PREP Mentorship Program

The Preparing and Retaining Educators through Partnership (PREP) Mentorship Program is dedicated to empowering campus, district, and EPP staff to effectively support pre-service and new teachers through high-quality, job-embedded mentorship.

The program is a TEA-funded initiative implemented by ESC Region 11 that trains experienced teachers to support beginning educators, ultimately strengthening teacher preparation and retention across Texas.

Our goal is to ensure that every beginning teacher in Texas receives the guidance and support needed to thrive, leading to increased teacher effectiveness, higher retention, and a lasting impact on student success. By building strong mentorship foundations, we aim to create a future where every Texas student is taught by a confident, capable, and committed educator.

The Texas Mentorship Training (TMT) is rooted in the vision for teacher effectiveness as captured in the Classroom Teacher Pedagogy Standards. The training will reinforce TEA’s vision, training, and support for:

• High-Quality Instruction Materials Implementation
• High-Leverage Instructional Leadership Practices
• Effective Teacher Preparation
• Strategic Staffing Initiatives

Through the PREP Program Allotment, districts can receive funding to implement high-quality mentorship for beginning teachers.

Mentorship Training Pathways

The Texas Mentorship Training includes two pathways, each designed to support different roles in mentoring programs:

Pathway 1: Mentoring Educators – Equips teachers who directly mentor teacher residents or early-career educators with the knowledge and skills to support effective classroom practice. Training topics for Mentor Teachers (provided by the ESC Mentor Fellow) are grounded in teacher pedagogy standards and instructional leadership practices. Topics include:

• Effective Mentoring Partnerships and Behaviors
• Co-Teaching Practices
• Learning Environment
• Instructional Preparation
• Data-Driven Instructional Practices

Pathway 2: Campus and District Leaders – Builds the capacity of school and district leaders to create, implement, and sustain impactful mentoring programs. Training topics for district and campus leaders (provided by the ESC Mentor Fellow) focus on program design, implementation, and long-term sustainability. Topics include:

• Vision-Setting and Performance Management
• Mentor Recruitment, Selection, and Assignment
• Mentor Training and Ongoing Support
• Master Scheduling and Release Time
• Program Sustainability and Scaling