DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Professional Standards Board

FINAL

REGULATORY IMPLEMENTING ORDER

1503 Educator Mentoring

I. SUMMARY OF THE EVIDENCE AND INFORMATION SUBMITTED

The Professional Standards Board, acting in cooperation and collaboration with the Department of Education, seeks the consent of the State Board of Education to amend regulation 14 DE Admin. Code 1503 Educator Mentoring. The regulation applies to the comprehensive induction program, including mentoring and professional development required of educators, pursuant to 14 Del.C. §1210. It is necessary to amend this regulation in order to update and clarify some of the definitions, requirements and to align title for state-wide program and to establish monitoring and reporting processes by Department to Professional Standards Board.

Notice of the proposed adoption of the regulation was published in the Delaware Register of Regulations on November 1, 2013. The notice invited written comments. Comments were received from the State Council for Persons with Disabilities. The comments included usage edits to the language and suggestions for including additional language. The suggested comments were considered and all necessary edits were made to clarify the language. No additional comments were received regarding the proposed amendments to this regulation.

II. FINDINGS OF FACTS

The Professional Standards Board and the State Board of Education find that it is appropriate to adopt this regulation to comply with changes in statute.

III. DECISION TO ADOPT THE REGULATION

For the foregoing reasons, the Professional Standards Board and the State Board of Education conclude that it is appropriate to adopt the regulation. Therefore, pursuant to 14 Del.C. §1205(b), the regulation attached hereto as Exhibit “A” is hereby adopted. Pursuant to the provision of 14 Del.C. §122(e), the regulation hereby adopted shall be in effect for a period of five years from the effective date of this order as set forth in Section V. below.

IV. TEXT AND CITATION

The text of the regulation adopted shall be in the form attached hereto as Exhibit “A”, and said regulation shall be cited as 14 DE Admin. Code 1503 of the Administrative Code of Regulations of the Professional Standards Board.

V. EFFECTIVE DATE OF ORDER

The effective date of this Order shall be ten (10) days from the date this Order is published in the Delaware Register of Regulations.

APPROVED BY THE PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS BOARD THE 5th DAY OF DECEMBER, 2013

IT IS SO ORDERED the 19th day of DECEMBER, 2013.

Department of Education

Mark Murphy, Secretary of Education

Approved the 19th day of December, 2013

State Board of Education

1503 Educator Mentoring

This regulation shall apply to comprehensive induction programs, including mentoring and professional development activities required of educators, pursuant to 14 Del.C. Ch. 12.

The following words and terms, when used in this regulation, shall have the following meaning unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:

"Approved Mentoring Program Approved Comprehensive Induction Program" means all mentoring educator induction programs, including mentoring and professional development, approved by either the Department or the Standards Board to provide mentoring and professional development for educators.

"Contact Hours" means the face-to-face time a Mentor or Lead Mentor spends with his/her Protégé mentee working specifically on mentoring activities.

“Department” means the Delaware Department of Education.

"DPAS" means an approved State educator performance evaluation system pursuant to 14 Del.C. Ch. 12, Subchapter VII.

“Educator” means a person licensed and certified by the State under 14 Del.C. Ch. 12, to engage in the practice of instruction, administration or other related professional support services in Delaware public schools, including charter schools, pursuant to rules and regulations promulgated by the Standards Board and approved by the State Board. For the purposes of this regulation, “the term educator” shall also include substitute teachers who are employed on long-term temporary contracts of ninety-one (91) days or longer in duration, with the intent or agreement to use the teaching experience to meet the alternative to the student teaching experience in the Initial License under 14 Del.C. §1210. This definition shall be construed to provide mentoring to long term substitute teachers who are currently working towards their Initial License.

“Employing Authority” means any entity which employs educators, and includes, but is not limited to, school districts, charter schools, boards of directors, or management companies.

“Experienced Educator” is an educator who holds a Continuing or Advanced License., or an educator who held a Professional Status Certificate issued prior to August 1, 2003. An educator from another jurisdiction who has completed three (3) or more years of successful teaching may be considered an experienced educator.

“Lead Mentor” means a teacher, specialist, or administrator who holds a Continuing or Advanced License, has participated in the training approved by the Department for Lead Mentors is employed by an employing authority as a Lead Mentor and performs the duties and responsibilities assigned that position. Educators serving as Lead Mentors must have satisfactory be rated as Highly Effective or Effective in DPAS evaluations, and may not be on a DPAS Improvement Plan.

