Our Approach to "Robust Mentoring" in Induction

A vital part of teacher retention in Arizona must be a research-based induction program with quality instructional mentoring, according to a new report from the Arizona Department of Education.

On Monday, August 26, the Arizona State Board of Education heard ADE's Teacher Recruitment and Retention Task Force recommend that schools prioritize and implement "induction with robust mentoring" as part of a full retention plan.

A major part of the Arizona K12 Center’s work has been a program that both enhances teacher quality and retention rates. Now known as the Arizona New Teacher Support Program, this approach aligns or addresses the 12 tenets of an induction program with robust mentoring recommended by ADE.

The application for the next two-year cycle of the Arizona New Teacher Support Program will open this winter. Be sure you're one of the first to know when the application window is announced and opens by submitting your information here. Along with the full program, the Arizona K12 Center can also offer customized support to help align your school’s induction and mentoring program to this research-based program.

The Arizona K12 Center’s Arizona New Teacher Support Program uses the evidence-based New Teacher Center induction and mentoring model. This approach provides a highly trained and supported instructional mentor to novice teachers (those in years 1-3) and creates systems of support and learning for beginning teachers and their students.

Here is a breakdown of the ADE task force’s “Critical Components of an Induction with Robust Mentoring Program” and its alignment with the Arizona New Teacher Support Program.

Critical Component: Standards-based; programs should be aligned with Arizona Beginning Teacher Induction Program Standards
The Arizona New Teacher Support Program is aligned with not only the Arizona’s Beginning Teacher Induction Program Standards but also the Arizona’s Professional Teaching Standards.

Critical Component: Dedicated funding for Induction with Robust Mentoring programs
The Arizona New Teacher Support Program is a two-year grant that provides funding for a full-release instructional mentor and other parts of the site’s induction program. It also provides the training and continued learning and networking for those mentors and professional learning events specialized for new teachers at no cost to grant recipients.

Critical Component: Induction and Mentoring program leader(s) with experience in coaching/mentoring
Partnering with the Arizona K12 Center for induction and mentoring work connects your school with experienced program support, including Center staff members with extensive mentoring and coaching experience who continue their professional learning in a variety of ways, including through the New Teacher Center’s National Program Leaders Network. 

Critical Component: Intentional and detailed criteria for mentor selection
The Arizona K12 Center has set criteria, including 14 requirements, for those selected as instructional mentors.

Critical Component: Clearly defined roles, responsibilities, and avenues of support for site-based leaders, mentors, and other district personnel with ongoing training
The Center’s Arizona New Teacher Support Program articulates the clear roles and expectations for program leads, mentors, and other district induction staff. The program also features support and continued learning for all of those specific roles.

Critical Component: Common language defined and used within the induction and mentoring program
The Arizona New Teacher Support Program grounds participants in a common language and includes a glossary of clearly defined terms and tools.

Critical Component: Identify and supply appropriate teacher resources: curriculum maps, pacing guides, common formative assessments, lesson plans, etc.
Mentors through the Arizona New Teacher Support Program are trained to support new teachers in using these tools and resources.

Critical Component: Differentiated support for mentees
Mentors through the Arizona New Teacher Support Program are trained to differentiate support for mentees, addressing what a particular teacher is most needing.

Critical Component: Engaging, ongoing professional development for mentors that allows them to develop skills and individualized support structures for mentees
Along with scheduled check-in appointments with the Arizona K12 Center, the Arizona New Teacher Support Program features three formal professional learning opportunities:

Critical Component: Regular coaching cycles by mentors for mentees, using data to drive improvement
The Arizona New Teacher Support Program mentors are assigned a maximum of 15 new teachers, meeting with each teacher at least once per week and completing two full coaching cycles each year using research-based tools for data collection.

Critical Component: Regularly scheduled peer observations between mentee and colleagues focused on targeted areas
We provide guidance on how to schedule regular classroom observations for beginning teachers. Not only do we provide training for our mentors to effectively observe the classroom, we provide training for our program leaders with in-field coaching to support mentor observation and support. We can also provide Instructional Rounds training, which is a system-wide approach for peer observation and problem of practice development.

Critical Component: Regional and/or statewide opportunities for induction and mentor program leaders’ community of practice
The Arizona New Teacher Support Program requires that a team of four from each participating district, including the mentor, program lead, a school administrator, and a fourth person of the district’s choice, attend Arizona New Teacher Induction Network gatherings. These events engage decision-makers and practitioners in a common space to share what is making an impact on teacher retention, beginning teacher support, and, ultimately, student learning.

Critical Component: Regional and/or statewide opportunities for induction and mentor program mentors’ community of practice
Along with the Arizona New Teacher Induction Network mentioned above, mentors attend Mentor Forums where they digest the knowledge and skills learned, share best practices among colleagues, practice using tools and protocols to drive teacher practice forward, and identify ways of overcoming obstacles in their work.

In addition to this strong foundation of mentoring for new teachers, the Arizona New Teacher Support Program includes free registration to the Arizona K12 Center’s Beginning Teacher Series and summer ATA Beginning Teacher Institute, all tailored especially for those new to the profession.

The Arizona K12 Center is highly prioritizing this work. As the population most likely to leave the profession, teachers in their first three years of teaching require effective induction and mentoring support in your district. Supporting beginning teachers with a research-backed approach is instrumental in addressing teacher quality and retention, and, in turn, student learning, in Arizona.

As Arizona Deputy Associate Superintendent Jamie Wilbur said at Monday’s meeting, "We can recruit all day long, but if we aren't focusing on retention, all of that is for nothing."