Educator Effectiveness

Teachers' Top Three from ESE - May 21, 2015

1. New Resource: 2015 Induction and Mentoring Guidelines
   On April 30th, ESE released updated guidelines    for districts' induction and mentoring programs. These programs offer critical supports to educators' growth and development. Induction and mentoring programs also offer an opportunity for districts to provide effective educators with leadership roles and support a school culture built on collegiality, continuous professional development, and shared responsibility for student achievement.
   
   Updates include: alignment to educator effectiveness initiatives, increased attention to local needs, an annual electronic report districts will submit to ESE, and links to resources and district examples. You can read more about the updates in the April Educator Evaluation Newsletter    and check out the new reader-friendly guidelines and resources on the updated Induction and Mentoring website.
2. Get Involved: PARCC Forums
   If you are like most teachers, you probably have opinions on PARCC. We invite you to attend a community forum to share your feedback. Specifically, it would be helpful to know: Which elements do you like and why? Which elements are not working for you and how would you change them?
   
   Upcoming forums:
   • 5-8 p.m. June 10 at Bridgewater State University, Rondileau Campus Center Ballroom
   • 4-7 p.m. June 22 at North Shore Community College-Lynn Campus, Gymnasium
   • 4-7 p.m. July 7 at Springfield Technical Community College, Top of Our City Conference Center
   The first two hearings drew strong turnouts, and the people who spoke represented a wide range of opinions. Feedback from people who have first-hand experience with PARCC has been particularly valuable. More information on the forums is available online.
3. Meet an ESE Staff Member: Meagan Comb, Educator Preparation Manager
   
   Meagan is a former elementary teacher and instructional coach in Boston and in Durham, N.C. While teaching, Meagan also engaged in policy work through internships and hybrid roles at the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, the National Council for Teacher Quality, and Teach Plus. During these experiences, she became particularly interested in teacher preparation programs and how they could be improved to help all teachers feel ready on their first day in the classroom. Fast forward eight years, and Meagan is now working at ESE overseeing the educator preparation team.
   
   Under her leadership, the team has reworked the state's approval process for teacher preparation programs to be entirely electronic, include "output" data (such as how many graduates go on to have successful teaching careers), and to incorporate current K-12 teachers into the team of program reviewers. Her group continues to partner with the educator evaluation team to align pre-service standards and the new educator evaluation framework so that new teachers are familiar with the expectations they will face in the classroom.