“License” means a credential which authorizes the holder to engage in the practice for which the license is issued.

“Mentor” means an educator who holds a Continuing or Advanced License and has participated in the training for Mentors specified by the Department and the employing authority. Educators serving as Mentors must have satisfactory be rated as Highly Effective or Effective in DPAS II evaluations, and may not be on a DPAS Improvement Plan.

“Mentoring” means activities, training and service in mentoring support or assistance provided through a formally organized approved mentoring comprehensive induction program or such supplemental mentoring programs as required by regulation or by the educator's employing authority. Mentoring includes, but is not limited to the mentoring that occurs in the comprehensive induction programs required for educators during their three (3) year Initial Licensure period, a Continuing Licensure period, or any other mentoring program as required by law.

"New to a Category" means that an educator has moved from the position of a teacher to the position of either a specialist or an administrator; has moved from the position of an administrator to the position of a teacher or a specialist; or has moved from the position of a specialist to the position of a teacher, an administrator or to a different type of certificated specialist position. Examples include but are not limited to a teacher changing positions to a school nurse, or a teacher changing positions to a principal or assistant principal, or a school nurse changing positions to a school counselor, or a teacher changing positions to a school counselor.

“New Educator” means an educator who holds an Initial License.

“Site Coordinator” means an individual appointed by an employing authority to oversee an educator mentoring comprehensive induction program.

"Specialist" is an educator other than a teacher or administrator and includes, but is not limited to School Counselors, Library Media Specialists, School Psychologists and School Nurses.

“Standards Board” means the Professional Standards Board established pursuant to 14 Del.C. §1201.

“State Board” means the State Board of Education of the State pursuant to 14 Del.C. §104.

3.1 The Department shall develop and approve comprehensive educator mentoring induction programs for the following;

3.1.1 All mentoring programs for The teachers’ program shall be aligned with Delaware Teaching Standards (INTASC), Danielson's (2007) "A Framework for Teaching" and shall include training and support of the components of DPAS, including descriptive, non-evaluative feedback.

3.1.2 All mentoring programs for The specialists’ program shall be aligned with applicable national specialist standards, Danielson's (2007) "A Framework for Teaching" and shall include training and support of the components of DPAS, including descriptive, non-evaluative feedback.

3.1.3 All mentoring programs for The administrators’ program shall be based on 14 DE Admin. Code 1590 Delaware Administrator Standards, aligned with Danielson's (2007) "A Framework for Teaching" and shall include training and support of the components of DPAS, including descriptive, non-evaluative feedback.

3.2 An employing authority may develop [and] then implement a distinct educator mentoring comprehensive induction program as specified in Sections 4, 5 or 6;

3.2.1 Each mentoring comprehensive induction program shall meet the requirements in the distinct mentoring induction programs as listed in Sections 4, 5 or 6.

3.2.2 The employing authority shall submit each distinct mentoring comprehensive induction program plan to the Standards Board Department for review and consideration of approval according to the application procedure and timelines set by the Department.

3.2.3 The employing authority's mentoring program must be approved by the Standards Board a minimum of three (3) months prior to implementation.

3.3 Failure by an educator to successfully complete mentoring the requirements of the applicable comprehensive induction program shall result in the denial of the Continuing License or suspension of the license as provided in 14 DE Admin. Code 1511 Issuance and Renewal of Continuing License.

3.4 The Department shall also develop the following programs:

3.4.1 A mentor training program for Lead Mentors, and

3.4.2 A mentor training program for Administrator Lead Mentors.

4.1 In accordance with 14 Del.C. §1210(c), all educators who hold an Initial License shall participate in mentoring comprehensive induction program activities approved by the Department or the Standards Board. Each new educator shall at a minimum be assigned a Mentor for his or her first year on an active Initial License.

4.1.1 The Mentor shall assist the new educator in becoming acclimated to the role, the school or other setting, and the Delaware content standards, the Delaware Professional Teaching Standards, applicable national specialist standards, or the Delaware Administrator Standards.

4.1.2 The new educator shall meet with his or her Mentor for at least thirty (30) documented hours, which may include a combination of in school and after school time, during the first year of employment.

4.1.3 The assignment of a Mentor beyond the first year of employment in Delaware is at the discretion of the employing authority, based upon a review of the educator’s performance.

