Delaware Teacher Recruitment & Selection Toolkit

The purposes of the Delaware Teacher Recruitment and Selection Toolkit are to assist district/school administrators and staff in effectively:

1. Thinking strategically and comprehensively about the recruitment and selection of the district/school's most valuable assets - teachers;
2. Learning more about how to apply the most effective practices in recruitment and selection of teachers as part of their educator effectiveness strategies;
3. Identifying immediate actions that can be ta ken; and
4. Using and/or adapting tools and templates that are aligned with the Delaware Performance Appraisal System (DPAS II) components, criterion, and performance levels.

This toolkit is a resource for district/school administrators and other staff involved in the selection and hiring of teachers.  It offers practical guidance to district/school leaders for a comprehensive approach to the selection of teachers.  The contents of the Toolkit are based on the latest literature and effective practices.  The toolkit includes examples, templates, resources, and references.

District/school administrators may:

1. Determine which templates the district/school wants to use and/or adapt.  There are templates in each section as well as in the Compendium of Templates for Districts/Schools to Use and/or Adapt.  The Toolkit includes the follow types of templates that are flexible for districts/schools to use:
• Planning effective recruitment activities
• Timelines and/or calendar
• Team assignment of roles and responsibilities and team meeting notes
• Letters/emails to successful and unsuccessful applicants/candidates
• Tracking applicants/candidates through the processes
• Screening and selection protocols
• Evaluation of applicants/candidates
2. Learn more about the most effective practices in recruitment and selection of teachers.
3. Use the information to determine which strategies the district/school is already effectively implementing.
4. Determine and implement additional strategies into the district/school's recruitment and/or selection polices and procedures
5. Explore the additional information and resources provided in the toolkit.

The content of the Toolkit is based on best practices and research.  The major sections of the toolkit are listed below.  To download any of the sections individually, click on the blue hyperlinks below.  The entire toolkit is also available for download: 2016 Delaware Teacher Recruitment and Selection Toolkit .

1. Introduction to the Delaware Recruitment and Selection Toolkit (49 pages)
2. Comprehensive Teacher Recruitment Process (102 pages) - The guiding questions for the Comprehensive Teacher Recruitment and Selection section are:
• When and how do districts/schools prepare to find the best teacher applicants?
• What are the most effective recruitment methods and activities?
3. Creating Systems for Screening and Selection of Applicants and Candidates (70 pages) - The guiding questions for the Creating Systems for Screening and Section of Applicants and Candidates section are:
   • What are the major components of screening and selection systems?
   • How can districts/schools incorporate a competency-based selection model?
   • In what ways can districts/schools integrate the DPAS-II components, criteria, and indicators into a competency-based selection model?
4. Screening Job Applications and Applicant Pools Process (104 pages) - The guiding questions for the Screening Job Applications and Applicant Pools Process section are:
   • What process and criteria will be used for the initial screening of applicants?
   • Who will conduct the initial screen of the application materials?  Who will conduct the telephone interview screens?  How will staff conducting the initial screens know and understand the competencies needed for each of the openings?  Who will communicate and schedule these activities with applicants?
   • In what ways will a district/school track the screening process, criteria, and decisions?
5. On-site Interview Process and Procedures (98 pages) – The guiding questions for the On-site Interview Process and Procedures section are:
   • What are the process and procedures for effective, structured interviews of candidates?
   • How do districts/schools ensure they are following legal guidelines and best practices when conducting interviews?
6. Demonstration Lessons (38 pages) – The guiding question for the Demonstration Lessons section is:
   • How can districts/schools design and implement a systematic demonstration lesson process and procedures as part of the selection process?
7. Competency Based Reference Checking (47 pages) – The guiding questions for the Competency-Based Reference Checking section of the toolkit are:
   • What is the purpose of reference checking?
   • What competencies are to be assessed during the reference check process?
   • Why is competency-based reference checking important?
8. Glossary of Terms and Acronyms   (22 pages)
9. Annotated Bibliography (28 pages)
10. General Information (22 pages)
• Background Information on the Every Student Succeeds Act & Title II
• Delaware Department of State School District General Records Retention Schedule (Personnel Records)
11. Compendium of Templates for Districts/Schools to Use and/or Adapt (125 pages) - The Toolkit contains 36 templates that may be adapted for districts and schools to use:
    • Microsoft Word version
    • PDF version

The Toolkit was developed by staff of the Mid-Atlantic Comprehensive Center (MACC) .  Authors included: Beverly Mattson, Laura Taylor, Corinne Eisenhart (RMC Research Corporation), and Aimee Evan (Quill Research Associates). For more information about the Mid-Atlantic Comprehensive Center@WestEd, refer to Appendix C in the introduction section.

The contents of this toolkit were developed under a cooperative agreement with WestEd for the Mid-Atlantic Comprehensive Center, award #S283B120026, from the U.S. Department of Education. The contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the US Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government.

Preferred Citation: Mattson, B., Taylor, L., Eisenhart, C., and Evan, A. (2016). Delaware teacher recruitment and selection toolkit. Developed for the Delaware Department of Education, Teacher and Leader Effectiveness Unit. Washington, DC: Mid-Atlantic Comprehensive Center, WestEd.
© 2016 Mid-Atlantic Comprehensive Center.

The Mid-Atlantic Comprehensive Center and the U. S. Department of Education retain sole copyright and ownership of this product. However, the toolkit may be reproduced and distributed with two stipulations: (1) the preferred citation, noted on this page, must be included in all reproductions, and (2) no profit may be made in the reproduction and/or distribution of the material. Nominal charges to cover printing, photocopying, or mailing are allowed.