A r c h i v e d  I n f o r m a t i o n

Appendix D (continued)

These guidelines are intended for use with Principals, Headmasters, and Head Teacher or similar individuals involved in supervising new teachers at the school site.

The questions in this protocol are generic. It is not intended that each question will be asked explicitly. The site visitor should be able to answer all relevant questions at the end of the site visit. After review of the materials supplied by APEC members and discussions with the APEC researcher, questions should be tailored to the specifics of the member, and additional questions on each topic added. As required, irrelevant questions should be eliminated. If information is available in previously reviewed materials, confirm that the information is still accurate.

Prior to asking any questions, introduce yourself, explain the purpose of the interview and the case study, and ask if the interviewee has any questions for you. Stress that the case studies are descriptive and not evaluative. Put the interviewee at ease.

Terminology should be adapted for each site. For example, while in one site the term "program" may denote a formal entity and the term "practices" a more informal approach, this may not be the case at another site. "Practices," "activities," and "program elements" may be terms that are unknown, synonymous with one another, or distinct from one another. During training, researchers should attempt to resolve terminology problems within and across sites.

Roles and Responsibilities

1. How are you involved in the teacher induction program?

2. How long have you been involved in this capacity? Have you previously been involved in another capacity?

3. What are you expected to do to induct new teachers (e.g., mentoring, assessment, schedule time, organize workshops)?

4. Is this role expected of someone in your position?

5. Are there any requirement for you to participate in the teacher induction program?

6. Did you receive any training? If so, what kind of training did you receive, and who provided it?

7. Do you receive additional compensation or other benefits for participating in the teacher induction program?

8. Please describe a situation where you have worked with a new teacher to ease his or her transition to full-time teaching?

Information on the goals of the program

1. Why was the teacher induction program instituted? Is the implementation of teacher induction programs or practices part of a larger policy initiative? To what extent is teacher induction linked to other educational reform goals (e.g., performance-based assessment, curriculum standards)?

2. What are the goals of the teacher induction program? Retention? Increase Morale? Acculturation? Skills Improvement? Assessment? Who articulated or established these goals, and what was the motivation for doing so?

3. In addition to these goals does the program have any specific objectives? For example, to train a certain proportion of new teachers?

4. Have the goal(s) changed over time? If so, why have they changed? Did an evaluation of the program lead to a refocusing of the goal(s)?

Information about program content

1. Please describe the teacher induction program and how it is delivered (e.g. pre-school orientation, mentoring, observation)? What is the purpose of each element? Who participates? What is the frequency and duration of participation? (This question forms the basis for many other probes; and the information received can be used to modify other probes into confirming questions.)

2. To what extent is the teacher induction program curriculum linked to school curriculum, teaching methods, classroom management, acculturation, implementing standards, or performance-based assessment? Is there a standard package of materials (e.g., curriculum, assessment procedures) available? If so, request a copy (if a copy has not previously been obtained). Ask the interviewee to provide highlights of materials. If materials have been previously received, ask interviewee to confirm your understanding of those materials, or clarify materials.

3. How does the teacher induction program relate to a teacher's pre-service training? How would you compare pre-service training (especially student teaching and other practical experiences) with teacher induction, in terms of level of formality, provision of support, duration of "program"? Where is pre-service training conducted (e.g., in exemplary sites, professional development schools, cooperating schools)? Is this the same for training and supports offered during the induction period?

4. How does the teacher induction program relate to teacher assessment?

5. Is the program the same throughout the country? If not, how and why does it vary?

Information about program development

1. Describe the process through which the program was developed (planning activities, curriculum development, training, dissemination).

2. At what political level is the teacher induction program developed?

3. Who was involved in program development? Why were these individuals chosen? What skills, experiences, personalities, and so on do (did) these individuals have? Were these individuals in any way different from other program development staff?

4. What program elements were considered, but not included, in the program? Why were these excluded (e.g., lack of funds, insufficient staff, inadequate training of staff)?

5. What role did teachers play in the development of the program?

6. What role did school-level administrators play in program development?

Information about program implementation

1. What, if any, difficulties have been occurred in implementing the teacher induction program at your school?

1. Which teachers participates in the program? Is it voluntary or mandatory?

2. If voluntary, are there any patterns to the locales or participants?

3. If voluntary, what proportion participate?

4. If voluntary, why do some teachers not participate? What is the motivation to participate?

Resources available for teacher induction programs

1. What resources are used (e.g., reduced teaching load, mentors, program developers, staff trainers)?

2. How are resources allocated for the teacher induction program? Is there any regional variation in the allocation of resources? If so, how and why do such variations exist? Are there any efforts to tailor allocations to particular student populations (i.e., resources based on percentage of educationally-disadvantaged students)?

