Description
The California Beginning Teacher Support and Assessment (BTSA) Induction Program provides formative assessment, individualized support and advanced content for newly-credentialed, beginning teachers, and is the preferred pathway to a California Clear Teaching Credential. The BTSA Induction program is co-administered by the California Department of Education (CDE) and the Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC). The BTSA Induction Task Force and State Leadership Team provide support and technical assistance to local BTSA Induction Program leaders. There are currently over 169 SB 2042-approved BTSA Induction Programs across California, organized into six regions or "Clusters."
Historical Overview of the BTSA Induction Program
Created by AB 1266 (Mazzoni, 1997), California's Beginning Teacher Support and Assessment Program grew out of legislation established in SB 1422 (Bergeson, 1992) and was based on research from the California New Teacher Project (CNTP). A central finding of this research identified the need to provide beginning teachers with focused induction support. To be useful, this support must be provided at a sufficient level of intensity to make a difference in the performance, retention, and satisfaction of beginning teachers. The 1997 Mazzoni legislation that established BTSA encouraged collaboration among local school districts, county offices of education, colleges and universities to organize and deliver professional development for beginning teachers.
SB 2042
In 1998, the Commission on Teacher Credentialing sponsored and the Governor signed, legislation that restructured teacher credentialing in California. Following passage of SB 2042 (Alpert/Mazzoni, Ch. 548, Statutes of 1998), the architecture of Learning to Teach in California was re-designed to include these major reforms:
- The creation of multiple, standards-based routes into teaching.
- Alignment of teacher preparation standards with State adopted academic and content and performance standards for students.
- A new requirement that teachers pass a teaching performance assessment embedded in their preparation program prior to earning a preliminary teaching credential; and
A new requirement that teachers complete a two-year induction program of support and assessment during the first two years of teaching in order to earn a California Clear Teaching Credential.
Program Purposes/Objectives
The following purposes and objectives and the Standards for Quality and Effectiveness for Professional Teacher Induction Programs [PDF] guide the design and implementation of support and professional development services for teachers participating in BTSA Induction programs:
- Provide an effective transition into the teaching career for first- and second-year teachers in California
- Improve the educational performance of students through improved training, information, and assistance for participating teachers
- Enable beginning teachers to be effective in teaching students who are culturally, linguistically, and academically diverse
- Ensure the professional success and retention of new teachers
- Ensure that a support provider provides intensive individualized support and assistance to each participating beginning teacher
- Ensure that an individual induction plan is in place for each participating beginning teacher and is based on an ongoing assessment of the development of the beginning teacher
- Ensure continuous program improvement through ongoing research, development, and evaluation
Funding for BTSA Induction
In accordance with Education Code section 44259(c), induction programs may be offered by school districts, county offices of education, and/or institutions of higher education. Section 44279.2(c) of the code allows local education agencies (LEA) to apply for and receive state funding to support induction programs through the Beginning Teacher Support and Assessment program. In order to receive funds, participating LEA must develop and implement teacher induction programs that meet standards adopted by the Commission and the Superintendent of Public Instruction for this purpose as provided in Education Code, section 44279.2(c)(1). Induction programs that meet the Standards of Quality and Effectiveness for Professional Teacher Induction Programs may recommend candidates for a California Clear Teaching Credential.
Beginning in fiscal year 2005-06, BTSA Induction was funded from the AB 825 Teacher Credentialing Block Grant. BTSA Induction provides more than 26,000 participating teachers in 169 BTSA Induction Programs with formative assessment of their teaching practices, professional development to promote effective teaching practices and student learning, and the advanced content required for the California Clear Teaching Credential.
BTSA Induction programs vary in organizational design and include single district programs, consortia of districts as well as large, county office of education-based consortia. Each BTSA Induction program works in collaboration with one or more college or university partner or "institutions of higher education or IHE."
Professional Development in BTSA
Professional development opportunities for beginning teachers are formative in nature and provide targeted support, based on performance data and meet the advanced content requirements for Ryan and 2042 clear credentials. Trained Support Providers assist participating teachers in collecting and interpreting evidence of teaching performance, in reflecting on their teaching, and in identifying meaningful professional development activities that are targeted to their individual needs, using the structured activities in The California Formative Assessment and Support System for Teachers (CFASST) or other approved assessment systems.
In addition, the BTSA Induction Program provides a wide variety of workshops, training and network opportunities targeted for different audiences involved in all levels of the program. Program directors, Site and district administrators, Support Providers and Participating Teachers engage in local and/or state-level professional development according to their individual and/or group needs. Support, formative assessment and professional development for participating teachers is locally designed and implemented within their local context and according to program standards and credential requirements. Other trainings have been developed by the state agencies, cluster staff and BTSA programs to prepare administrators for their work with participating teachers, Support Providers for their role as coaches for participating teachers, and for local program leaders. Local projects are supported by Cluster Region Directors (see list below) who also assist districts and other entities wishing to initiate or improve a BTSA program.
Program Evaluation and Accountability
Participating Teachers are ensured a quality induction experience through an extensive annual peer program review process and on-going formal, summative peer reviews. Program stakeholders and leaders use a structured, date-based inquiry process to assess and improve the quality of their program and assure their alignment with Induction Program Standards. Each year, teams engage in a rigorous self-study and peer review of documents and evidence that leads to the development and implementation of an Annual Improvement Plan.
| Northern California Cluster 1 | Cindy Gappa, Cluster Region Director - cgappa@tcde.tehama.k12.ca.us
-or-
Lisa Danielson, Cluster Region Director - ldanielson@edcoe.k12.ca.us |
| Bay Area/Coastal California Cluster 2 | Paula Motley, Cluster Region Director - pmotley@monterey.k12.ca.us
-or-
Gordon Surface, Cluster Region Director - gsurface@nusd.k12.ca.us |
| Central California Cluster 3 | Joseph Jimenez, Cluster Region Director - josephj@tcoe.org
-or-
Judy Roberts, Cluster Region Director - jroberts@fcoe.k12.ca.us |
| Los Angeles County Cluster 4 | LaRie Colosimo, Cluster Region Director - lcolosim@cusd.claremont.edu
-or
Gay Roby, Cluster Region Director - roby_gay@nlmusd.k12.ca.us |
| San Diego, Imperial & Orange Counties Cluster 5 | Marsha Buckley-Boyle, Cluster Region Director mbboyle@sdcoe.net
-or-
Bonnie Schindler, Cluster Region Director - bschindler@sdcoe.net |
| Inland Empire/High Desert Cluster 6 | Cathy Payne, Cluster Region Director - cpayne@rcoe.us
-or-
Audry Wiens, Cluster Region Director - awiens@rcoe.us |
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