Common Standards
This document has addendums. Click on the addendum of the reviewed date below:
Standard 1: Institutional Infrastructure to Support Educator Preparation
Common Standard
Required Documentation
The institution and education unit create and articulate a research-based vision of teaching and learning that fosters coherence among, and is clearly represented in all educator preparation programs. This vision is consistent with preparing educators for California public schools and the effective implementation of California’s adopted standards and curricular frameworks.
Vision Statement:
All students will have the options to demonstrate what they learn and the opportunities to be successful and achieve their dreams. The Sanger Unified School District Induction program design reflects a clear understanding of quality, ongoing, job-embedded professional development that creates reflective habits of mind and fosters the concept of lifelong learning. The program’s rationale suggests the importance of matching participating teachers (PTs) with on-site qualified (and same subject/grade level) support providers (SPs) who are available to provide just-in-time mentoring and ongoing support guided by an Individualized Learning Plan (ILP). Participating teachers, guided by support providers, strengthen classroom practice utilizing the California Standards for the Teaching Profession (CSTP), Standards of Quality and Effectiveness for Professional Teacher Induction Program, and the state-adopted content standards leading to increased student achievement. Sanger Teachers are trained in Guaranteed & Viable Instruction (Marzano, What Works In Schools, 2003).
The Sanger Unified School District New Teacher Induction Program design incorporates the existing district practices into the vision for inducting new teachers into the profession. Within the district, there is a strong belief that teachers have a positive impact on student achievement. The district’s commitment is evidenced by the allocation of funds that support all teachers through delivery of instruction to meet the needs of all students, including, but not limited to, on-site curriculum support providers, and professional development focused on pedagogy. The district provides early release days one day a week that allow for collaboration with experienced colleagues using Professional Learning Communities (PLC) protocols that focus on analyzing student work, establishing goals, lesson planning, and identifying appropriate teaching strategies to meet the goals DuFour and Eaker, 1998).
Links to Documentation:
Participating Teacher Handbook
Teacher Induction Website
California Standards for the Teaching Profession
Sanger Learns
Guaranteed & Viable Instruction
The institution actively involves faculty, instructional personnel, and relevant stakeholders in the organization, coordination, and decision making for all educator preparation programs.
The education unit ensures that faculty and instructional personnel regularly and systematically collaborate with colleagues in P-12 setting, college and university units and members of the broader educational community to improve educator preparation.
The institution provides the unit with sufficient resources for the effective operation of each educator preparation program, including, but not limited to coordination, admission, advisement, curriculum, professional development/instruction, field-based supervision and clinical experiences.
No additional information required
The Unit Leadership has the authority and institutional support required to address the needs of all educator preparation programs and considers the interests of each program within the institution.
No additional information required
Recruitment and faculty development efforts support hiring and retention of faculty who represent and support diversity.
The institution employs, assigns and retains only qualified persons to teach courses, provide professional development, and supervise field-based and clinical experiences. Qualification of faculty and other instructional personnel must include, but are not limited to: a/ current knowledge of the content; knowledge of the current context of public schooling including California adopted P-12 content standards, frameworks, and accountability systems; c) diverse abilities, culture, language, ethnicity, and gender orientation; and d) demonstration of effective professional practices in teaching and learning, scholarship, and service.
Links to Documentation:
District Blank Professional Development (PD) Provider Evaluation
Support Provider Application/Resume
Support Provider MOU
Support Provider Self Assessment
PT Feedback on Support Provider Effectiveness
Professional Development Evaluation for Induction
Monitoring Feedback Needs from Evaluation Feedback and Actions Taken
District Instructional Specialist Job Description
STaR Recruitment Flyer
End-of-Program Celebration PTs comments about SPs
Support Provider of the Year
Completers Tribute
The education unit monitors a credential recommendation process that ensures that candidates recommended for a credential have met all the requirements.
The Sanger Unified Induction Program requires each participating teacher to successfully complete program components in order to be recommended for the Professional Clear Credential. These responsibilities are explained to the participants at the Induction Orientation and outlined in the Induction Program Handbook and confirmed by the participating teachers’ signature on the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). An online portfolio (on Canvas) is used to house all program documents. Documents are reviewed by the program coordinator as each document is uploaded to check for accuracy and completion. Timely feedback on each document is given to the participating teacher. All year Two PTs and ECO’s go through an Exit interview in May. It is the final check for growth in the teaching standards. A Verification of Completion is completed and signed by the participating teacher, support provider, site administrator, and Program Coordinator verifying that all requirements were successfully completed. When the document is submitted on the online portfolio, the Program Coordinator will recommend the Participating Teacher for a Clear Credential. A Verification of Completion Transcript (41-Induction) is created and given to each Program Completer.
