On June 1, 2006 the long awaited Student Performance Act (Bill 78) received Royal Assent. It redefined the process by which new teachers are to enter the teaching profession. The New Teacher Induction Program (NTIP) shifts the focus for new teachers away from survival to a learning environment. The provisions of Bill 78 now define new teachers as being either new to the profession or new to teaching with a publicly funded school board in Ontario.

As of 2008, occassional teachers who are on an LTO assignment for 97 continuous days or more and is replacing the same teacher for that assignment are now included in NTIP. 

In 2009, the NTIP process was extended to second year teachers.  If a teacher has completed their NTIP program in their first year, they are not obligated to participate in the second year, but they may do so voluntarily if they feel the professional learning opportunities meet their needs.

NTIP contains three compulsory elements:

• Orientation (at the Board and school levels)

• Professional Development

• Mentoring

• Ministry priorities (Literacy & Numeracy, Student Success, Safe Schools)

• Classroom management

• Planning

• Communication with parents

• Teaching students with special needs

Although the professional development opportunities offered must include the areas listed above it is the new teacher who identifies the professional development they feel they need to participate in.

The mentoring component of NTIP should be ongoing for the new teacher’s first year of teaching. Mentors and new teachers form their relationship through mutual desire. Principals are not to assign mentors to new teachers as they see fit. Mentors act in a supportive role assisting the new teacher in a variety of areas that are determined by the new teacher and the mentor. Release time for both the new teacher and the mentor must be provided for. Mentors must not become involved in any aspect of evaluation of the new teacher.

As an assistive device the Ministry has produced an NTIP Strategy Form. This form must be completed by the new teacher in consultation with their mentor. The form is not a checklist for the principal but the principal does need to view the completed form to verify its completion.
The only component of NTIP that involves only the new teacher and the principal is the Teacher Performance Appraisal. New teachers must receive two satisfactory ratings in their first two years of teaching. Any new teachers who receive a “development needed” or “unsatisfactory” on a Performance Appraisal are strongly urged to contact the District 14 office.

Teaching will always include levels of stress, especially for new teachers, but the New Teacher Induction Program is a welcome change that should make the introduction to the profession far less stressful.