Teacher (T) Knowledge Base

(6600-T-P) Optima Professional Development Certification Program (PDCP) - Mentor Teacher

Optima is the first Charter School Management Organization operating in the state of Florida that has received state approval for a proprietary professional development certification program (Optima PDCP). The Optima PDCP admits superior teacher candidates who have been identified as showing potential for success in the teaching profession. The program ensures high-quality field and clinical experiences, including feedback and support for each candidate, and prepares candidates to instruct students to meet high standards of academic achievement and the ability to positively impact student learning growth. These aims will be accomplished through the following program components:
  • Mentorship
  • Required readings
  • Group instruction
  • Individual instruction
  • Self-reflection
  • Observation
  • Goal tracking
  • Demonstration
Mentor Teacher (MT) – a trained master teacher with demonstrated achievement results who is paired with program candidates to observe, provide guidance and support, establish individualized goals and professional development plans, and track the candidates’ progress throughout the program.
  1. 1

    Indicator 1.2 Data Collection and Reporting: Admitted Candidates – Collecting

    1. Admitted Candidates
      • Mentor Teachers will schedule biweekly meetings with each candidate to review progress through each step and to ensure that he or she is on track to complete on time.
      • Mentor Teacher will evaluate the candidate during the first two weeks of school, on a rating scale of 1 to 4 using the Get Better Faster Scope & Sequence (GBFSS) (Appendix B):
        • 1 = Unsatisfactory
        • 2 = Needs Improvement/Development
        • 3 = Effective
        • 4 = Highly Effective
    2. Enrolled Candidates
      • Mentor Teacher and Program Leader will work together to develop an individualized professional development plan after the initial evaluation.
      • Mentor Teacher will ensure that any technique scored at a 1 or 2 will become part of the candidate’s individualized PD plan and will be worked on in phases.
      • Mentor Teacher will support the development of teachers through the phases of the GBFSS with the goal that teachers are proficient in all GBFSS action steps by the end of their first schoolyear in the program.

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  2. 2

    Indicator 1.2 Data Collection and Reporting: Admitted Candidates - Monitoring

    1. Admitted Candidates
      • School Leader will pair Admitted candidates with a Mentor Teacher (MT) who will lead the development of the candidate’s teaching practices, primarily through a weekly observation cycle.
      • Mentor Teacher schedules, conducts, and documents weekly classroom observations in the Observation Tracker (Appendix A).
      • Mentor Teacher schedules, conducts and documents weekly feedback meetings.
        • The meeting includes both positive and constructive feedback as well as planning and practicing implementation.
        • The focus of the constructive feedback will be called the weekly action step, which are bite-sized, measurable through observation and highest leverage.
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  3. 3

    Indicator 1.2 Data Collection and Reporting: Admitted Candidates - Reporting

    1. Admitted Candidates
      • Mentor Teacher will report the following content of the Observation Tracker (Appendix A) to the Program Leader weekly.
        • Date of observation
        • Type of interaction;
        • Time/class observed
        • Action step
        • Evidence of change from previous observation
        • Summary of observation notes.
    2. Enrolled Candidates
      • Mentor Teacher will report the following content of the Observation Tracker (Appendix A) to the Program Leader weekly.    
        • Date of observation
        • Type of interaction;
        • Time/class observed
        • Action step
        • Evidence of change from previous observation
        • Summary of observation notes
      • Mentor Teacher will report to the Program Leader no less than monthly regarding the progress of their mentees in the program using the Observation Tracker. This reporting shall include a summary of the weekly observations, action steps, improvements made and areas for improvement remaining.
      • Mentor Teacher will report the candidate’s progress on the FTCE pre-test, professional exam and/or study.com coursework, using the Study.com progress report.
  4. 4

    Indicator 1.3 Individualized Plan

    • Any technique scored at a 1 or 2 will become part of the candidate’s individualized PD plan and will be worked on in phases. Mentors will support the development of teachers through the phases of the GBFSS with the goal that teachers are proficient in all GBFSS action steps by the end of their first school year in the program.
    1. Mentor Teacher evaluate candidates during summer professional development using the following rating scale of 1 to 4 using the Get Better Faster Scope & Sequence (GBFSS) (Appendix B):
      • 1 = Unsatisfactory
      • 2 = Needs Improvement/Development
      • 3 = Effective
      • 4 = Highly Effective
    2. Mentor Teacher evaluate candidates during the first two weeks of school using the following rating scale of 1 to 4 using the Get Better Faster Scope & Sequence (GBFSS) (Appendix B):
      • 1 = Unsatisfactory
      • 2 = Needs Improvement/Development
      • 3 = Effective
      • 4 = Highly Effective
    3. Mentor Teacher develops an individualized professional development plan based on the candidate’s initial evaluation.
      • Any technique scored at a 1 or 2 will become part of the candidate’s individualized PD plan and will be worked on in phases.
    4. Mentor Teacher provides support for the development of teachers through the phases of the GBFSS with the goal that teachers are proficient in all GBFSS action steps by the end of their first school year in the program.

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  5. 5

    Indicator 2.1 Uniform Core Curricula

    • The Optima PDCP adheres to FLDOE Rule 6A-5.065 The Educator Accomplished Practices, which establishes six teaching principles as the competencies necessary for educators to achieve optimal student achievement. These principles, known as the Florida Educator Accomplished Practices (FEAPs) are:
      1. Instructional Design and Lesson Planning
      2. The Learning Environment
      3. Instructional Delivery and Facilitation
      4. Assessment
      5. Continuous Professional Improvement
      6. Professional Responsibility and Ethical Conduct
    • The FEAPs are core standards for effective educators and the foundation of Florida’s teacher preparation programs, certification requirements, and evaluation systems. The Optima PDCP is formulated around these standards to promote a common language and state wide understanding of expectations for quality instruction and professional responsibility. Completion of the Reading Competencies 1 through 4 are offered through the state-approved reading endorsement program, Literacy Solutions. See Reading Matrix in attached Appendix J.
      1. Competency 1: Foundations of Reading Instruction
      2. Competency 2: Application of Research-Based Instructional Practices
      3. Competency 3: Foundations of Assessment
      4. Competency 4: Foundations & Application of Differentiated Instruction
    • Completion of the Reading Competency 1 and 2 are offered through the state-approved district reading endorsement program. These courses may also be completed through an approved vendor or university.
      1. Competency 1: Foundations of Reading Instruction
      2. Competency 2: Application of Research-Based Instructional Practices
    • The Optima PDCP’s alignment with FEAPs is displayed in Table 1 and alignment with the Uniform Core Curricula in Table 2.
      1. Mentor Teachers provide directions on how the candidate completes the Optima PDCP Courses:

    • Candidates complete the 12 Optima PDCP courses.
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  6. 6

    Indicator 2.2 Passing Results on FTCE

    1. Mentor Teacher recommends  Study.com  to complete per the Curriculum in table 3 of the Optima PDCP.
      1. 7. Knowledge of research-based practices appropriate for teaching English Language Learners (ELLs)    
        • 7a. Relate the nature and role of culture, cultural groups, and individual cultural identities into learning experiences for all students.
        • 7b. Analyze student developmental characteristics in relation to first and second language literacy acquisition stages to design instruction for students.
        • 7c. Interpret the Consent Decree to integrate teaching approaches, methods, strategies, and communication with stakeholders in order to improve learning for ELLs.
        • 7d. Evaluate and differentiate standards-based curriculum, materials, resources, and technology for ELLs based on multicultural, multi-level learning environments.
        • 7e. Analyse assessment issues as they affect ELLs and determine appropriate accommodations according to ELLs' varying English proficiency levels and academic levels.
      2. Knowledge of effective literacy strategies that can be applied across the curriculum to impact student learning.
        • 8a. Apply effective instructional practices to develop text reading skills in the appropriate content area.
        • 8b. Select instructional practices for developing and using content area vocabulary.
        • 8c. Determine instructional practices to facilitate students' reading comprehension through content areas.
        • 8d. Apply appropriate literacy strategies for developing higher-order critical thinking skills.
        • 8e. Select appropriate resources for the subject matter and students' literacy levels.
        • 8f. Differentiate instructional practices based on literacy data for all students.
    2. Mentor Teachers provide directions on how the candidate completes the Optima PDCP Courses:
      • Course 1: Being a Classical Education Teacher
      • Course 2: Philosophy of Classical Education
      • Course 3: Classroom Management
      • Course 4: Engaging Rigor in the Classroom
      • Course 5: Effective Lesson Planning
      • Course 6: Data Driven Instruction
      • Course 7: Technology in the Classical Classroom
      • Course 8: Understanding Florida Standards Assessments
      • Course 9: Curriculum Instruction (Customized)
      • Course 10: Instruction for Exceptional Students
      • Course 11: Instructional Strategies for ESOL Students
    3. Candidates complete the 11 Optima PDCP courses.
    4. Candidate will take an FTCE pre-test on Study.com  (optional).
      • If the candidate achieves a passing score on the pre-test, they may sign up to take the state test or elect to undertake a test preparation program.
      • If the candidate’s score is below passing, then they should undertake a test preparation program through Study.com.
    5. Mentor Teachers will, using the results of the pre-test, work with the candidate to craft an individualized study plan, pulling from the hundreds of lessons and modules available onStudy.com (see Appendix K).
    6. Mentor Teachers will monitor the candidate’s progress on the study plan on the Study.com website, which shows lessons and modules completed by the candidate.
    7. Mentor Teachers will assign periodic practice tests (see Appendix L) to monitor the candidate’s improvement.
    8. Candidates in the same testing cohort will have the opportunity to participate in weekly study group sessions and receive additional tutoring support from the Mentor Teachers.


