By Karen M. Beerer

Journal of Staff Development, Fall 2002 (Vol. 23, No. 4)

Copyright, National Staff Development Council, 2002. All rights reserved.

What do new teachers need to be successful in their first years? They need classroom management skills, the ability to execute standards-based lessons, to integrate technology, communicate well with parents. ... The list can go on. Many teacher induction programs make mentors responsible for covering these topics and more, while the district provides a brief orientation to policies and procedures.

The Quakertown (Pa.) Community School District questioned whether this model was strong enough to ensure that beginning teachers were ready to face students on opening day and continue to grow professionally in their initial years of teaching.

The inherent question was not what staff development new teachers need, but how the district could provide it effectively. The answer is time. In Quakertown, new teachers spend an additional 15 contractual days each year during their first five years of teaching in a comprehensive New Teacher Academy, in addition to being mentored their first year. During these 15 days each year, new teachers take part in workshops specifically designed for them, personal choice staff development, graduate course work, and provide students with enrichment and/or remediation. (See chart in the PDF version of this article.) The district no longer struggles to narrow new teachers' professional learning to a few topics to fit available time.

Teachers appreciate the opportunity for additional professional learning.

"One of the main reasons I chose Quakertown was because of its commitment to professional development," said Andy Boquist, a third-year teacher. "I taught in three schools before Quakertown, and each of them basically gave you a one- or two-day orientation, and then you were thrown into the classroom to sink or swim.

"Any district willing to bring in its new teachers for two weeks in the summer to help ensure a successful start to their teaching career (or an experienced teacher's transition to a new district) was the right district for me."

PRAISE FROM PARTICIPANTS

Quakertown's mission to support new teachers began six years ago during a critical phase in collective bargaining. The calendar year for teachers grew from 194 to 200 days, including numerous professional learning days. Then the conversation turned to ways to support new hires, and the result of negotiations added 15 days for newly hired teachers to spend in professional learning each of their first five years.

The administration and Teacher's Association collaboratively formed a committee of central office administrators, principals, and teachers to research opportunities for learning during the 15 additional days set aside for new hires. The group reviewed the Gallup Organization's SRI Teacher Perceiver, an instrument that helps identify strengths of potential teacher candidates, and the Framework for Teaching (Danielson, 1996), which offers performance standards. The committee used this research and the district's strategic planning goals, along with student achievement data, to develop a five-year plan. The New Teacher Academy emerged.

Its effects have been powerful. A number of teachers were drawn to the district by the program. Kadishe Stoudt, a middle school teacher, had taught for several years in another district before applying in Quakertown. "The Quakertown Community School District has devoted years to the design, development, and delivery of unique, dynamic, and educative learning forums designed to assist new teachers' transition," Stoudt said. "The additional 15 work days encourage my colleagues and me to design, tailor, and deliver our own transitional learning experience. ... I view the additional 15 days as a valuable experience, for it exists in a nonthreatening, highly experiential, and supportive environment."

The district employed more than 90 new teachers in the last four years, and retained all but 10--an 89% retention rate. Of those who left, four relocated, two left for full-time rather than part-time positions, one joined the ministry, and three had various reasons such as family illnesses or pursuing doctoral work. The remainder continued teaching in the district, and the results of their extensive training are beginning to show. A number of the new teachers are emerging as staff developers.

After participating in the academy, growing through their personal choice staff development, and taking graduate coursework, these teachers have honed their knowledge of instruction and can provide pedagogical content knowledge to their more seasoned peers.

For example, four fourth-year teachers studied Dimensions of Learning (DOL), a research-based model based on Robert Marzano's work. It defines five types of thinking essential to successful learning and offers teaching strategies to enhance student achievement. The teachers experimented in their classrooms and collaborated in several after-school meetings on their exploration. Now they are conducting sessions on DOL in the Year Three Academy, using practical examples directly from their classrooms.

The best data on the academy's effectiveness are participants' own words.

A first-year teacher said, "I've never experienced such a positive or helpful session to prepare for the classroom in my short time as a teacher. This has helped me get a feel for this community and school district. The expectations for us are clear, and this has made us feel welcome. Thanks for the opportunity! I think some of my friends in other districts are jealous of what's going on here."

A FIVE-YEAR PLAN

The New Teacher Academy gives newly hired teachers a strong understanding of the district curriculum and the best instructional practices to support student achievement. The first three years center teachers on this goal, each with a different focus.

Year one: The first-year teachers academy is conducted during the last two weeks of August so the topics are fresh in teachers' minds when students arrive. Teachers ride a bus around the district to see the community, have several luncheons and opportunities to interact with professional staff, and take part in numerous workshops and activities. Each session focuses not only on theory, but practices applicable specifically to the students in Quakertown schools. Each session centers on "What works here?" Classroom teachers, counselors, reading specialists, and building-level administrators provide the professional learning for these workshops:

• The standards-based classroom: Participants are introduced to local standards and discuss the characteristics and development of a standards-based classroom.
• Positive classroom management: Teachers divide into elementary and secondary groups to discuss positive ways to manage the classroom and particularly the Quakertown student population. An elementary and a senior high school counselor facilitate topics such as discipline, communicating with parents, and strategies that work with the district's students.
• Teaching with technology: Each teacher receives a laptop computer to support the district's goal of integrating technology in the classroom. New teachers are introduced to Internet resources that support the curriculum and are trained on the district's grading software.
• Principal's panel: Principals at each level share their expectations and discuss questions in a relaxed and comfortable forum.

New teachers spend a great deal of workshop time focused on curriculum. These sessions, facilitated by veteran teachers, help new hires learn how to organize their classrooms, what to teach, and how to effectively engage students through workshops like "The Balanced Literacy Program" or "Teaching in the 90-Minute Classroom."

