281—83.3(284) Mentoring and induction program for beginning teachers.
	83.3(1) Option one: beginning teacher mentoring and induction program.
	a. 	Purpose. The beginning teacher mentoring and induction program is created to promote excellence in teaching, enhance student achievement, build a supportive environment within school districts and area education agencies, increase the retention of promising beginning teachers, and promote the personal and professional well-being of teachers. Completion of a beginning teacher mentoring and induction program is one manner in which a beginning teacher may meet the requirement of Iowa Code section 272.28(1).
	b. 	Participation. School districts and area education agencies may provide a beginning teacher mentoring and induction program for all beginning teachers. A beginning teacher, as defined in this chapter, shall be informed by the school district or area education agency, prior to the beginning teacher’s participation in a mentoring and induction program, of the Iowa teaching standards and criteria upon which the beginning teacher shall be evaluated and of the evaluation process utilized by the school district or area education agency. The beginning teacher shall be comprehensively evaluated by the end of the beginning teacher’s second year of teaching to determine whether the teacher meets expectations to move to the career level. The school district or area education agency shall recommend for a standard license a beginning teacher who has successfully met the Iowa teaching standards as determined by a comprehensive evaluation.
	(1)	If a beginning teacher who is participating in a mentoring and induction program leaves the employ of a school district or area education agency prior to completion of the program, the school district or area education agency subsequently hiring the beginning teacher shall credit the beginning teacher with the time earned in a program prior to the subsequent hiring. If the general assembly appropriates moneys for purposes of Iowa Code section 284.5, a school district or area education agency is eligible to receive state assistance for up to two years for each beginning teacher the school district or area education agency employs who was formerly employed in an accredited nonpublic school or in another state as a first-year teacher. The school district or area education agency employing the teacher shall determine the conditions and requirements of a teacher participating in a mentoring and induction program.
	(2)	A school district or area education agency may offer a teacher a third year of participation in the program if, after conducting a comprehensive evaluation, the school district or area education agency determines that the teacher is likely to successfully complete the mentoring and induction program by meeting the Iowa teaching standards by the end of the third year of eligibility. The third year of eligibility is offered at the employing district’s or area education agency’s expense. A teacher granted a third year of eligibility shall, in cooperation with the teacher’s evaluator, develop a plan to meet the Iowa teaching standards and district or area education agency career expectations. This plan will be implemented by the teacher and supported through the district’s or area education agency’s mentoring and induction program. The school district or area education agency shall notify the board of educational examiners that the teacher will participate in a third year of the school district’s program. The teacher shall undergo a comprehensive evaluation at the end of the third year.
	(3)	For purposes of comprehensive evaluations for beginning teachers, including the comprehensive evaluation required for the beginning teacher to progress to career teacher, the Iowa teaching standards and criteria shall be as described in rule 281—83.4(284). A school district or area education agency shall participate in state program evaluations.
	c. 	Plan. Each school district or area education agency that offers a beginning teacher mentoring and induction program shall develop a sequential two-year beginning teacher mentoring and induction plan based on the Iowa teaching standards. The plan shall be included in the school district’s comprehensive school improvement plan submitted pursuant to Iowa Code section 256.7, subsection 21. A school district or area education agency shall have the board adopt a beginning teacher mentoring and induction program plan and written procedures for the program. At the board’s discretion, the district or area education agency may choose to use or revise the model plan provided by the area education agency or develop a plan locally. The components of a district’s or area education agency’s beginning teacher mentoring and induction program shall include, but are not limited to, the following:
	(1)	Goals for the program.
	(2)	A process for the selection of mentors.
	(3)	A mentor training process which shall:
	1.	Be consistent with effective staff development practices and adult professional needs to include skills needed for teaching, demonstration, and coaching.
	2.	Address mentor needs, indicating a clear understanding of the role of the mentor.
	3.	Result in the mentor’s understanding of the personal and professional needs of new teachers.
	4.	Provide the mentor with an understanding of the district expectations for beginning teacher competencies based on the Iowa teaching standards.
	5.	Facilitate the mentor’s ability to provide guidance and support to new teachers.
	(4)	A supportive organizational structure for beginning teachers which shall include:
1. Activities that provide access and opportunities for interaction between mentor and beginning teacher that at a minimum provide:
• Released time for mentors and beginning teachers to plan;
• The demonstration of classroom practices;
• The observation of teaching; and
• Feedback.
