Induction

Induction  Requirements

Induction is the second stage of the state’s two-tier credential system. A teacher who has earned a Preliminary Single Subject Teaching Credential generally completes a Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC)-approved Teacher Induction Program to earn the Clear Single Subject Teaching Credential.

Requirement

What it means for a secondary teacher

• Length - Induction is normally a two-year program.

• Job embedded - The program occurs while the teacher is working as a teacher of record; it is intended to begin during the teacher's first year of teaching.

• Mentor - The program must assign a qualified mentor within 30 days of enrollment, with attention to the teacher's credential, grade level, and/or subject area.

• Mentoring time - Teachers must receive an average of at least one hour per week of individualized mentoring/support.

• Individual Learning Plan (ILP) - The teacher develops professional-growth goals in an ILP within the first 60 days of enrollment.

• California teaching standards - The ILP and induction work are based on the California Standards for the Teaching Profession (CSTP).

• Inquiry/reflection - Teachers use mentoring, inquiry into their teaching, evidence from practice, professional learning, and reflection to improve instruction.

• Not employment evaluation - The ILP is specifically for the teacher's professional growth, not for evaluating the teacher for continued employment.

• Completion - The induction provider verifies successful completion and recommends the teacher to the CTC for the Clear Credential.

In short: for a typical new California secondary teacher, induction means two years of classroom-based professional development, a trained mentor providing roughly an hour of individualized support each week, an Individual Learning Plan tied to the CSTP, cycles of inquiry/reflection and evidence of professional growth, followed by the induction provider's recommendation for the Clear Single Subject Credential.