Dr. Deneen Guss, County Superintendent of Schools
Teacher Induction Program
In This Section
The MCOE Teacher Induction Program
Empowering Educators for Lasting Impact
Are you ready to ignite your teaching practice and make a meaningful difference in the lives of your students?
The Monterey County Office of Education’s Teacher Induction Program (TIP) offers far more than a pathway to clear your teaching credential. It is a comprehensive, personalized journey designed to cultivate effective, reflective, and innovative educators. Guided by trust, mentorship, and a commitment to educational excellence, our program supports new teachers in developing the professional competencies, confidence, and vision needed to transform classrooms and enhance student success.
Teach with Confidence. Inspire with Impact.
Benefits for Teachers
Individualized Mentorship: Dedicated one on one mentoring tailored to your unique goals and classroom experiences, aligned with the California Standards for the Teaching Profession (CSTP).
Professional Growth Opportunities: Targeted professional learning sessions designed to enhance instructional practices, classroom management strategies, and inclusive teaching methodologies.
Collaborative Cohort Experience: Engage with a community of fellow new educators to foster collaboration, shared learning, and lasting professional relationships.Whether your goal is to master instructional practices, cultivate equity and inclusivity in your classroom, or become a catalyst for schoolwide improvement, the MCOE Teacher Induction Program provides the mentorship, structure, and encouragement you need to succeed.
If you are committed to becoming an impactful educator, we want to partner with you. Join the MCOE Teacher Induction Program and begin the rewarding journey toward educational excellence.
Contact us today to get started. Your path to transformative teaching begins here.
Why should your District Choose MCOE?
- Flexible online, hybrid and in-person options
- Personalized Learning: We partner with our neighboring districts to utilize the work you are already doing, so that Induction isn’t more work; it is the holistic work of the individual teacher.
- Enhanced Teaching Quality: Empower teachers with effective instructional techniques and strategies that align with your district's educational objectives.
- Retention and Satisfaction: Support new teachers in their early career, increasing job satisfaction, teacher effectiveness, and retention within your district.
- Targeted Professional Learning: Research-based, customized professional learning experiences that address the specific instructional needs and priorities of your schools.
Invest in your educators, elevate student achievement, and build the future of your district. MCOE is here to serve you.
- Mission and Vision
- Eligibility, Admission, Enrollment, and Mentor Matching
- Program Design, Rationale and Research
- Individual Learning Plan (ILP)
- Professional Learning Opportunities (PLO)
- Systems of Candidate Support
- Successful Program Completion
- Ethical Code of Content, Grievance and Non Discrimination Policy
Mission and Vision
The Monterey County Office of Education (MCOE) Teacher Induction Program (TIP) for the Clear Teaching Credential supports MCOE’s overall mission: Preparing all students for success through leadership, support, and service. Our program is designed to support the development and growth of new Candidates in the profession by building on the knowledge and skills gained during the Preliminary Preparation Program. With research-based professional learning, a robust mentoring system, individual support, and an Individualized Learning Plan, each Candidate will be able to meet the California Standards for the Teaching Profession. Program staff, mentors, and educational partners work collaboratively to design and implement exemplary learning and mentorship experiences to prepare all candidates for success.
Mission
The mission of MCOE’s TIP is to inspire, develop, and empower educators to excel in their essential role of shaping the future through a commitment to excellence, innovation, and continuous improvement for Candidates during the foundational first two years of their teaching career. Our program is committed to recognizing and addressing the unique needs of all Candidates while fostering a system of inquiry, equity, and growth aligned with the California Standards for the Teaching Profession.
Vision
The vision of MCOE’s TIP is to empower every educator to excel. We envision a future where every beginning Candidate will transform into a highly skilled professional, shaping students' lives and enhancing school communities through excellence, innovation, and a lifelong commitment to learning. Candidates will complete the program empowered with a learner’s mindset and equity-centered practices, to grow and develop thriving ecosystems, where all students are prepared to succeed in college, career, community, and life.
Eligibility, Admission, Enrollment, and Mentor Matching
Application ⇨ Admission & Registration ⇨ Enrollment
MCOE strives to make the process of participating in TIP and clearing your credential a valuable and rewarding experience. To be admitted into the MCOE TIP, prospective Participating Candidates must meet the following guidelines
-
Eligibility: Candidates who are currently employed full-time AND in an assignment authorized by the Preliminary Credential they hold AND who have completed ONE of the following are eligible to apply to the MCOE Teacher Induction Program:
-
California Preliminary Credential (renewal codes on Multiple Subject, Single Subject and Educational Specialist Preliminary Credentials indicate eligibility for clearing through Induction)
-
Out-of-State credentials and fewer than two years of teaching experience
-
One or more credentials from other countries
-
Education Specialist Level I Credential
-
Completed the first year of Induction with another program and are transferring to MCOE.
-
-
Enrollment Period: Candidates may sign up for MCOE’s Teacher Induction Program throughout the year. The traditional track starts in August, and the mid-year track begins in January.
