In accordance with law, the district shall provide an induction program for the continuing professional development of teachers, specialized service professionals, principals and administrators with initial licenses just entering the profession and new to the district.
The purpose of the induction program under the educator licensing law shall be to promote purposeful learning by inductees rather than learning about the district and teaching through trial and error. The goal of the district’s program is to enhance the job satisfaction of its educators by providing a collegial atmosphere for teaching and learning.
The induction program shall provide for supervision by mentors and ongoing professional development and training, including ethics and performance evaluations in accordance with the district’s performance evaluation system.
The district’s induction program shall include four major components:
- Orientation of newcomers to new professional roles
- Socialization and transition problems normally faced by newcomers to
organizations
- Technical skill refinement and development including ethics
- Performance assessment
Through the induction program, inductees shall be provided information about Board and district policies and regulations, local district goals, the district’s academic standards, and educator roles and responsibilities.
A mentor shall be selected for each inductee to model the professionalism of the teaching staff employed by this district.
It is recognized that the content and experience needed by an inductee will vary, based on each individual’s previous experiences prior to receiving an initial license.
The district shall establish criteria to evaluate an inductee who has successfully completed the program. Among the important criteria shall be completion of activities listed in the inductee’s professional growth plan, evidence in the inductee’s portfolio of meeting or exceeding the professional educator standards, satisfactory summative evaluation by the supervisor and recommendations by the mentor and supervisor.
The superintendent shall be responsible for recommending the inductee to the state for a professional license.
Nothing in this policy nor in the induction program itself shall be construed to imply in any manner the establishment of any property rights or expectancy or entitlement to continued employment. A favorable recommendation that an inductee receive a professional teaching license at the conclusion of the induction program is a decision separate and distinct from any decision about continued employment in the district. All employment decisions remain within the sole and continuing discretion of the Board of
Education.
District personnel shall establish a process to evaluate the district’s induction program so that it fits within the comprehensive district-wide professional growth plan for district personnel.
The requirement of completing a Teacher Induction program may be waived for an employee holding a current National Board Certification and Colorado initial teaching license if the employee completes two years of successful full-time employment with LCSD and earns “effective” or higher ratings on all annual LCSD teacher evaluations. For qualifying individuals, the District will provide a waiver letter for the employee to submit to CDE for their professional teacher license application. To receive the waiver letter, the employee must request a waiver in writing and provide a copy of the National Board Certificate to the Human Resource Department before the beginning of the third year of employment and prior to the initial license expiration.
Adopted: August 2000
Revised: July 2008
Revised: September 2020
Revised: February 2023
Revised: August 2025
LEGAL REFS.: C.R.S. 22-60.5-102 (7) (definition of “approved induction program”)
C.R.S. 22-60.5-114 (2) (waiver of induction program requirement)
C.R.S. 22-60.5-201 (1)(c)(I)(B) (teacher license through approved induction program)
C.R.S. 22-60.5-204 (teachers)
C.R.S. 22-60.5-210 (1)(b)(I)(B) (professional special services license)
C.R.S. 22-60.5-213 (special services providers)
C.R.S. 22-60.5-301 (1)(b)(I)(C) (principal license through approved induction program)
C.R.S. 22-60.5-304 (principals)
C.R.S. 22-60.5-306 (1)(b)(I)(C) (administrator license through approved induction program)
C.R.S. 22-60.5-309 (administrators)
1 CCR 301-37, Rules 2260.5-R-13.00 and 2260.5-R-14.00
CROSS REF.:
Administrative policy:
GCHA/GCHB, Mentor Teachers/Administrators
Lake County School District R-1, Leadville, Colorado