Links to Documentation:
Induction Program Handbook
Clear Credential Requirements from Handbook
Verification of Completion Transcript (41-Induction)
Participating Teacher Memorandum of Understanding
Sample of on-line portfolio (Canvas)
Standard 2: Candidate Recruitment and Support
Candidates are recruited and supported in all educator preparation programs to ensure their success.
Common Standard
Required Documentation
The education unit accepts applicants for its educator preparation programs based on clear criteria that include multiple measures of candidate qualifications.
The education unit purposefully recruits and admits candidates to diversify the educator pool in California and provides the support, advice, and assistance to promote their successful entry and retention to the profession.
The Induction Program has well-defined criteria and procedures for admitting participating teachers in the program. In compliance with commission-adopted requirements, participants must be teaching in their first or second year under a preliminary credential. The Human Resource Department is the first point of contact with the new teacher. The Human Resources Specialist determines when a new teacher requires an Induction Program then notifies the Induction Program Coordinator of all new hires. The Program Coordinator sends new teachers an email explaining that the new teacher will be in the Induction Program, the name of his/her support provider, and the time/date of the Orientation Meeting. The Induction Program Coordinator communicates the responsibilities of induction to participating teachers orally and in writing through the SUSD Induction Program handbook. All late hires receive one-on-one Orientation from the Program Coordinator.
Participating teachers sign a MOU delineating their responsibilities to develop an Individual Learning Plan (ILP), accumulate evidence of growth in the California Standards for the Teaching Profession (CSTPs), document all credential requirements, and to organize this evidence in support of their application for a professional credential. The ILPs are broken into sections. Each section has a suggested “due by date” and is reviewed by the Program Coordinator when it is submitted on Canvas (online portfolio) and immediate feedback is given. Documents are either approved or feedback is given instructing the PT how to provide what is needed.
The SUSD has a recruitment and selection board policy that provides a guideline to ensure all candidates are sensitive to our diverse population, are effective communicators and have the academic skills to be an effective teacher within the district.
The selection and recruitment procedures include:
- Assessment of the district’s needs for specific skill, knowledge and abilities
- A job description that accurately describes the essential and marginal functions and duties of the position.
- Dissemination of job announcements to ensure a wide range of candidates
- Screening procedures that identify the best possible candidates to interview for the position.
- Interview procedures that determine the most qualified candidate for recommendation to the Board.
The superintendent only recommends a candidate who meets all qualifications established by law and the Board for the position. Nominations for the employment are based on screening of applicants, interviews, observations and recommendations from previous employers. During the job interview the applicant may be asked to describe or demonstrate how they will be able to perform the duties of the job. No inquiry is made in regards to age, sex, color, religion, national origin, medical condition, disability or sexual orientation of a person seeking employment.
In 2017, California State University, Fresno and Sanger Unified started a residency program. Credential candidates are actively recruited to match our population, especially students that have gone through Sanger Unified school system. STaR (Sanger Teacher and Residency) flyers are displayed in the local newspaper, on Fresno State Campus, school district newspaper, college and district websites, and social media. All CSUF students that meet requirements are accepted into the residency program. No one is denied admittance based on actual or perceived race, color, ancestry, national origin, age, religious creed, marital status, pregnancy, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, military and veteran status, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, or association with a person or group with one or more of these actual or perceived characteristics.
Links to Documentation:
SUSD Certificated Personnel Board Policy BP4111 (a), BP 4030 (a)
Notice of Eligibility Form
Participating Teacher MOU
STaR Recruitment Flyer
Sample Edjoin Job announcement
Appropriate information and personnel are clearly identified and accessible to guide each candidate’s attainment of program requirements.
No additional information required
Evidence regarding progress in meeting competency and performance expectations is consistently used to guide advisement and candidate support efforts. A clearly defined process is in place to identify and support candidates who need additional assistance to meet competencies.
No additional information required
Standard 3: Fieldwork and Clinical Practice
The unit designs and implements a planned sequence of clinical experiences for candidates to develop and demonstrate the knowledge and skills to educate and support P-12 students in meeting state-adopted content standards. The unit and all programs collaborate with their partners regarding the criteria and selection of clinical personnel, site-based supervisors and school sites, as appropriate to the program.
Common Standard
Required Documentation
Through site-based work and clinical experiences, programs offered by the unit provide candidates with opportunities to both experience issues of diversity that affect school climate and to effectively implement research-based strategies for improving teaching and student learning.
The Induction Program has a planned sequence of experiences that allow the participating teachers to develop and demonstrate the knowledge and skills needed to educate and support P-12 students in meeting state-adopted content skills. This is accomplished through the use of professional development, Professional learning Communities and the Individualized Learning Plan (ILP). District Instructional Specialists train All teachers in Universal Design for Learning, Guaranteed and Viable Curriculum (GVC), and Guaranteed and Viable Instruction which are then used by our Professional Learning Communities (grade levels of teachers) to create curriculum maps and pacing guides that allow new teachers to learn how to meet the needs of Sanger’s population of diverse learners. Sanger Learns is a site developed by our District Instructional Specialists that allow participating teachers to pick professional development specific to their learning goals.