The Early Completion Option is part of SB57 legislation that allows eligible individuals to complete the Teacher Induction program at a faster pace than the full two years generally required to complete all the requirements of professional teacher induction. Qualified individual Candidates may request an Early Completion Option for their teacher induction program, and if eligible, may complete induction in one year. MCOE will determine whether a Candidate is "experienced and exceptional" per the program's established criteria.
To Qualify for the ECO option, Participants must qualify as they would normally for the TIP program, and in addition, will need to request to be considered for the ECO option. The Candidate must request Early Completion Option to the MCOE Induction staff no later than 30 days after entering the program.
Eligibility for ECO
-
The Candidate must hold a valid California Preliminary Teaching Credential.
-
The Candidate must have completed at least three years of teaching experience.
-
Additionally, Candidates must complete the Additional ECO Application process which includes:
-
Three positive evaluations
-
Two current letters of recommendation
-
Evidence of teacher leadership
-
A letter from the Candidate with justification as to why the Candidate should be considered
-
An in-person Observation from Induction Program Leadership and/or District Program Advisor and Mentor
-
MCOE TIP partners with local districts and has signed MOUs on file.
In cases where Candidates are paying for Induction themselves, MCOE will work directly with them.
-
The program advisor/lead sends all referrals to the MCOE Induction Office.
-
The Candidate fills out a TIP Application/ Referral Form and submits it. After employment verification, the form is submitted to the Program Administrator at MCOE.
The TIP Induction administrator verifies eligibility using the referral and credential report and enrolls candidates. Candidates and Program Advisors/ Leads are notified.
The MCOE Induction administrator works with the Program Advisor/Lead (or in smaller districts, directly with the Candidate) to complete the Candidates registration:
-
List of enrolled Candidates shared
-
Copy of application shared
-
Coordinate to obtain a TIP Participation Agreement Form signed by the Candidate
-
Set up system of collaboration and support, including monthly meetings for Program Advisors (Tuesday Mornings from 10 - 11 am on: 9/10, 10/8, 1/12, 12/10, 1/14, 2/11, 3/11, 4/29)
After the Candidate signs and returns the TIP Participation Agreement form to MCOE, the enrolled Candidate attends Orientation and is assigned a Mentor within the first 30 days, matching them based on credentials, grade level, and subject area, as outlined in the TIP Handbook.
Program Design, Rationale and Research
MCOE Candidate Induction Program Design, Rationale, and Research
The Monterey County Office of Education (MCOE) TIP is designed to support Candidates in their first year of teaching (who hold Preliminary Credentials) to assist them in their journey to a Professional Clear Credential. Our program offers a flexible two-year induction experience, with an Early Completion Option for experienced educators. Participating Candidates (PT) engage in job-embedded professional learning, guided by knowledgeable Mentors, and set professional growth goals to drive individualized inquiries.
MCOE’s TIP offers a research-based approach that empowers participants with the skills, confidence, and knowledge essential for effective teaching. Through collaborative learning, self-assessment, and ongoing professional development, we cultivate educators who want to excel in their teaching careers.
Embedded Practices Throughout the Program
Throughout the two-year program, the Candidate acquires and demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities of effective teaching as outlined in the California Standards for the Teaching Profession (CSTP).
Individual Learning Plan (ILP)
Every Candidate who participates in the TIP will know the value of having a plan for their own professional growth in developing skills and expertise as an educator on the California Standards for the Teaching Profession. Candidates meet with their mentors and begin their ILP plan within the first 60 days of the start of the program. Candidates use evidence to establish the chosen co-assessment level and include strengths and areas for growth for the chosen levels. Each Candidate will choose a level and set a goal for the chosen CSTP element.
Plan, Teach, Reflect, Apply (PTRA) Cycle
Candidates are able to use the "Plan, Teach, Reflect, Apply" (PTRA) cycle to build confidence and competence. This is a component of continuous improvement that is embedded in our program. The PTRA cycle is a continuous and reflective process used in education to enhance teaching and learning experiences. It begins with Plan, in which educators develop detailed lesson plans based on curriculum goals, student needs, and educational standards. Next, in the Teach phase, instructors deliver the lesson, employing various strategies to engage students actively. Following teaching, to Reflect is crucial. Educators assess both student understanding and the effectiveness of their teaching methods, often using feedback and assessments. In the Apply phase, Candidates use insights gained from reflection to improve future lessons, adjusting strategies and materials to better meet students' needs. This iterative cycle encourages ongoing improvement and adaptation, aiming to enhance both teaching practices and student learning outcomes over time.
The program emphasizes continuous improvement through the PTRA cycle (Danielson Group, 2022). Candidates use data in collaboration with their mentor to create a test of change to directly impact student learning. The MCOE TIP is rooted in the practices of reflecting on formative data, rich and job-embedded feedback, and inquiry cycles as they have a profound impact on student achievement (Hattie, 2016; Donohoo, 2017; Marzano, 2009). This process of Candidate inquiry emphasizes practical data-based continuous improvement and iterative reflection. Cherubini et al. (2011) underscore the importance of such mentoring practices, noting that they "contribute directly to improving Candidates’ sense of self-efficacy and, in turn, better equip them to cope with the expectations of being professional educators" (p. 2). Aligned to continuous improvement protocols utilized in the California System of Support, Candidates engage in a process similar to Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA).
