New Teacher Induction and “Tenure with Teeth”:
Improving Hiring and Staffing in a Nation Where Teaching is At Risk (Part II)
Dear Colleagues,
Introduction
In our last Blog, we initiated a four-part Series where we began to systematically dissect what districts and schools need to improve the teacher recruitment, selection, professional development/training, evaluation, tenure, and continuing appointment process.
The ultimate goal of these processes is:
To ensure that teachers consistently teach (a) academic and (b) individual and group social, emotional, and behavioral information, content, and skills to students in effective, differentiated ways such that, in a developmentally-sensitive way, they learn, master, and are able to independently apply these (a) to real-world problems or situations, and eventually (b) to successful employment and community functioning.
To facilitate this process, we encouraged districts and schools to recognize that teacher evaluation needs to move away from an isolated “personnel appraisal” perspective that focuses on (a) “Should this teacher keep his/her job?” and/or (b) “How can I (financially) motivate this teacher to be a consistently effective teacher?”
Instead, we pointed to the importance of a “professional development and growth” perspective where teachers (a) are continuously upgrading their instructional practices to align with the most-current research and content, and (b) are consistently demonstrating their dedication to their students, colleagues, schools, and communities because they are guided through training, coaching, consultation, and evaluations of their growth and efficacy.
We noted that effective teachers almost always are individually or collegially motivated to positively impact their students. . . but they are also skilled in their craft. Critically, these skills develop over time, and are supported—once again, formally and informally—by district-provided training and coaching, as well as individually-selected opportunities to advance and specialize.
We also stated:
Critically, if a teacher is not suitably skilled. . . just like one of their students, they may need modified or more intensive instruction, practice, and coaching.
But if a teacher is not motivated. . . this should eventually become an administrative—not a training or professional development—issue.
And at the far end of the spectrum of poor motivation or insubordinate behavior, a teacher should be put on a Professional Development Plan by their administrator, and—if unsuccessful—should be reassigned with continued oversight or, as necessary, terminated.
Revisiting the Four Pillars of Teacher Preparation and Proficiency
In order to attain the ultimate goal above, we recommended that districts and schools focus consciously and planfully to four Pillars of Teacher Preparation and Proficiency:
- Teacher Hiring and Orientation
- Teacher Induction and Tenure
- Continuing Teacher Appointments and Coaching, and
- Teacher Leadership and Advancement
In Part I of this Blog Series, we then addressed the first area.
[CLICK HERE for Part I of this Blog Series]
Here, we noted that districts or schools—to ensure quality hires when they have open positions—must:
- Know what they functionally need a new teacher to know and do in the classroom (described in observable, measurable, and behavioral terms);
- Determine—during the recruitment and interview process—what their candidates know and can do based on these needs;
- Hire only the candidates that come closest to meeting these needs;
- Functionally orient their new hires as quickly as possible; and
- Simultaneously close candidates’ knowledge or skills gaps as quickly as possible.
In the first phase of this process, the Search Committee reviews each candidate’s application portfolio (e.g., resume, transcripts, personal statements, recommendations, work samples) to determine whether they meet the required qualifications of the position, and if they are in the “top group” to be invited in for an interview. Critically, no one should be interviewed unless they meet these two criteria.
In the second interview phase, we suggested that schools consider an “carousel” approach that:
- Involves representative staff who serve the school in different capacities;
- Includes different interview formats, activities (e.g., live teaching simulations), and discussions to match every candidate to the desired climate and culture, functional job and position demands, and staff and school expectations; and
- Gives all interview participants a full and active voice in the final selection of the favored candidate(s).
After a candidate is offered and accepts the position, we then described a Teacher Orientation process covering specific areas of emphasis, emphasizing that:
Teachers need to be thoroughly, systematically, and functionally well-oriented to their new district and school as soon and as effectively as possible for them (a) to feel settled, safe, secure, comfortable, welcome, and integrated into their new setting(s); and (b) to successfully meet and exceed their instructional, collegial, and other professional responsibilities.
We stated:
Critically, part of this orientation also includes an introduction—to all new hires—to specific initiatives or trainings that a district and/or school has embraced and started.
For example, if the school has adopted specific approaches to literacy or math instruction, to teaching social skills or other social-emotional strategies, or to providing remediation or interventions through computer-assisted supports. . . the new teachers should be (a) alerted—early on—to these approaches, (b) given the resources and an initial overview to help them support these initiatives in their classrooms, and (c) provided a schedule of how and when they will be formally trained to the same level of proficiency as their colleagues.
