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Connecticut Teachers Chatboard

No More BEST Program starting July 2009

by KV

Jun 24, 2008

/blockquote>

FROM THE STATE OF CONNECTICUT DEPT OF EDUCATION WEBSITE:

PA 08-107—sHB 5871

Education Committee

AN ACT CONCERNING THE BEST PROGRAM

SUMMARY: As of July 1, 2009, this act eliminates the
requirement that newly certified public school teachers
participate in the beginning educator support and training
(BEST) program. As of the same date, it also eliminates
the State Department of Education's (SDE's) authority to
fund the program and local school districts'
responsibility for providing support to beginning teachers
in accordance with the law and SDE regulations.

In addition, the act (1) eliminates the video component
from the BEST assessment for new teachers for the 2008-09
school year and (2) establishes a 21-member task force to
develop a new mentor assistance program to replace the
BEST program starting in the 2009-2010 school year and
recommend transition procedures b...See More

Comment

(1)

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newlypassed What it's not saying is what program will replace BEST. Certainly there will be some assessment program with a new name. There is no way CT is just dropping new teacher evaluation altogether.

But if they do, boy I am going to be po'd! I just passed that monster. :-)

On 6/24/08, KV wrote: > FROM THE STATE OF CONNECTICUT DEPT O...See MoreWhat it's not saying is what program will replace BEST. Certainly there will be some assessment program with a new name. There is no way CT is just dropping new teacher evaluation altogether.

But if they do, boy I am going to be po'd! I just passed that monster. :-)

On 6/24/08, KV wrote: > FROM THE STATE OF CONNECTICUT DEPT OF EDUCATION WEBSITE: > > PA 08-107—sHB 5871 > > Education Committee > > AN ACT CONCERNING THE BEST PROGRAM > > SUMMARY: As of July 1, 2009, this act eliminates the > requirement that newly certified public school teachers > participate in the beginning educator support and training > (BEST) program. As of the same date, it also eliminates > the State Department of Education's (SDE's) authority to > fund the program and local school districts' > responsibility for providing support to beginning teachers > in accordance with the law and SDE regulations. > > In addition, the act (1) eliminates the video component > from the BEST assessment for new teachers for the 2008-09 > school year and (2) establishes a 21-member task force to > develop a new mentor assistance program to replace the > BEST program starting in the 2009-2010 school year and > recommend transition procedures between the old and new > programs. > > The BEST Program is a two-year program of support and > assessment for new teachers. Satisfactory completion of > the program has been required for beginning classroom > teachers employed in public schools and approved private > special education facilities. > > EFFECTIVE DATE: The BEST Program elimination takes effect > July 1, 2009; elimination of the video component of the > BEST assessment takes effect July 1, 2008; and the task > force takes effect upon passage. > > BEST PROGRAM ELIMINATION > > Until July 1, 2009, under prior law and this act, the BEST > Program provides support for teachers during their first > two years of teaching through (1) mentoring by more > experienced teachers and (2) assessment of their teaching > ability. The assessment includes classroom assessments and > review of a portfolio the teacher submits at the end of > his or her second year of teaching. Starting July 1, 2009, > new teachers will no longer be required to complete the > program satisfactorily to retain their teaching > certificates. > > By law, SDE, within available appropriations, is required > to (1) administer the program; (2) provide training to > mentor teachers and those who supervise, train, and assess > new teachers; (3) pay stipends to teacher assessors; and > (4) provide funds to local school districts for (a) > substitute teachers to allow release of mentor teachers > and assessors from regular classroom responsibilities and > (b) professional development for mentors, assessors, and > beginning teachers. SDE must operate the program according > to regulations it adopts. The act eliminates these > requirements as of July 1, 2009. > > As of that date, the act also eliminates requirements that > (1) school districts provide support to their new > teachers, including assigning experienced mentor teachers > to help them; (2) districts select mentor teachers and any > assessors they employ according to standards in SDE's > regulations and based primarily on mentor teachers' and > assessors' classroom experience and recognized success as > educators; and (3) the State Board of Education indemnify > those serving as teacher mentors and assessors from damage > claims arising from their activity in those capacities. > > BEST ASSESSMENT VIDEO COMPONENT > > Under the BEST Program, new teachers must submit a > teaching portfolio to SDE, generally near the end of their > second year of BEST participation. The portfolio is used > to assess the new teacher's knowledge and application of > the state's teaching standards. In addition to other > contents (lesson plan, student work and the teacher's > assessment of that work, and the new teacher's comments on > his or her teaching and students' work), portfolios have > to include a videotape of the teacher's classroom > instruction. > > The act bars SDE from requiring new teachers to submit > videos as part of their BEST assessment. The prohibition > applies for the 2008-09 school year, which, under the act, > is the program's last year of operation. > > MENTOR ASSISTANCE PROGRAM TASK FORCE > > Task Force Duties > > The act establishes a 21-member task force to develop a > plan for a new mentor assistance program for beginning > teachers to replace the BEST Program starting in the 2009- > 2010 school year. The plan must include: > > 1. requirements for a new teacher to successfully complete > the new program; > > 2. sequential modules based on the state's teaching > standards; > > 3. requirements for (a) mentor eligibility, assignment, > and training and (b) the frequency of meetings between > mentors and new teachers; > > 4. ways to encourage collaboration among SDE, regional > educational service centers, and local school districts to > identify, recruit, and retain mentors; > > 5. recommended transition procedures from the BEST Program > to the new mentor program, including ways to evaluate > beginning teachers who complete one or more of the BEST > clinical assessments but have not received satisfactory > evaluations as of June 30, 2009; > > 6. possible exemptions from the new program's requirements > for teachers (a) with teaching experience in another state > or a private school, (b) who teach in areas where the new > program is not relevant, or (c) in other special > situations for which the task force considers an exemption > appropriate; and > > 7. recommendations for developing a data collection and > evaluation system to monitor the new program on a > statewide and local level. > > The act also requires the task force to consider possible > legislative changes to expand the categories of people who > can become mentors and require: > > 1. a reduced classroom teaching load for mentors, as > determined by local school districts; > > 2. new teachers to receive and complete the new program in > their first two years of certification; and > > 3. full funding for school districts to implement the > program.

Jul 31, 2008

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