The PTRA teaching cycle integrates each domain of the Framework for Teaching (FFT) (Danielson Group, 2022) into a professional growth cycle: “The components in Domain 1: Planning & Preparation describe how Candidates organize instruction for student learning. The components of Domain 2: Learning Environments describe conditions and qualities of environments that are conducive to learning and support student success. The components of Domain 3: Learning Experiences describe the engagement of students in learning experiences and reflect the primary mission of schools: enhancing student learning and growth. The components of Domain 4: Principled Teaching capture and reflect the practices of educators that extend beyond their classrooms and the learning experiences they facilitate. Reflection is a process of thinking about actions, reviewing evidence, identifying strengths and opportunities, and seeking new knowledge and new perspectives that can enhance practice.” A critical consciousness requires meaningful praxis, action and reflection (Freire, 1973; hooks, 2014).
Candidates engage in a minimum of 20 hours of professional learning per year, with access to self-paced modules and expert-led sessions. Weekly meetings with mentors fosters collaborative teaching, further enhancing professional growth. The program is structured overall to facilitate the acquisition and demonstration of essential teaching skills outlined in the California Standards for the Teaching Profession.
Professional Learning
All Candidates will have the ability to choose from a variety of professional learning opportunities, both in person and online through our unique program. There are two required in-person sessions of professional development per year. In addition, professional learning is available for Candidates to choose from as it fits their needs. Asynchronous learning opportunities (modules) can be chosen as a part of this professional learning, based upon the needs of the students and their own professional learning goals during each four to six-week cycle. These topics of study (modules) are designed by experts in the field and include digital resources to enhance teaching and learning. The modules provide professional learning to support the social, emotional, physical, cognitive, and academic needs of the students; inclusive learning experiences based on individual learner assets and needs, while also creating equitable outcomes for all; family and community engagement practices, with an emphasis on two-way communication to develop positive and reciprocal family and community connections; digital citizenship, restorative justice, growth mindset, implementation of California Standards and Curriculum Frameworks-aligned teaching and learning, and a continuous growth model.
Candidates have a choice in their topics of study and can implement information and resources to meet their needs and drive improvement during their inquiry cycles.
Ensuring equity for an increasingly diverse student population relies on today’s educators viewing student differences as assets and not deficits. Asset-Based Pedagogies view the diversity that students bring to the classroom, including culture, language, disability, socio-economic status, immigration status, and sexuality as characteristics that add value and strength to classrooms and communities. Asset-Based Pedagogies recognize that the populations listed above are not mutually exclusive. Students can move fluidly between several different groups (California Department of Education, 2020.)
Literacy
For instructional leaders it is important to note that California's approach to literacy instruction is grounded in the science of reading, learning, and development, including decades of research applicable to our diverse and multilingual learners. As a dynamic state with extraordinary global influence and unsurpassed cultural and linguistic resources, California is committed to ensuring that students are reading by third grade and are fully literate when they graduate from high school. Reading by third grade and beyond is a key part of the State Superintendent of Public Instruction’s Transforming School Initiatives.
Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy
Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy builds on decades of asset-based pedagogical research including Culturally Relevant Pedagogy (Ladson-Billings) and Culturally Responsive (Gay and Hammond) and Linguistic (Hollie) Pedagogy. Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy affirms and respects the key components of the Asset-Based Pedagogies that preceded it, but also takes them to the next level. Instead of just accepting or affirming the backgrounds of students of color as seen in Culturally Relevant Pedagogy; or connecting to students’ cultural knowledge, prior experiences, and frames of reference as we see in Culturally Responsive Pedagogy; Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy views schools as places where the cultural ways of being in communities of color are sustained, rather than eradicated. Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy promotes equality across racial and ethnic communities and seeks to ensure access and opportunity. Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy also supports students to critique and question dominant power structures in societies. Django Paris and H. Samy Alim describe the key features across culturally sustaining educational settings in an EducationWeek Author Interview: ‘Culturally Sustaining Pedagogies’.
|
Feature
|
What it Looks Like
|
|---|---|
|
Valuing community languages, practices, and ways of being
|
Students’ languages, literacies, and cultural ways of being are centered meaningfully and consistently in classroom learning instead of being considered as “add-ons.”
|
|
Schools are accountable to the community
|
Educators and schools are in conversation with communities about what they desire and want to sustain through schooling.
|
|
Curriculum that connects to cultural and linguistic histories
|
Educators connect present learning to the histories of racial, ethnic, and linguistic communities both locally and nationally.
|
|
Sustaining cultural and linguistic practices, while providing access to the dominant culture.
|
Educators value and sustain the cultural and linguistic practices of the community while providing access to the dominant culture (white, middle class, and standard English speaking).
|
Culturally Responsive Teaching is an approach that leverages the strengths that students of color bring to the classroom to make learning more relevant and effective. A major goal of Culturally Responsive Teaching is to reverse patterns of underachievement for students of color. Culturally Responsive Teaching requires Candidates to recognize the cultural capital and tools that students of color bring to the classroom and to utilize their students’ cultural learning tools throughout instruction. Although Culturally Responsive Teaching is inclusive of working with students from diverse home language groups, linguistically responsive teaching is called out in Sharroky Hollie’s book, Culturally and Linguistically Responsive Teaching and Learning (2017). Its essence also lies in viewing students with home languages (other than Standard English) as assets that they bring to the classroom rather than deficits.
