If you have any concerns about the progress of your student teacher, it is important to work closely with the University Supervisor in helping the student teacher. Concerns may be related to a variety of areas: readiness for the student teaching practicum or internship; receptivity to suggestions; attention to professional expectations (timeliness, preparation, etc.); content area preparation; professional interactions with students, colleagues, administrators; health.

The following guidelines provide stages that are helpful in dealing with some concerns:

• Discuss the concern with the student.  Identify specific actions that will indicate improvement.
• Work with the University Supervisor to develop a plan to assist the student.
• Work with the faculty, supervisor and program coordinator to develop an official plan of assistance (See Retention Policy).

Site Placement Change Policy

Consideration of a request for a site placement change requires a thorough review of the student teacher’s current placement and program.

Procedures

1.   Formal request for a site placement change must be made to the appropriate program coordinator.  A written description of the request, the person requesting the change and the rationale for the request will be placed in the student’s file.

2.   The appropriate program representative (e.g., program coordinator, program chair) will convene a conference to discuss the request.  The student, university supervisor and others as needed (e.g., cooperating teacher; campus instructors; public school supervisors; Field Placement Coordinator) will attend the conference.  A summary of the meeting will be placed in the student’s file.

3.   If appropriate, a plan of assistance for improvement to deal with problems at the current placement site will be prepared by the office of the Field Placement in consultation with the university supervisor and other program and/or public school representatives.  (The procedures for this action are outlined in the Retention Procedures of Professional Teacher Education Programs, see appendix B.)  A copy of the plan of assistance for improvement will be placed in the student’s file.

4.   If appropriate, a site change will be recommended and a program representative will work with the Field Placement Coordinator to identify a new placement.

Retention Policy

Student retention in the Professional Teacher Education Program is based upon the academic and professional judgment of the university faculty responsible for the evaluation of the student’s academic, practicum, and student teaching performance.  The faculty considers not only academic abilities and skill performance when making retention decisions about students, but also such aspects as whether the student has appropriate levels of maturity, judgment, emotional stability, sensitivity to others and whether or not the student exhibits appropriate professional conduct.  The teacher education faculty has developed this Retention Policy based upon continuous evaluations of students in the Professional Teacher Education Program by university faculty and staff and by public school cooperating teachers and administrators.  Students are evaluated on the benchmarks established by each program and on their ability to successfully plan for instruction, establish a classroom climate conducive to learning, exhibit professional behaviors, ethics and values, evaluate student progress, and on their ability to engage students in planned learning activities.  In addition, the evaluation of the student’s cooperating teacher and building principal are considered by each of the programs (Agriculture, Early Childhood/Elementary, Family and Consumer Science, Foreign Language, Health, Language Arts, Music, Physical Education, Professional Technical, and Science and Math).  The following information and procedures are established to guide decisions regarding the retention of students in the program.

 

Academic, Practicum and Student Teaching Performance

Throughout each term, faculty members and practicum or student teaching supervisors meet to evaluate each student’s progress in academic work and practicum or student teaching effectiveness.  Those students assessed as having difficulty will receive feedback concerning their progress from their advisor and other appropriate university faculty.

1.  Academic performance

Students must meet the academic standards of a graduate-level program in order to continue in the Professional Teacher Education Program (see Graduate Bulletin for details).

Each program provides students with benchmarks of required student academic, practicum, and student teaching performance that indicate successful completion of each step throughout the program.  In addition, course outlines may define academic performance necessary for continuation in the program.  The academic standards as outlined in the benchmarks and course syllabi must be met in order to continue.

2.  Student teaching performance

A student may be removed from a practicum or student teaching site by the Professional Teacher Education Program if his or her performance does not meet benchmark requirements or if performance is determined to be consistently inadequate, inappropriate, or unprofessional by the university supervisor.

A student will immediately be removed from the site school at the request of the school principal (or appropriate administrator).

Failure to make satisfactory progress

The process identified in the steps below will be afforded the student if it is felt that he or she is not making satisfactory progress as outlined in the benchmarks and/or course syllabi:

1.  Identification of the problem

When serious concerns have been raised about a student’s academic, practicum, or student teaching performances (by OSU faculty, supervisors, cooperating teachers, or school administrators), OSU faculty (and cooperating teacher if appropriate) will meet to determine a plan for assisting the student. Notes of the meeting will be placed in the student’s file in the central office.

2.  Meeting with the student: Plan of Assistance for Improvement

The OSU faculty (and the cooperating teacher, if appropriate) will schedule a meeting with the student to discuss the specific concerns within one week of the development of the plan for assisting the student.  Documentation of the concerns will be available at the meeting.  The OSU faculty member will inform the student of the concerns and include specific suggestions for improvement in a Plan of Assistance for Improvement.  A copy of this plan will be placed in the student’s file in the central program office.  Changes that must occur in the student’s performance in order for him/her to be retained in the program will be identified in writing.  A date will be set when the student’s performance will be reevaluated in the light of the Plan of Assistance for Improvement.

3.  Retention decision meeting

The student will be notified of the retention decision at a meeting with OSU faculty, including appropriate representatives of the College(s) and/or cooperating teacher.

Decisions regarding retention may be appealed to the Director of the School of Education.  Decisions of the Director are appealed to the Dean of the Graduate School.