Teacher Induction Program
What is Teacher Induction?
Induction is a two-year, job-embedded, individualized program of mentoring and support designated to assist new teachers in developing their teaching practice within the CSTP - California Standards for the Teaching Profession.
Teacher Induction Coordinator
Hanh Le
TOSA II -Teacher Induction
(626) 396-3600 Ext. 88381
Contact
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
- Who is Eligible?
- What does Induction Involve?
- Induction Pathway/Completion Requirements
- Do I Qualify for Early Completion Option (ECO)?
- What is the Grievance Policy?
- Who Do I Contact?
Who is Eligible?
A teacher is eligible to participate in the Induction program if the teacher currently holds a valid preliminary California Multiple, Single Subject or Education Specialist preliminary credential. All verification of admittance requirements is done in collaboration with the Human Resources Department.
Candidates must be teaching full-time in the classroom on the same credential that they are seeking to clear. If the Candidate holds multiple credentials, the Induction program experience will be augmented to support Candidates holding multiple credentials.
Candidates who transfer from another Induction program into PUSD’s Induction
program will need to request a Transportability document as verification of the
completion of Induction program requirements completed thus far, in order to proceed with PUSD’s Induction program.
All Candidates holding a Preliminary Credential are eligible to participate in the
Pasadena Unified Teacher Induction program regardless of race, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, age, marital status, pregnancy, mental disability, physical disability, medical condition, genetic information, veteran status, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sex, sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by State or Federal law.
Inquiries regarding discrimination should be directed to: Pasadena Unified School
District, “Office of Equity and Access: Title IX”, under the Human Resources
Department.
What does Induction Involve?
Once teachers receive their Preliminary Multiple Subject, Single Subject or Education
Specialist credential, the Candidate participates in a two-year, job-embedded,
professional preparation program approved by the California Commission on Teaching Credentialing (CTC), offered to clear preliminary teaching credentials in the teacher’s first year of teaching. Programs are designed to provide mentoring to support growth in the California Standards for the Teaching Profession (CSTPs) through an individualized robust mentoring system focused on support during their first and second years.
Induction Pathway/Completion Requirements
1. Recommendation for the Clear Credential is based on the contents of the
Candidate’s Induction portfolio, reviewed and approved by the mentor, members
of the Lead Mentor team, and the Program Lead of the Pasadena Unified School
District Induction program.
2. It is the Candidate’s responsibility to ensure no other renewal codes exist on their
credential. PUSD TIP can only clear the Induction renewal codes. During the
Candidate Advisement meeting (for Year 1 and any new Candidates, only), and
again at the end-of-the year Transition meeting, the Program Lead will advise
and review with the Candidate of any other renewal requirements. Should there
be additional renewal requirements, the Program Lead will discuss available
options for meeting or interweaving those additional requirements into the
Induction experience.
3. The primary responsibility of collecting evidence in the Induction portfolio lies with
the Induction Candidate with the assistance and guidance of the Mentor.
4. The program reviews Induction portfolios at every interval (called Milestones),
noting progress toward Induction completion. Feedback is provided at each
Milestone.
5. At the completion of each Induction year, the Program Lead reviews all
completed documents and provides a “Verification of Completion” report to the
Candidate and to the Credential Analyst of the Candidate’s district. A copy of the
report is also placed in the Candidate’s personnel file, if the Candidate is a PUSD
employee.
6. The Credential Analyst of the Candidate’s district will submit the clear credential
recommendation to the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC)
only after the Program Lead has verified that the Candidate has fully completed
the Induction Program and has no outstanding renewal requirements.
7. All Induction Candidates participate in Colloquium at the end of Year 2 sharing
experience of professional growth and achievement.
For further information on the Induction pathway, please review the “Credential
Recommendation Process” section.
Do I Qualify for Early Completion Option (ECO)?
As a Commission-approved Induction program, PUSD offers an Early Completion
Option (ECO) for experienced and exceptional Candidates.
All Candidates are informed about the Early Completion Option (ECO) during the
mandatory Orientation meeting for new Induction participants. Only Year 1 Candidates
may apply for ECO, and they must notify the Program Lead of their intent to apply no
later than September 1st. Candidates approved for ECO may complete the program in
either 1.0 or 1.5 years, depending on their qualifications and the determination made by the program.
The Teacher Induction Advisory Board, in collaboration with the Lead Mentor Team, has established the criteria and procedures for ECO eligibility and participation.
Eligibility Criteria
Candidates who meet both of the following criteria 1) and 2) defining experienced and exceptional criteria for the program, may apply for ECO:
1. Service Criteria: The Candidate has completed exceptional service as the
teacher of record for a minimum of two full school years prior to enrollment in
PUSD’s Teacher Induction Program. Verification of experience must be provided by the Candidate’s Human Resources Department. The Candidate must also be currently employed full-time as the teacher of record.
The following do not count as teaching experience:
- Student teaching
- Substitute teaching
- Paraeducator experience
- Teacher’s Assistant
There must be no delayed participation in a Teacher Induction program past the first year of employment, unless there are documented extenuating circumstances.
The following may count as valid teaching experience:
- Completion of an intern program with an accredited Institute of Higher Education (IHE) serving the full internship in Pasadena Unified.
- Teaching in a private school with a minimum of two years of teaching experience while holding a preliminary credential qualification. The private school must be fully accredited.