Principle one of California’s English Learner Roadmap expresses the need for culturally and linguistically relevant education stating, “The languages and cultures English learners bring to their education are assets for their own learning and are important contributions to learning communities.”
Drawing on extensive Culturally Responsive Teaching research, New America in their article “Culturally Responsive Teaching: A 50-State Survey of Teaching Standards” (Muñiz, 2019), cites eight competencies that culturally responsive educators possess:
|
Competency
|
Description
|
|---|---|
|
1. Reflect on one's cultural lens
|
Culturally Responsive Educators (CREs) are reflective about their own group memberships that may be based on race, ethnicity, social class, and/or gender. They are cognizant that their life experiences and those group memberships may create biases that can influence their interactions with students, families, and colleagues.
|
|
2. Recognize and redress bias in the system
|
CREs recognize that their students’ access to educational opportunities may be influenced by their social markers (e.g., race, ethnicity, social class and language) and advocate for all students to have access to high-quality Candidates and schools.
|
|
3. Draw on students’ culture to shape curriculum and instruction
|
CREs draw on their students’ cultures and life experiences when planning their instruction and reject instructional materials that contain cultural biases and/or stereotypes. They supplement the curriculum if it lacks the representation of their students’ heritage.
|
|
4. Bring real-world issues into the classroom
|
CREs connect their curriculum to real-world problems and ask students to consider solutions to them. These issues may involve injustices that exist in their communities or nationwide. Through this process, CREs empower their students to see themselves as change agents that can right the injustices that exist in the world.
|
|
5. Model high expectations for all students
|
CREs hold high academic expectations for all students and believe that all students are capable of academic success.
|
|
6. Promote respect for student differences
|
CREs are models for how all students should respect one another and embrace their fellow classmate’s social, cultural, and linguistic differences.
|
|
7. Collaborate with families and the local community
|
CREs work to break down barriers that may keep students’ families from participating in their children’s education (i.e., work schedules, language barriers). CREs make an effort to learn about the families and community in which they teach.
|
|
8. Communicate in linguistically and culturally responsive ways
|
CREs understand and honor both the verbal and nonverbal culturally-influenced communication styles of the community in which they teach. They also seek to communicate with parents that speak a home language other than English by utilizing translation services.
|
Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy builds on decades of asset-based pedagogical research including Culturally Relevant Pedagogy (Ladson-Billings) and Culturally Responsive (Gay and Hammond) and Linguistic (Hollie) Pedagogy. Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy affirms and respects the key components of the Asset-Based Pedagogies that preceded it, but also takes them to the next level. Instead of just accepting or affirming the backgrounds of students of color as seen in Culturally Relevant Pedagogy; or connecting to students’ cultural knowledge, prior experiences, and frames of reference as we see in Culturally Responsive Pedagogy; Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy views schools as places where the cultural ways of being in communities of color are sustained, rather than eradicated.
Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy promotes equality across racial and ethnic communities and seeks to ensure access and opportunity. Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy also supports students to critique and question dominant power structures in societies. Django Paris and H. Samy Alim describe the key features across culturally sustaining educational settings in an Education Week Author Interview: ‘Culturally Sustaining Pedagogies’.
Culturally Relevant Pedagogy is a theoretical model that focuses on multiple aspects of student achievement and supports students to uphold their cultural identities. Culturally Relevant Pedagogy also calls for students to develop critical perspectives that challenge societal inequalities.
Gloria Ladson-Billings proposed three main components of Culturally Relevant Pedagogy: (1) a focus on student learning and academic success, (2) developing students’ cultural competence to assist them in developing positive ethnic and social identities, and (3) supporting students’ critical consciousness or their ability to recognize and critique societal inequalities. All three components need to be utilized.
|
Three Components of Culturally Relevant Pedagogy
|
|
|---|---|
|
Student Learning
|
The students’ intellectual growth, moral development, problem-solving, and reasoning abilities.
|
|
Cultural Competence
|
Skills that support students to affirm and appreciate their culture of origin while developing fluency in at least one other culture.
|
|
Critical Consciousness
|
The ability to identify, analyze, and solve real-world problems, especially those that result in societal inequalities.
|
Quality Professional Learning Standards
The Quality Professional Learning Standards (QPLS) identify characteristics of professional learning that are most likely to support educators in building individual and collective capacity to meet professional, school, and student performance expectations.
