Developing Teachers

Good teaching matters more than any other factor in improving student achievement. The Boston Plan for Excellence (BPE) works to help teachers become and remain effective.

With the programs we’ve developed, the networks we coordinate, and the school-based teams we support, our starting point is always student learning:
 

• What does student performance data tell us about what’s working?

• What does it suggest about improvements that are needed?

• What do we need to learn to do to get better outcomes for students?

We work with teachers in all stages of their career — from recruiting and preparing new teachers to coaching experienced teachers as they take on leadership roles.  

  Teacher Preparation
 

The Boston Teacher Residency recruits and trains teachers for Boston’s schools, with a particular focus on high-need areas, such as science and special education. BTR has prepared nearly 250 teachers since it was launched in 2003 and is being replicated across the country. BTR extends support to its graduates through their first three years of teaching in its effort to build a cadre of effective teachers across the city.

  New Teacher Support
 

Over several years, BPE worked closely with the Boston Public Schools’ human resources and professional development departments, and the teachers’ union, to improve in the district's hiring, teacher orientation, and induction processes. An annual survey of all new teachers informed policy changes and a new teacher support system. We continue to work with our district partners as they refine supports for new teachers.

Read a case study about that effort.

  School-Based Professional Development
 

The best professional learning experiences are collaborative, job-embedded, and grounded in student data. With these qualities in mind, BPE has piloted several groundbreaking efforts to support teacher learning. We currently work with the district to implement a data-driven inquiry approach to getting more students on track for success.

  Teacher Leadership
 

BPE, in partnership with the Boston Public Schools and Boston Teacher Residency, has establised the Boston Teacher Leadership Resource Center in order to support schools and the Boston Public School district to strengthen teachers' abilities to be professional resources for each other, school improvement, and district reform.

  Teacher Activism
 

BPE convenes a teacher advisory network who, together, learn and give feedback to city and state policymakers about their current and proposed efforts. The Boston Teacher Action Network helps teachers to expand their own knowledge about issues in school reform and build relationships with similarly motivated colleagues.

  Teacher-Designed Learning
 

BPE is home to Fund for Teachers-Boston. Local teachers use these competitive grants to pursue rich, engaging learning experiences during the summer that have lasting impact on their practice, their students, and their school communities.