Good Induction Puts the "Ability" Back In Teacher Accountability

Post submitted by Richard Katz, superintendent/principal, Clinton-Glen Gardner School District, Clinton, N.J., and member of ASCD's Emerging Leaders Class of 2010.

The idea of improving teacher quality is among the plethora of educational reforms being pursued by our local and federal governments. While there is no doubt that accountability has its merits for ensuring that our nation's students are in the company of high-quality, effective teachers, few of these measures are focused on actually working to support the development and improvement of teachers' skills and knowledge. It is one thing to impose accountability and demand a standard—it is another to offer teachers the tools and resources necessary for them to reach these standards.

Certainly, there are teachers who reject assistance, suggestions, and change; however, there are many who would find greater success from the beginning if they were given more and better support in their early years of teaching. A major stride in improving teacher quality could be accomplished through a widespread commitment and intense investment in novice teacher induction programs. 

It's been 35 years since Dan Lortie first published his book Schoolteacher and made the following observations that induction in education looks like:

• Formal schooling without a clearly defined, well-developed, and agreed-upon knowledge base occurring in a relatively short period of specialized study when compared to other occupations requiring university-based training. 
• An apprenticeship or student teaching experience with nonuniform experiences that typically last only a few weeks before abruptly transitioning the novice from student to a teacher with full responsibilities. 
• A learning-while-doing component found to occur in mostly private settings that do not foster collaboration and learning from others in meaningful ways.       

Some would argue that this literature could have been published today and serve as an accurate reflection of current practice. 

Improving novice teaching induction programs is essential if new teachers are to be successful in their workplace and live up to the constantly rising demands. Upon entering the profession, new teachers are expected to perform the same full set of responsibilities that their more experienced peers do and are simultaneously forced to learn as they go. 

So as our legislators and education policymakers work to develop teacher evaluation and accountability measures, it is possible that a more significant impact on students and learning could be accomplished not by more rigorous evaluations and standards for teachers, but rather by increased quantity and quality of induction programs. In all likelihood, having them occur simultaneously would be most beneficial.  

What do you believe are the most important factors in supporting new teachers? Should there be common practices for induction and preservice programs? Should new teachers be immediately held to the same standards as their veteran counterparts? Who (the district, teachers, etc.) should be responsible for ensuring new teachers receive the training they require? 

Happy National Day of Blogging for Real Education Reform -- Cooperative Catalyst, a group blog by educators, is compiling all of the links to posts written in honor of today's theme. Visit Cooperative Catalyst, to read these educator perspectives on education reform.