Startup Guide

This Quick Start Guide is an overview of the steps needed to begin a mentoring and induction program. It can provide program leaders with the essentials and can serve as a “check list” for implementation steps. The accompanying Startup Guide provides details on carrying out each of the tasks mentioned below and provides much more information on creating and sustaining an excellent program.

The chart below shows an approximate timeline of when each of these steps might be enacted. Some programs start planning a full 12 months before they expect to start supporting new teachers, while others only have a few months before the start of a new academic year. More time is ideal, but it is more important to start supporting new teachers right away than to delay until the “perfect” program can be planned and funded. This chart is intended to be a guide, as each program’s situation and context is unique.

Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul
First Steps
	Second Steps
			Activities prior to academic year
											Activities during the academic year
																			Activities at the end of the academic year

The need to repeat various activities will depend on the status and developmental levels of the program. For example, if all administrators have been trained in a given year, they do not need to experience the same training again. However, they do need some review and clarification to reinforce the importance of supporting beginning teachers and mentors. Likewise, there does not need to be a transition for new leadership if the program leaders remain in place.

First steps: Program Leadership and Collaborative Teams

Quality induction and mentoring programs start with strong, passionate leadership, grounded in high quality teacher development, to promote student achievement and school-wide progress. A program can be started and led by a team or a single person, depending on the context. However, the formation of collaborative teams can help ensure that all voices are represented, continuity is achieved, and a shared vision is enacted.

Second steps: Program Goals, Design, Evaluation, and Resources

Local program design is based on beginning teacher development, support, retention, and improved student learning. The goals are guided by current research on induction, effective practices, Illinois Induction Program Standards, district/school improvement plans (if relevant), and local concerns/context/initiatives.

Program leadership allocates and monitors sufficient resources to meet all goals and deliver program components to all participants. Funding is critical to the induction and mentoring program. However, it can be one of the greatest challenges as budget constraints impact most educational programs. To create and sustain a program, local leadership may consider various activities depending on funding available. For example, the number of workshops or training sessions may need to be limited based on budgets. Compensation for beginning teachers and mentors can go beyond traditional stipends to include advancement on the salary schedule, release from special duties, and other means outside dollar amounts.

These steps should be enacted as soon as the first steps are complete.

Activities Prior to Academic Year

Successful induction programs do much of their planning before beginning teachers are even hired. There are a number of protocols and trainings that must be arranged before a program can take place. This preparation ensures that expectations are in writing for all individuals involved in a mentoring and induction program, and that administrators, mentors, and beginning teachers receive consistent information about their roles.

There is significant research that describes the types of training, mentor selection processes, and orientation topics for a high quality mentoring and induction program. Some of this information can be found in the Appendix to this guide, but it is also the responsibility of the Collaborative Leadership Team to make time for their own professional development in order to inform their own practices and improve the induction program.

Activities During the Academic Year

During the school year, mentors, beginning teachers, and administrators all need regular and ongoing professional development. This will ensure that the induction and mentoring program goals/outcomes/expectations are met, that the program maintains momentum, and that program leadership provides responsive support on a consistent basis with a focus on student learning.

Activities at the End of the Academic Year

It is critical that the end of the academic year be a time for reflection, self-assessment, and continuing the process of ongoing program improvement. While celebrations can reinforce a sense of community and accomplishment, other end-of-year activities can go far to assist program leaders in examining progress and identifying future goals and tasks.