Policies & Procedures -- O to P

 

Center Orientation

Center orientation sessions are arranged prior to student teaching for each semester. Center coordinators make the necessary arrangements and communicate this information to students. Student teachers are not to contact the cooperating teachers until they are instructed to do so by the coordinator.

 

Out-of-State Student Teaching Agreement

Agreement:

The “host” institution (UNI) shall, upon written request from a student’s home institution, make arrangements for placing and providing supervision for the student.

Remuneration:

Remuneration for this service is $1250 and is due to the Office of Student Field Experiences by the end of the first week of the student teaching field experience.

Center Choices:

The student will be assigned to one of the existing UNI student teaching centers identified on the student teaching web page.

Evaluation:

The “home” institution will provide then necessary evaluation forms. The final copy will be forwarded to the Director of Student Teaching of the “home” institution or designee.

UNI student teaching is evaluated on a credit/no credit basis. Letter grades are not given. If the “home” institution awards letter grades, it shall be the responsibility of the “home” institution to determine the grade(s) based on the evaluation provided. The UNI Coordinator of Student Teaching will not recommend a grade unless specifically requested to do so.

Personal and Professional Data

Eight copies of the PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL DATA IN SUPPORT OF APPLICATION FOR STUDENT TEACHING (background papers) must be prepared and submitted to the Office of Student Field Experiences in the manila folder provided at Round Up. The forms are available on the student teaching web pate. Due dates are provided in the Round-Up materials.

Personal Conduct

Personal conduct is a reflection upon the student teaching program and the University of Northern Iowa. The University expects all student teachers to conduct themselves professionally at all times.

All student teachers are expected to abide by the policies, rules and regulations of the assigned school. Students who fail to meet these expectations will have their student teaching assignment terminated.

Policy Statement

The University of Northern Iowa shall, when requested, cooperate with out-of-state teacher education institutions in the placement of student teachers provided the request does not deny a University of Northern Iowa applicant an assignment nor create an overload for the resident coordinator of student teaching.

Postponement or Cancellation of Application

Postponement or cancellation of the student teaching application may be necessary for personal reasons. If this is necessary, the student must contact the Office of Student Field Experiences.

Priority for Student Teaching Assignment

A priority system for a student teaching assignment is not operative. Consideration will be given to the center choices provided through the placement request form.

Preferences:

All applicants for a student teaching assignment are given a choice of three regional student teaching centers listing in order of preferences. The student should not interpret this preference of center choice as a guarantee the request will be fulfilled. When feasible, consideration will be given to those applicants who have family or obligations of a critical nature to support a need for their first choice center.

Right to Refuse:

Local school districts of each of the cooperating centers may exercise the right to refuse a student teacher applicant. Such a refusal should be based on the inability to locate a suitable placement or the opinion that the applicant does not meet the expectations for a successful experience for the student or the cooperating center.

The University of Northern Iowa is an equal opportunity educator. Therefore, this refusal should be without regard to race, religion, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, or disability status or any status protected by law.

 

Procedure for Intention to Write a Proposal for External Funding

All coordinators are encouraged and invited to pursue external funding sources for OSFE projects. In order to coordinate these efforts, an Intent to Write a Proposal for External Funding must be completed and submitted to the Dean’s office one week before the proposal’s due date.

 

Professor/Coordinator Evaluation Procedures

Evaluation of Professor/Coordinators are referenced in A Master Agreement Between the State of Iowa Board of Regents and the UNI-United Faculty, Article Three.

 

Professor/Coordinator Position Description

Policy Statement on the Role of the Professor/Coordinator

The primary functions of the Professor/Coordinator include: managing a regional student teaching center; placing and supervising pre-service teacher education students in a student teaching experience; conducting regularly scheduled observations; completing evaluations of student teachers; serving as faculty by focusing on teaching, research, and service; and facilitating the center cadre as appropriate.

The role of the Professor/Coordinator plays out in varying ways which result in site-specific programming predicted upon the diverse structures, resources and circumstances of each regional student teaching center.

Supervision/Teaching Responsibilities

• Coordinate the student teaching field experiences
• Conduct interviews and make placements in center communities and schools and with specific cooperating teachers
• Conduct student teacher orientation meetings on campus and in the regional center
• Implement and provide ongoing assessment of the student teacher curriculum
• Visit/observe in student teacher classrooms at least every other week
• Conduct student teacher seminars
• Conduct conferences with student teachers/cooperating teachers concerning the student teachers’ professional/personal development
• Establish a process for journaling with student teachers throughout the experience
• Assist students with the Teacher Work Sample
• Compile and collect the necessary data regarding each student teacher’s field experience and prepare a comprehensive report that evaluates the student teacher’s performance and enter the data into the MyUniverse system
• Teach identified courses as appropriate
• Work with center professionals to facilitate the student teaching field experience
• Provide center personnel with inservice as to the nature and purposes of the student teaching program and how it relates to teacher education
• Become acquainted with school programs and instructional administrative personnel
• Orient, train, and assist school personnel in supervisory practices and with major elements of the student teaching program
• Counsel with cooperating teachers concerning their individual classroom procedures, desirable student teacher experiences, the evaluation process, and expectations for all unexpected problems they may experience during the student teaching assignment
• Facilitate the solution to situations that affect the cooperating teacher and their relationship with the student teacher
• Serve as a liaison between the University of Northern Iowa and regional center school districts
• Manage, promote, and help with the activities of the student teaching cadre; this includes organization, selection, participation in meetings and projects, the training of members, and all other related endeavors
• Be the administrator of clinical supervisors; when appropriate help select, provide in-service and training, serve as counsel and help to remedy all situations and
• questions, and offer assistance as needed
• Be the administrator for the regional center for UNI activities
• Promote UNI programs in the local area
• Assist prospective students, both undergraduates and graduates
• Assist area educators with possible extension services
• Keep appropriate UNI personnel aware of regional center involvements and needs
• Report feedback provided by center teachers/administrators with appropriate UNI faculty or department members

 Research Responsibilities

Professional Responsibilities

Professor/Coordinator Selection Procedures

The Office of Student Field Experiences/ University of Northern Iowa are an Equal Opportunity Employer and adheres to Affirmative Action policies. For “The Principles, Standards, and procedures for Faculty Appointments” refer to the Polices and Procedures Manual as well as any applicable sections of the faculty collective bargaining agreement.

For further information refer to the College of Education, “Guidelines for Faculty Search Process.”

 

 

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