The Professional Learning Series (PLS) is grounded in NTC’s Formative Assessment and Support (FAS) system. The PLS and

FAS are key components of NTC’s high-impact teacher induction model for programs with partial-release mentors. The PLS

provides a sequenced curriculum that develops foundational mentoring knowledge, and skills using a selection of Formative

Assessment and Support system tools and protocols. The PLS also builds a community of learners who support each other’s

growth as mentors.

The PLS curriculum and its accompanying FAS tools, protocols, and resources have been specifically designed for mentors

and coaches with limited release time who are supporting one to four beginning teachers. The design and delivery of the

Professional Learning Series ensures mentors and coaches receive the learning, tools, and protocols needed to advance teaching

practice and impact student achievement. Together these two components help induction programs develop highly skilled,

limited release mentors and promote cohesive, quality practice throughout the teacher induction program.

The design and delivery of the Professional Learning Series ensures that mentors and coaches receive the learning, tools, and

protocols needed to advance teaching practice and impact student achievement.

Two years ago, NTC invested in a major, research-based revision of its mentor professional development and FAS to include

a greater emphasis on the drivers of teacher effectiveness, and specifically on the habits of mind and core capabilities that new

teachers need to master.

The Professional Learning Series is made up of eight, two-day sessions that advance mentoring practice in the following areas:

Professional Learning Series and Formative Assessment System

Professional Learning Series (PLS)New and Improved

NTC’s Professional Learning Series (PLS) is a targeted

professional development series designed to advance the

skills, abilities, and knowledge of mentors and coaches with

limited release time. The series is designed to ensure that

experienced teachers, who are recruited to mentor beginning

teachers, become effective teachers of teachers.

• Identifyingandmeetingbeginningteachers’developmentalneeds

• Guidingteacherstodifferentiateinstructionbasedonassessed

learningneedsandrigorousstudentlearningstandardsandoutcomes

• Focusingonequitableandresponsiveinstruction

• Creatingasustainablecommunityofmentoringprofessionalswith

commonlanguage,frameworks,andapproachestoinstructional

mentoring

• Applyingselect,research-basedtoolsandprotocolsinNTC’s

FormativeAssessmentandSupportsystem

4

21

Outcomes:

• Employ the roles, language, and stances of effective instructional mentoring

• Build collaborative, trusting relationships with and among beginning teachers

• Use the Collaborative Assessment Log to assess and advance teaching practice

• Use standards and criteria to anchor assessments about teaching and learning

PLS

Instructional Mentoringintroduces mentoring language, skills,

and a key tool and process for collaboratively

assessing and supporting teaching practice.

Observing and Conferencing teaches mentors and coaches how to

collect and collaboratively analyze observation data

that is aligned with professional teaching standards.

Using Data to Inform Instruction3

Outcomes:

• Reflect upon and analyze mentoring experiences since Instructional Mentoring

• Extend and expand upon the use of instructional mentoring language

• Use protocols and tools that support an effective classroom observation cycle

• Communicate, collaborate, and coordinate with a site administrator for beginning teacher assessment and support

leads mentors and coaches through the process of analyzing student work in order to differentiate

instruction and reach all learners.

Outcomes:

• Reflect upon and analyze mentoring experiences since Observing and Conferencing

• Use protocols for analyzing student work

• Incorporate relevant aspects of brain research to inform and transform instructional mentoring and teaching practice

• Extend and expand upon the use of instructional mentoring language

Designing Effective Instruction advances mentoring skills necessary to guide beginning teachers in planning standards-based, differentiated instruction that engages students and advances learning.

Outcomes:

• Reflect upon and analyze mentoring experiences since Using Data to Inform Instruction

• Support teachers to plan differentiated instruction that is based on students’ assessed needs and is aligned to content standards

• Apply strategies for providing meaningful feedback

• Reflect upon professional growth and set next steps

YEARONE

Yearonecomprisesfour,two-daysessions

YearOneProfessionalLearningSeries: Mentoring for Effective Instruction

Using NTC’s Formative Assessment and Support system, mentors, whether full-

or partial-release, help teachers build the skills, autonomy, and confidence they

need to develop into great teachers. The revised FAS advances teachers’ knowledge

and ability to use data purposefully to inform instructional decisions. With mentor

support, teachers analyze student strengths and learning needs early and often, and

get to know their students across multiple dimensions. Mentors guide beginning

teachers to plan instruction aligned to the Common Core State Standards and to

build students’ social and emotional competencies to create classroom cultures of

safety, respect, and rapport. NTC’s revised FAS employs a strengths-based approach

that emphasizes meeting the immediate needs of new teachers.  “Just-in-time”

mentoring and protocol-guided conversations support new teachers through the

demands and schedule of the school year.

The FAS tools and processes taught in the PLS series are an essential subset of

NTC’s complete system. The number and focus of the tools are intentionally

designed to meet the needs of mentors and coaches who may have limited coaching

time or who work with a small caseload of teachers. PLS participants receive Field

Guides with a selection of Formative Assessment tools aligned to the curriculum

of each two-day PLS session to support mentor learning and their work with

new teachers.

ENGAGE WITH NTCNTC’sProfessionalLearningSeriesandFormativeAssessmentsystemaremadeavailableto

clientswhocontractwithNTCtoimplementourcomprehensivemodelofteacherinduction.

Themodelalsoincludesprincipalandsiteleadercapacitybuildingandextensivesupport

forinductionprogramleadersthroughon-goingconsultationandcommunitiesofpractice

overamulti-yearengagement.Themodelbuildsadistrict’scapacity,makingprograms

sustainableoverthelong-term.Formoreinformationemailinfo@newteachercenter.orgor

call831.600.2200.

Formative Assessment and Support (FAS) systemNew and Improved

newteachercenter.org

ABOUT NEW TEACHER CENTER

NewTeacherCenterfocusesonimprovingstudentlearningbyacceleratingtheeffectivenessofnewteachersandschool

leaders.NTCpartnerswithstates,schooldistricts,andpolicymakerstodesignandimplementprogramsthatcreate

sustainable,high-qualitymentoringandprofessionaldevelopment;buildleadershipcapacity;worktoenhanceteaching

conditions;improveretention;andtransformschoolsintovibrantlearningcommunitieswhereallstudentssucceed.

The PLS Formative Assessment System contains: •Toolsandexplicitprocessestoguidementorandnewteachercollaboration

•Annotatedandsampletoolsandprotocols

•ConversationGuidestofacilitatetheuseoftheteacherassessmenttools

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