The New Teacher Center Induction Model

The information below is excerpted from a monograph detailing The New Teacher Center Induction Model.

The NTC Induction Model is based upon the nearly two decades of experience drawn from the Santa Cruz/Silicon Valley New Teacher Project that has served more than 2,500 first and second-year teachers in over two dozen school districts in the University of California, Santa Cruz service area.

• Teaching is a career-long developmental process.
• Teaching is a continuous cycle of teaching, assessment, reflection, and re-teaching.
• Professional standards and a focus on student achievement guide the improvement of practice.
• Teacher development occurs best in a collegial environment where norms of leadership are valued.
• A teacher’s professional growth leads to improved student achievement.

The NTC Induction Model has regular, one-on-one mentoring by a carefully selected and highly trained mentor as the central element. Additional components are designed to create a network of support for both the new teacher and the mentor, and to align the induction model with other key initiatives in both the pre-service and school site/district contexts. Furthermore, the model is intentionally designed to serve as a catalyst and support for educational reform and the professionalization of teaching.

Key Elements of the NTC Induction Model

• A Carefully-Selected Mentor
• Full or Substantial Release Time for Mentors
• Participation by All First- and Second-Year Teachers
• Mentor Training
• On-Going Professional Development for Mentors
• Professional Standards
• Formative Assessment
• Classroom Instruction and Content Focused Mentoring
• Beginning Teacher Network for Professional Development
• Clear Role for and Communication with Site Administrators
• Participation by a Variety of Key Stakeholder Groups
• Focus on Equity and English Language Development
• Linkages to Pre-service
• Program Evaluation
• Beginning Teacher Advocacy