Using Title II funding, the Twin Falls School District has developed a fine-tuned program which provides retired certified master teachers as mentors for teachers who are new to the profession.  The mentors meet for training before the first day of school.  At new teacher orientation, they meet as a group with the new teachers and are trained together.  The mentors meet with their “novice” teacher frequently during the school year and are a great source of expertise in many areas of teaching.  When not meeting in the classroom, they keep in touch by email and phone calls to encourage the novice teacher.  During the new teachers’ first year, not only do they have their own mentor, but they meet frequently during the year with the district’s instructional coaches to receive further training on subjects such as classroom management, data evaluation, SIOP/WIDA/ICS, reflective teaching, formative assessments, and interventions. Coaches also follow up with second-year teachers who no longer have a retired teacher-mentor by offering several days training throughout the year.

Title II funds are used for released-time master teachers who are assigned to each school as instructional coaches.  Instructional coaches receive training on their roles during the summer. Not only do they work with novice teachers, but they meet with grade-level teams and provide help with instruction and ideas for teachers who have varied years of experience. Instructional coaches and their assignments are listed below: