Competency and Completion

COMPETENCY AND COMPLETION

The purpose of the Induction program is to support candidate development and growth in the profession by building on the knowledge and skills gained during the Preliminary Preparation program to design and implement a robust mentoring system that helps each candidate work to meet the California Standards for the Teaching Profession.

The Individualized Learning Plan (ILP) addresses the California Standards for the Teaching Profession and provides a road map for candidates’ Induction work during their time in the program along with guidance for the mentor in providing support. The ILP includes candidate professional growth goals, a description of how the candidate will work to meet those goals, defined and measurable outcomes for the candidate, and planned opportunities to reflect on progress and modify the ILP as needed.

Within the ILP, professional learning and support opportunities are identified for each candidate to practice and refine effective teaching practices for all students through focused cycles of inquiry. In addition, the ILP process supports each candidate’s consistent practice of reflection on the effectiveness of instruction, analysis of student and other outcomes data, and the use of these data to further inform the repeated cycle of planning and instruction.

Mentor and candidate review the descriptions for each level of the CSTP elements as delineated on the Continuum for Teaching Practice. For each CSTP element, a participating teacher must choose a continuum level of Emerging, Exploring, Applying, Integrating or Innovating and record the date on the continuum along with descriptions of evidence of what the candidate has done to establish the chosen CSTP continuum level. Each candidate will select a continuum level and set a goal for all CSTP sub-elements listed in their Individual Learning Plan.

Based on these initial CSTP self-assessments, reflection on classroom context, and pre-service and prior teaching experiences, as well as on the Preliminary Program Transition Plan, the mentor supports and collaborates with the participating teacher in formulating their goals for their ILP in consultation with Teacher Induction Program staff and the site administrator. Consultation with the site administrator takes place in the form of a triad meeting between the administrator, the mentor teacher and the participating teacher. At this meeting it is stressed to the administrator that the ILP is separate from and not to be used for evaluation and that its purpose is to strengthen the candidate’s professional practice and development

Lastly, the mentor and candidate are required to participate in and complete a certain number of professional learning and support opportunities to help the candidate to practice and refine effective best practices for all students. These learning and support opportunities include the formulation of a focus question on which an inquiry is based that has at its core the selected sub-elements of a candidate chosen CSTP. Candidates participate in action research which includes implementing strategies and practices found in specific categories of resources. Candidates reflect on the outcomes and future implications of these strategies and practices for them and for their students now and in the future. The candidate provides evidence and data and analyzes these in collaboration with the mentor in light of student outcome results and current and future practice.

The Induction program must assess candidate progress towards mastery of the California Standards for the Teaching Profession to support the recommendation for the clear credential. The documentation of candidate progress must reflect the learning and professional growth goals indicated within the Individualized Learning Plan and evidence of the candidate’s successful completion of the activities outlined in the ILP.

All Induction work is uploaded for program evaluation to an electronic portfolio which is accessible only to the participating teachers, mentor teachers, and the Teacher Induction Program Teacher Specialist. The online portfolio is not accessible to the participating teacher's evaluator/administrator. Trained mentor-reviewers and the Induction Program Teacher Specialist will determine if uploaded evidence meets the expectations of Induction competency and completion requirements. Each artifact, piece of evidence, or document submitted for review is measured for competency and completion using the GUSD Teacher Induction Program Holistic One-Point Rubric for ILP/Inquiry and the GUSD Teacher Induction Program ILP Submission Rubric. Results are recorded on the ILP Submission Checklist, which is sent back to the participating teacher via email and posted to their electronic portfolio regarding which components meet requirements and which require additional work and re-submission. Guidance for re-submission is provided to each participating teacher, and sections may be re-submitted as many times as needed in order for the candidate to improve and meet Induction competency and completion standards.

Once the candidate’s work is determined to have met all program requirements, and that the candidate has completed any other components required by the Commission on Teacher Credentialing, the candidate and the Induction Teacher Specialist sign a Letter Requesting Recommendation for the Clear Credential. This letter is taken to the Credential Technician in Human Resources who is solely responsible for Clear credential recommendations. The Credentials Technician guides the candidate in the process of clearing their credential with the Commission on Teacher Credentialing.

The rated ILP Submission Checklists collectively serve as the Transportability Document and are available to all candidates in their online portfolios. Transportability documents and completion letters, which show the work that has been completed to date, are also available to all candidates from the GUSD Teacher Induction Program on request. This completion information is archived and available both for current and former Induction Participating Teachers.

The Induction Program maintains and retains candidate records in accordance with GUSD’s record retention policy. Per GUSD standard practice, the Human Resources Department (HR) keeps records on file of all submitted transcripts and documents, including Induction program completion records, and can provide the candidate with access to these records upon the candidate's request. HR keeps all personnel records digitally and confidentially on file using an online service (EDFILES.com). Records are kept securely in locked cabinets and an online secure server (EDFILES.com) in the HR office, in areas not accessible by the public.

ILP Submission Checklist

3 Cs Rubric for Scoring ILP

ILP One-Point Rubric

GUSD Supplemental Rubric

Portfolio Rating Instructions

Request for Clear Credential

Completion Letter

Transcripts and Records Policy

TRANSCRIPTS AND RECORDS POLICY

The rated ILP Submission Checklists collectively serve as the Transportability Document and are available to all candidates in their online portfolios. Transportability documents and completion letters, which show the work that has been completed to date, are also available to all candidates from the GUSD Teacher Induction Program on request. This completion information is archived and available both for current and former Induction Participating Teachers. Candidates are requested to make copies of their online portfolio work, particularly their ILP Submission Checklists, when they complete the Induction Program or leave Glendale USD in the unlikely event that their records are scheduled for destruction at some future date. Should candidate records be scheduled for destruction, candidates will be notified via the most current email addresses available through Induction and Human Resources records.

The Induction Program maintains and retains candidate records in accordance with GUSD’s record retention policy. Per GUSD standard practice, the Human Resources Department (HR) keeps records on file of all submitted transcripts and documents, including Induction program completion records, and can provide the candidate with access to these records upon the candidate's request. HR keeps all personnel records digitally and confidentially on file using an online service (EDFILES.com). Records are kept securely in locked cabinets and an online secure server (EDFILES.com) in the HR office, in areas not accessible by the public.