Okaloosa schools detail teacher induction, certification and new fast-track professional learning option

Sharon Duran, program director of professional services for the Okaloosa County School District, told the school board that her office 22supports our teachers, which ultimately leads to our mission27to increase student achievement.22

Duran described the department27s work on new-teacher induction, certification, evaluation and placement of student teachers and interns, and said those activities are largely state-mandated and reflected in district policy. She outlined a suite of programs including monthly new-teacher orientation (July through March), a two-day New Teacher Institute for temporary-certified teachers, a school-based mentor program that requires clinical educator certification, and a consulting-teacher program for formative assessment and side-by-side classroom support.

Duran said the district offers a locally administered professional learning certification program for temporary-certified teachers that was developed under a contract with Beacon Educator. 22It27s a lot less expensive,22 she said, adding the program includes roughly 13 courses and costs about $1,320; the district offers a payroll-deduction option that spreads the cost over the school year (about $110 per pay period in the example given). Duran said roughly 130 temporary-certified teachers are enrolled in that pathway.

Board members asked about retention and logistics. Board member Brown asked, 22So what27s our retention rate?22 Duran said the figure is 22a moving target22 and she did not provide a final percentage at the meeting, saying she would follow up by email with the exact number. The district explained temporary certificates are valid for five years under current Florida Department of Education rules and that consulting teachers are statutorily required to work with temporary-certified teachers.

Duran also described the district27s SkillBridge internship program with the Department of Defense; she said seven SkillBridge interns participated in the current school year and five were already lined up for next fall. She described Frontline as the platform for professional learning enrollment and noted the department monitors state legislative changes that affect certification and evaluation.

Board members thanked Duran and her staff for the breadth of the programs and support services. No formal action or vote on policy changes was taken during the presentation; the item was presented as an informational update.

The board asked staff to provide the retention-rate figure and any other requested metrics by email after the meeting.