COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
P.O. BOX 2120
RICHMOND, VIRGINIA 23218-2120
SUPTS. MEMO NO. 103
May 13, 2005
INFORMATIONAL
|
TO: |
Division
Superintendents |
|
FROM: |
Jo Lynne
DeMary Superintendent
of Public Instruction |
|
SUBJECT: |
Mentor Teacher Institute |
The Office of
Teacher Quality Enhancement in the Division of Teacher Education and
Professional Licensure is pleased to host a mentor teacher institute on June
2224, 2005, which will be funded by Virginias Teacher Quality Enhancement
grant. The institute will be held at the Renaissance Portsmouth Hotel and
Waterfront Conference Center, 425 Water Street, Portsmouth, Virginia. The purposes of the institute are to provide
information on how to structure an effective mentor program, to provide mentor
training, and evaluate the impact of mentor programs.
There are currently three funding sources for mentor teacher programs in Virginia. These sources include the additional state funding for schools designated as hard-to-staff, mentor teacher and clinical faculty programs, and Virginias Teacher Quality Enhancement grant. Each division is encouraged to send a mentor program administrator or other key program leader, a principal, and a mentor teacher to this mentor institute.
The two and a
half-day institute will feature mentor training in selected modules by
representatives of the Santa Cruz New Teacher Project, Educational
Testing Service (ETS) Pathwise, and Fairfax County Great
Beginnings Teacher Induction Program. This
training will include the essential components of effective mentor training and
will be aligned with the Virginia Requirements of Quality and Effectiveness
for Beginning Teacher Mentor Programs in Hard-To-Staff Schools.
Another
feature of the mentor institute will be to assemble focus groups made up of
mentor program administrators, principals, mentors, and mentees on Wednesday,
June 22, 2005.
The focus groups will examine and respond
to draft evaluation survey instruments designed to determine the effectiveness
of mentor teacher programs. Facilitators will consider the responses from each
of the focus groups and synthesize the information.
On Thursday,
June 23, 2005, training sessions designed specifically for school leaders,
mentor program administrators, and principals will be offered. This training will provide guidance in
designing, organizing, and developing a framework for implementing effective
mentor teacher programs. There will also be sessions to explore ways in which
school division staff members, principals, and other professional colleagues of
new teachers can play a significant role in the induction process.
On Friday
morning, June 24, 2005, during a special session on the evaluation of mentor
programs, the recommendations and reactions of the focus groups will be
presented to program administrators, schools leaders, mentor teacher program
directors and principals for discussion.
Institution
Registration (by June 10, 2005)
Each
divisions participant should complete the attached registration form and return
it by Friday, June 10, 2005. There is no registration fee for the
institute. Mentors should plan to
attend the entire two and a half-day event beginning Wednesday, June 22, 2005,
following lunch at 12:00 noon and ending on Friday, June 24, 2005, at 2 p.m. Continental breakfast and lunch will be
provided daily. Registration will be accepted on a first come first serve basis
until we reach the capacity of 300 participants.
Hotel
Reservations (By June 3, 2005)
Participants
should call the Renaissance Portsmouth Hotel at 888-839-1775 by June 3, 2005,
and reference the Mentor Teacher Institute to make lodging reservations. After that date, the block of rooms reserved
at the state rate of $123 per night will be released. Participants will be
reimbursed for their lodging, meals, and travel expenses in accordance with
state travel regulations.
If you need
additional information, please contact Susan M. Trulove (susan.trulove@doe.virginia.gov),
associate director, Office of Teacher Quality Enhancement, at
804-225-2877.
JDL/TAE/smt
Attachment
http://www.doe.virginia.gov/administrators/superintendents_memos/2005/inf103a.pdf