Finding innovative ways to connect with the community and promote the greatest public good has always been a mission for Wichita State University's College of Education, whose latest endeavor is the Kansas Mentoring and Induction Center (KMIC), founded to benefit Kansas school districts in providing new teacher induction.

For the past three years, Wichita State has been involved with a Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) pilot program to explore and develop models for the new center. In September, the Kansas Board of Education implemented regulations for teacher licensure which included requirements for district mentoring programs. The new professional development center will assist district’s efforts to comply with KSDE guidelines that establish quality mentoring as a part of the licensure process for new teachers.

In July, KMIC launched this effort with start-up funding from KSDE. The center complements the state school board’s regulation requiring “completion of at least a year-long approved mentoring program based on model mentoring program guidelines.”

The vision of KMIC is to create high-performing educators through quality mentor training and to promote a common language for mentoring across the state.

Benefits of trained teacher-mentors

Wichita State is a natural fit for a statewide mentoring program because of its status as a leader in teaching education. In the 2013-2014 academic year, 201 undergraduates completed a teaching program at WSU; of those, 170 were recommended for an initial teaching license and 39 master’s students received licensure.

Leading the university’s effort to unify mentor training is a 35-year teaching veteran, Sharon Goodvin, senior fellow in Curriculum and Instruction. She is KMIC’s new director.

“The objective is to provide quality teacher-mentors for new teachers,” Goodvin said. “If you do this, you can enhance new teacher growth and narrow integration into the profession in two to three years instead of five.”

One benefit of an effective teacher-mentor is that they can help new teachers work through challenges in the classroom, going beyond content, Goodvin said. By providing effective mentoring, they can directly impact the professional growth of the new teacher and ultimately affect student achievement.

“Students who have good quality teachers can thrive,” she said. “Knowledge of your content is important, but if you can’t manage the classroom and capture your kids’ desire to learn you won’t be successful.”

KMIC’s model offers school districts a cost-effective method to improve new teacher induction. According to research, effective mentor programs can potentially offer districts a return of $1.60 for every dollar spent – a 60 percent return – and by entering into partnership with KMIC, districts will be able to meet state requirements and provide quality training for their new teacher mentors.

The KMIC model

The difference between KMIC’s training model and what educators have done in the past is the center’s focus on skill sets that can be undeveloped or overlooked.

Traditionally, schools employ a buddy system for new teacher induction, pairing new teachers with experienced ones that may not have been trained specifically for mentoring. The problem is that even master educators may not have the skills to mentor effectively or the ability to have coaching conversations. KMIC training addresses skills such as classroom observation and critiquing techniques that use data-driven conversations rather than adversarial ones.

“Having a systematic approach to helping new teachers is key,” Goodvin said. “The goal is to create a statewide network where new teacher induction leaders and mentors dialog to improve practice.”

KMIC held a kickoff event in August to provide those involved in new teacher induction – including school leaders, teacher mentors, trainers and WSU personnel – an opportunity to network and discuss the new regulations and current district practices in new teacher induction.

During 2014-2015, KMIC is hosting a series of professional development workshops using the New Teacher Center Curriculum to assist participants in developing effective mentoring skills. There are currently 25 participants attending KMIC networking events from 12 school districts, including Andover, Augusta, Blue Valley, Clearwater, Gardner, Goddard, Newton, Pratt-Skyline, Shawnee Mission, Wichita Catholic Diocese, Wichita Public Schools and Winfield.

“The participation indicates a need,” Goodvin said. “Now we just need to get the word out and continue to provide opportunities.”