Each academy day also includes time for teachers to work in their classrooms or meet with peers to plan, prepare, or simply to commiserate. Since each workshop session often provides teachers with a product to implement in their own classroom, this curriculum work time is an opportunity to plan using their new knowledge.

All teachers are matched with a mentor whether they are hired directly from college or have 10 years of experience in another district. Twice during these initial weeks, new teachers meet with their mentors for planned activities. The first meeting addresses logistics, such as the location of the copy machine, for example. During the second week, the mentor and new teacher meet specifically to plan the first week of teaching.

The mentors have received training to ensure they understand their role. They learn what to look for when observing the new teacher and how to provide useful feedback.

The New Teacher Academy provides new teachers many opportunities to bond, not only with mentors, but also with colleagues in similar circumstances, in different buildings and at different levels. They develop relationships and collegial bonds that minimize their feeling of isolation, probably one of the academy's greatest advantages.

Follow-up continues through the school year with six 2-hour, after-school sessions. For the first time during the 2001-02 school year, the three initial sessions were offered online to allow new teachers more flexibility. These sessions include important reviews of pupil personnel services, parent-teacher conferences, and the professional code of conduct.

The district's supervisor of staff development facilitates the final three sessions during the winter months on Madeline Hunter's (1994) essential elements of instruction, which cover what constitutes an effective lesson and how to design lessons to ensure students achieve mastery.

New teachers have several days throughout the year for their choice of staff development to meet their personal learning needs. A variety of activities are offered, from workshops on instruction and technology integration to study groups focusing on professional literature. Or teachers may complete an action research project. More than 40 workshops are conducted seasonally over time periods ranging from after-school hours to summer days, along with online courses.

Throughout the new teacher's first two years, the supervisor of staff development, building principals, the teacher's mentor, and other district office personnel spend time observing in the classroom both formally and informally.

These observations are linked to workshop topics. Connecting professional development to classroom implementation provides new teachers with a feedback component to their training. And the supervisor of staff development is able to assess the new teacher's effectiveness.

Years two and three: During the summer of the second-year New Teacher Academy, participants spend one week studying and discussing instructional practices that impact student achievement. The supervisor of staff development works with new teachers to explore Stephen Zemelman, Harvey Daniels, and Arthur Hyde's work in Best Practice (Heinemann, 1998). New teachers receive several professional books including Methods That Matter (Stenhouse Publishers, 1998) and Classroom Strategies for Interactive Learning (International Reading Association, 1995). During the workshop time, teachers read sections from these texts, discuss and reflect on the readings, and plan how they can incorporate these research-based strategies into their classrooms.

To follow up on the academy week, teachers take part in three sessions during the school year focused on Danielson's Framework for Teaching.

The beginning teachers then videotape a lesson in their classroom and view and discuss each other's lessons in small groups using Danielson's framework. These collaborative sessions have helped teachers see that whether it's a 3rd-grade class or high school chemistry, some elements of quality instruction are universal.

After teaching for two years, teachers have a clearer understanding of their content. So in year three, they explore Marzano's work on Dimensions of Learning (ASCD, 1997). This framework extends the discussion and work on instruction from year two and enables teachers to combine their growing content knowledge with solid instructional practices.

By the end of the year three summer academy, teachers have a strong foundation of knowledge in effective curriculum and instructional practices. Teachers now are able to develop remediation or enrichment programs for students. In their third year, all beginning teachers must offer students either enrichment or remediation opportunities based on student need, either after school or in a summer program. Some have created a reading intervention for early readers, while others have developed SAT preparation classes and a summer transition program to middle school for at-risk students. Others have elected to participate in a current district-sponsored offering.

Years four and five: Most teachers spend their academy time in years four and five honing their enrichment or remediation program, along with completing graduate coursework and pursuing individually chosen professional learning. This time gives new teachers the opportunity to pursue professional interests and strengths.

ROOM TO GROW

The New Teacher Academy is designed to follow effective staff development as outlined by Dennis Sparks and Stephanie Hirsh (2000)--ongoing, sustained professional development that is curriculum-based. Each year the New Teacher Academy continues to develop, grow, and improve. Beginning teachers give extensive feedback that is used to change and improve the academy. In addition, the New Teacher Profile Committee, which comprises teachers from every level, meets annually to review the feedback. This committee talks directly with new teachers about their academy workshops.

The Quakertown New Teacher Academy still has room to grow and expand, however. As one teacher stated, "What a positive district! Students are everything, and it is wonderful to be treated like a valuable asset. Thanks! I love it here already."

When teachers feel confident, prepared, and supported, there is bound to be a positive effect on students and their learning.

References

Buehl, D. (1995). Classroom strategies for interactive learning. Newark, DE: International Reading Association.

Hunter, M. (1994). Mastery teaching. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Daniels, H. & Bizar, M. (1998). Methods that matter. Portland, ME: Stenhouse Publishers.

Danielson, C. (1996). Enhancing professional practice: A framework for teaching. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Marzano, R. & Pickering, D. (1997). Dimensions of learning. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Sparks, D. & Hirsh. S. (2000). A national plan for improving staff development (Online). Available: www.nsdc.org/library/NSDCPlan.html.

Zemelman, S., Daniels, H., & Hyde, A. (1998). Best practice: New standards for teaching and learning in America's schools. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

About the author

Karen M. Beerer is supervisor of Curriculum & Federal Programs for the Quakertown Community School District. You can contact her at 600 Park Ave., Quakertown, PA 18951, (215) 529-2035, fax (215) 529-2042, e-mail: kbeerer@qcsd.org.