4.1.4 The employing authority shall provide continuing support to the new educator during the second and third year of their Initial License.

4.2 The new educator shall;

4.2.1 Attend such activities as are planned by the Department or employing authority during the three (3) year term of the Initial License, as part of the specified new educator mentoring program and offered by individual employing authorities, and

4.2.2 Complete the requirements of the applicable new educator mentoring program, which shall consist of no more than sixty (60) hours in the first year, inclusive of meetings between the Mentor and the new educator, and no more than thirty (30) hours in the second and third years.

Experienced educators new to the State of Delaware who hold a Continuing or Advanced License shall, within the first year of employment, participate in, and successfully complete, an approved mentoring comprehensive induction program consisting of at least thirty (30) documented hours targeted to the educator’s needs, which focuses on current best practices in curriculum, instruction and assessment aligned to state or national standards.

6.1 Experienced educators who are new to a category shall within the first year of employment be assigned a Mentor, and participate in and complete an approved mentoring comprehensive induction program consisting of at least thirty (30) documented hours addressing educator’s specific needs, which focuses on current best practices in curriculum, instruction, assessment or a specialist's or an administrator's position within the district or charter school and is aligned to State and national standards.

6.1.1 The assignment of a Mentor beyond the first year of employment is at the discretion of the employing authority, based upon a review of the teacher's, specialist's or administrator's performance.

7.1 Lead Mentors shall:

7.1.1 Complete the annual approval process as defined by the Department.

7.1.12 Lead Mentors shall Work a minimum of forty-five (45) documented hours per school year in the on Department-specified or Department-approved Lead Mentor activities. Lead Mentor activities may include, but are not limited to, a combination of in school and after school time per year in the program in a leadership position, planning mentor training, providing mentor training to aspiring Mentors, assisting Mentors with specific issues, and other responsibilities as directed by the site coordinator.

7.1.23 Teacher and Specialist Lead Mentors shall satisfactorily complete training in mentoring and coaching development approved by the Department for Lead Mentors. A minimum of one (1) Lead Mentor per district shall be trained in Danielson's (2007) "A Framework for Teaching" or the applicable Department approved specific specialist mentoring program.

7.1.34 Administrator Lead Mentors shall satisfactorily complete training in mentoring and coaching development approved by the Department and based on 14 DE Admin. Code 1590 Delaware Administrator Standards and aligned with Danielson's (2007) "A Framework for Teaching".

7.2 Educator Mentors shall:

7.2.1 Complete the annual approval process as defined by the Department, and

7.2.12 Facilitate thirty (30) documented contact hours, which may include a combination of in school and after school time, with their protégées mentees annually which are designed to help the new teacher or specialist acquire additional skills and knowledge appropriate to their specific positions, and

7.2.23 Submit contact log documentation accounting for all mentoring activities provided during the specified time period to their coordinator by January 15 and May 15. This documentation shall be forwarded to the Department by May 30.

7.2.34 Teacher and Specialist Mentors must shall:

7.2.34.1 Satisfactorily complete training in mentoring and coaching development aligned with Danielson's (2007) "A Framework for Teaching" or the appropriate Department approved specific specialist mentoring program provided by the Lead Mentors, and

7.2.34.2 Attend structured meetings concerning the mentoring comprehensive induction program as directed by the [district employing authority].

7.2.45 Administrator Mentors shall:

7.2.45.1 Satisfactorily complete training in mentoring and coaching development based on 14 DE Admin. Code 1590 Delaware Administrator Standards and aligned with Danielson's (2007) "A Framework for Teaching" and DPAS, and

7.2.45.2 Satisfactorily complete training in DPAS, and

7.2.45.3 Attend a minimum of three (3) structured meetings with protégées mentees.

Mentors and Lead Mentors who are paid in accordance with the provisions of 14 Del.C. §1305 shall be paid an extra responsibility salary supplement annually, upon documentation of satisfactory fulfillment of duties and responsibilities, in accordance with the schedule adopted annually by the Standards Board, with concurrence of the State Board.

The Department shall require and collect data used to evaluate the Comprehensive Induction Program and shall provide quarterly reports to the Professional Standards Board. These data will include at a minimum, an assessment of the implementation of the Comprehensive Induction Program and Mentors' and Mentees' compliance and delivery.