Pillar II: Teacher Induction and Tenure
The second Pillar in the process of nurturing and sustaining consistently effective teachers through high quality recruitment, selection, professional development/training, evaluation, tenure, and continuing appointment processes. . . is the Teacher Induction and Teacher Tenure Pillar.
In the Teacher Induction area, we recommend that teachers learn, master, and demonstrate a skills- and outcomes-based scope and sequence of professional content and skills in the specific domains needed by all teachers and students to be proficient.
In the Teacher Tenure area, we recommend a multi-dimensional tenure process (“with teeth”) that evaluates teachers’ growth and competence in three areas: (a) Research and Curriculum Development; (b) Instruction and Student Learning; and (c) School, District, and/or Community Service.
The Teacher Induction Process
Many state departments of education or licensure have a required Beginning Teacher Program that moves teachers—who have just graduated from university teacher training programs or who have entered alternative certification programs—from Provisional State Certification to Full or Permanent State Certification. This typically occurs during their first formal year of teaching, and it often involves supervision by a teacher-mentor.
While important, districts and schools should extend the new teacher induction process into a multi-year set of scaffolded activities and opportunities that teachers experience to fully prepare them to be effective, seasoned, and tenured professionals. The components of this process are detailed below.
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Who
Once hired, there are three kinds of “new” teachers:
- Novice Teachers are both new to the school and district (unless they interned there), and new to the teaching profession. They enter their new jobs with no years of tenure-earning experience “in rank.”
- Transfer Teachers have teaching experience at another school, but they have been hired by a new school either from within their district or from a different district. These teachers are given credit for the number of documented and successful years of experience in rank.
If they are hired from within their district, they will retain their tenure status if already earned. If they are hired from outside their new district, given (a) the position they are filling, (b) their status as already-tenured, or (c) at least five years of documented and successful experience, they may be hired by their new district with tenure.
- Transition Teachers are experienced teachers who are making a significant instructional shift to teach a new grade level (for example, from teaching Grade 5 to teaching Middle School) or in a new academic area (moving, for example, from teaching math to literacy, general high school to Advanced Placement courses, special education to general education).
As with the Transfer Teachers, if Transition Teachers are “hired” from within the district, they will retain their years of experience in rank, and their tenure status if already earned. If hired from outside of the district, they will receive credit for their previous successful years of experience in rank, and they may be hired by the new district, as appropriate, with tenure.
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Who, How Long, and What
As a foundation, we believe that teachers—who work in states offering this status—should receive tenure after five years in rank. We also believe, as noted above, that teachers earn tenure (we call this “Tenure with Teeth”) by successfully completing specific activities and demonstrating consistent and ongoing proficiency in three domains:
- Research and Curriculum Development;
- Instruction and Student Learning; and
- School, District, and Community Service.
In the first two of these three areas (the third area will be addressed below):
Novice Teachers need to participate in a planned, systematic Induction Program for their first three years in rank, and then, if successful, they can continue to teach and go up for tenure after five years.
Transfer Teachers need to go through a one to three year Induction process that is organized around their existing skills and experience, and—especially—their knowledge and skill gaps. These gaps typically involve (a) (a) professional development initiatives and/or (b) curriculum and instruction approaches that the district or school has committed to and adopted, and that are unfamiliar to the newly hired teacher.
If, for example, the new teacher was hired with three years of experience in rank, they would proceed through the Induction process (optimally in two years or less), and then go up for tenure during their fifth year.
If they are hired with tenure, they still would go through the Induction process. . . “exiting” this process when their knowledge and skill gaps have been successfully addressed.
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If hired from within the district, Transition Teachers also need to go through a one to three year Induction process, but it will be heavily focused on the curriculum and instruction knowledge and skills that they need to successfully transition to their new grade or academic level or area.
If hired from outside the district, these teachers also will engage in training and supervision in any professional development initiatives being implemented by their new district or school that are unfamiliar to them.
Once again, the Induction process can be aligned with the five-year tenure process as relevant.
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More “What’s”
Expanding on the three teacher tenure domains above, districts and schools need to develop a scaffolded, multi-year professional development process of training, implementation, coaching, consultation, and evaluation that includes activities and opportunities for teachers to learn specific content and skills in large and small group settings, with mentors and with peers at their same level of experience, and through collegial and independent study.
