Chapter 863
AN ACT
HB 2574
Relating to mentoring; creating new
provisions; and amending ORS 329.675, 329.790, 329.795, 329.800, 329.805,
329.810, 329.815, 329.820 and 342.144.
Be It Enacted by the People of
the State of
SECTION 1. ORS 329.675 is amended to read:
329.675. As used in ORS
329.675 to 329.745 and 329.790 to 329.820:
(1) “Beginning
administrator” means [an administrator]
a principal or superintendent who:
(a)
Possesses an administrative license issued by the Teacher Standards and
Practices Commission;
[(a)] (b) Is employed as [an administrator] a principal or
superintendent by a school district; and
[(b)] (c) Has been assigned for
fewer than [three successive] two
school years [as a licensed or acting
administrator in any public, private or state-operated school] in the
administrator’s present position.
(2) “Beginning teacher”
means a teacher who:
(a)
Possesses a teaching license issued by the Teacher Standards and Practices
Commission;
(b) Is employed at least
half-time, primarily as a classroom teacher, by a school district; and
(c) Has taught fewer
than [three successive] two
school years as a licensed probationary teacher in any public, private or
state-operated school.
(3) “
(a)
Is an acting or retired teacher, principal or superintendent;
(b) Has met established
best practice and researched-based criteria as defined by the State Board of
Education by rule;
[(a)] (c) Possesses a teaching[, personnel service] or administrative
license issued by the Teacher Standards and Practices Commission;
[(b)] (d) Has successfully served
for [three] five or more years
as a licensed teacher, principal or superintendent [or administrator] in any public school; and
[(c)] (e) Has been selected and
trained as described in ORS 329.815.[;
and]
[(d) Has demonstrated mastery of the
appropriate subject matter knowledge and teaching and administrative skills.]
(4) “Mentorship program”
means a program provided by a mentor [teacher
or administrator] to a beginning teacher or administrator 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, development of school leadership skills
and other assistance intended to assist the beginning teacher or administrator
to become a confident and competent professional educator who makes a positive
impact on student learning.
SECTION 2. ORS 329.790 is amended to read:
329.790. The Legislative
Assembly finds that:
(1) The quality of
teaching and administration in the public schools is of vital importance to the
future of this state;
(2) This state has a
special interest in ensuring that the induction of beginning teachers and
administrators into their profession enhances their professional growth and
development by making a positive impact on student learning; [and]
(3) The formal
assignment of mentors who have demonstrated the appropriate subject matter
knowledge and teaching and administrative skills [should] will substantially improve the induction and
professional growth of beginning teachers and administrators in this state, as
well as provide mentors with additional and valuable opportunities to enhance
their own professional growth;
(4) Teachers and
administrators who receive research-based, relevant mentoring produce students
with a higher rate of achievement;
(5) School districts
that have teacher mentoring have a higher rate of retention among teachers; and
(6) Administrators who
receive mentoring improve their effectiveness as administrators and continue to
improve throughout their careers.
SECTION 3. ORS 329.795 is amended to read:
329.795. (1) The State
Board of Education shall establish a beginning teacher and administrator
mentorship program to provide eligible beginning teachers and administrators in
this state with a continued and sustained mentorship program from a formally
assigned mentor [teacher or administrator].
(2) Any district is
eligible to participate in the mentorship program.
(3) [Two or more school districts may] A
school district may enter into a partnership with another school district, an
institution of higher education, an education service district or another
organization to operate jointly a mentorship program if:[they meet all the requirements of ORS
329.790 to 329.820.]
[(4) Educational consortia established for approved teacher or
administrator education credentialing programs pursuant to rules of the Teacher
Standards and Practices Commission are eligible to operate a mentorship program
to serve beginning teachers and administrators in a participating school
district if:]
(a) All moneys received
as grants-in-aid for the mentorship program are administered by the
participating school district to provide direct services to beginning teachers
and administrators; and
(b) All other
requirements of ORS 329.790 to 329.820 are met.
