Barriers and Solutions

On October 30 2008, South Central Area NESS Liaisons met at the SCA office for their second Collaborative Learning Session of the year. One activity they participated in was a “Carousel” to collaboratively address barriers they have been facing as they work on developing induction plans at their sites. Below are the issues discussed and possible solutions suggested by their liaison colleagues. Click on the comment link if you have any to add.

How do we identify our induction team?
Use teams that are already in place (i.e. team leaders, support staff, leadership team). Besides administration, consider staff members who are already involved in the work, such as Instructional Coaches, your NESS Liaison, and department heads.

How do you get people to volunteer their time/efforts to participate on the Induction Team without pay?
Provide alternative incentives, such as comp. time, vouchers to use with catalogs (ACE), or gifts (from partners in education). Use a pool substitute to split the day among members.

What does induction self-assessment look like? Who should be involved in self-assessment?
The Induction Rubric or a Continuous Improvement Plan can be used to assess induction at your site. The entire staff or just members of the induction team can continue to monitor through CAB, Quia or at faculty or induction meetings.

How do you find the time to meet and write the Induction Plan? How elaborate/detailed does the plan have to be?
Follow the model provided by the electronic Induction Planning Tool; the questions will guide you through the entire process. Use details when developing the plan, but be open to flexibility. It is important to be specific to the school needs. Start the induction talk during faculty/grade/department meetings and continue communication via CAB. Look at models of other plans (do not start from scratch).