Program Holds Promise For Classroom Instruction

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(KNOX) – State School Superintendent Kirsten Baesler said that North Dakota has become the first state to gain approval for a “lead teacher” apprenticeship program, which holds the potential to transform classroom instruction and school leadership.

The Fargo and Northern Cass school districts will be trying out the program during the coming school year, with 15 teachers in the two districts receiving specialized training in the method this fall, Baesler said. The program is designed in collaboration with Arizona State University.

The approach emphasizes using teams of teachers, each one with specialized expertise, in classroom instruction, rather than the traditional approach of one teacher, one classroom. Each team is directed by a lead teacher, who would complete 10 separate “micro-credential” courses to earn an NDDPI lead teacher certificate.

Students receive more thorough, comprehensive, and personalized instruction from the method, while teachers have less pressure and more peer support in their jobs, as well as new opportunities for advancement, Baesler said.