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Creating Online Mentoring to Support New Special Education Teachers Through a Partnership with the New Teacher Center
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2010 OSEP Project Directors’ (PD) Conference
July 21, 2010
Washington, DC
Dr. Phoebe Gillespie, Director, Personnel Improvement Center @NASDSE
Dr. George Ann Rice, Service Provider, Personnel Improvement Center
Dr. Alyson Mike, Director of Online Professional Development, NTC
Debra Dixon, Education Program Consultant, Louisiana DOE
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Personnel Improvement Center Mission
• Assist states in implementing evidence-based recruitment and retention practices to meet the need for highly or fully qualified special education, early intervention and related services personnel.
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Personnel Improvement Center
• A technical assistance and dissemination project at NASDSE.
• Fully-funded by US DOE, Office of Special Education Programs.
• Assisting states and their high need locales in recruiting, preparing and retaining special education, early intervention and related services personnel.
• Assisting in the design, development and management of the NTC’s special education e-mentoring initiative.
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To improve student learning by supporting the development of an inspired,
dedicated, and highly-qualified teaching force.
MISSION
New Teacher Center
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History of Special Education Teacher e-mentoring Pilot Project
• Personnel Improvement Center’s (PIC) selected states requested assistance in ‘mentoring for retention’.
• PIC service provider participated in the NTC general training.• Initiated discussions with NTC to create an e-mentoring site
specifically for special educators.• Engaged interested states in committing time and funds to
create a pilot site.• LA and NV committed funds and recruited mentors to
support up to 75 mentees per state.• Fall of 2010, site will expand to accommodate more
states/LEAs.
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e-Mentoring for Student Success History
• 2002, NTC received a 5 year grant from National Science Foundation to support new 6-12 grade science and math teachers.
• Three Partners
- National Science Teachers Association (professional organization for science teachers)
- New Teacher Center @UC Santa Cruz
-Montana State University (distance learning experts)• 2008-09 Clients including states, districts, universities
and non-profits paid a subsidized fee for each mentee.• 2009-present Clients pay a fee for each mentee.
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Round Table Discussion
• Does your state have specific guidelines for special education mentoring and induction programs? What is your role in implementing them?
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Percentage of All NonstandardCertificates Issued in LA
43%
19%
8%
7%
7%
5% 11%
% of all nonstandard certificates issued
SPED (includes gifted)
Elem
Math
Science
ELA
Social Studies
Other
August 1, 2008 – April 30, 2009
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Percentage of Nonstandard Special Ed Certificates Issued by Area in LA
14%
21%
1%
58%
4% 2%
Nonstandard Certificates by SPED Area
Early Interventionist
Gifted
Hearing Impaired
Mild/Moderate
Significant Disabilities
Visually Imparired
August 1, 2008 – April 30, 2009
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“Completers” Receiving a Level 1, 2, or 3 License for the First Time in LA
July 1, 2003 – June 30, 2008
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Targeted Issues
• On-going systemic issues of noncompliance regarding FAPE.
• High numbers of teachers who did not meet highly qualified status.
• Student Performance on Statewide Assessment.
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Nonstandard Certificates by District in LA
0
50
100
150
200
250
District 1 District 2 District 3
202
114
19
92
48
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All NS SPED NS
August 1, 2008 – April 30, 2009
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Solution: eMSS-SE Pilot for LA & NV
• Mentors• 66 applicants, 58 accepted, 25
successfully completed, 6 resigned = 19 total mentors.
• Mentees• 87 applied, 69 completed orientation and
were matched. [43 EC/Elem, 14 MS, 11 HS]
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Participation Data for eMSS – SE Pilot
SITE VISITS Overall Total Site Visits
Average Number of
total visits per participant
Average visits per week
Mentees 769 11 1
Mentors 2341 123 10
POSTSOverall Total
Posts
Average Number of
total post per participant
Range of posts
Mentees 315 7.5 0-45
Mentors 1816 95 52-148
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Evaluation Results
Post survey eMSS program data revealed that beginning teachers reported more prepared in the following areas:
• Managing students grades, record keeping, and paperwork.
• Student discipline.• Lesson planning and time management.• Effectively dealing with and communicating with parents.• Using group work effectively.• Setting and achieving student goals as written on I.E.P.’s• Setting and achieving professional goals.
