APPENDIX C

FULTON COUNTY SCHOOL SYSTEM

Woodland Middle School is the site for a model Communities Develop Teachers induction program. In the 2001-2002 school year, Woodland has 24 new teachers (of 80).

Woodland serves approximately 1200 students in the Tri-Cities area of south Fulton County. It is an English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) center school with a diverse population. Approximately 80% of the students are eligible for the free/reduced lunch program.

Woodland assigns a mentor to each beginning teacher. Ms. Barbara Grainger is the coordinator of the Woodland induction program, and she is released full time to work with beginning teachers and mentors.

The Associate Dean of the College of Education coordinates the Georgia State University program. Primary contact person for the school is Ms. Susan Crim McClendon, a middle grades faculty member. All of the GSU Induction Program Steering Committee have volunteered to work with Woodland.

In addition to Ms. Grainger, Ms. McClendon, and Dr. Guyton, Mr. Moses Scott, principal and Assistant Principals, Ms. Randolph and Mr. Patterson and the curriculum lead teacher and the sixth grade team leader have participated in planning the program. This group will serve as a coordinating committee.

The main need expressed by the school is professional development for beginning and experienced teachers. The GSU Induction Program Steering Committee has agreed to provide workshops (and follow-up) about every six weeks. This committee includes faculty from counseling and leadership, in addition to teacher education faculty from the College of Education and the College of Arts and Sciences. Mentors and beginning teachers will attend together and then coach each other. A number of topics have been suggested, and the main topics for the year will be decided with all teachers in the school.

GSU also will meet with mentors and with beginning teachers as a group. These sessions will be devoted to problems and issues. The belief is that participants will be more open with facilitators outside the school.

At the beginning of the year, GSU faculty will meet with all personnel in the school to describe the Communities Develop Teachers model and to get suggestions and feedback. The attached list of suggested roles would be distributed.

COMMUNITIES DEVELOP TEACHERS

A MODEL OF BEGINNING TEACHER SUPPORT AND INDUCTION

RESPONSIBILITIES

SCHOOL SYSTEM

• System policies
• System standards
• State standards
• System support
• Roles of mentors

PRINCIPAL

• Administrative expectations
• School policies
• School facilities

ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL

• Administrative expectations
• School policies
• Meetings with beginning teachers

TEAM (GRADE/SUBJECT AREA TEAM)

• Supplies and materials
• Help in content area(s)
• Daily duties
• Instructional management
• Planning
• Content/grade level standards
• Modeling

MENTOR

• Coaching
• Modeling
• Reflection
• Action research (assessing student achievement)

UNIVERSITY

• Seminars
• Web sites
• Chat rooms
• Visits
• Expertise in content/pedagogy

CLERICAL STAFF

• Using equipment
• Requests
• Office policies

JANITORIAL STAFF

• Cleaning policies
• How to contact them in emergency or for special requests

COUNSELORS

• Information on students
• Student records
• Relationships with students
• Problems with students
• Special services to teachers

MEDIA SPECIALIST

• Media center policies
• Classroom visits to media center
• Special services

SPECIALTY TEACHERS

• Their roles
• Collaboration
• Information about students

OTHER BEGINNING TEACHERS

• Support groups
• Focus groups

PARENTS AND FAMILIES

• Information about their student
• Moral support

EVERYONE

• Support
• A positive attitude