New Support Providers receive an Orientation and two days of training about just-in-time mentoring and leading their participating teacher through the ILP process. Veteran support providers participate in an orientation meeting, two support provider meetings to strengthen their mentoring skills and two SP/PT network meetings where they collaborate with their PTs and grow in their teaching practice.
Support Providers are chosen by their site administrators based on their knowledge and effectiveness and their campus leadership. A support provider is paired with a participating teacher teaching at the same grade level or in the same subject area at the same site. Educational Specialist teachers are paired by like-credentials (mild/mod or mod/severe) but may be at different sites if one is not available on site. If a CSP (Curriculum Support Provider) is chosen as an Induction support provider, he/she is paired with a PT at the same site with considerable knowledge and experience in the PT’s grade level or subject area.
At the beginning of the year, support providers use the mentor self assessment to assess their own mentoring skills and then set a yearly goal. Goals are revisited at the end of the year. Sinclair group gathers the data and creates a report of support provider growth.
Participating teachers evaluate their support providers knowledge and skills in the end-of-the year survey which is analyzed by Sinclair research Group. The report is reflected upon by the Induction program’s director, coordinator and advisory group. Areas that are low will be addressed the following year through support provider training.
Participating Teachers’ are monitored through monthly logs, ILP reflections and exit interviews. What is going well and what they are struggling with is recorded on their monthly logs. Additionally CSTPs discussed in weekly meetings are highlighted on the logs. Time spent in weekly meetings with their support provider is recorded. The program coordinator reviews the monthly logs as they are submitted on Canvas (online portfolio) checking for minimum hours, topics discussed and SP support so that approval can be given. The coordinator can offer suggestions and/or resources. Starting in 2020, Sinclair Research Group has been compiling the CSTPs that have been addressed at SP/PT weekly meetings so that monthly/yearly trends can be identified and more support can be offered at trainings during those times of the year.
Exit Interviews for second and Early Completion Option teachers are conducted in May. Teachers are scored on their ILP growth. Growth over time must be shown to pass. If insufficient growth is shown the PT fails the interview. PTs that fail meet with the Induction Coordinator. A more in-depth conversation is held centered on the development of the ILP to discover growth over time. If the PT is still not successful, a plan for a new ILP is developed for part of the next year which will be closely monitored by the Coordinator.
During the ILP participating teachers pick focus students to focus on during lesson planning, delivery, and reflection of their ILP. A second language learner, special education student, an advanced learner, and a choice student are selected. Doing so guarantees the PT is gaining experience working with a diverse group of students.
Site-based supervisors must be certified and experienced in teaching the specified content or performing the services authorized by the credential.
No additional information required
The process and criteria result in the selection of site-based supervisors who provide effective and knowledgeable support for candidates.
No additional information required
Site based supervisors are trained in supervision, oriented to the supervisory role, evaluated and recognized in a systematic manner. All programs effectively implement and evaluate fieldwork and clinical practice.
No additional information required
For each program the unit offers, candidates have significant experience in California public schools with diverse student populations and the opportunity to work with the range of students identified in the program standards.
No additional information required
Standard 4: Continuous Improvement
The education unit develops and implements a comprehensive improvement process at both the unit level and within each of its programs that identifies program and unit effectiveness and makes appropriate modifications based on findings.
Common Standard
Required Documentation
Both the unit and its programs regularly and systematically collect, analyze, and use candidate and program completer data as well as data reflecting the effectiveness of unit operations to improve programs and their services.
The continuous improvement process includes multiple sources of data including 1) the extent to which candidates are prepared to enter professional practice; 2) the quality of the educational services provided to students during supervised practice; and 3) feedback from key stakeholders such as employers and community partners about the quality of the preparation.
Links to Documentation:
Flow map showing who collects/analyzes/responds to data
Sinclair Scope of Work
Completer Data
Sanger USD Summative Report 18-19
Sanger USD Summative Comparison Report 19-20
Trends Over Time
Sample Monthly Log w/ CSTP Elements Highlighted
Program Data Change
Sanger Induction Summative Report 20-21
Standard 5: Program Impact
Common Standard
Required Documentation
The institution ensures that candidates preparing to serve as professional school personnel know and demonstrate knowledge and skills necessary to educate and support effectively all students in meeting state adopted academic standards. Assessments indicate that candidates meet the Commission adopted competency requirements as specified in the program standards.
No additional information required
The unit and its programs demonstrate that they are having a positive impact on teaching and learning in schools that serve California’s students.
Links to Documentation:
CSTP Growth
CSTP Candidate Reflection
Exit Interview Questions and Results
Leader Induction Involvement as of 2021
Report on Sanger