Seven interdependent standards promote professional learning that is:
-
Rooted in student and educator needs demonstrated through data
-
Focused on content and pedagogy
-
Designed to ensure equitable outcomes
-
Designed and structured to be ongoing, intensive, and embedded in practice
-
Collaborative with an emphasis on shared accountability
-
Supported by adequate resources
-
Coherent and aligned with other standards, policies, and programs
By utilizing the QPLS, educators, policymakers, education officials, and other stakeholders will share a common understanding regarding the features of high quality professional learning and how best to support it. The standards are not meant to be used to evaluate any educator in any aspect of their work (California Department of Education, 2015).
The Andragogical Process Model by Knowles (1974) emphasizes learners sharing the responsibility for planning learning activities with the faculty or facilitator(s) who should be skilled in:
a. Establishing a climate conducive to learning: a learning environment based on mutual respect and trust.
b. Creating a mechanism for mutual planning: learners to share responsibility for planning.
c. Diagnosing the needs for learning-learners-feel a need to learn.
d. Formulating program objectives (which is content) that will satisfy these needs―goals of the learning experience are the learners goals.
e. Designing a pattern of learning experiences―learning process using learners' experiences.
f. Conducting these learning experiences with suitable techniques and materials―active learning and participation by learners.
g. Evaluating the learning outcomes and re-diagnosing learning needs― have a sense of progress towards goals.
Self-directed learning supports adults’ way of learning or acquiring knowledge: “The most effective self-directed learners are highly skilful in getting help from peers, teachers, printed materials, audiovisuals aids and every kind of resources” (Knowles et al., 1984). Teachers should take initiative in their development and learning process (Sparks, et. al, 2017).
Collaborative Networking and Sharing
Along with regular meetings with their Mentor, Candidates will have the opportunity to network and collaborate with other Candidates and Mentors, both online and in person as a feature of the hybrid program. “Communities of practice are groups of people who share a concern or a passion for something they do and learn how to do it better as they interact regularly” (Wenger-Trayner, 2015, p. 2).
Learning in community, Candidates experience what learners should experience in building relationships with instructors and peers. They engage in adult Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) and engage in relevant topics focused on improving their knowledge of diverse student needs, content knowledge, pedagogical knowledge, technological knowledge, skills, and competencies. Coordinated efforts to promote and infuse high-quality, equity-focused SEL across the California educational system, will bring us closer to the California Department of Education (CDE) vision of advancing a “whole child” approach and whole person approach to education.
Specifically, SEL is aligned with the state education priorities described in the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF), particularly priorities (4) Student Achievement, (5) Student Engagement, and (6) School Climate. As a result, many districts have articulated SEL goals and strategies within their Local Control and Accountability Plans (LCAPs) and programs aligned to California’s Multi-tiered System of Support (MTSS) Framework, which centers SEL as a key element of a fully integrated system of support for the benefit of all students.
California’s Social Emotional Learning Guiding Principles (California Department of Education, 2017)affirm SEL as “an essential part of a well-rounded, quality education in all youth-serving settings” and provide practice guidelines that speak explicitly to California’s diverse regional, cultural, racial, linguistic, and socioeconomic contexts. The 2020 CDE SEL work group developed three core products:
-
Resources to support implementation:
These guidance tools aim to build on and respond to the call from California’s diverse key stakeholders to embed equity-focused T-SEL in every learning and teaching context across the education system and build on “the CASEL 5.” This addresses five broad and interrelated areas of competence and highlights examples for each (self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making). The CASEL 5 can be taught and applied at various developmental stages from childhood to adulthood and across diverse cultural contexts from classrooms with SEL instruction and classroom climate; to schools with school wide culture, practices, and policies; with families and caregivers and authentic partnerships; and in communities with aligned learning opportunities.
Beyond the “CASEL 5” (CASEL, 2020), the T-SEL Competencies build toward “a community-generated, student-centered approach to SEL, racial justice, and healing...implementing SEL and diversity, equity, and belonging (DEB) practices” (Simmons, ASCD, 2021).
-
Identity: a core part of self-awareness, which refers to how students (and adults) view themselves as individuals and as part of the world around them. Having a healthy sense of identity buffers against negative or traumatic experiences and contributes to positive academic, social, and emotional outcomes.
-
Agency: part of self-management, or feeling empowered to make choices and take actions that produce a positive difference. Agency helps young people make choices about learning and career goals, overcome personal challenges, and shape the course of their lives.
-
Belonging: part of social awareness, the experience of acceptance, respect, and inclusion within a group or community. Having a sense of belonging is critical to well-being, motivation, and achievement.
-
Collaborative Problem-Solving: part of relationship skills, the ability to build shared understanding and work together to come to solutions by pooling knowledge, skills, and efforts.
-
Curiosity: part of responsible decision-making, which leads to the pursuit of knowledge and different perspectives and contributes to attention, engagement, and learning.
By integrating T-SEL and civic learning, learners have opportunities to develop skills and relationships needed to participate as caring and engaged community members. Through civic learning, learners analyze how issues in the world around them affect their lives, develop an understanding of how they can make a difference, and learn how to work with others to create solutions. SEL helps cultivate critical social and emotional knowledge, beliefs, and skills needed to achieve civic learning goals. For example, development of:
-
Self-awareness and social awareness to analyze and reflect on issues they care about in their schools and communities.
