FAQs

• What is the Teacher Education And Mentoring (TEAM) program?
  Answer: The TEAM Program, is CT’s induction program for new teachers.
  To help beginning teachers successfully transition from preparation to the role of professional educators, section 10-145o of the Connecticut General Statutes was passed in October 2009 and called for the establishment of the “teacher education and mentoring (TEAM) program that includes guided teacher support and coaching and the completion of instructional modules” for beginning teachers.
• Who is required to participate in the TEAM program?
  Answer: All beginning teachers who hold an initial educator certificate or interim initial educator certificate (full or part-time) in an endorsement area where they have responsibility for instructing students are required to participate in TEAM.
  Refer to the chart entitled TEAM Participation Categories by Certification Codes in Appendix B of the TEAM Program Manual.
• Do teachers working under a durational shortage area permits (DSAPs), resident teaching certificates or adjunct arts instructor permits participate in TEAM?
  Answer: No, they are not eligible to participate.
  Teachers working under these permits/certificates have not fully completed requirements for the initial certificate. For this reason, these teachers will not participate in TEAM until the initial educator or interim initial educator certificate is issued. Although not required by TEAM Program guidelines, mentorship of these teachers is encouraged.
• Do teachers working under a temporary 90 day certificate participate in TEAM?
  Answer: No, they are not eligible to participate until they have an initial educator certificate.
  Teachers who are working under a 90 day certificate should receive support within the district where they are teaching, but they are not eligible to begin the TEAM process until they hold an initial educator certificate or interim initial certificate
• How is the TEAM program tied to certification?
  Answer: To advance from initial certification to provisional certification, teachers must complete all TEAM requirements successfully before the expiration of their initial certification.
  To advance from initial certification to provisional certification, teachers must complete all TEAM requirements successfully before the expiration of their initial certification. The State Board of Education, upon receipt of a proper application, shall issue a provisional educator certificate to any person who (1) has completed a beginning educator program [TEAM] successfully and one school year of successful teaching as attested to by the superintendent, or the superintendent’s designee, in whose local or regional school district such person was employed.” 10-145d (e)
• What are the consequences for failing to successfully complete the TEAM program within the required timeframe?
  Answer:

  Teachers are issued an initial certificate for three years. They are required to complete all of their TEAM requirements during those three years before the initial certificate expires.

  If a teacher has taught under the initial certificate for three full years and has not completed TEAM requirements successfully, then the teacher may not be eligible for the reissuance of the initial certificate.

  However, if there are extenuating circumstances that prevent a teacher from completing TEAM requirements within the three years time, and which can be documented, the District Facilitator, on behalf of employing board of education may submit a Request for an Extension of Time to the CSDE, provided the employing board of education and superintendent supports the request.

  See the "Application for an Extension of a Deadline to Complete TEAM Requirements" section of the TEAM Program Manual for details on Requests for an Extension of Time.

• Is there any way for a teacher to get back an initial certificate back if the teacher didn’t successfully complete all TEAM requirements before his or her certification expired?
  Answer:

  Teachers who have not completed the TEAM Program successfully can pursue a pathway back into the profession through Intervening Study and Experience for the reissuance of an initial educator certificate per standards established by the State Board of Education.

  See the "Intervening Study and Work Experience" section of the TEAM Program Manual for details on Intervening Study and Experience.

• What are TEAM entry dates?
  Answer:

  TEAM registration begins with entry into the State Department of Education Educator Data System (EDS) and the assignment of an “entry” date.

  Beginning teachers participating in TEAM will be assigned entry dates as follows:

  • September 1 (for teachers hired and in a classroom on or before October 31); or
  • February 15 (for teachers hired and in a classroom anytime on or after November 1, and on or before February 14).
  • Teachers hired and placed in a classroom on any date on or after February 15 will have an entry date of September 1 of the following school year.
• What is the timeline for beginning teacher participation in TEAM?
  Answer:

  Category I, Five Module Program: Teachers are expected to complete TEAM in two years.