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  7. 7

    Indicator 2.3 Teacher Mentorship and Induction Component

    • Candidates admitted to our program will be paired with Mentor Teachers (MTs), master teachers with demonstrated achievement results, who will lead the ongoing professional development targeted to each teacher’s needs. The primary vehicle for this development is the weekly observation cycle. Each weekly cycle is composed of at least one observation in the classroom and a one-on-one feedback meeting. The meeting content includes both positive and constructive feedback as well as time to plan and practice the implementation. The focus of the constructive feedback for each weekly cycle will be called the action step.
    • Action steps are bite-sized, measurable through observation and highest leverage, meaning the successful implementation will yield improved classroom results. The content of each feedback meeting will be tracked using a spreadsheet called the Observation Tracker ( Appendix A ). The tracker will include the following data: date of observation; type of interaction; time/class observed; action step; evidence of change from previous observation; and summary of observation notes. To ensure effective teacher development, Mentor Teachers will consult with the Get Better Faster Scope & Sequence (GBFSS) ( Appendix B ) and sequence of action steps during observations and the planning of each one-on-one feedback meeting. 
    • The GBFSS, adapted slightly for the classical education model, splits the trajectory of teacher development into two tracks (management track and rigor track) and it sequences the school year into separate phases:
      • Phase 1: Pre-teaching (August/Summer PD)
      • Phase 2: Days 1-30
      • Phase 3: Days 31-60
      • Phase 4: Days 61-90
      • Phase 5: Stretch it/Next steps.
    • Additionally, MTs will use the accompanying Get Better Faster Instructional Coach’s Guide ( Appendix C).The management trajectory includes the following:
      • develop essential routines and procedures;
      • roll out and monitor procedures;
      • engage every student; and
      • set routines and discourse.
    • The rigor trajectory includes the following: 
      • write and internalize lesson plans;
      • independent practice;
      • respond to student learning needs;
      • lead student discourse 101; and
      • lead student discourse 201.
    • Candidates will engage and reflect on their own development through the one-on-one feedback meetings, observation of other teachers (as arranged by the MT) and tracking feedback they’ve received from their MT. During each feedback meeting with his/her MT, each candidate will be required to complete a Weekly Meeting Notes Page ( Appendix D ), which includes the following data: date; meeting type (feedback / data); strengths; action steps; timeline; notes for planning and practice; follow-up steps.
    • In preparation for each feedback meeting, the MT and candidate will coordinate the recording of video footage for each observed lesson. Prior to the feedback, candidates will review the footage of his/her lesson and will subsequently submit a Self-Reflection Video Observation Form ( Appendix H ) which will be reviewed during feedback meetings.
    • The mentoring program includes a trained Mentor Teacher that engages in weekly sessions with the mentee during common planning time following a deliberate and sequenced approach to creating an effective teacher, as measured by student learning gains. Mentors and mentees are matched at the discretion of the School Leader based on a variety of factors (matching a mentor’s strengths to a mentee’s weaknesses, aligning grade level experience, professional rapport, etc.)
    • Candidates enter the program in July of the year in which they receive a temporary certificate, and they are immediately assigned a MT who will remain paired with the candidate until professional certification is achieved. 
    • The Program Leader (which may or may not be the School Leader) is directly responsible for oversight of the mentor/mentee program and relationships.
    • The School Leader has the final say on assignment of mentee to mentor teachers.
    • The key purpose of the coaching process is not to evaluate the teachers, but to develop them. This is accomplished through routine and frequent observations each week that focus on changing one or two specific teacher behavior’s through repeated planning, practice and follow up of desired skills. 
    • Mentees will also have opportunities to observe other teachers, co-teaching experiences and common planning time with their MT and other experienced teachers. 
    • The MT will work with the
      Program Leader to schedule and implement these opportunities in accordance with the individualized professional development plan or as recommended by the MT throughout the course of the program. 
      • Appendix A – Observation Tracker
        • Provides monitoring tool for the MTs and teachers.
      • Appendix B – Optima / Get Better Faster Scope and Sequence
        • Provides framework on the coaching content.
      • Appendix C – Optima / Get Better Faster Coach’s Guide
        • Resource guide for Mentor Teacher that also would have been trained in the coaching process.
      • Appendix D – Teacher’s Weekly Meeting Notes
        • Allows for the planning and implementation of the coaching feedback.
      • Appendix H – Self-Reflection Video Observation Form
        • Candidate evaluates the lesson and reviews self-reflection with his or her MT.
    • Weekly Coaching Cycle There are three principles of coaching employed by MTs based on the Get Better Faster framework:
      • Granular, sequenced feedback – each week, the mentor focuses on one or two defined skills that need to be developed based on the coach’s observation. These skills are defined in the scope and sequence (Appendix B). Teacher growth comes from working on one or two skills at a time and mastering those skills before moving further on in the sequence.
      • Plan, Practice, Follow up, Repeat – This cycle is critical to actual teacher behavior change. The teacher will plan the changed behavior, practice outside of the classroom with the mentor, the mentor will follow-up and observe this changed behavior in the actual classroom, and this cycle will be repeated until mastery is achieved. The key is both practice in and out of the classroom until mastery is achieved. The teacher reflects and applies their learning on their weekly meeting notes (Appendix D).
      • Frequent Feedback – The feedback cycle is weekly, and conducted in real time. These are targeted, effective observation and feedback sessions that stress the immediacy of feedback as this is critical to achieve changed teacher behavior. The mentor tracks the observation and feedback sessions on the Observation Tracker (Appendix A). It is during these sessions that the mentor will also work with the teacher on adjusting lesson plans to enable effective implementation of the teaching practices.
      • Model the Exemplar – The goal is to have the teacher observe a model of the teaching technique the mentor is working on with the teacher. This modelling is critical to get to mastery. The modelling can be done through the mentor modelling in a live class, having the teacher observe another master teacher, or through video exemplars either through Optima’s library or other master teachers’ videos.
    • Professional Development tied to Coaching -Each teacher’s professional development plan is aligned to formal coursework in the classroom management and rigor trajectories as well as the weekly coaching and development meetings. The development plan is aligned to the FEAPs and the Uniform Core Curricula (UCC).
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  8. 8

