An evaluation of the 2008-2009 Beginning Teacher Support and Assessment seminars held in the Sacramento City Unified School District

This paper examines the methods for presenting appropriate, meaningful professional development to beginning teachers. Research supports the following key elements of effective professional development: a focus on content and pedagogy, practical and transferrable content, collaboration, appropriate evaluation, and a teacher-driven approach. Additionally, comprehensive induction programs have proven to be an effective avenue for providing guidance to beginning teachers and helping to keep them in the profession. In the Sacramento City Unified School District (SCUSD), the Beginning Teacher Support and Assessment (BTSA) program combines those two components. A survey distributed to all SCUSD BTSA participants confirmed the power of utilizing induction combined with meaningful professional development as a method for supporting beginning teachers.