From a content perspective, the professional development process should address (a) Research and Curriculum Development, and (b) Instruction and Student Learning in the following areas:
- Academics. Every teacher, regardless of who and what they teach, should understand and be skilled in teaching the “Core Four” subject areas—literacy, mathematics, oral expression, and written expression; as well as the content in their specific academic area of emphasis.
All academic disciplines, at one point or another, depend on the Core Four in order for students to be learn and be fully successful—even music, art, or physical education. Thus, all teachers need know the foundational science-to-instruction practices for all Core Four disciplines, as well as how they apply to their specific area of emphasis.
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- Classroom Management and Social-Emotional Learning. Every teacher should know and be skilled in the science-to-practice of student behavior, motivation, engagement, and classroom management, and in how to teach students interpersonal, social problem-solving, conflict prevention and resolution, and emotional awareness, control, communication, and coping skills. . . at the developmental level(s) of the students they are teaching.
In their teacher training programs, too many teachers do not receive practical coursework and training, guided practice and coaching, or formal evaluation and feedback in classroom management organization and strategies, and/or in social-emotional learning and social skills training. As such, as they enter the field or a new grade or content area, they may have the skills to teach students from an academic perspective, but they never get the chance because their students are not motivated and attentive, and they are demonstrating inappropriate behavior or are engaged in peer conflict.
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- Technological- and Computer-Assisted Instruction and Application. Every teacher should know and be skilled in using essential computer software programs and applications, and they should be taught and master the more strategic technological and computer-assisted programs and applications purchased by their district or school to enhance or assess student learning.
This includes how to effectively use (a) computer-assisted instruction alongside core instruction, as well as (b) assistive supports—especially those accommodations and modifications (for example, speech-to-text and text-to-speech) that are built into most computers today.
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- District- or School-Specific Special Initiatives. As discussed above, districts and schools should additionally provide new teachers with the same training and coaching that their colleagues received relative to “special” district- or school-wide initiatives. While some of this training may overlap with the areas described above, some of the training may be unique, individualized, or proprietary to the school.
Examples here might include: Dyslexia or Orton-Gillingham training in literacy; Stop & Think Social Skills Program training in social-emotional learning; or Cooperative, Project-based, or Flipped Learning in instruction.
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The How—Subset 1
In order to actualize, for example, Novice teachers’ Research and Curriculum Development, and Instruction and Student Learning proficiencies in the content areas above over their first five years in rank, they must receive simultaneous training, coaching, and evaluation in the pedagogical processes that make teaching work.
Using Danielson’s Framework for Teaching rubric as a professional development and growth (not a personnel appraisal) exemplar, these pedagogical processes might focus on:
Domain 1: PLANNING AND PREPARATION
1a. Demonstrating Knowledge of Content and Pedagogy: What is the content being taught? What prerequisite learning is required?
1b. Demonstrating Knowledge of Students: Characterize the class. How will you modify this lesson for groups of individual students?
1c. Selecting Instructional Outcomes: What do you want the student to learn during the lesson?
1d. Demonstrating Knowledge of Resources: What resources were considered for this lesson and rejected? Why? What resources will be used? Why?
1e. Designing Coherent Instruction: List very briefly the steps of the lesson.
1f. Designing Student Assessments: How will you measure the goals articulated in 1c? What does success look like?
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Domain 2: THE CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT
2a. Creating a Climate of Respect and Rapport: Teacher interaction with students. Student interactions with one another.
2b. Creating a Culture for Learning: Importance of Content. Expectations for learning and achievement. Student Pride in work.
2c. Managing Classroom Procedures: Instructional Groups. Transitions. Materials & Supplies. Performance of non-instructional Duties.
2d. Managing Student Behavior: Expectations. Monitoring Student Behavior. Response to Student Behavior
2e. Organizing the Physical Space: Safety and Accessibility. Arrangement of Furniture & Use of Physical Resources
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Domain 3: INSTRUCTION
3a. Communication with Students: Expectations for learning. Directions and Procedures. Explanations of content. Use of Oral and Written Language.
3b. Using Questioning & Discussion Techniques: Quality of Questions/ Prompts. Discussion Techniques. Student Participation.
3c. Engaging Students in Learning: Activities & Assignments. Grouping of Students. Instructional Materials & Resources. Structure & Pacing.
3d. Assessing Student Learning: Assessment Criteria. Monitoring of Learning. Student Feedback. Self-Assessment & Progress monitoring.