    Indicator 3.1 Mentor Qualifications

    1. Mentor Teachers will meet each of the criteria as specified in the standard, including:
      • Hold a valid professional certificate issued by the department;
      • Earned at least three (3) years of teaching experience in prekindergarten through Grade 12;
      • Completed specialized training in clinical supervision (see below);
      • Earned an effective or highly effective rating on the prior year’s performance evaluation under s.1012.34, F.S.;
      • Agree to participate in ongoing mentor training as cited in s.1012.98(3)(e), F.S. and specified below:
      • Teacher development
      • Peer coaching
      • Time management
    2. Specialized training in clinical supervision Program Leader will manage Mentor Teacher training, which will consist of:
      • Virtual
      • Group
      • Individual instruction
      • Required readings
    3. Program Leader will schedule monthly meetings with Mentor Teachers in Training (MTT) as a group.
  9. 9

    Indicator 3.4 Feedback

    • Enrolled Candidates Optima schools employ a coaching model based on the Get Better Faster Scope & Sequence (GBFSS) (see Appendix B). This model uses constant observation and feedback of enrolled candidates’
      performance and uses a system for documentation (Observation Tracker, see Appendix A ) that allows feedback to be tracked and built upon.
      1. School Leader assigns a Mentor Teacher to each candidate.
      2. Mentor Teacher will observe their mentee at least once a week, looking for the highest leverage action items (from GBFSS) to give his or her mentee. The highest leverage action item can be defined as the one or two action items that will have the greatest impact on student learning.
      3. Mentor Teacher will, in a weekly structured feedback meeting, use the following model for Giving Effective Feedback (see Appendix E): See it, Name it, Do it.
        • The See it portion will include: See the Success, See the Model, and See the Gap.
        • The Name it portion will include: Name the Action Step. This is where the mentee is given a clear “what to do” action step with clear and precise “how to” guidelines. The action step is recorded by the mentee in his or her Weekly Meeting Notes Template (see Appendix D) and Observation Tracker (see Appendix A).
        • The Do it portion of the feedback meeting includes: Plan Before Practice, Practice, and Follow-Up. The follow-up portion is critical to the process of helping teachers grow and develop.
      4. Mentor Teacher will follow-up with the teacher within a week’s time, ideally sooner, to make sure the step is being implemented.
      5. Mentor Teacher will give real-time feedback, if necessary, as a corrective to make sure the action step is being practiced correctly.
      6. Mentor Teacher will include feedback at the next feedback meeting on how the teacher implemented the action step.
        • Mentor Teacher will give the mentee another highest leverage action item to work on, if the action step is perfected.
        • If the action step has not been mastered, the mentee will continue to work on the same step.
      7. Mentor Teachers will use iReady results of these measurements and observations to review in the weekly feedback meeting.