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Evaluation Results – Part 2
Mentees reported an increase in preparedness on the post survey in all of the following areas:
• Using real world problems/contexts in lessons.• Examining student work in order to assess student thinking
and reflect on classroom practice.• Identifying/developing lessons aligned to instructional goals
on the students' I.E.P.'s.• *Identifying/developing lessons to address individual student
needs.• *Formally/Informally assess student learning within the
content area in which you are teaching.
*areas with largest reported gains
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Discuss with a Partner
• What efforts have been made by your center, project, state or preparation program to address the high rate of attrition of special educators in hard to staff areas?
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Content SpecialistsUniversity faculty engaged in research and/or instruction
in their field.
Facilitators Teacher leaders facilitator in all
program areas with on-going professional development.
MentorsExemplary special education
teachers who are highly skilled in online mentoring
and are matched with mentees who teach in the same disability and grade
level.
Mentees
eMSS Program Staff
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eMSS Program Overview
Our PlaceA private area designed for mentees to work with their mentors. Mentees discuss their teaching practice and receive 1-on-1 mentoring from an experienced teacher in the same grade and subject.
Mentor PlaceDiscussion forums for larger groups of mentors. Mentor Place offers ongoing professional development and support for mentors.
InquiriesSelf-selected small groups examine pedagogical or content practices that can be applied directly to the classroom. A foundational part of eMSS, this is a structured and facilitated curriculum, which guides participants through a plan/prepare, teach/assess, and reflect/analyze cycle.
Community Forums and ResourcesA community of teachers participates in discussion forums facilitated by teacher leaders and practicing mathematicians, scientists, and special education university professors. Content-focused discussions, dilemmas of practice, and access to resources are the heart of this area.
Organizations enroll their beginning teachers in eMSS
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NTC-Learning Environment
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eMSS Program Chart
Professional Development and Networking Through eMSS, new and veteran teachers—as well as university mathematicians, scientists, and special education university professors—collaborate in an interactive community to facilitate the exchange of information, ideas, and experiences in order to advance high-quality math, science, and special education instruction for all students.
Online Learning Environment eMSS extends flexible, personalized, content-focused support to beginning teachers nationwide through its online technology network. eMSS offers mentees a range of online activities they can participate in—the mentee chooses those that best suit their own teaching needs.
Program ManagementDesigned to be a turnkey mentoring program for schools, the eMSS staff manage all aspects of the program administration including online applications, data reporting and regular pre- and post-surveys of participants. The intended goal is to make implementation seamless for school districts.
Content Focused Mentoring CurriculumeMSS includes a facilitated math-, science-, and special education- specific curriculum that engages beginning teachers in planning, teaching, and reflecting on their classroom teaching. They exchange ideas with other beginning teachers as well as mentors who are working on similar goals.
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Table Discussion
• How can your Center, project, state or preparation program work with relevant stakeholders to address the development needs of beginning and experienced special educators to ensure they become highly effective?
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Next steps for eMSS-SE
• Develop curriculum specific for teachers who are working with students with sensory impairments. [Visual Impairment/Blind and Deaf and Hard of Hearing]
• Continue to work initially with states - then transition to districts after a year.
• Continue to develop and expand the available resources for participants.
• Continue to develop and expand the facilitation team with additional expertise.
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eMSS-Special Education Q & A
What questions do you have about moving forward with eMSS-SE in your
state?
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Creating Online Mentoring to Support New Special Education Teachers Through a
Partnership with the New Teacher Center
Phoebe Gillespie, Ph.D.Director National Center to Improve Recruitment and Retention of Qualified Personnel for Children with Disabilities (Personnel Improvement Center) NASDSE1800 Diagonal Road Suite 320 Alexandria, VA 22314Phone: 703-519-3800 ext 337Fax: 703-519-3808Email: [email protected]
For More Information
Alyson Mike, Ed.D.Director of Online Professional DevelopmentNew Teacher CenterMontana OfficePhone/Fax: 406-227-5242Email: [email protected]
Debra DixonEducation Program ConsultantLouisiana Department of Education, Division of Special PopulationsPO Box 94064Baton Rouge, LA, 70804-9064 Phone: 225-342-3724 Fax: 225-219-7370 Email: [email protected]
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• The following slides are only added in the event we cannot connect to the internet and go live.
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eMSS-SE Home Site
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Our Place
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Discussion Topics
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Conversation
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