3e. Demonstrating Flexibility and Responsiveness: Lesson Adjustment. Response to Students. Persistence.
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Domain 4: PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES
4a. Reflecting on Teaching: What reflections caused you to design the lesson as you did? After the lesson, state whether the objectives have been met, specifically by whom, and how do you know.
4b. Growing and Developing Professionally: What aspects of this lesson are the result of some recent professional learning?
4c. Showing Professionalism: In what ways have you been an advocate for students that relate directly to your instruction?
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The expectation here is that (a) Novice (and other) teachers will receive embedded and ongoing feedback in the Framework areas above as there are embedded in the content areas specified; that (b) the teachers will learn how to evaluate themselves in these areas over time; and that (c) the teachers will become proficient, seasoned experts in their craft during their first five years in rank.
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The How—Subset 2
An additional facet of this professional development process is that new teachers also must learn how (a) to embed multi-cultural, multi-racial, gender-diverse, and socio-economic sensitivity into their classrooms, instruction, and interactions with students; and separately (b) to use effective instructional differentiation and multi-tiered interventions and supports.
In the former area, new teachers need to learn how to consciously and planfully create and communicate the acceptance of individual differences across different student groups (even if they are not physically present in their classrooms) so that positive, nurturing, and supportive climates and academic and social interactions result.
In the latter area, new teachers need to understand how to apply differentiated instruction, remediation, accommodation, and modification strategies, respectfully, to their classroom instruction and students. This needs to occur across all academic and the social, emotional, and behavioral domains. Moreover, this should include an understanding of how, when, and with whom to use each set of specific instructional strategies to target specific students’ needs and skills.
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School, District, and Community Service
In addition to proficiency in the Research and Curriculum Development, and the Instruction and Student Learning domains, new teachers (indeed, all teachers) should be required to participate (Domain C—from above) in ongoing School, District, and/or Community Service activities.
These could be a mixture of required and self-selected activities, but—at the very least—it should include having all teachers and instructional staff participate as members of at least one school-level committee each year.
This domain is not suggested in the spirit of teacher volunteerism. It is included as a professional role and responsibility of all teachers and support staff. . . something that should be contractually embedded as part of a teacher’s “day” (although in some districts, this may require changes or a renegotiation of specific facets of the teacher contract).
The Teacher Tenure Process
As noted throughout this Blog, teachers should be formally evaluated from the beginning of their service, and we propose a system where teachers can receive tenure after five years of successful teaching. While districts and schools will need to determine more specific details and objective criteria, decisions on tenure would require teachers to demonstrate proficiency in the three domains discussed throughout this Blog:
- Research and Curriculum Development;
- Instruction and Student Learning; and
- School, District, and Community Service.
To “demonstrate proficiency,” teachers would submit a “Tenure Application Portfolio” that might include progressively-created lessons, instructional videotapes and work samples, coaching and evaluation protocols, letters of support and recommendation, demonstrated student outcomes, and school or district service documentation.
The tenure application process could even involve a presentation by the candidate with a Question and Answer session with the Tenure Committee to follow.
Relative to the latter, tenure (or non-tenure) should be recommended by a district-selected Tenure Committee that reviews the credentials and status of all teachers requesting tenure during a specific year. This Committee should include district and school administrators and supervisors, currently-tenured teachers and support staff, and other individuals as desired or relevant.
The ultimate tenure decision would be made by the Superintendent or his/her administrative designee. . . based on the recommendations of the Tenure Committee and his/her own review of each candidate’s credentials.
Although this may be pre-determined by state law or department of education regulations, the district could decide whether tenure is “for life,” or if a “continuing appointment provision” comes with tenure (more on this in the next Blog).
If a candidate does not receive tenure, the Superintendent could (a) offer the teacher an additional one to three years to address any areas of concern, along with a commitment to reconsider the tenure decision; or (b) inform the teacher that they may remain in their current position for one additional year after which their contract would not be renewed.
Relative to transitioning from Induction to Tenure, it is recommended that Novice Teachers go through a “Mid-Tenure Review” at the end of their third year. As noted earlier, Novice Teachers should participate in a planned, systematic Induction Program for their first three years in rank, and then, if successful, they can continue to teach and go up for tenure after five years.
