Mississippi Beginning Teacher Support Program

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• 2009-10
• Mississippi Beginning Teacher Support Program

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Orientation Meeting Objectives

• Review new and existing Beginning Teacher Support
  Program legislation
• Explain the Beginning Teacher Support Program
  requirements
• Discuss the mentor teacher payment
• Discuss best practices for teacher mentoring and
  induction
• Review teacher licensure guidelines

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Mississippi Beginning Teacher Support Program
Legislation

• New Legislation
• Senate Bill 2176
• (5) (a) Beginning in the 2008 2009 school year,
  if funds are available for that purpose, each
  school in Mississippi shall have mentor teachers,
  as defined by Sections 37-9-201 through 37-9-213,
  who shall receive additional base compensation
  provided for by the State Legislature in the
  amount of one thousand dollars (1,000.00) per
  each beginning teacher that is being mentored.

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Mississippi Beginning Teacher Support Program
Legislation

• Senate Bill 2176
• The additional state compensation shall be
  limited to those mentor teachers that provide
  mentoring services to beginning teachers. For
  the purpose of such funding, a beginning teacher
  shall be defined as any teacher in any school in
  Mississippi that has less than one (1) year of
  classroom experience teaching in a public school.
  

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Mississippi Beginning Teacher Support Program
Legislation

• Senate Bill 2176
• For the purpose of such funding, no full-time
  academic teacher shall mentor more than two (2)
  beginning teachers. The State Department of
  Education shall annually provide to the
  Legislature, no later than January 2nd, the
  number of beginning teachers in each school in
  Mississippi as defined in this subsection.

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Mississippi Beginning Teacher Support Program
Legislation

• Senate Bill 2176
• (b) To be eligible for this state funding, the
  individual school must have a classroom
  management program approved by the local school
  board.

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Mississippi Beginning Teacher Support Program
Legislation

• Current Legislation
• Mississippi Code 37-9-201 through 213 and
  subsequent amendments establish support for
  beginning teachers
• The Mississippi Teacher Center (MSTC) of the
  State Department of Education shall establish a
  beginning teacher support program to provide
  eligible beginning teachers in this state with
  continued and sustained support from a formally
  assigned mentor during the first full year of
  teaching.

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Mississippi Code 37-9-201. Definitions

• Beginning teacher
• a) "Beginning teacher" means a teacher who 
• (i) Possesses a teaching license issued by the
  Commission on Teacher and Administrator
  Education, Certification and Licensure and
  Development 
• (ii) Is employed at least half time, primarily
  as a classroom teacher, by a school district
  and 
• (iii) Has taught fewer than ninety (90)
  consecutive days, or one hundred eighty (180)
  days total, as a licensed teacher in any public
  school. 

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Mississippi Code 37-9-201. Definitions

• District
• (b) "District" means any local school district. 
  
• (c) "Formal assistance" means a program provided
  by a mentor teacher to a beginning teacher that
  includes, but is not limited to, direct classroom
  observation and consultation assistance in
  instructional planning and preparation support
  in implementation and delivery of classroom
  instruction and other assistance intended to
  enhance the professional performance and
  development of the beginning teacher. 

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Mississippi Code 37-9-201. Definitions

• Mentor Teacher
• d) "Mentor teacher" means a teacher who 
• (i) Possesses a standard teaching personnel
  service or administrative license issued by the
  Commission on Teacher and Administrator
  Education, Certification and Licensure and
  Development
• (ii) At the time of selection, is employed
  under contract primarily as a classroom teacher
  by a public school district or is retired from a
  public school district 
• (iii) Has successfully taught for three (3) or
  more years as a licensed teacher in any public
  school 

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Mississippi Code 37-9-201. Definitions

• Mentor Teacher
• (iv) Has been selected and trained as described
  in Section 37-9-211 and 
• (v) Has demonstrated mastery of teaching skills
  and subject matter knowledge. 
• (e) "Teacher" means a licensed employee of a
  local school district who has direct
  responsibility for instruction, coordination of
  educational programs or supervision of teachers
  and who is compensated for services from public
  funds. 

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Mississippi Beginning Teacher Support Program
Legislation

• Program Requirements
• 1. Select your mentor teachers for school year
  2009 2010.
• Mentor teachers must complete a training workshop
  provided by or approved by the Mississippi
  Teacher Center prior to participating in the
  beginning teacher support program. The MSTC will
  post the dates of upcoming workshops.
• 2. Complete and submit the Beginning Teacher
  Support Program Application (Part I and II) to
  the MSTC by September 15.

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Mississippi Beginning Teacher Support Program
Legislation

• Program Requirements
• 3. Keep the latest version of your Mississippi
  Beginning Teacher Support Program Plan on file.
  (If this is the first year for district
  participation, a copy of the BTSP Plan must be
  submitted to the Mississippi Teacher Center.
• 4. Complete a year end program evaluation
  (Beginning Teacher Survey).

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Mississippi Beginning Teacher Support Program
Time Lines (BTSP)

• Important Due Dates
• September 15, 2009 - hard copy of the Mississippi
  Beginning Teacher Support Program Application
  (BTSP-Part I) submitted to MSTC
• September 15, 2009 - names of mentor teachers and
  new teachers (BTSP-Part II) submitted
  electronically to MSTC
• October 1, 2009 - final names of mentor teachers
  and new teachers (BTSP-Part II) submitted
  electronically to MSTC for payment of mentor funds

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Mississippi Beginning Teacher Support Program
Time Lines

• April 1, 2010 - second semester spreadsheet with
  the names of beginning and new teachers due
  electronically to the MSTC
• May 1, 2010 - Mississippi Beginning Teacher
  Support Program evaluation (surveys) completed

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Mentoring Evaluation Plan

• Beginning teacher survey
• Principal survey
• Mentor teacher survey
• Local district program evaluation (optional)

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Mentoring Check List

• BTSP Application Part I (District information
  and Assurances page)
• BTSP Application Part II (Names of mentor
  teachers and beginning teachers)
• Latest version of the BTSP Plan on file in the
  district (If this is the first year for district
  participation, a copy of the BTSP Plan must be
  submitted to the MSTC.)
• Classroom Management Plan and/or Discipline Plan
  approved by the local school board
• Mentor training provided by or approved by the
  Mississippi Teacher Center (if applicable)

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Mentor Teacher Payment Codes

• Expenditure Function 2213 Instructional
  Staff
• Expenditure Object Code 111 Salaries
• MSIS Code for Mentor Teacher 902005

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Contact Information

• Daphne Buckley
• dbuckley_at_mde.k12.ms.us
• Cecily McNair
• cmcnair_at_mde.k12.ms.us
• Bobbie Bell
• BRBell_at_mde.k12.ms.us
• Cindy Coon
• ccoon_at_mde.k12.ms.us

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