[(5) To the extent practicable, school districts may coordinate with
institutions of higher education in the design, implementation and evaluation
of mentorship programs.]
[(6)] (4) All programs in ORS
329.790 to 329.820 are subject to the availability of funds appropriated
therefor.
SECTION 4. ORS 329.800 is amended to read:
329.800. (1) Each school district that wishes to participate in the
beginning teacher and administrator mentorship program shall submit a formal
application to the Department of Education. The application shall include:
(a) The names of all eligible
beginning teachers and administrators employed by the school district and a
description of their assignments [and
extracurricular duties]; and
[(b) The names of mentors selected by a school district and a
description of their assignments and the endorsement area in which they are
licensed; and]
[(c)] (b) A description of the proposed mentorship program,
which must provide frequent contact, totaling a minimum of 90 hours,
[of direct contact] between the
mentors and beginning teachers and administrators[, including observation of or assistance with assigned duties]
throughout the school year.
(2) The school district
shall certify in the application that no eligible beginning professional
educators are or may be under a conditional license, except as provided in
rules of the Teacher Standards and Practices Commission.
SECTION 5. ORS 329.805 is amended to read:
329.805. (1) Subject to
ORS 291.230 to 291.260, the Department of Education shall distribute
grants-in-aid to qualifying school districts to offset the costs of beginning
teacher and administrator mentorship programs. A qualifying district shall
receive annually up to [$3,000]
$5,000 for each full-time equivalent beginning teacher and administrator
approved for support. Each biennium, the department shall adjust the amount
specified for each teacher or administrator based on the Consumer Price Index,
as defined in ORS 327.006.
(2) If the funds are
insufficient for all eligible proposals, the Department of Education shall
award grants on a competitive basis, taking into consideration geographic and
demographic diversity.
(3) The State Board of
Education may adopt such rules as it considers appropriate for the distribution
of grants-in-aid under this section.
(4) A district that is
determined by the Department of Education to be in violation of one or more of
the requirements of ORS 329.790 to 329.820 may be required to refund all
grants-in-aid moneys distributed under ORS 329.790 to 329.820. The amount of
penalty shall be determined by the State Board of Education.
SECTION 6. ORS 329.810 is amended to read:
329.810. (1)
After consulting with representatives of teachers, administrators, school
boards, schools of education, the Oregon University System and such others as
it considers appropriate, the Department of Education shall [develop or] approve [workshops to provide] training for
mentors and beginning teachers and administrators in programs qualifying for
grants-in-aid under ORS 329.790 to 329.820.
(2) The training
curriculum for mentors shall be based on research and knowledge of the needs of
beginning teachers and administrators.
(3) Mentors shall be
trained to build relationships of trust and mutual collaboration with beginning
teachers and administrators.
(4) Mentors shall
receive professional development before the school year begins and throughout
the school year.
SECTION 7. ORS 329.815 is amended to read:
329.815. (1) Based on the requirements of ORS 329.790 to
329.820, the selection, nature and extent of duties of [mentor teachers and administrators] mentors
shall be determined by the school district. [The following guidelines shall apply:]
[(1)] (2) A teacher, principal or superintendent [or administrator] may not be designated
as a mentor unless willing to perform in that role[;].
[(2)] (3) For purposes of actions
taken under ORS 342.805 to 342.937:
(a) A mentor [teacher or administrator] may not
participate in the evaluation of a beginning teacher or administrator assigned
to the mentor; and
(b) Any written or other
reports of a mentor regarding a beginning teacher or administrator assigned to
the mentor may not be used in the evaluation of the beginning teacher or administrator[;].
[(3)] (4) Each mentor shall complete successfully [a] training [workshop] provided or approved by the Department of Education while
participating in the beginning teacher and administrator mentorship program[; and].
[(4)] (5) The stipend received for each beginning teacher or
administrator may be used by the school district to compensate mentors [in addition to their regular duties] or
to compensate other individuals assigned duties to provide release time for
teachers, principals or superintendents [or administrators] acting as mentors.
