Approve Agreements for Technical Services for Alternative Certification Program (ACP) Mentors for Mentoring/Coaching of ACP Teachers During the Fall 2007 Semester (Information and Technology Division)

In 1998, the Florida Department of Education approved the implementation of Hillsborough County Public Schools’ Alternative Certification Program to allow teachers who did not major in education to complete their certification requirements. One of the benefits of the program is the assistance of an ACP mentor who provides coaching, feedback and additional support to participants. New teachers join ACP throughout the school year. Some ACP teachers do not need to be mentored for the entire school year; therefore, mentors may be reassigned to work with other ACP participants.

ACP Mentors are paid $65 per coaching/mentoring session for up to eight visits per participant. These sessions include observations, feedback, travel to sites, email and phone conversations. Mentors work with 15-35 participants depending upon their availability and the number of new participants joining the program.

Agreements for Technical Services have been prepared for the attached list of ACP Mentors. These mentors complete a face-to-face training session and an online course covering the best practices of mentoring. This allows them to effectively coach ACP participants and ultimately, increase student achievement. In order to continuously assign mentors as new teachers join ACP, permission is requested to add and delete ACP mentors as needed, not to exceed the budgeted amount of $150,000.00.

All district goals and success factors

Funds for paying mentor contracts are contained in Staff Development funds 4029 and 4502.

ACP participants and school administrators are surveyed annually to assess the success of the mentoring process. ACP mentors are surveyed as well to gain feedback based upon their opinion of the mentoring process. In addition, the ACP office tracks the retention rate of teachers who complete the ACP program to determine the success of its components.