budget for mentor training and support in the Title IIA grant and/or the district budget.

VIII. Year-end Evaluation

At the end of each year, the District Facilitator will complete the Annual Activity Report, which will be given to the Superintendent. This report will serve to evaluate the implementation of the three-year plan annually to inform changes as necessary for the following year. The Annual Activity Report is a culminating report and is not part of the three-year support plan but informs future plans.

APPENDIX A

Wethersfield School District

T E A M Mentor Application

NAME: ______DATE: ______

Current Teaching Assignment: ______School: ______

Certification (Please list all endorsements): ______

______

How many years of teaching experience do you have? ______

Do you have tenure in the Wethersfield School District? Y N

The expectation is that trained mentors will help to support

either beginning teachers or student teachers. Are you willing

to provide support to both beginning teachers and student teachers? Y N

In order to help the TEAM Coordinating Committee and/or the District Facilitator select candidates for TEAM mentor positions, please respond to the following questions. If you need more space, you may attach your responses to this application.

1. Why do you want to be a mentor for beginning teachers? ______

______

2. What experiences have you had that will help you in this role?

______

Administrator approval of the application:

______

Name Signature Building Date

Summer Letter - Mentors

Dear ______

Thank you for agreeing to mentor a new teacher during the coming school year! I appreciate your willingness to help mentor a new teacher and assist them with their professional growth goals.

The TEAM (Connecticut’s Teacher Education And Mentoring) Program Guidelines identify the following mentor responsibilities: