BR-Madera USD BTSA Consortium, # 310, 2011
Commission on Teacher Credentialing
Biennial Report
Academic Years 2009-10 and 2010-11
Institution / Madera Unified School DistrictDate report is submitted / August 15, 2011
Program documented in this report / #310 Madera USD BTSA Induction Program
Name of Program / Madera USD BTSA Induction Program
Credential awarded / Multiple and Single Subject Clear
Is this program offered at more than one site?
If yes, list all sites at which the program is offered / Alview-Dairyland School District
Bass Lake Joint Union School District
Chawanakee Unified School District
Chowchilla Unified School District
Chowchilla Union High School District
Golden Valley Unified School District
Madera Unified School District
Madera County Office of Education
Raymond-Knowles
Yosemite Unified School District
Program Contact / Steven Thornton
Phone # / 559-673-2450
E-Mail /
Section A, Part I:
Contextual Information
Biennial Report Contextual InformationProgram Information
Local Educational Agency
CD Code: 310 / Number of Schools / Type of BTSA Induction Program / Support Provider Model(s) Used / Formative Assessment System
K-12 / 103 / Elementary / 13 / Single District / Classroom-based / X / FACT / X
Elementary / 62 / Middle / 4 / Consortium / X / Full-time Released / NTC FAS
High School / 39 / High / 6 / Multi-District / Part-time Released / Locally Designed
COE / 2 / Other / 1 / Other / Retired / X
Participant Information
09-10 10-11 09-10 10-11
Number of candidates (public/charter schools) / 86 / 103 / Total Number of candidates assigned to School Improvement or SAIT-identified settings / Year 1 / 38 / 37
Number of candidates (private schools) / 1 / 0
Number of active Support Providers / 51 / 51 / Year 2 / 29 / 42
Candidate : Support Provider ratio / 1.68 / 2.01 / Total Number of candidates assigned to a school in Program Improvement / 67 / 78
Total number of candidates recommended for Clear MS or SS Credential / 45 / 64 / Number of Verification of Unavailability of a Commission-Approved Induction Program (CL-855) notices issued to eligible candidates / 0 / 0
Number of candidates recommended for Clear MS or SS Credential via Early Completion Option / 3 / 18
Program Information
Madera Unified School District serves as the Lead Educational Agency (LEA) for the BTSA induction Program, serving 9 school districts, the county educational programs, two charter schools, and two private schools located within the county boundaries. The consortium spreads throughout the County, representing a broad cross section of the socio-economic population. 53% of the county is Hispanic, 38% White, 4% African-American, 3% Native-American, and 2% Asian according to the 2010 US Census. The participating districts are both rural and suburban; they range in size from 80 to 19,000 students and represent the rich cultural diversity present in the region. The program serves Participating Teachers who have completed a traditional teacher preparation program, teachers who have worked as interns, out of state/country teachers, and special educational teachers who have completed a duel credential program.
Madera BTSA Induction Consortium Snapshot
District / Student Enrollment / Number of Schools / District API 2010 / English Learners / Candidates in 2009-10 / Candidates in 2010-2011
Alview-Dairyland School District
Superintendent: Lori Flanagan / 240 / 2 / 841 / 133 / 3 / 3
Bass Lake Joint Union School District
Superintendent: Glenn Reid / 671 / 6 / 794 / 38 / 0 / 0
Chawanakee Unified School District
Superintendent: Stephen Foster / 524 / 9 / 765 / 6 / 3 / 6
Chowchilla Unified School District
Superintendent: Charles Martin / 1420 / 5 / 753 / 553 / 14 / 10
Chowchilla Union High School District
Superintendent: Ron Seals / 686 / 2 / 716 / 225 / 5 / 3
Golden Valley Unified School District
Superintendent: Sarah Koligian / 1398 / 8 / 822 / 149 / 2 / 12
Madera Unified School District
Superintendent: Gustavo Balderas / 19576 / 27 / 734 / 7308 / 49 / 76
Raymond-Knowles
Superintendent: Ron Johnson / 78 / 2 / 770 / 0 / 0 / 0
Yosemite Unified School District
Superintendent: Steve Raupp / 2285 / 13 / 777 / 31 / 2 / 2
Program Changes
Significant changes made since the last Biennial Report or Program Assessment Review
Program Changes / Explanation of Change
New BTSA Director / A new BTSA Consortium Director was hired August 16, 2011.
Professional Development / Reflecting the instructions from CTC and financial restrains from Sacramento, the Madera BTSA program has discontinued offering professional development workshops. Instead, MUSD BTSA refers participating teachers to existing professional development opportunities currently being offered by districts and school sites.
Context for Teaching and Learning / The Madera BTSA program changed the FACT requirement of submitting a local map (FACT A-6). Instead, participating teachers are instructed to drive around their city noting where important resources are located as indicated on the Community Map A-6 document. They are also required to drive around their site and reflect on what they are observing will impact their specific classroom and teaching practice.
Cut back the number of PT meetings with the BTSA office / Previously our participating teachers were required to meet once a month with the BTSA office and attend BTSA sponsored professional development. Local surveys and interviews with past participants revealed there were too many meetings that created undue hardship for beginning teachers. Instead, we emphasized better training for Support Providers who were then charged with providing vital information to our participating teachers.
Section A, Part II:
Program Effectiveness and Candidate Assessment/Performance Information
Assessment Tool / Description of ToolProgram Effectiveness / BTSA Statewide Survey
• PT
• SP
• SA
• Program Director / • Annual survey
• Likert scale with 1-4,
with 1 being low and 4
being high
• Designed by state agencies
• Electronically taken
• Program results
• Statewide results
State Survey is taken on line at the end of each school year. There is a PT, SP, and SA version. Each BTSA Induction Program is sent aggregated data comparing the local program to statewide data each summer. Most questions are scored on a scale of 1 to 4 (1 = strongly disagree).
Mid-Year Survey / • Local evaluation tool
• Scale: Likert scale with 1-4, with 1 being Disagree and 4 being Completely Agree
• Other questions asked the respondent to pick from a list the best answer that described themselves
• Completed by SP & PT
• Completed by 3/6/11
Surveys, distributed to Participating Teachers (PT) and Support Providers (SP), were developed locally based on local understanding of program requirements, and support from the Madera BTSA office as well as from Support Providers. Most questions were scored on a scale of 1 to 4 (1 = strongly disagree)
Assessment Tool / Description of Tool
Candidate Competency / BTSA Statewide Survey
• PT
• SP
• SA
• Program Director / • Annual survey
• Likert scale with 1-4,
with 1 being low and 4
being high
• Designed by state agencies
• Electronically taken
• Program results
• Statewide results
State Survey is taken on line at the end of each school year. There is a PT, SP, and SA version. Each BTSA Induction Program is sent aggregated data comparing the local program to statewide data each summer. Most questions are scored on a scale of 1 to 4 (1 = strongly disagree).
Mid-Year Survey / • Local evaluation tool
• Scale: Likert scale with 1-4, with 1 being Disagree and 4 being Completely Agree
• Other questions asked the respondent to pick from a list the best answer that described themselves
• Completed by SP & PT
• Completed by 3/6/11
Surveys, distributed to Participating Teachers (PT) and Support Providers (SP), were developed locally based on local understanding of program requirements, and support from the Madera BTSA office as well as from Support Providers. Most questions were scored on a scale of 1 to 4 (1 = strongly disagree)
Formative Assessment Rubric / • Each Fieldwork Binder was graded using a rubric with a scaled score of 0-4 (0-Incomplete – 4 Exemplary)
Fieldwork binder reviewers were trained and calibrated using a rubric to assess the completeness and thoroughness of the evidence of teacher growth presented in the Fieldwork Binder.
Random Sample Interview of Madera Induction Consortium Participating Teachers / • A random sample of Participating teachers were interviewed and the answers analyzed for patterns/trends
For the purpose of providing authentic data to the Madera Induction Consortium for program improvement, a random group of Participating Teachers were interviewed by an outside Induction Consultant. Questions were developed by the Program Director to determine the effectiveness of Formative Assessment on teacher practice. The findings of the interviewer are paraphrased into consensus statements of new learnings, insights and growth by the Participating Teachers.
State Survey Results
Program Effectiveness
Participating TeacherQuestions - Summer 2011 / Program and Common Standard / State Mean / Program Mean / Standard Deviation High / Noticeably Above / Noticeably Below
17. How much impact did the following BTSA INDUCTION FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT COMPONENTS have on your classroom practice? / CS 7, 9: PS: 1, 4, 6
17A: SP observation and feedback on my teaching / 3.41 / 3.31 / X
D17B: Collection and analysis of evidence of my teaching practice / 3.26 / 3.21 / X
D17C: Analysis of my students' work / 3.38 / 3.24 / X
D17D: Observation of experienced teachers / 3.38 / 3.24 / X
D17E: Examination of my teaching practice against criteria (e.g. "Continuum or Descriptions of Practice") / 2.96 / 3.00 / X
D17F: Development of My Individual Induction Plan/Individual Learning Plan / 3.04 / 3.03
D17G: Collaboration with colleagues / 3.47 / 3.48
Mid-Year Local Survey Results
Program Effectiveness
Mid-Year Local Survey Results
Program Effectiveness
State Survey Results
Candidate Competency
Teacher Confidence / Program / StatewideE21. In which areas do you desire more support from your BTSA Induction Program to impact student learning? / Total Yes / Percent Yes / Total Yes / Percent Yes
E21A: Managing the Classroom / 27 / 35.5% / 3,651 / 32.6%
E21B: Developing a repertoire of teaching strategies / 21 / 27.6% / 4,460 / 39.8%
E21C: Ensuring access to the curriculum for all students / 14 / 18.4% / 2,771 / 24.7%
E21D: Mediating conflict / 24 / 31.6% / 2,989 / 26.7%
E21E: Differentiating instruction / 21 / 27.6% / 4,373 / 39.1%
E21F: Minimizing bias and using culturally responsive pedagogy / 11 / 15.5% / 1,850 / 16.5%
E21G: Teaching to content standards / 7 / 9.2% / 1,729 / 15.4%
E21H: Teaching students with special needs / 16 / 21.1% / 3,305 / 29.5%
E21I: Teaching English Language Learners / 17 / 22.4% / 3,060 / 27.3%
E21J: Using technology as a teaching tool / 14 / 18.4% / 2,789 / 24.9%
E21K: Using technology as a learning tool / 14 / 18.4% / 2,761 / 24.7%
E21L: Using assessment data to design instruction / 12 / 15.8% / 2,429 / 21.7%
E21M: Working with families / 16 / 21.1% / 3,014 / 26.9%
E21N: Collaborating with teachers and other resource personnel at your site or district / 6 / 7.9% / 1,931 / 17.2%
E21O: Prioritizing the professional workload / 18 / 23.7% / 3,346 / 29.9%
Mid-Year Local Survey Results
Candidate Competency
A random sample was conducted using an outside Induction Consultant to define trends in the Madera Unified Induction Program
Question 1) What have you learned about your own practice from analyzing student work?
· Trends identified included:
o a need to slow down pacing of lessons
o more student talking and less teacher talking
o a need to identify new teaching strategies to better meet all students’ needs.
Question 2) In what ways have you improved your instruction of an English Language Learner?
· Trends identified included:
o vocabulary specific to EL understanding is important
o identifying EL levels provided information to better structure the lessons
o differentiating instruction for EL students does work. (Interviewer observation: The formative assessment process including reflection pushed the PT’s to try new strategies.
Question 3) In what ways have you improved your instruction of Special Population students?
· Trends identified included:
o paying attention to the IEPs more closely provides information valuable to adjust instruction
o varying the strategies and touching on as many modalities as possible helps the Special Population student to remain connected to the lesson and content.
Question 4) What suggestions would you make to improve the program?
· Trends identified included:
o provide a rubric for the work that is submitted
o have PT meetings to work together on some of the documents
o professional development once a month
o match SP and PT better with same content or grade level
o have more SP/PT meetings together to work on the activities
o create a better link between induction and the classroom work
Section A, Part III:
Analysis of Candidate Assessment and Program Effectiveness Data
Areas of Strength / Areas for GrowthProgram Effectiveness / State Survey
The following were rated as strengths.
· Examination of my teaching practice against criteria (e.g. “Continuum or Descriptions of Practice”)
· Development of My Individual Induction Plan/Individual Learning Plan
· Collaboration with colleagues / State Survey
· SP observation and feedback on PT’s teaching
· Analysis of student work
· Observation of experienced teachers
Local Mid-Year Survey
· 7% of our Support Providers were very uncertain regarding FACT
· 57% of our Support Providers FACT training involving both the Support Provider and the Participating Teacher
· 65% of our Participating Teachers were somewhat or completely not aware of Professional Development opportunities in and around Madera County
Local Mid-Year Survey
· 41% of our Support Providers had sufficient knowledge of FACT, while 52% were uncertain at times but were able to quickly acquire the needed information.
Candidate Competence / State Survey
The following were rated as strengths as compared to statewide programs.
· E21B:Developing a repertoire of teaching strategies
· E21E:Differentiating instruction
· E21G:Teaching to content standards
· E21J:Using technology as a teaching tool
· E21K: Using technology as a learning tool
· E21N: Collaborating with teachers and other resource personnel at your site or district / State Survey
The following areas were rated by stakeholders as areas for growth.
· E21A: Managing the classroom
· E21D: Mediating Conflict
Local Mid-Year Survey
· Offering Classroom Management Professional Development
Random Sample of Participating Teachers
Trends identified for growth:
· Publishing the rubric and distributing it at the start of the year
· Conduct combined PT/SP training
· Better alignment between SP/PT content or grade level
· Create a better link between induction and the classroom work
Fieldwork Binder Review Rubric
The Fieldwork Binder Review Rubric revealed several areas for growth.
· Analysis of Student Work
· Summative Assessment
Random Sample of Participating Teachers
Trends identified indicate:
· FACT is causing our Participating teachers to analyze student work and adjust teaching practice to meet student needs including EL and Special Populations
Fieldwork Binder Review Rubric
The Fieldwork Binder Review Rubric revealed several strengths.
The following all scored < 3 on a 0-4 point scale.
· Inquiry into Teaching and Learning C-1
· Inquiry into Teaching and Learning C-2
· Entry Level Assessment C-3
· Focus Student Selection C-6
· Lesson Plans
· Summative Assessment C-8
Section A, Part IV