The Mandel Teacher Learning Project

Using the Continuum of Practices for Building Strong, School-Based Induction as a Tool for Self-Assessment, Discussion and Planning

The MandelCenter’s Continuum of Practices for Building Comprehensive School-Based Induction (the Continuum) is a conceptual and a practical tool designed to prompt organizational self-assessment and reflection, deepen understanding of induction, and support long-term school planning. It encourages Jewish day school leaders to examine what is and envision what might be. Using the Continuum will be a rich learning experience that helps schools recognize what they do well, uncover challenges that they face, set priorities, and develop action steps that will strengthen induction for new teachers.

Who Should Participate in Discussions and Self-Assessment Meetings?

Fruitful discussions of a school’s progress and path towards strong induction require the viewpoints of many stakeholders. Because comprehensive school-based induction is a lofty goal with implications for many different aspects of your school, these discussions need to take place over time, in a series of meetings. They will be well worth the investment.

We strongly recommend that administrative leadership, and anyone on the faculty who plays a leadership role for induction, participate in all of the meetings. It is also beneficial to have representation from among the mentors, as they often see things differently than administrators do. Note: Consistent participation will make your meetings more effective and efficient.

Suggested Meeting Agenda – Reviewing the Induction Continuum.

Designate one of the participants to serve as facilitator. Also, designate a note taker who will record and distribute the major discussion points along with the completed Induction Planning Worksheet (attached).

Give each of the participants a copy of the Practices for Building Comprehensive School-Based Induction and the pages containing the specific Continuum category (for example, Summer Preparation and Formal Orientation) that you will be reviewing. Also have available copies of the Shared Understandings and descriptions for possible use.

Step 1 – Introduce the School-wide Self-Assessment Process (approximately 15 minutes). If the group of participants is consistent, then after the first session this could be an opportunity for a brief review of the process.

  1. Start by explaining that the Continuum of Practices for Building Comprehensive School-Based Induction is a tool that has three purposes:
  2. To help your school assess its current induction of new teachers and reflect on strengths, challenges, and progress
  3. To deepen participants’ understanding of the needs of new teachers and the relationship between induction and various aspects of school life
  4. To aid in planning for stronger induction
  1. Introduce the Continuum’s categories:
  2. Distribute the overview, Practices for Building Comprehensive School-Based Inductionand ask participants to read through it.
  3. Provide an opportunity for participants to ask questions and identify any areas of confusion.

Step 2 – Review the Continuum (approximately 1 hour per category)

Please note that it is not unusual for a school to find itself at different places on the Continuum regarding different practices and that it is very, very rare for a school to find itself in “exemplary practice” in every category. Schools are complex places, and induction is complex work.

  1. Assessment of current practice and reflection:
  1. Distribute the category that you are reviewing and ask participants to read it silently. While reading they should circle the description from each row that they think best describes the school’s current practice, and jot down evidence in the space provided below.
  1. Facilitate a discussion of the process.
  • Taking one standard of practice (row) at a time, talk with your colleagues about where you each located your school and why. Encourage anyone making general statements to provide evidence.
  • Discuss areas where participants disagree.
  • Notice and celebrate areas in which the school has made progress recently.
  • After discussing all of the standards of practice, choose one or two that your school would like to focus on for growth. What would be different at the school if the faculty made progress on those elements?
  • What currently gets in the way? Structural issues? Cultural issues? Other?
  • What strategies might you use to help facilitate the changes you would like to see?

c.Collect and save the Continuum assessments circled by the participants, and take notes on the conversation, so that you can compare them the next time you review this category.

  1. Planning:
  1. Collaboratively choose one or two practices (rows on the continuum) to prioritize in schoolduring the following year. Discuss the following questions for each, with a designated note taker capturing the action steps:
  2. What would be different at your school if you made progress on this practice?
  3. What gets in the way of progress on this practice? Are there structural issues? Cultural? Do you need to develop the related shared understanding(s)?
  4. What strategies might you use to make progress?
  5. What action steps need to be taken? Who will take them? When?
  1. Set a date for the next meeting. Send out notes from this meeting as soon as possible.

©2009 The Mandel Center Teacher Learning Project: a project supported by the MandelCenter for Studies in Jewish Education at BrandeisUniversity and the Covenant Foundation.