Michigan

NTC Induction Policy Survey

Background
Legislation enacted in 1993 mandated The New Teacher Induction/ Teacher Mentoring Program requiring 3 years of mentoring and intensive professional development.  The funding was included within the $6700 foundation allowance per student which is provided by the state to school districts. This allows for local control and flexibility of professional development and induction activities. In 1994 the Michigan Department of Education began developing guidelines and tools to support districts in planning and implementing programs to meet the requirements.  Then in 1997-8 with funding from state tax revenue, a set of tools to support teachers was developed and put up on the Michigan Department of Education (MDE) website, available to all.   In 2000 - 2001 a group of stakeholders was gathered to draft Teacher Induction and Mentoring Program Standards.  These were circulated widely for review and were formalized in 2004.  http://www.michigan.gov/documents/TeacherInduction&MentoringProgramStds_SBE_1_84349_7.13.04.pdf   Program planning forms can be seen at:

http://www.michigan.gov/documents/Teacher_Induction_and_Mentoring_Program_Planning_Form_96550_7.doc

and at:

http://www.michigan.gov/documents/Getting_started_at_a_glance_96542_7.doc

Numerous additional modules, tools and resources were developed under a USDOE grant awarded to the Michigan DoE in 2002 to develop resources and tools to foster highly qualified teachers. They are available at the ASSIST website: http://assist.educ.msu.edu and at http://learnport.org .

The LearnPort site supports teachers in the development of individual professional development plans and accessing available online resources.  The site is structured so that approved school and state staff can generate reports and gather aggregate data relative to induction and professional development activity.

Michigan DoE also encourages the development of professional learning communities.  A description of quality professional learning is available along with additional resources and explanation at
http://www.michigan.gov/mde/0,1607,7-140-6530_5683_5703---,00.html

Teacher Certification in MI provides for a three year provisional certification during which a new teacher must get 18 hours of additional credit, and an advanced reading course including diagnostic, remediation and differentiated instruction knowledge.  A collaborative plan is being pursued to allow three hours of beginning teacher portfolio development or action research toward the required planned program honored at any of the approved MI institutions for teacher preparation.

Current Status
Currently there is consideration in the state legislature of forming a Commission to oversee induction policy, mentoring and professional development.  The MI DoE would prefer to build a group with expertise in the field to serve this function.