The purpose of the professional student teaching program is to provide a planned, carefully supervised learning experience for the student teacher that allows him/her not only to demonstrate but to improve his/her resourcefulness as a teacher in a school setting. The student teacher is expected to be in school except for excused and legal reasons for absence to fulfill the purpose of student teaching.

Definitions

Absence: Nonattendance at school for any reason when the school is in session including inservice, professional development, or special days that count toward the school calendar (e.g., parent conferences).

Excused absence: Nonattendance due to illness, bereavement, emergency, and professional meetings. Students attending meetings and professional opportunities with the cooperating teacher shall not count the days as an absence. Additional excused absences include reasons in accordance with regulations established by law such as holidays and religious ceremonies.

Termination Due to Excessive Absence: Excessive absence (excused or unexcused) may result in the termination of the student teaching assignment. A student teacher who is registered for twelve (12) hours of credit and is absent a total of six (6) or more instructional days due to illness, emergency, or personal reasons or any combination of these reasons should expect to be withdrawn from his/her student teaching assignment.

The decision to terminate the assignment of a student teacher due to absence in excess of the limits of this policy is the responsibility of the coordinator acting in consort with the cooperating teacher, building principal, and Director of the Office of Student Field Experiences.

The student teacher may be permitted to make up the days missed by extending the student teaching period. Consideration should be given to this option instead of termination in situations where the performance level of the student teacher indicates completion of the experience with a “competent” or higher evaluation.

The coordinator and cooperating teacher are expected to keep records of days absent, reasons for absence, and open communication between or among all parties. (Absence Form)

Admission to Teacher Education

The application for Admission to Teacher Education is found at http://www.uni.edu/teached/students/forms.shtml.

The application for Admission to Teacher Education is not the same as the Application for Student Teaching.

The requirements for admission are found at: Requirements for Teacher Ed

All teacher education majors must complete the application received at Round Up and attend the appropriate departmental or division meeting. All applications must be turned in at the time of the scheduled departmental meetings. Students applying after the departmental meetings are not guaranteed a student teaching placement during the requested semester. Late applicants may be placed in the semester following their application, but there is no guarantee that placements will be in the centers requested.

All majors are expected to complete their student teaching application at the department or division meetings. Applicants are required to prepare their application in duplicate. Late applicants should report directly to the Office of Student Field Experiences.

Department or division meetings for all applicants (i.e. Early Childhood, Elementary, Special Education, Secondary and Special Subject Areas) will be determined by each division provided in the Round-Up materials. Note the date, time and place for department or division meeting. Double majors or those seeking more than once endorsement should report to the meeting scheduled for their first major to compete their application. Advisers will be present at the department or division meeting to give assistance in completing the required application. The completed application forms are to be returned to the faculty member(s) conducting the meeting to return to OSFE.

Students who decide to change semesters within the same academic year do not need to file a new application; however, there is no guarantee of center preference. The Office of Student Field Experiences must be informed of any changes. Failure to notify OSFE may result in a cancelled student teaching assignment.

Justification for the first, second, and third choices should be clearly stated on the placement request form which is filed electronically through MyUniverse. Financial hardship is not an acceptable justification for center choice. Students are advised to make plans to accommodate their financial needs during student teaching and not rely solely on a convenient placement to meet their financial need. It is not possible to honor all requests due to contractual agreements, number of student teachers, the need to balance applicants between periods and centers and grade and/or subject levels of students receiving placements.

The Office of Student Field Experiences seriously considers center preferences; however, there is no guarantee that the student teaching assignments will be at one of the student’s three choices.

Approval for student teaching is granted by the Office of Student Field Experiences under the guidelines of the Council on Teacher Education. Approval for student teaching is contingent upon the following:

• All GPA requirements met—2.50 or above: UNI, cum, professional education sequence (licensure) courses, major(s) (see department for requirements), methods (see department requirements)
• High Risk Behavior/Substance Abuse certificate
• Successful completion of required methods courses (see department requirements)
• Acceptable professional dispositions (absence of Notifications of Concern)
• Successful completion of Level II field experience

Recommendation for Licensure

• GPA—2.50 or above: UNI cum, total cum, and for all areas for which an endorsement is sought (majors/minors)
• Successful completion of student teaching, including acceptable performance on a Teacher Work Sample
• Acceptable professional dispositions (absence of Notification of Concern)

State Rules

• Required OSHA Universal Precautions Standards Training—before working with any children, on or off campus
• High Risk Behaviors—during 200:128 semester, spring and fall. Must have certificate to student teach.
• PPST—attain all three minimum scores set by UNI
• Child Abuse Mandatory Reporter Seminar—required of all teachers. Do semester before student teaching to have this done.
• Full Background Check—do the semester before student teaching (includes fingerprinting)
• PRAXIS II—attain State cut-off score (for K-3 and K-6 endorsements)

Students, on occasion, withdraw from the teacher education program to pursue a non-teaching degree. Students who later decide to complete the teaching program must be readmitted to the Teacher Education Program.

Policy Statement:

The coordinator may recommend an assignment change for a student who has potential but may be experiencing difficulty with the school setting or be involved in a personality conflict with the supervising teacher.

If the coordinator elects to change the assignments within the center he/she should inform the Office of Student Field Experiences of the change, the building assignment and supervising teacher.

Should the coordinator decide that a change of center is desirable the Office of Student Field Experiences should be notified of the change of assignment.

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