​​​Vision of Teacher Induction

Our vision of teacher induction is that every beginning teacher will participate in a comprehensive three-year induction program. The program will engage beginning teachers in a system of support that includes working with a highly skilled, trained instructional mentor to accelerate teacher effectiveness and student learning. The induction program will also improve the retention of quality teachers in the profession and strengthen teacher leadership.

Our broader vision of induction is the opportunity to do professional development in a way that supports teachers in an extended learning, job-embedded environment. It’s also a way to build collaborative learning communities for all educators and provide excellent teachers the opportunity to develop as educational leaders.

The program

The Department has a high percentage of new teachers who are in the first three years of the profession. Our Complex Areas used to address their developmental and support needs separately. The Department is revamping its induction programs to provide a more comprehensive, statewide effort to implement a teacher induction standards across Complex Areas to establish a common, higher, more consistent bar for quality.

The Hawaii Teacher Induction Program Standards establishes a clear framework for beginning teacher induction in Hawaii. It includes:

• A three-year comprehensive induction program for every beginning teacher, including two years of intensive mentoring.
• A system pairing each beginning teacher with a trained instructional mentor.
• A strictly observed maximum ratio of beginning teacher to full-released mentor of 15 to 1.
• A defined process and criteria for mentor selection.
• Ongoing research-based training specifically designed for mentors of beginning teachers.
• Ongoing mentor support via forums, peer coaching and professional learning communities.
• Ongoing new teacher professional development and professional learning communities designed to meet the unique needs of the beginning teacher.
• A beginning teacher professional growth plan that addresses specific skill and content gaps.
• Induction program completion requirements for all beginning teachers.
• Data collection to assess implementation and impact for continuous program improvement.

​Success Stories