  Teachers will complete two modules from Modules 1-4 in year one and two in year two. Module 5 will be completed in either year depending on the district’s Three-Year Mentoring Plan. Many districts do Module 5 in year one.

  Category II, Two Module Program: Teachers are expected to complete TEAM in one year.

  Teachers will complete two modules selected from modules 1-4. However, beginning teachers in this group have two years from their “entry date” in TEAM to complete program requirements.

  Refer to Appendix B of the TEAM Program Manual for a description of the Categories of Participation.

• What is the two-year beginning teacher support plan for Category I Participants and when should it be submitted?
  Answer:

  The Two-Year Beginning Teacher Support Plan for Category I Participants is a brief outline of a teacher’s anticipated schedule of participation in the program.

  Teachers who are beginning a plan for the five module program should complete this plan and have it signed by their mentors and then submit it to their TEAM district facilitator within one month of the teacher’s entry date in the classroom. Note that this form requests your TEAM “Entry Date.”

  Teachers will find their “Entry Date” on the registration letter given to them by their district facilitator. The Two-Year Beginning Teacher Support Plan Timeline form for Category I Participants can be located in Appendix H of the TEAM Program Manual.

• What is the one-year beginning teacher support plan timeline for Category II participants and when should it be submitted?
  Answer:

  The One-Year Beginning Teacher Support Plan for Category II Participants is a brief outline of a teacher’s anticipated schedule of participation in the program.

  Teachers who are beginning a plan for the two-module program should complete this plan and have it signed by their mentors and then submit it to their TEAM district facilitator within one month of the teacher’s entry date in the classroom. Teachers will find their “Entry Date” on the registration letter to be given to them by their district facilitator. The One-Year Beginning Teacher Support Plan Timeline form for Category II Participants can be located in Appendix H of the TEAM Program Manual.

• How do the TEAM mentoring modules provide a framework for support?
  Answer:

  Mentors are assigned to beginning teachers to provide support and work together to analyze data, reflect on teaching practice, and set goals, to deepen pedagogical and content knowledge and skills.

  Refer to the "The TEAM Program Process of Continuous Professional Growth" section of the TEAM Program Manual for a description of the continuous professional growth model.

• What are the criteria for completing a module successfully?
  Answer:

  The criteria for successful completion of a module, regardless of the method selected by the district to demonstrate completion of each instructional module (reflection paper or project) is as follows:

  1. Evidence of new learning
  2. Evidence of impact on practice
  3. Evidence of impact on students.

  Beginning teachers are required to complete the modules in a manner “that summarizes, describes or analyzes what has been learned by the beginning teacher and their students throughout the module and how the learning contributed to the development of such beginning teacher.”10-145o (e)(2)

• Will a teacher who taught for one year, but has not been teaching for a few years and has not completed TEAM lose their initial certification when it expires?
  Answer:

  No, teachers will not lose their certification.

  Teachers should apply to renew their initial educator certification before it expires. When they return to the classroom, they will be able to continue working on TEAM. At which time, their TEAM deadline will be changed to reflect a balance of time so that they can complete all remaining modules.

• Do teachers who begin TEAM in one district and move to a different district have to start TEAM over?
  Answer:

  No, the work completed in TEAM follows the teacher. There is no need to start over.

  Any modules completed in TEAM are linked to the teacher’s Educator Identification Number (EIN) and do not need to be repeated. You can pick up where you left off.

• What resources are available to support TEAM?
  Answer:

  There are many resources available on the Connecticut State Department of Education Website

  • The The TEAM Program Manual
  • The The TEAM Module Guidelines
  • Feedback and Criteria for Module Completion
  • Sample performance profiles, professional growth action plans (PGAPs), meeting logs, personal journals and reflection papers
  • Inspire Professional Learning Resources – high quality, researched-based resources aligned to individual indicators in each module
  • Connecticut’s Common Core of Teaching and more…