3. What are the source(s) of financial support?

4. Are financial resources budgeted? Staff resources? Payment for mentors? Materials? Travel? Staff development? Substitutes? Administrative time? Others?

Information about program costs and funding sources

1. What proportion of the costs are national? State? Local? School?

Information about program changes over time

1. Since the program's initial implementation in ___, what have been the most significant changes? Why were changes made?

2. At what point in the programs life were the changes made? Why were they made at that point?

3. Who initiated program changes? Were changes controversial? If so, why?

4. Did the changes improve or reduce the program's effectiveness? Why?

5. What role have teachers and school administrators played in program changes over time?

Information on anticipated program changes

1. Please describe any plans for the program.

2. What improvements or changes would you like to see in the program? Why?

Information about actual and perceived program impacts

1. What do you think the program has accomplished? What changes would you like to see in the future?

2. Do you feel the program has had an positive impact? How do you measure that impact, or the lack of impact?

3. If available, collect data on changes in retention, proportion of teachers meeting certification on initial try, job satisfaction, and so on.

4. If no data, ask for estimates from disparate people.

Information about evaluation procedures

1. Have the goals been achieved? Have the goals changed over time? Why?

2. How do you know if the goals have been achieved?

3. Has a formative evaluation taken place? In so, describe the process and results of that evaluation. At what level is the evaluation implemented? What is the purpose of the evaluation (e.g., to assess teachers, to assess the program, to justify program)? What motivated the evaluation? Who asked for it?

4. Has a summative evaluation taken place? If so, describe the process and results of that evaluation. At what level is the evaluation implemented? What is the purpose of the evaluation (e.g., to assess teachers, to assess the program, to justify program)?

5. If there has been no, why has it not taken place? Why is the program continued? What is the basis of program change?

Information on importance of context to program impact

1. To what extent is any positive impact due to the status of teaching, resources, skills and personalities of key individuals, and the specific program elements?

Information on importance of "key" individuals

1. What would happen if (identify specific individuals) was not involved in the planning, "sponsoring," or implementing of the program? What are the characteristics of this individual that make him or her necessary for the successful adaptation of the program?

Information on program development or content that may limit adaptability

1. What program elements do you believe would be difficult to implement elsewhere? Why?

2. Describe a different context, and ask what impact their program would have.

3. What role do you think culture plays in teaching (as well as in recruiting, training, selection, and induction)? What effect do you think culture would have in adapting the teacher induction program for other members?

The following probes should be asked of administrator(s) familiar with issues of teacher training and recruitment practices.

Information about recruitment and placement of teachers

1. Are teachers recruited centrally or locally?

2. What proportion of the teaching force is "new" each year?

3. What is the process by which teachers are assigned to a particular jurisdiction? school? Does the existence of a teacher induction program affect recruitment or placement? Is there an effort to recruit or place teachers with backgrounds similar to the students they serve?

4. What proportion of teachers move from one jurisdiction to another in a year? Is the movement different for primary and secondary teachers? Is it voluntary?

5. Overall, what is the rate of attrition for new teachers after one year? After two years? After three years? After more than three years? Do these rates differ by region or by any other characteristic? Obtain any attrition data available. Has there been a change in the attrition rate since the teacher induction program was introduced? Is there any evidence that the program has reduced attrition?

6. Have new teachers typically been "student teachers" at the school or within the jurisdiction that "hires" them for the first year?

Information on pre-service training

1. Are new teachers graduates of teacher training institutions? If not, learn about training of teachers.

2. Do students participate in student teaching? If so, how long is the student teaching period, what is expected of the student teachers, and how are they assessed? Is the student-teaching experience different for primary and secondary student teachers? If so, how?

3. Is there an ongoing relationship between the teacher training institution and the jurisdiction or school? Between the teacher training institution and the teacher? If so, how is this (are these) relationship(s) maintained?

4. Has the pre-service training been coordinated, in any way, with the teacher induction program? If so, what has occurred?

Information on the status of the teaching profession

1. How well are teachers paid compared to others with similar education and training? Does the pay scale for teachers differ among elementary, lower-, and upper-secondary teachers? What is the pay scale difference between first-year teachers and veteran teachers?

2. How important are teachers in the view of the general population? Does having a teacher in the family bring pride to the family? Why? Why not?

3. Has the status of teachers improved, declined or remained the same during the past 5, 10, 20 years? What factors have contributed to changes, if any have occurred?

4. What proportion of primary teachers are female? What percentage of secondary school teachers are female? If there is a wide disparity, why does this disparity exist?

5. What is the average length of service for a male teacher? For a female teacher? If different, why?

6. What proportion of teachers practice their profession in public schools? In private schools? Is there a difference in status between public- and private-school teachers?

[Appendix D (part 1 of 6]

[Appendix D (part 3 of 6)]