- Possession of an out-of-state preliminary or fully certified credential with at least two years of prior teaching experience.
- Possession of an out-of-country credential with at least two years of prior teaching experience from a regionally accredited school (recognized in the U.S.)
2. Credential Requirements Criteria: The Candidate must hold a preliminary
Multiple Subject, Single Subject, or Education Specialist credential with no
additional renewal requirements, including, but not limited to: EL Authorization, TPA, Literacy, Subject Matter Competency, and CPR.
Application Process
ECO application and notification to the Program Lead must occur no later than
September 1st. The application must include:
- The ECO application (available from the Program Office).
- Verification of the Service Criteria and Credential Requirements.
- At least two copies of the most recent Summative Administrative Evaluations showing that the Candidate has completed exceptional service as the teacher of record for a minimum of two school years prior to the enrollment in PUSD. Verification of experience must be provided by the Candidate’s Human Resources Department and included in the ECO application.
- A current Administrator(s) recommendation which is a confidential, internal process obtained and managed by Human Resources attesting to the Candidate being at the “Applying” level or higher on all six CSTP areas.
- Documentation verifying that there are no other outstanding renewal codes prior to September 1st.
Following application, if the Program Lead determines that the candidate has fully completed the application, the case will then be forwarded to the Lead Mentor team and/or the Teacher Induction Advisory Board for review, approval and determination of program length. Please note that determinations are completed on a case-by-case basis as individual circumstances may vary and be taken into consideration. Final results will then be communicated to the Candidate by the Program Lead. At that time, if the Candidate will be completing the ECO option, an Early Completion Option Memorandum of Understanding will be reviewed and signed by the Candidate, the supporting Mentor, and the Program Lead.
Monitoring Early Completion Candidates
The Candidate’s progress is monitored by the assigned Mentor, Lead Mentors, and the Program Lead. The Candidate’s program completion will be based on the Candidate’s professional growth, and development of competency towards mastery of the six CSTPs, and reflection of teaching practice.
If, at any time, it is determined that the Candidate is not successfully progressing on pace for the Early Completion Option or fails to demonstrate skills and abilities on a level expected of and consistent with an ECO candidate, adjustments will be made as deemed necessary and appropriate by the Program Lead. ECO status is provisional and can be revoked at any time.
Upon successful completion of all ECO program requirements and events, the
Candidate will be recommended for their California Clear Credential(s).
What is the Grievance Policy?
Mentors and program staff make every effort to ensure Candidates’ successful program completion and recommendation for the Clear Credential. Should any concerns arise, Candidates should contact the Program lead immediately.
Candidates receive progress monitoring feedback throughout the year on their
Individual Learning Plan portfolio ensuring a Candidate’s satisfactory progress toward
mastery of the CSTP and to authorize the Clear Credential recommendation.
Formative feedback is additionally provided at the conclusion of each Milestone
submission. In the event a Candidate’s Milestone submission within their portfolio is
deemed lacking in any area, the Candidate will receive formative feedback with targeted guidance for required revisions. The mentor will be cc:d for support of the required revisions.
If a Candidate disagrees with any program decision or feedback, they may contact the Program Lead for further clarification of the feedback or decision. After clarification, if the Candidate feels that the feedback was inaccurate or unfair, then the Candidate shall submit a Letter of Appeal to the Program Office (see Appendix).
Upon receipt of the Letter of Appeal, the Program Lead shall:
1. Review the appeal.
2. Have the portfolio reviewed by an additional member of the Lead Mentor
Reviewer team, if the appeal is about a portfolio or milestone review. If the
appeal is in regards to a programmatic decision, the appeal will be reviewed by
the Lead Mentor team for a unanimous decision on the results of the appeal.
3. Hold a meeting with the Candidate to review the outcome of the additional review and decision made.
4. Collaborate with the Candidate and the Mentor to develop a mutually agreed
upon “Support Plan” (see Appendix in the handbook), if needed.
In the event, the Candidate remains in disagreement with the outcome of the second
review or a mutually agreed upon Support Plan cannot be developed, the Candidate’s
Appeal shall be forwarded to the Teacher Induction Advisory Board for a final review
and render a final resolution.
Who Do I Contact?
The Teacher Induction Program is housed under the “Human Resources” Department of the Pasadena Unified School District.
HR Director
Dr. Jen Alcazar
Email: alcazar.jennifer@pusd.us
Teacher Induction Program Lead
Ms. Hanh Le
Email: le.hanh@pusd.us
Phone number: 626-396-3600, ext.88381
PUSD Credential Analyst Contact Information
Amy Ellerbrock (West schools in PUSD)
Email: ellerbrock.amy@pusd.us
Phone number: 626-396-3600, ext.88702
Nancy Gonzalez (East schools in PUSD)
Email: gonzalez.nancy@pusd.us
Phone number: 626-396-3600, ext.88775
Program Office
Human Resources Department, Room 116
351 South Hudson Avenue
Pasadena, California 91106
The PUSD Induction program is looking for capable veteran teachers to assist, and support, Candidate Teachers as they work toward their General Education Clear Credentials and/or Special Education Specialist Clear Credentials.
Mentor Teacher Roles and Responsibilities
If you are interested in serving as a Mentor Teacher, please contact the PUSD Teacher Induction Program at (626) 396-3600 x 88381 or le.hanh@pusd.us.