-
Self-management to demonstrate agency and identify how to make a positive difference.
-
Relationship skills and responsible decision-making to work with others to take actions to address important issues. (CASEL, 2021)
The Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Guidelines (CAST, 2018) are part of the California Curriculum Frameworks and inform professional learning design for educators. They serve as design principles for engagement, representation, action and expression, aligned to the why - affective networks, the what - recognition networks, and the how - strategic networks of the brain. This guides the learning process to meet the needs of learner variability and promote access, student voice, choice, and agency. The UDL Guidelines 3.0 are updated to design options for welcoming interests and identity; nurture joy, play, and empathy; explicitly address the ways in which bias causes harm in teaching and learning; foster collaboration, interdependence, and collective learning; emphasize the roles of belonging and building community in teaching and learning (draft graphic organizer).
Updates for Multiple Means of Engagement
-
Center, affirm, and sustain learners’ strengths and identities
-
Emphasize the role of belonging in teaching and learning
-
Emphasize the role of joy and play in teaching and learning
Updates for Multiple Means of Representation
-
Consider the notion of “multiple means of representation” through the lens of identity
-
Consider perceptions of people and cultures
-
Value multiple ways of knowing including and extending beyond Western approaches to knowledge
Updates for Multiple Means of Action and Expression
-
Center and value forms of expression that have been historically silenced or ignored
-
Emphasize the role that bias plays in offering/selecting modes of expression
UDL also emphasizes accessibility and inclusion with the assistance of technology and digital tools. Inclusive technology refers to tools or strategies that remove barriers to learning experiences that support a broad range of learners. For example, dictation or speak to type, text to speech, and predictive text features. Accessible educational materials are print and digital materials designed to make them usable by all (e.g. large print, Braille, digital, or audio versions, alt text and screen readers). Accessible technologies are features that provide learners with access to the content in digital materials that can be enabled such as built-in text to speech features in digital textbooks, options within mobile devices to adjust fonts, or color contrast, and text-highlighting tools. Assistive technologies (AT) are designed to address specific barriers from no to low mid to high-tech, for example: sticky notes, speech overlay or alternative keyboard options, screen reading software, Braille keyboard, and speech generating devices; and may be identified as a need in an IEP (individualized education program) (CITES, 2023).
Andratesha Fritzgerald (2020) has innovated for antiracist UDL and encourages educators to self-assess, confront biases, connect, and break down barriers. Fritzgerald expanded the principles of UDL for engagement to include a license to learn, engagement in our Black and Brown communities; representation with honoring by invitation with standards, background knowledge, visuals, options, language and symbols for comprehension; and action and expression with honoring by releasing in a safe environment.
Through TIP, Candidates deepen their own emotional literacy (Early Childhood Learning & Knowledge Center, 2021) and racial literacy (Sealey-Ruiz, 2021; Price-Dennis & Sealey-Ruiz, 2021) to address how implicit biases and systemic racism affect their students and school communities and learn to reduce disparate discipline outcomes. Restorative practices and T-SEL alignment include strategies such as classroom social contracts, collaborative learning community agreements, restorative circles, cooperative positively interdependent group roles with clearly defined tasks so that students take ownership and feel connected with their peers in an affirming and supportive learning process (CASEL, 2021; Johnson, Johnson, & Holubec, 2008).
Culturally relevant, sustaining, and responsive pedagogy creates belonging and includes bringing home cultures, family stories, and communities into the classroom, and going out to explore them as metaphorical mirrors, windows, and doors (Sims Bishop, 1990). With a focus on the whole child and school community, in addition to readiness for college, career, community, and life, current research informs practice in the MCOE TIP. Resources include Gholdy Muhammad’s (2023) equity framework for culturally and historically responsive literacy, expanding from the current skills-based assessment paradigm to redesign for relevant skills, identity, intellect, criticality, and joy. Informed by Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy, learning is made relevant to students, honoring their family histories, ancestors, languages and cultures. It also is responsive and centered (Alim, & Paris, 2017; Gay, 2010; Ladson-Billings, 2014; 2021) and elevates community cultural wealth (Delgado Bernal, 2020; Fierros, & Delgado Bernal, 2016; Yosso, 2005) and students’ funds of knowledge (Moll, Amanti, Neff, & Gonzalez, 1992), with a restorative approach (Myung, Kimner, Cottingham, Diaz Luna, Shiels, & Hough, 2021) for liberatory public education (Jefferson, Gutierrez, & Silverstein, 2018).
As Candidates practice in a blended learning format, they experience engagement with live, in-person, hybrid, virtual, synchronous and asynchronous learning and digital resources. They also incorporate educational technologies and 21st century deeper learning pedagogies in their practice. Informing this work is “The California Digital Learning Integration and Standards Guidance, a collaboratively developed framework for helping teachers move standards-aligned instruction seamlessly between the in-person and virtual spaces, a resource that we believe will prove critically important in our volatile and ever changing world. The intent of this guidance is to help teachers deepen their technological skills and sharpen their instructional focus so they may better engage learners and make the best use of valuable class time” (California Department of Education, 2021). In the publication “Learning With AI, Learning About AI,” the CDE states: “Emerging technologies often lead to new and exciting learning opportunities for students, particularly in increasing personalization and accessibility options. While Artificial Intelligence (AI) can be a valuable learning tool for educators and students, it must be evaluated according to usage terms, and clear guidelines for data collection should prioritize student safety” (California Department of Education, 2023). Information and resources related to AI in education are available on the California Educators Together Statewide AI group and in the United States Department of Education, Office of Educational Technology (2024) National Educational Technology Plan.