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  10. 10

    Indicator 4.2 Candidate Performance Monitoring

    • There will be a number of internal checkpoints throughout the program to ensure candidates have met high standards before advancing through the program. The program – which is aligned to Get Better Faster Scope & Sequence (GBFSS) ( Appendix B ) – uses the following phases as checkpoints before advancement:
      • Phase 1: Pre-teaching (August/Summer PD)
      • Phase 2: Days 1-30
      • Phase 3: Days 31-60
      • Phase 4: Days 61-90
      • Phase 5: Stretch it/Next steps
    • Within these phases, running parallel, are tracks for classroom management and rigor.
      • Mentor Teacher observes candidates and confirm that they master all techniques within one phase before moving on to the next.
      • Mentor Teacher monitors and records candidate progress on the Observation Tracker (Appendix A), which is aligned with GBFSS.
      • Mentor Teacher monitoring occurs on a weekly basis and takes place during the mentor’s feedback meetings with the candidate.
      • Mentor Teacher will monitor candidates’ performance on the UCC via classroom observations and PDCP coursework assignments and assessments.
      • Mentor Teacher documents these results in the candidate’s observation binder and reviews them with the candidate in the weekly meeting between the mentor and mentee.
      • Mentor Teachers review the results of the analysis with the candidates and document findings and resulting action steps.

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  11. 11

    Indicator 4.2.2 Candidate Performance Remediation

    1. Mentor Teacher recommends a candidate for remediation (to the Program Leader), or the Program Leader or School Leader can assign remediation, if any of the following occur:
      • Teacher is rated as needs improvement or unsatisfactory on three or more of the GBF techniques and does not show improvement after coaching, co-teaching, observation, and practice.
      • Candidate does not complete assigned materials on Study.com, or does not show improvement on Study.com practice exams.
      • Candidate does not achieve a passing grade on three or more required course work assignments or assessments.
      • Student learning impact data indicates poor student achievement gains.
      • Candidate is unable to pass the FTCEs.
    2. Program Leader will work with the Mentor Teacher to develop an individualized remediation action plan with clear steps that need to be taken and timeline for improvement. These steps may include:
      • Additional Study.com coursework
      • Tutoring or group study sessions
      • Re-taking of courses, assignments, or assessments
      • Additional assignments or assessments
      • More frequent observations
      • Co-teaching
      • Observing other teachers
      • Recording of lessons with detailed review/coaching session
    3. Program Leader will schedule a formal meeting to communicate the individualized remediation action plan will take place in a formal meeting with the Mentor Teacher.
    4. Mentor Teacher will provide frequent observation and feedback (more than once a week), and, depending on the severity of remediation needed, the MT may stay with the teacher in his or classroom each day, and in some cases take over the class to serve as a model.
    5. Mentor Teacher will report the candidate’s progress on the remediation action plan to the Program Leader weekly.
    6. Program Leader and Mentor Teachers will determine, if candidates who do not improve after the remediation action plan is implemented, will be asked to repeat the program the following schoolyear.
  12. 12

    Indicator 4.3 Monitoring Learning Resources and Teacher Mentorship and Induction Component

    • Observations and Feedback
      • Mentor Teachers will video record feedback given to their mentees and these videos will serve as a critical component for review and analysis in the overall refinement and honing of their skills– especially the importance of selecting the highest leverage action steps given to their mentees.
      • Program Leader will review the video with the Mentor Teacher and provide feedback on their performance, and may consult with the mentee on the effectiveness of the feedback directly.
  13. 13

    Indicator 4.4.1 Continuous Improvement Process - Responsibilities

    • The stakeholders involved in the continuous improvement process include:
      • Mentor Teacher (MT) – a trained master teacher with demonstrated achievement results who is paired with program candidates to observe, provide guidance and support, establish individualized goals and professional development plans, and track the candidates’ progress throughout the program. Mentor Teachers will be asked to provide feedback on the program via a survey and a group discussion with the school’s Program Leader. Results will be reported to the Program Director and considered in the annual stakeholder meeting.
    • The Program Leader oversees the Mentor Teachers and the Mentor Teacher Training Program. The Program Leader may or may not be the School Leader. The Program Leader receives feedback from Mentor Teachers and Program Candidates on the school campus via surveys and group discussion. The Program Leader relays feedback to the Program Director along with recommendations for improving or enhancing the program. They also participate in the annual stakeholder discussion to help determine action steps.