No. 114        Institute for Learning

The district’s Secondary/Special Education BTSA program is seeking experienced secondary teachers of both regular and special education (NS or RSP) to serve as support providers to new teachers. The program is also recruiting experienced teachers of selected special education programs K-12 (D/HH, ED, ILS, PACE, SEEC, PH, DIS providers, or VI) to serve as support providers to new teachers in these programs. Teachers who did not participate in the 2000-01 selection process and who wish to serve as BTSA support providers must apply through the process outlined in this circular. Teachers currently serving as support providers in this program do not need to reapply.

The primary function of a BTSA support provider is to ensure the professional success and retention of new teachers by:

1. Serving as a professional role model in content and pedagogy.
2. Providing intensive individualized support and assistance.
3. Guiding beginning teachers through the California Formative Assessment and Support System for Teachers (CFASST).
4. Assisting beginning teachers to develop and implement the Individual Induction Plan (IIP).

Every effort will be made to assign support providers to beginning teachers at their same site and teaching in the same content area. However, applicants must be comfortable and willing to work across content areas, special education programs, and at other sites when needed.

1. Attend CFASST training during the summer and complete additional training during the year.
2. Attend monthly BTSA support provider staff meetings.
3. Conduct small-group meetings with beginning teachers at monthly BTSA seminar meetings.
4. Make regular classroom observations of assigned beginning teachers and allow beginning teachers to observe in their classrooms (release time provided).
5. Participate in content-specific seminars and workshops with beginning teachers.
6. Maintain a log of activities associated with support provider responsibilities.
7. Assist district staff to ensure assigned beginning teachers fulfill all CFASST activities and BTSA requirements.
8. Work outside own content area, special education program and at other sites when needed.

Support providers will be compensated based on their participation in BTSA monthly training, work beyond the school day with beginning teachers, and attendance at training that occurs during the school year. Compensation will be at workshop rate ($17.24 per hour) for ongoing training and workshop leader rate ($38.35 per hour) for hours of support beyond the workday. Compensation will be approximately:

1 new teacher $2,500 ($800 ongoing training/$1,700 for 44 hrs. support beyond workday)

2 new teachers $3,000 ($800 ongoing training/$2,200 for 57 hrs. support beyond workday)

3 new teachers $3,500 ($800 ongoing training/$2,700 for 72 hrs. support beyond workday)

4 new teachers $4,000 ($800 ongoing training/$3,200 for 88 hrs. support beyond workday)

Support providers will maintain logs of time spent working and conferring with their assigned beginning teachers. Compensation for the three-day summer CFASST training will be made this summer, will be over and above the compensation listed above, and will be at the workshop participation rate.

To be considered for selection as a support provider, a teacher must:

1. Be a regular education or a special education teacher (NS or RSP) at a middle or senior high school, or a K-12 teacher in one of the following special education categories (D/HH, ED, ILS, PACE, SEEC, PH, DIS providers, or VI).
2. Have achieved permanent status with the district.
3. Have a minimum of three years successful teaching experience in the district.
4. Hold a valid California Teaching Credential.
5. Have a most recent evaluation rating of "effective."

The Institute Support and Professional Development Department and Human Resource Services will prescreen each applicant’s personnel information to determine eligibility related to items 1-5.

In addition to the minimum requirement, the BTSA program standards recommend that support providers demonstrate:

1. High levels of content knowledge and a broad repertoire of teaching skills.
2. Awareness of beginning teacher development.
3. Willingness to fully engage in the CFASST formative assessment process with their assigned beginning teacher(s).
4. Willingness to discuss assessment information and share instructional ideas and materials with beginning teachers.
5. Willingness to work collaboratively with beginning teachers and have excellent interpersonal skills.
6. Commitment to their own professional growth and learning.
7. Positive attitude toward teaching and the teaching profession.

Teachers who meet the eligibility requirements noted in the sections above and are interested in becoming support providers must submit:

1. A completed BTSA/CFASST Application (Attachment 1) that indicates the dates he/she will attend training. Only those who complete the training will be eligible to be assigned beginning teachers in the fall.
2. A response to the three written prompts (Attachment 2).
3. A Confidential Reference for Secondary/Special Education BTSA Support Providers (Attachment 3) from the immediate supervisor (principal, vice principal, or special education program manager). Applicants should provide their supervisor with the form and request that it be completed and returned by the supervisor prior to the April 20, 2001, deadline.

The BTSA Advisory Committee, composed of administrators, support providers and beginning teachers, along with BTSA staff, will select applicants to participate in CFASST training. Applicants will be selected for the training based on the quality of application materials and anticipated need in each content/special education area.

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Attachments (3)

Distribution: Lists A, E, F, K