Peer Assistance & Review (PAR):
“Peer Assistance and Review” in Desert Sands is described in Appendix D of the DSUSD/DSTA Collective Bargaining Agreement. Peer assistance is required of permanent certificated employees receiving two (2) areas of unsatisfactory performance on summative professional evaluations, or available when teachers self-refer to the district’s PAR Council. PAR support involves individualized coaching focused on instructional practice to address areas of improvement identified in administrators’ action plans.
INDUCTION (FORMERLY BTSA):
Desert Sands implements innovative teacher induction (formerly BTSA) through recruiting, training, and rotating a pool of highly qualified coaches. Working in conjunction with the Center for Teacher Innovation (CTI) in the Riverside County Office of Education, eligible credential candidates complete a two-year job-embedded induction program with an assigned coach, structured around the California Standards for the Teaching Profession, and monitored by CTI and the District's Peer Assistance and Review (PAR) Council.