Individual Learning Plan (ILP)
An Individual Learning Plan (ILP) is a document that helps Candidates in the Induction program develop their professional goals and skills. The ILP is based on the California Standards for the Teaching Profession (CSTP) and is created in collaboration with a Mentor within the first 60 days of enrollment. The ILP is intended to support the Candidate’s growth and development and is not for evaluation purposes.
Professional Learning Opportunities (PLO)
All Candidates must complete 20 Professional Learning Hours/ year. At Least 4 hours must be from MCOE and an additional 16 hours are self-selected. Candidates will have the option to choose from a variety of professional learning opportunities (PLO), both in person and online, based upon their needs and their professional learning goals. Asynchronous learning opportunities (modules) can be chosen to fulfill this requirement. All professional learning has an emphasis on ensuring equity for our increasingly diverse student population. Throughout the various PLO, Candidates are encouraged to develop Asset-Based Pedagogies, where student differences are viewed as assets and not deficits. Candidates will track their PLO hours and reflections in their Individual learning Plan (ILP) through a PLO Log.
Professional Learning Opportunities include:
-
California Standards-aligned teaching and learning
-
language and literacy
-
science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM)
-
social and emotional learning (SEL); physical, cognitive, and academic needs of learners
-
inclusive learning experiences
-
family and community engagement practices
-
digital citizenship and media literacy
-
restorative justice and healing-centered practices
-
Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) and growth mindset
-
Universal Design for Learning (UDL)
-
asset-based pedagogies:
-
culturally sustaining pedagogy
-
culturally and linguistically responsive teaching
-
culturally relevant pedagogy
-
Systems of Candidate Support
Program staff will guide Candidates through the processes necessary to complete the program. Additionally, program staff will ensure the successful progress monitoring of each Candidate through multiple checkpoints in the ILP. The Mentor will review each Candidate's progress throughout the two-year program and provide 1:1 support and assistance as needed. Formative and summative data is also used to further support the teacher participants, including feedback from professional learning sessions, observations from the program staff, mentors, and program advisors, and end-of-the-year Colloquium presentation/project. Candidates benefit from a system of support including, but not limited to the following:
-
1:1 weekly support with an experienced, trained mentor
-
Program Advisor Support
-
Induction Program Staff Support
-
Site Principal/Administration Support
-
Networking opportunities to connect with colleagues and engage in deeper conversations
-
A scaffolded system of guided inquiry
-
Candidate checklists used to ensure completion of expectations
-
And if needed, an Intervention Action Plans to meet the required assignments and successfully complete the program in a timely manner.
Resubmission and Extension
Candidates are given multiple opportunities to satisfactorily complete all requirements of the program. Program Leadership provides continuous Program Monitoring of the Individual Learning Plan (ILP). When a Program Leader deems the Candidate’s submission does not meet program standards, feedback is provided to the Candidate and their Mentor to inform them of the revision process. Candidates are given seven additional days to revise and resubmit their work. Should a Candidate disagree with the assessment provided, there is a grievance policy process.
If the Candidate needs additional time or support, the program will conference with the Candidate and Mentor to customize an Intervention Action Plans for resubmission. The resubmission process is designed to allow Participating Candidates to be successful within the timeframe of the two-year program.
The program can also provide extensions based on Candidate and/or district needs or requests. The program will provide customized timelines for Candidates with medical issues and other extenuating circumstances once notified by the Candidate.
Intervention Action Plans
An Intervention Action Plan aims to provide the necessary support for Induction Candidates facing challenges in completing the program. This Intervention Action Plan is designed to provide targeted support for Candidates who require additional assistance to successfully complete the program. The goal is to enhance their teaching practice, foster professional growth, and ensure they meet all program requirements. By focusing on targeted action steps, the Candidate will develop the skills and confidence needed to succeed in their teaching career. An Intervention Action Plan is instituted when either the Mentor or Program Leader notes insufficient progress, or the Candidate initiates a request.
Leave of Absence or Withdrawal
The program is designed to be completed within a Candidate’s first two years of teaching. Occasionally, extenuating circumstances do not allow a Candidate to complete the program in the expected two years. Extensions longer than two weeks may be offered for the following:
-
Extended illness
-
Maternity/Paternity leave
-
Emergency leave
-
FMLA leave
-
Death of an immediate family member
-
Participation in other credential activities (ie. adding an additional authorization)
-
Other factors or compelling reasons that would reasonably affect the candidate’s ability to complete the program successfully
Candidates who are not able to participate due to any reason listed above may receive credit for the length of time in the program. If they are able to return to the program, they may resume where they left off (must resume before credential expires). It is the responsibility of the Candidate to communicate with the Program Leader and submit a withdrawal/ leave of absence request if an issue is preventing them from completing the program. Candidates may do so by requesting a Leave of Absence or Withdrawal Form from MCOE TIP.
