Content, Coaching, and Acculturation: A New Community of Practice for Beginning Teachers

Exploratorium, San Francisco CA

Investigators

Abstract

9910207 SHORE The project implements a discipline-based, beginning teacher program for middle- and high-school science teachers in San Mateo County and Oakland school districts. Building on an 18-month "proof of concept," the project demonstrates that linking beginning teacher programs to content-rich, learning institutions and existing teacher learning communities provides new teachers with critical content, coaching and acculturation at this pivotal stage in their development as teachers. The project will work with 200 beginning teachers (teachers will be drawn from San Mateo County and the Oakland Unified School District) and 150 experienced teachers new to the Exploratorium's teacher institutes over five years. One hundred Exploratorium Teacher Institute alumni will serve as in-class coaches and mentors. Another 375 teachers, who represent the pool from which future mentors will be drawn, will receive advanced training. The project includes both formative and summative evaluation components. The induction model will be disseminated to 90 professional developers around the country.