SECTION 8. ORS 329.820 is amended to read:
329.820. (1) The
Department of Education shall be responsible for the regular and ongoing
evaluation of programs under ORS 329.790 to 329.820 and may contract for such
evaluation. The department may not expend in a biennium more than 2.5
percent of the total amount of moneys available for the programs on the
evaluation of the programs. The evaluation [shall] may include[, but not be limited to,] assessments of
the following:
[(1) A survey and follow-up of all eligible mentors, beginning teachers
and administrators and appropriate school district officials, to assess
satisfaction with and the effectiveness of the beginning teacher and
administrator mentorship program;]
[(2) The amount and quality of the contact time between mentors and
beginning teachers and administrators;]
[(3) The effectiveness of workshops and other training;]
[(4)] (a) The effectiveness of the
mentorship program in the retention of [new]
beginning teachers and administrators in the school district and in
the profession; and
[(5) The desirability of extending this assistance program to students
participating in teacher and administrator preparation programs; and]
[(6)] (b) Student performance on
statewide and other assessments.
(2) The department
may accept contributions of moneys and assistance for the purpose of the
evaluation of programs from any source, public or private, and agree to
conditions placed on the moneys not inconsistent with ORS 329.790 to 329.820.
All moneys received by the department under this subsection shall be deposited
into the Department of Education Account to be used for the evaluation of
programs conducted under this section.
SECTION 9. ORS 342.144 is amended to read:
342.144. (1) As used in this section, “American Indian tribe” means an
Indian tribe as that term is defined in ORS 97.740.
(2) The Legislative
Assembly declares that teaching American Indian languages is essential to the
proper education of American Indian children.
(3) The Teacher
Standards and Practices Commission shall establish an American Indian languages
teaching license.
(4) Each American Indian
tribe may develop a written and oral test that must be successfully completed
by an applicant for an American Indian languages teaching license in order to
determine whether the applicant is qualified to teach the tribe’s native
language. When developing the test, the tribe shall determine:
(a) Which dialects will
be used on the test;
(b) Whether the tribe
will standardize the tribe’s writing system; and
(c) How the teaching
methods will be evaluated in the classroom.
(5) The test shall be
administered at an appropriate location that does not create hardship for the
tribal members administering the test.
(6) The commission may
not require an applicant to hold a specific academic degree, to complete a specific
amount of education or to complete a teacher education program to receive an
American Indian languages teaching license.
(7)(a) An American
Indian languages teaching license qualifies the holder to accept a teaching
position in a school district, public charter school, education service
district, community college or state institution of higher education.
(b) A holder of an
American Indian languages teaching license who does not also have a teaching
license issued under ORS 342.125 may not teach in a school district or
education service district any subject other than the American Indian language
they are approved to teach by the tribe.
(c) A holder of an
American Indian languages teaching license who does not also have a teaching
license or registration issued under ORS 342.125 may not teach in a public
charter school any subject other than the American Indian language they are
approved to teach by the tribe.
(8)(a) As used in this
subsection, “technical assistance program” means a program provided to an
American Indian languages teacher by a licensed teacher with three or more
years of teaching experience. A technical assistance program may include 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 American Indian languages teacher.
(b) The holder of an
American Indian languages teaching license who does not also have an
administrative license, teaching license or registration issued under ORS
342.125 and who is employed by a school district, public charter school or
education service district shall participate in a technical assistance program
with a person holding a teaching license issued by the commission under ORS
342.125. The technical assistance program shall meet the guidelines specified
in ORS 329.815 [(1) to (3)] (2) to
(4).
(9) An American Indian
languages teaching license shall be valid for three years and may be renewed
upon application from the holder of the license.
SECTION 10. The amendments to ORS 329.675, 329.790,
329.795, 329.800, 329.805, 329.810, 329.815, 329.820 and 342.144 by sections 1
to 9 of this 2007 Act first apply to beginning teacher and administrator
mentorship programs administered during the 2008-2009 school year.
Approved by the Governor July 31, 2007
Filed in the office of Secretary of State July 31, 2007
Effective date January 1, 2008
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