This “successful transition” could formally occur as a Novice Teacher completes a Mid-Tenure portfolio, comparable to the Tenure Application Portfolio. . . with documentation in the Research and Curriculum Development, Instruction and Student Learning, and School, District, and Community Service domains. This portfolio could be evaluated—with specific feedback—by the teacher’s school administrator and others, and a positive rating would mark the end of the induction process.
This transition approach could be modified and used for Transfer and Transition Teachers.
Summary
This is Part II of a four-part Series discussing how districts and schools can improve the teacher recruitment, selection, professional development/training, evaluation, tenure, and continuing appointment process.
The ultimate goal is:
To ensure that teachers consistently teach (a) academic and (b) individual and group social, emotional, and behavioral information, content, and skills to students in effective, differentiated ways such that, in a developmentally-sensitive way, they learn, master, and are able to independently apply these (a) to real-world problems or situations, and eventually (b) to successful employment and community functioning.
In order to attain this goal, we recommend that districts and schools focus on four Pillars of Teacher Preparation and Proficiency:
- Teacher Hiring and Orientation
- Teacher Induction and Tenure
- Continuing Teacher Appointments and Coaching, and
- Teacher Leadership and Advancement
In Part I of this Blog Series, we addressed the first Pillar by noting that, to ensure quality hires when they have open positions—districts or schools must:
- Know what they functionally need a new teacher to know and do in the classroom (described in observable, measurable, and behavioral terms);
- Determine—during the recruitment and interview process—what their candidates know and can do based on these needs;
- Hire only the candidates that come closest to meeting these needs;
- Functionally orient their new hires as quickly as possible; and
- Simultaneously close candidates’ knowledge or skills gaps as quickly as possible.
[CLICK HERE for Part I of this Blog Series]
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In this Part II, we detailed the activities in the second Teacher Induction and Teacher Tenure Pillar.
In the Teacher Induction area, we identified and described three kinds of “new” teachers when hired by a school: Novice, Transfer, and Transition Teachers, respectively. We then recommended that these teachers learn, master, and demonstrate content and skill proficiency in three specific outlined domains: (a) Research and Curriculum Development; (b) Instruction and Student Learning; and (c) School, District, and/or Community Service.
These domains were interfaced with the pedagogical processes underlying successful classroom instruction by describing relevant areas from Danielson’s Framework for Teaching evaluation instrument. Critically, we emphasized using Danielson not for personnel appraisal, but as a professional development and growth framework and guide.
In addition to proficiency in the Research and Curriculum Development and Instruction and Student Learning domains, we noted that new teachers (indeed, all teachers) should be required to participate in ongoing School, District, and/or Community Service activities.
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In the Teacher Tenure area, we proposed a system where teachers can receive tenure after five years of successful teaching. To demonstrate proficiency in the three domains above, teachers would submit a Tenure Application Portfolio that might include progressively-created lessons, instructional videotapes and work samples, coaching and evaluation protocols, letters of support and recommendation, demonstrated student outcomes, and school or district service documentation.
Evaluated by a district-selected Tenure Committee of district and school administrators and supervisors, currently-tenured teachers and support staff, and other relevant individuals, the ultimate tenure decision would be made by the Superintendent or his/her administrative designee. Based on state law, tenure could be “for life” or part of a continuing appointment process.
If a tenure is not secured, the Superintendent’s decision could be revisited after the teacher spends an additional one to three years addressing any areas of concern, or the teacher might be allowed to remain in their current position for one additional year after which their contract would not be renewed.
The transition from Induction to Tenure would involve a Mid-Tenure Review at the end of a new teacher’s third year with the successful submission and review of a Mid-Tenure portfolio consisting of accomplishments to date in the Research and Curriculum Development, Instruction and Student Learning, and School, District, and Community Service domains.
The next, Part III Blog of this Series will address the third Pillar: Continuing Teacher Appointments and Coaching.
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Thank you, as always, for reading and thinking about the issues and suggestions that we share in each Blog.
As the school year winds down, know that this is the perfect time to collect and analyze your students’ experiences, accomplishments, and “lessons learned”. . . transitioning them systematically to the next year’s teaching team and/or school.
It is also a great time to strategically assess your directions and needs for next year.
Sometimes, all of this is facilitated by an outside partner who can synthesize the data and information, and provide an objective perspective on your strengths, resources, gaps, and next steps.
If you are interested in discussing this process further, I am happy to provide a free one-hour consultation and discussion with your team at any time. Please feel free to reach out either by phone or e-mail.
Best,
