Section 100.2 General School Requirements

(iii) provision for the training of employees holding a teaching certificate or license in the classroom teaching service, school service, or administrative and supervisory service in school violence prevention and intervention. Each such employee shall be required to complete at least one training course in school violence prevention and intervention, which shall consist of at least two clock hours of training that includes but is not limited to, study in the warning signs within a developmental and social context that relate to violence and other troubling behaviors in children; the statutes, regulations, and policies relating to a safe nonviolent school climate; effective classroom management techniques and other academic supports that promote a nonviolent school climate and enhance learning; the integration of social and problem solving skill development for students within the regular curriculum; intervention techniques designed to address a school violence situation; and how to participate in an effective school/community referral process for students exhibiting violent behavior. Upon request of the employee who successfully completes such training course, the school district or board of cooperative educational services shall provide the employee with a certificate of completion attesting to the completion of the two clock hours of training in school violence prevention and intervention; and

(iv) for plans covering the time period, February 2, 2004 and thereafter, provision for a mentoring program.

(a) The purpose of the mentoring program shall be to provide support for new teachers in the classroom teaching service in order to ease the transition from teacher preparation to practice, thereby increasing retention of teachers in the public schools, and to increase the skills of new teachers in order to improve student achievement in accordance with the State learning standards.

(b) The professional development plan shall describe how the school district or BOCES will provide a mentoring program for teachers in the classroom teaching service who must participate in a mentoring program to meet the teaching experience requirement for the professional certificate, as prescribed in section 80-3.4 of this Title.

(c) The mentoring program shall be developed and implemented consistent with any collective bargaining obligation required by Article 14 of the Civil Service Law, provided that nothing herein shall be construed to impose a collective bargaining obligation that is not required by Article 14 of the Civil Service Law.

(d) The information obtained by a mentor through interaction with the new teacher while engaged in the mentoring activities of the program shall not be used for evaluating or disciplining the new teacher; unless withholding such information poses a danger to the life, health, or safety of an individual, including but not limited to students and staff of the school; or unless such information indicates that the new teacher has been convicted of a crime, or has committed an act which raises a reasonable question as to the new teacher's moral character; or unless the school district or BOCES has entered into an agreement, negotiated pursuant to Article 14 of the Civil Service Law whose terms are in effect, that provides that the information obtained by the mentor through interaction with the new teacher while engaged in the mentoring activities of the program may be used for evaluating or disciplining the new teacher.

(e) The professional development plan shall describe the following elements of the mentoring program:

(1) the procedure for selecting mentors, which shall be published and made available to staff of the school district or BOCES and upon request to members of the public;

(2) the role of mentors, which shall include but not be limited to providing guidance and support to the new teacher;

(3) the preparation of mentors, which may include but shall not be limited to the study of the theory of adult learning, the theory of teacher development, the elements of a mentoring relationship, peer coaching techniques, and time management methodology;

(4) types of mentoring activities, which may include but shall not be limited to modeling instruction for the new teacher, observing instruction, instructional planning with the new teacher, peer coaching, and orienting the new teacher to the school culture; and

(5) time allotted for mentoring, which may include but shall not be limited to scheduling common planning sessions, releasing the mentor and the new teacher from a portion of their instructional and/or non-instructional duties, and providing time for mentoring during superintendent conference days, before and after the school day, and during summer orientation sessions.