2. A selection process for who will be in the mentor/beginning teacher partnership.
3. Roles and responsibilities of the mentor.
	(5)	An evaluation process for the program, which shall include:
	1.	An evaluation of the district and area education agency program goals,
	2.	An evaluation process that provides for the minor and major program revisions, and
	3.	A process for how information about the program will be provided to interested stakeholders.
	(6)	The process for dissolving mentor and beginning teacher partnerships.
	(7)	A plan that reflects the needs of the beginning teacher employed by the district or area education agency.
	(8)	Activities designed to support beginning teachers by:
	1.	Developing and enhancing competencies for the Iowa teaching standards, and
	2.	Providing research-based instructional strategies.
	d. 	Budget. Funds, if appropriated by the general assembly, received by a school district or area education agency from the beginning teacher mentoring and induction program shall be used for any or all of the following purposes:
	(1)	To pay mentors as they implement the plan. A mentor in a beginning teacher induction program approved under this chapter shall be eligible for an award of $500 per semester for full participation in the program. A district or area education agency may use local dollars to increase the mentor award.
	(2)	To pay any applicable costs of the employer’s share of contributions to federal social security and the Iowa public employees’ retirement system for a pension and annuity retirement system established under Iowa Code chapter 294 for such amounts paid by the district or area education agency.
These funds are miscellaneous funds or are considered encumbered. A school district or area education agency shall maintain a separate listing within its budget for payments received and expenditures made for this program. Funds that remain unencumbered or unobligated at the end of the fiscal year will not revert, but will remain available for expenditure for the purposes of the program until the close of the succeeding fiscal year.
	83.3(2) Option two: teacher leadership and compensation system.
	a. 	Purpose. One purpose of Iowa’s teacher leadership and compensation system is to attract able and promising new teachers by offering short-term and long-term professional development and leadership opportunities. Two years of successful teaching experience in a school district with an approved career paths, leadership roles, and compensation framework or approved comparable system as provided in Iowa Code section 284.15 (“framework for beginning teachers” for purposes of this rule) is one manner in which a beginning teacher may meet the requirement of Iowa Code section 272.28(1).
	b. 	Participation. School districts may provide an approved career paths, leadership roles, and compensation framework or approved comparable system as provided in Iowa Code section 284.15. A beginning teacher, as defined in this chapter, shall be informed by the school district, prior to the beginning teacher’s participation in a framework for beginning teachers, of the Iowa teaching standards and criteria upon which the beginning teacher shall be evaluated and of the evaluation process utilized by the school district. The beginning teacher shall be comprehensively evaluated by the end of the beginning teacher’s second year of teaching to determine whether the teacher meets expectations to move to the career level. The school district shall recommend for a standard license a beginning teacher who has successfully met the Iowa teaching standards as determined by a comprehensive evaluation.
	(1)	If a beginning teacher who is participating in a framework for beginning teachers leaves the employ of a school district prior to completion of the framework, the school district or area education agency subsequently hiring the beginning teacher shall credit the beginning teacher with the time earned in such a framework prior to the subsequent hiring.
	(2)	A school district may offer a teacher a third year of participation in a framework for beginning teachers if, after conducting a comprehensive evaluation, the school district determines that the teacher is likely to successfully meet the Iowa teaching standards by the end of the third year of eligibility. The third year of eligibility is offered at the employing district’s expense. A teacher granted a third year of eligibility shall, in cooperation with the teacher’s evaluator, develop a plan to meet the Iowa teaching standards and district or area education agency career expectations. This plan will be implemented by the teacher and supported through the district’s framework for beginning teachers. The school district shall notify the board of educational examiners that the teacher will participate in a third year of the school district’s framework for beginning teachers. The teacher shall undergo a comprehensive evaluation at the end of the third year.
	(3)	For purposes of comprehensive evaluations for beginning teachers, including the comprehensive evaluation required for the beginning teacher to progress to career teacher, the Iowa teaching standards and criteria shall be as described in rule 281—83.4(284). A school district shall participate in state program evaluations.
	c. 	Plan assurances. Each school district that offers a framework under Iowa Code sections 284.15 through 284.17 and uses it for purposes of meeting the school district’s obligations to beginning teachers shall provide assurances to the department that the district’s framework for beginning teachers meets the requirements of those Iowa Code sections and attends to the Iowa teaching standards and criteria described in rule 281—83.4(284).
	d. 	Inapplicability to area education agencies. This subrule and the option created by it are not available to area education agencies. Only subrule 83.3(1) is available to area education agencies; however, a teacher employed by an area education agency may be included in a framework or comparable system established by a school district if the area education agency and the school district enter into a contract for such purpose.
[ARC 3631C, IAB 2/14/18, effective 3/21/18]