The Teacher Induction Overview

What Is the Teacher Induction System?

The Teacher Induction system is a seamless, competency-based instructional system designed to help any teacher entering or already within the CareerTech system in Oklahoma. However, its main focus is for non-degreed teachers. In this system, our local technology centers, two state universities, and the state agency work together to provide the support, instruction, and resource facilitation that teachers need to perform effectively in the classroom.

How Does It Operate?

During the induction process, teacher educators, instructional leaders, and mentors work with each teacher to develop a customized plan for achieving success in the classroom. The stakeholders include a local instructional leader, local instructional mentor/coach, assigned Career and Technology Education teacher educator and a state-assigned content mentor. The universities support the teacher’s customized plan with technical field assistance. Simultaneously, university representatives align the competencies attained during the field induction experience with the

required competencies and university coursework necessary for teacher certification. These competencies are then banked towards future college courses, thereby creating a quality fast-track process for teacher certification. These courses lead to the completion of a plan of study, which, in turn, leads the teacher towards a baccalaureate degree.

To ensure teacher competency, both the agency and teacher educators have become stronger facilitators in providing resources for teachers. The agency provides resources and services aligned with the teacher competencies to be attained. These include New Teacher Institute, Effective Teaching Skills instructional modules/CD-Rom, on-line teacher resource center, online master teacher videoconferences, mentoring/coaching training, and technical assistance. On-line tools, including a professional development clearinghouse of on-line and on-site workshops, a cyber master teacher mentor discussion bank, and divisional workrooms (full of successful practices) are also available to the teacher. These align with the teacher competencies and are included within the Effective Teaching Skills modules.

What Are the Benefits?

Although this is a new process, we have found that the Teacher Induction system provides the following benefits

§ High-level retention of teachers

· Customization and personalization of training services for teachers

§ High-level instructional strategies being used by teachers

§ Alignment of field services and college coursework

§ More communication between the agency, university, and local administration

§ Reduction of repetitiveness in field experiences, college courses, and agency in-service training

§ A more efficient and effective fast-track certification process for teachers

Research is ongoing to further validate the benefits of the Induction system