Title: Beginning Educator Internship Program

Section 1. General

1.1 Scope: These legislative/interpretive rules establish the guidelines for developing and implementing a beginning educator internship program.

1.2 Authority: WV Code 18-2-6

1.3 Filing Date: June 14,1991

1.4 Effective Date: August 6, 1991

1.5 Repeal of Former Rule: None. This is a replacement policy.

Section 2. Scope

Every person to whom a professional teaching certificate is awarded after the first day of January, on thousand nine hundred ninety-two, shall successfully complete a beginning teacher internship program under the provisions discussed below, except such persons who were awarded a professional teaching certificate on the basis of at least five years teaching experience in another state.

Section 3. Purpose

To provide a continuum of growth from the preservice to the professional teaching level.

Section 4. Monitoring

Monitoring of the program requirements will be conducted via the accreditation system outlined in §18-2-E5.

Section 5. Technical Assistance

Multiple methods of assistance will be provided by the appropriate office/unit within the State Department of Education.

Section 6. Program Requirements

Requirement 1:

A professional support team shall be comprised of the following: 1) the school principal, who shall be the chair of the professional support team, 2) a member of the county professional staff development council, and 3) and experienced classroom teacher at the school who teaches the same or similar subject and grade level as the beginning teacher (if possible), and who shall serve as a mentor for the beginning teacher.

Requirement 2:

An orientation program for the beginning teacher shall be conducted prior to the beginning of the instructional term, but within the employment term, supervised by the mentor teacher.

Requirement 3:

Joint planning periods, when possible, shall be scheduled for the mentor and beginning teacher throughout the school year.

Requirement 4:

When possible, the mentor shall observe the beginning teacher's classroom teaching skills for at least one hour per week during the first half of the school year. Observation time may be reduced at the discretion of the mentor to one hour every two weeks during the second half of the school year.

Requirement 5:

Weekly meetings between the mentor and the beginning teacher shall occur at which the mentor and the beginning teacher discuss the performance of the beginning teacher and any needed improvements. These meetings may be reduced, at the discretion of the mentor, to biweekly meetings during the second half of the school year.

Requirement 6:

Monthly meetings of the professional support team shall occur to discuss the performance of the beginning teacher. These meetings may include all mentor members of all professional support teams a the school if helpful in the judgement of the participants.

Requirement 7:

In-service professional development programs shall be provided through the professional development project of the center for professional development for beginning teachers and for mentors, both of which will be held in the first half of the school year.

Requirement 8:

The mentor teacher shall be released from regular duties, as agreed to by the principal and the mentor teacher, and a yearly stipend of at least six hundred dollars for the mentor teacher for duties as a mentor teacher.

Requirement 9:

A final evaluation of the performance of the beginning teacher shall be completed by the principal on a form developed by the state board of education. The final evaluation form shall be submitted by the principal to the county school superintendent and shall include one of the following recommendations:

• Full professional status: A recommendation of full professional status indicates that the beginning teacher has successfully completed the internship program and in the judgement of the principal has demonstrated competence as a professional educator;

• Continuing internship status: A recommendation of continuing internship status indicates that in the judgement of the principal the beginning teacher requires further supervision and further employment in the district should be conditioned upon successful completion of an additional year under a beginning teacher internship program; or



• Discontinue employment: A recommendation to discontinue employment indicates that in the judgement of the principal the beginning teacher has completed two years of employment under supervision in a beginning teacher internship program, has not demonstrated competence as professional educator and will not benefit from further supervised employment in the district.

The provisions of this policy do not operate to guarantee contract renewal or employment of any teacher by the county board of education. (See §18A-2-8.)

Section 7. Effective Date

County policies and programs shall be in effect by August 1, 1991.