161.031 New teacher induction and mentor programs provided by school districts -
765 words·~3 min read·
/ky/161-031A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
- Definitions -- Standards -- Evaluations -- Annual report.
(1)As used in this section:
(a)"Mentor" means an educator who has at least three
(3)full years of experience
under a professional certificate and who has been trained to assist a beginning
educator in the same professional role with his or her professional
responsibilities and general school and district procedures; and
(b)"New teacher induction and mentor program" means a multiyear, structured
program of mentorship and professional development in which trained
mentors provide constructive feedback to new teachers.
(2)The Education Professional Standards Board shall develop standards and guidance
for school districts to implement new teacher induction and mentor programs. All
school districts are encouraged to provide an induction program for teachers in their
first year of teaching that is aligned with the standards and guidance for school
districts developed by the Education Professional Standards Board.
(3)Standards for new teacher induction and mentor programs shall include but not be
limited to the following:
(a)An orientation program for new teachers and other incoming teachers to be
provided at the beginning of and throughout the first year of employment;
(b)Assignment of a mentor teacher to a new teacher within the first two
weeks of teaching and remaining with the new teacher for the first year of the
new teacher's employment in the school. The mentoring relationship shall be
composed of activities that the beginning teacher and mentor participate in
together, including but not limited to coteaching, lesson planning, and
observation;
(c)The creation of a support team to provide assistance for new teachers,
including focus on each new teacher's individual professional growth and
development plan;
(d)Workshops and training, including professional development opportunities
specifically designed for the beginning teacher that provides vital information
on topics relevant during the first year in the classroom;
(e)Workshops and training for mentors prior to assignment to a beginning
teacher on the skills necessary for effective mentoring;
(f)Opportunities for the new teacher to meet with the assigned mentor to share
successes and troubleshooting strategies;
(g)Support teams to link the beginning teacher with a network of teachers in the
school or district, in addition to their mentor, that the beginning teacher can
rely on for assistance and guidance, especially for content specialization; and
(h)Formative and summative evaluations to provide feedback for a beginning
teacher to gain an understanding of his or her strengths and weaknesses and to
grow professionally.
(4)The Education Professional Standards Board shall develop evaluations and rubrics
aligned to state academic standards and state and local procedures that shall be
based on the following standards of effective teaching:
(a)Curriculum, content mastery, planning, and assessment;
(b)Teaching all students; and
(c)Family engagement.
(5)Rubrics shall describe practice in detail at different levels of performance.
(6)Categories of evidence shall be included to assess educator performance, including
multiple measures of student learning, observations, and additional relevant
evidence.
(7)Evaluations shall include new teacher self-assessment, individual goal setting and
plan development, implementation of the plan, formative assessment, and a
summative evaluation.
(8)By October 1 of each year, the Education Professional Standards Board shall
provide a report to the Legislative Research Commission for referral to the Interim
Joint Committee on Education. The report shall include but not be limited to:
(a)Identification of the school districts that have not implemented an induction
program for teachers in their first year of teaching that is aligned with the
standards and guidance for local districts developed by the Education
Professional Standards Board;
(b)The number of mentor teachers and the educator preparation programs that
were attended by the mentor teachers;
(c)The number of new teachers and the educator preparation programs that were
attended by the new teachers;
(d)An analysis of how prepared new teachers are upon entering the profession;
(e)The types of training utilized by districts to train new teachers, mentors, and
support teams;
(f)The types of remediation or supports needed by districts for new teachers that
were not covered in the educator preparation programs;
(g)The major components of each new teacher induction and mentor program;
(h)How new teacher induction and mentor programs are operated and funded;
(i)How long new teachers receive mentor support;
(j)The estimated annual amount spent per new teacher;
(k)Measures being utilized to gauge the new teacher induction and mentor
program's effectiveness; and
(l)Impact on teacher retention.
(9)The Education Professional Standards Board shall accumulate long-term data for
analysis of the impact of teacher induction and mentor programs on new teacher
retention.