SIEC Launch!

Why?

High teacher turnover undermines student achievement and consumes valuable staff time and resources. Research shows that on average, rural and suburban school districts can spend between $9,000 and $11,000 on each new hire, including school and district expenses related to separation, recruitment, hiring, and training. These investments don’t pay their full dividend when teachers leave within 1 or 2 years after being hired. One proven strategy to retain new teachers is embedded in this program. Research advises - Do not make new teachers go it alone. Prepare them and support them!

Program Overview

Launch is an intensive 4-day program that includes high-leverage content and experiential learning to ensure the success of any beginning teacher. Documents utilized for this work are individualized to the specific teacher content (such as school curriculum maps) and district (such as the evaluation rubric). Additionally, participants will receive two on-site coaching visits and virtual coaching sessions for one semester.

Training and Coaching Schedule:

Day 1 - Standards, Curriculum Mapping, Teacher Agency, and Teacher Evaluation

Day 2 - Classroom Management

Day 3 - Student Engagement and Culturally Responsive Teaching

Day 4 - Planning & Instruction: UDL, Differentiation, Assessment, and Grading Practices

INCLUDES:

Follow-up On-site Coaching Visits: Two in-person coaching visits for one semester.

Follow-up Virtual Coaching: Once a week for one semester

Full support and collaboration with the building principal are assumed, as these factors are critical for teacher success.

Teachers Begin Their New Position Prepared and Confident!

Details

Location: SIEC Office, 1102 Tree Lane Drive, Jasper, IN 47546

Time: 9:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. EASTERN (each day)

Dates: July 20-23, 2026

Registration Fee: SIEC Members $850 per person/ Non-members $1190 per person (non- ESCI/SIEC members)

*Lunch is included in the registration.

*Each participant will receive 40 Professional Growth Points upon successful completion of the program.

*All participants should bring a fully charged laptop to use during the session.

*The SIEC Launch program also serves as the kick-off for all SIEC Career Specialist Pedagogy (CSP) Program participants.

Presenter: DeAnne Taggart

Ms. Taggart has 21 years of K-12 classroom experience, two years of central office administration experience (K-12 school district), and nine years of extensive experience as a Director of Professional Learning and Solutions Specialist for a state education service center. She is a graduate of Indiana University (Bloomington, Indiana) and Indiana Wesleyan University (Marion, Indiana). She is currently enrolled and working toward her Ph.D. in Educational Studies with a focus on Educational Technology at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. She has served as a curriculum development trainer, an academic/leadership coach, a collaboration coordinator, a professor to preservice teachers, and has developed a wide variety of professional learning sessions aligned to the needs of educators including ten different new teacher cohorts over multiple school years. Ms. Taggart’s interests include pursuing continual home improvement projects as well as the mountain of books that are on her must-read list. She has two children and three grandchildren who are a source of tremendous joy in her life.