To: Prospective Student Teachers

From: Henry St. Maurice, Director of Field Experiences

RE: Frequently asked questions about student & intern teaching

1. When do I apply for Student Teaching? Applications for student teaching are taken by the Office of Field Experiences (OFE) at a meeting held in the first month of the semester preceding the one when you plan to student teach. Watch for posted dates and places. In the meantime, you are welcome to stop by our office at 464 CPS with any questions.

2. Where are policies and procedures published? The School of Education Handbook is available in room 469 CPS and on the web at http://www.uwsp.edu/Education/Reference/Handbook/

The Handbook for Student Teaching is also on-line at

http://www.uwsp.edu/cps/field/download

It is also for sale at the University Bookstore. You may get a copy whenever you wish. The more familiar you are with its contents, the greater your chances of success in carrying out student teaching, preparing professional credentials, obtaining a license and pursuing a teaching position.

3. What are the prerequisites? To apply for student teaching, you must have a g.p.a. of at least 2.75 in every program for which you would be seeking certification. To student teach for initial certification, you must have completed 100% of the pedagogical methods courses in your major, 100% of the courses in any minor (or minors) for which you plan to apply for certification, as well as passing grades in Praxis II test(s). For adding endorsements to an existing license, rules vary depending upon program area.

4. How many assignments must I have? You must student teach in your major in order to graduate and obtain initial certification, in most cases. If you have completed all requirements for a certifiable minor, you may choose to pursue certification in that additional subject area by requesting either a split assignment during a single student teaching semester, or an additional assignment before or after full-semester student teaching. For a full-semester student teaching for initial certification, you may request a split assignment; however, such assignments are sometimes difficult to obtain and complete.

The OFE does not guarantee the availability of initial student teaching assignments beyond the minimum range of grade levels in your major. For minors or extended ranges of grade-level, you have choices, not obligations for initial certification. As you explore various options, please bear in mind that quantity of experiences does not replace quality of experience. It is a policy in some programs that student teachers can assume only two assignments per semester, including coursework and work-study as well as additional endorsements. For all student teachers, one or two good experiences are better than many mediocre ones.

If you are eligible for additional license endorsements, you may request them after your assignments have begun by writing to the OFE. You must have written approval from an appropriately licensed cooperating teacher as well as your supervisor and program area chair or area director.

5. What is lobbying? Under no circumstances does UWSP condone actively seeking a student teaching assignment through unwelcome contacts with cooperating school administrators, teachers, or staff. If you do not appropriately meet with cooperating professionals, any contacts you pursue by such so-called "lobbying" could lead to denial of your application for student teaching as well as refusal by a cooperating school or agency, not only of your application but those of others.

6. What are conflicts of interest? Student teachers may not be assigned in cooperating schools and classrooms where the following conflicts occur: the student teacher has a child in that school building; the student teacher has a direct relative in that school building in a teaching or administrative capacity, or a direct relative in that school district in an administrative capacity; the school district has explicitly stated a policy regarding former students of that district's schools returning as student teachers. It is the policy of the OFE to defer to UWSP program area policies and local school district policies regarding assigning former students as student or intern teachers. The OFE may terminate any student teaching assignment in which a conflict of interest is found to occur, in accordance with the termination clause in the Handbook for Student Teaching and the affiliation agreements under which it is implemented in cooperating districts

7. What locations can I request for my student teaching? For student teaching assignments, the UWSP service area ranges from Interstate Highway 90-94 in the south to Rhinelander in the north, Greenwood in the west to Appleton/Neenah/Menasha in the east/southeast. Any requests for assignments outside that range or outside the state must be made in person to the Director of Field Experiences (DFE), whose approval may depend on clearance from other teacher education programs in the area of the request. If the DFE and cooperating programs approve, there will be a fee for supervision services rendered, to offset unanticipated costs assumed by UWSP at the student's choice. Supervision fees are entailed for urban teaching in the Milwaukee Public Schools, for which it is strongly recommended that student teachers have prior experience in urban living and teaching. Some student teaching assignments may be overseas, which also entail supervision fees. Such requests will be considered only in conjunction with at least one-half semester of student teaching in Wisconsin. For information about overseas student teaching, ask the OFE.

8. What are internships and how are they assigned? Internships are assignments in which student teachers are given temporary certification and partial contracts. Following guidelines made by the Wisconsin Improvement Program (see http://www.dpi.state.wi.us/dpi/dlsis/tel/wip.html ) internship requests originate from school districts to meet various needs such as staff development or temporary staff shortages. As such, they may be posted anytime. Applications for internships may be submitted anytime. Nominations may also be taken anytime by the OFE from program areas. If you wish to apply for an internship, you should have a cumulative g.p.a. of at least 3.0; upon applying, you may have an interview with the Director of Field Experiences, followed by interviews at one or more schools or agencies. There are many uncertainties about internships. We at the OFE cannot be sure of the content and timing of any such assignment, but will make every effort to assure you that your application will be fully considered and fairly handled.

Frequently Asked Questions About Internships

1. How are internships designed? Before anyone can be a candidate for a Wisconsin Improvement Program teacher internship, a local education agency must complete a Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction Form 1690, Internship Request, and submit it to the WIP office at the DPI. This request must state that an intern shares a maximum 50% teaching load with one or more licensed and qualified cooperating teachers. An internship request must be approved by the cooperating teachers, an administrator at the building level, a superintendent or agency director, and a local education association representative, where appropriate under a master contract agreement.

WIP information is available on line at: http://www.dpi.state.wi.us/dpi/dlsis/tel/wip.html

At the same time that a request is approved by the WIP office, it is made available to UWSP candidates. Local education agencies cannot select interns who have not been approved by a WIP representative in an approved teacher preparation program. Intern candidates who seek internships without prior approval may face penalties.

2. How are candidates selected for internships? Applications for internships in elementary, kindergarten and exceptional education are collected with student teaching applications. All internships are open to nominations by faculty or school administrators. Candidates may then be subject to prerequisites within academic program areas, including a rating system. Finalists are notified and asked to interview with the Director of Field Experiences, at which time available and prospective internships are discussed.

All intern candidates maintain active requests for student teaching, which, if approved, would allow them a choice between internship and student teaching.

Local school or agency administrators usually interview selected candidates, and may require additional materials before making an official offer of internship. These materials may include letters of reference, teaching portfolios, test scores, and personal data. After an official offer, an intern receives an official notice of appointment.

3. How do interns meet requirements for teaching minors or additional grade levels? Depending on the type of internship, some teaching minor and grade level requirements would be approved for initial licensure without additional experiences (e. g., an intern in grade 5 with a math minor and middle-school methods course would be eligible for licensure for ages 6-13 in elementary grades1-8 and math in grades 1-8 without additional student teaching in a middle or junior high school). Such interns would remain registered in appropriate sections of student teaching for additional endorsements. Certain minors may have requirements for additional experiences, usually fulfilled before or after the internship semester (e.g., preschool student teaching during the term before a semester in a kindergarten internship along with primary student teaching). Please see your adviser for specific requirements.

4. How do interns register for intern teaching sections? Interns remain registered in student teaching sections until the internship begins, at which time the Director of Field Experiences will change their transcripts. No one else may register for intern sections.

5. How do interns obtain intern licenses? Upon notice of internship from a school or agency, an intern must submit an intern license application at the Office of Field Experiences. This application must be done at UWSP; no one may submit an intern license application directly to DPI. The fee is $50, payable to DPI

6. Are there fees for internships? As of July 1, 2005, a fee of $200 per full semester internship will be assessed to cover UWSP intern program expenses which have been assumed at the intern’s choice.

7. What is the internship stipend? Interns are paid a stipend from local education agency payrolls, subject to withholding. As of July 1 2002, the minimum intern stipend is $4500 per full semester.

8. What are internship professional development funds? Interns and their cooperating teachers are encouraged to plan professional development activities, some of which may be reimbursed by WIP with funds set aside from each approved internship. You will be sent application information when your intern license is approved. DPI Form 1692 application for WIP Funds may be downloaded at

http://www.dpi.state.wi.us/dpi/dlsis/tel/wip.html

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT

STUDENT / INTERN TEACHERS’ SUMMATIVE EVALUATIONS

What are summative evaluations? Summative evaluations are documents that verify the completion of student or intern teaching. They are based on the ten Wisconsin Teacher Standards, and must be written by a cooperating teacher who is qualified to do so, by virtue of holding the same license sought by a candidate, having minimum seniority, and training in Wisconsin Administrative Rules PI34.

What forms are used for summative evaluations? The protocol required by this institution of higher education’s profession preparation programs is available on line at

http://www.uwsp.edu/cps/Field/download/

Click on “UWSP Student & Intern Teacher Evaluation Protocols.” It is also published in the UWSP Handbook for Student Teaching, available as a download at the same site, by mail, or for sale at the University Bookstore.

When are summative evaluations due?

A summative evaluation report for each license endorsement sought by a student or intern teacher must be part of that student or intern teacher’s portfolio at a capstone seminar held each semester during the final week of classes at UW-SP. Summative evaluation reports may be submitted at that time in draft or provisional form if the student or intern assignment is not yet complete.

By the end of the cooperating school semester, final versions of all summative evaluation reports must be on file in the Office of Field Experiences (OFE), as paper copies signed by the cooperating teacher(s), supervisor(s) and the student or intern teacher.

How many cooperating teachers must write and submit summative evaluations?

There must be at least one summative evaluation report for each teaching major and minor for which a student or intern teacher is approved for license endorsement. Two or more cooperating teachers may jointly write and co-sign one report addressing two or more endorsements, but each endorsement must be indicated.

How many proactive and summative evaluations must be in the portfolio?

According to DPI Rule PI34.15 (5) 3 (b), “ The cooperating teacher's evaluation of the student teacher shall become part of the student's portfolio.” At least one summative evaluation report and at least four proactive evaluation reports must be included in each portfolio. All evaluation reports must be on file in the OFE by the end of the cooperating school semester.