Strengthening Induction for California Administrators: Patterns From Statewide Survey Data

• In Event: Starting With Support: Promising Practices and Pitfalls in Leadership Induction

Abstract

Objectives and Perspectives
As part of statewide efforts to strengthen leadership development, the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC) adopted new leadership standards and established new induction requirements for California administrators to receive a clear (i.e., permanent and not preliminary) credential. During a two-year induction program, leaders must engage in at least 20 hours per year of professional development and participate in at least 40 hours per year of job-embedded coaching. These statewide changes were implemented in 2014. Starting in 2017, administrators applying for their clear credential have been surveyed about their induction experiences.

Using this statewide survey data, this analysis examines overall patterns and variation in administrators’ induction experiences in terms of their overall feelings of preparedness and their access to frequent and high-quality coaching. California has a wide range of induction providers, including institutions of higher education (IHEs), a statewide professional association, and local education agencies. This analysis will explore variation within and across these different provider types.

Data and Methods
The data for this analysis are drawn from four years of statewide surveys administered by the CTC to all administrators applying for their clear credential after the completion of their induction program (N=7,172 induction completers, a 95% response rate). The survey asks completers to rate their program’s overall effectiveness, the extent to which their induction program helped them develop leadership skills aligned with state standards, and the nature of their coaching relationship and support. Induction completers were also asked to self-report their gender identity, racial/ethnic identity, and prior educator credential (i.e., general education, special education, services credential). This descriptive analysis explored overall patterns in survey results and examined differences across years, across institutions, and across completer characteristics. Survey data were analyzed through cross-tabulations, correlations, and series of regression analyses predicting overall perceptions of preparation.

Results and Significance
In terms of induction providers, 52% of all completers participated in LEA-based induction programs, 18% participated in programs run by a statewide professional association in partnership with LEAs, and 30% participated in IHE-based induction programs. More than 90% of all completers rate their induction programs as effective or highly effective, and these perceptions are universally high across provider types and different completer demographic groups. There is more notable variation in the frequency of coaching communication and support reported by completers, both across and within provider types (see Figure 1).

Although completers report very positive overall perceptions, these results suggest that leaders may have very different coaching experiences across and even within programs. The CTC’s program standards state that induction program participants should receive at least 40 hours of job-embedded coaching per year that “is regular, consistent, and ongoing” (California Commission on Teacher Credentialing, 2018, p. 30). However, these initial findings indicate greater variation in completers’ coaching experiences and suggest that some California leaders may not be receiving the intended support during their induction experience.

Author

• Susan Kemper Patrick, Learning Policy Institute
  Presenting Author