Successful Program Completion
When a Candidate successfully completes Induction, they are eligible for a Clear Credential. Successful completion of Induction includes attending an orientation at the start of the program year and demonstrating mastery of the CSTP through participation in the end-of-year Colloquium.
The Induction program must assess each Candidate's progress toward mastering the California Standards for the Teaching Profession to support the recommendation for the Clear Credential. Documentation of progress should reflect the learning and professional growth goals outlined in the Individual Learning Plan (ILP) and provide evidence of successful completion of the specified activities. Reviews of this evidence occur at the end of each section in the ILP. Before recommending a Candidate for a Clear Credential, the Induction program verifies that the Candidate has satisfactorily completed all program activities and requirements, along with the necessary documentation to support the recommendation.
End-of-Program Recommendation
Program Staff will recommend only those Candidates who have completed all requirements of the credential program, including attendance at orientation and participation in professional learning related to the ILP and the Colloquium. Program Staff will submit the appropriate forms and assist the Candidate in setting an appointment with the credential analyst at MCOE. At that time, the Candidate will be able to file for a Clear Credential.
Colloquium
Candidates who have successfully completed their Induction requirements, will present their work at Colloquium. When Candidates prepare for their end-of-program reflection, it is recommended that they use the Reflection Guide in the Individual Learning Plan (ILP) to thoughtfully consider their teaching practices. This reflection will provide Candidates with a deeper understanding of what has been effective and help identify areas for improvement moving forward. For the Colloquium, candidates will create a 10-12 minute presentation based on their ILP, focusing on their selected California Standards for the Teaching Profession (CSTPs). The presentation should adhere to the guidelines outlined in the Colloquium Project/ Presentation Guide in the ILP. Candidates present to a small group of administrators and teachers, who will assess their work using the Colloquium Presentation Rubric. This process not only showcases Candidates' growth but also fosters meaningful dialogue about their teaching journeys. Colloquium attendance is expected of all Candidates completing the program and their Mentors.
Ethical Code of Content, Grievance and Non Discrimination Policy
Ethical Code Of Conduct
Candidates, Mentors, and other participants in TIP are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner, treat colleagues and MCOE staff with respect, keep confidential information confidential, and demonstrate integrity. Misrepresentation, plagiarism, cheating, and other academic and professional misconduct are considered violations of the MCOE TIP program standards. Candidates may be subject to appropriate action for ethical violations, which may include dropping the Candidate, Mentor, or participant from the program and/or reporting to the CTC.
Leave of Absence or Withdrawal
The program is designed to be completed within a Candidate’s first two years of teaching. Occasionally, extenuating circumstances do not allow a Candidate to complete the program in the expected two years. Extensions longer than two weeks may be offered for the following:
-
Extended Illness
-
Maternity/Paternity leave
-
Emergency leave
-
FMLA leave
-
Death of an immediate family member
-
Participation in other credential activities (ie. adding an additional authorization)
-
Other factors or compelling reasons that would reasonably affect the candidate’s ability to complete the program successfully
Candidates who are not able to participate due to any reason listed above may receive credit for the length of time in the program. If they are able to return to the program, they may resume where they left off (must resume before credential expires). It is the responsibility of the Candidate to communicate with the Program Leader if an issue is preventing them from completing the program. Candidates may do so by requesting a Leave of Absence or Withdrawal Form from MCOE TIP.
Grievance and Appeals Process
MCOE offers all participants support through an official complaint process. Should a concern arise that needs to be addressed, the following process will be followed to ensure the success of all participants:
Step 1: The participant meets with the Mentor to discuss concerns/challenges.
Step 2: If the issue is not resolved, the participant submits a written complaint to the Program Director. The Program Director reviews the complaint and contacts the participant within 10 days to discuss solutions.
Step 3: If the concern is ongoing, the Program Director will meet with the participant to develop an action plan and ensure a resolution.
Step 4: Identified actions will be implemented/refined until the complaint is resolved.
Non-discrimination Policy
TIP adheres to the MCOE policy that prohibits the discrimination, harassment, intimidation and bullying based on actual or perceived ancestry, age, color, disability, gender, gender identity, gender expression, nationality, race or ethnicity, religion, sex, sexual orientation or association with a person or a group with one or more of these actual or perceived characteristics or any other basis protected by federal, state or local law, ordinance or regulation, in its educational program(s) or employment. No Candidate shall be denied eligibility into the program solely because of any impairment which is unrelated to the ability to engage in activities involved in the position(s) or program for which the application has been made. If a Candidate needs a reasonable accommodation to participate in the program, MCOE will provide it upon notice. If there is a complaint regarding sexual harassment or discrimination, please contact the MCOE Chief Human Resources Officer located at 901 Blanco Circle, Salinas, CA 93901, (831) 784-4195.