BTSA (Beginning Teacher Support and Assessment) is a state-funded program designed to support the professional development of beginning teachers in their first and second years in the profession.
The rigors of school work do not allow
new teachers to gradually assume professional responsibilities.
New teachers often have the same responsibilities as their
more experienced colleagues. Even well-prepared and well-credentialed
new teachers find the first two years to be challenging, demanding
and often discouraging. The BTSA Program helps teachers begin
their careers with support, assistance and assessment-based
information. Help for new teachers is essential as districts
implement class size reduction, literacy programs, and other
programs to meet the needs of all learners. Because our expectations
are higher than ever, we need excellent teachers. California
needs BTSA more than ever before.
The Beginning Teacher Support and Assessment (BTSA) Program brings new teachers into the profession and prepares them for demands and realities they face in today's classrooms. As a result, teaching skills and practices improve.
During the first weeks in a classroom, new teachers get used to new schedules, new students, course outlines, the faculty, the school policies. They also balance job expectations and home life. The BTSA Program has been successful in helping new teachers meet those challenges.
BTSA helps new teachers succeed. In turn, they stay in teaching longer. A four-year study showed that at least 91 percent of BTSA teachers remained in teaching. Of those teachers, 96 percent continued to teach for a second year in the same districts. BTSA has proven to be a highly effective and successful program. |
