COLLEGE OF STATEN ISLAND/CUNY
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Student Teaching and Special Education Practicum Handbook
2008-2009

For programs in Undergraduate Early Childhood, Childhood, and Adolescence Education; and student teachers in Sequence 2 Graduate Childhood, Adolescence, and Special Education

Office of Fieldwork 3S-208
718-982-3715

Table of Contents

What do I need before I student teach/start a special education practicum?

• Student Teaching Requirements
• Special Education Practicum Requirements

How do I apply for student teaching/special education practicum?

• Student Teaching Application Steps
• Special Education Practicum Application Steps

• Candidates must work full-time in a school for 14-weeks for a total of 400 hours (350 hours for early childhood). For elementary school, the hours are generally 8:30am-3:30pm. Hours for junior and senior high schools vary. Please confirm times
• Candidates experience two grade levels appropriate for their program, each for 7 weeks. Program placements are as follows:



Program	Placement Level
Early Childhood (175 hours each)	K and Grades 1-2
Childhood	Grades 1-3 and 4-5
Intermediate and Adolescence**	Grades 7-8 and 10-12
Adolescence exclusively	Grades 9 and 10-12


^**Students in the Adolescence Education programs who might wish to teach in a middle school should do the majority of their student teaching/special education practicum placement at a middle school.

Paraprofessionals remain in their assigned schools and classes as long as they are within their certification area. Some work in other settings may be necessary to complete program requirements. A student teaching/special education practicum plan must be approved by the director of fieldwork.

• Candidates are formally observed a minimum of 4 times by their College supervisor; twice in each placement. Lessons must be prepared ahead of time and handed to the College supervisor on the day of the observation, or earlier. Please choose subject areas in collaboration with your cooperating teacher and supervisor. A variety of subject areas and teaching styles should be presented. After each observation, candidates and supervisors meet to discuss the observation.
• Candidates attend a weekly student teaching/special education practicum seminar. Candidates in Early childhood and in the Sequence 2 graduate programs meet weekly at the College. For undergraduate programs in Childhood and Adolescence Education, the weekly seminar is an additional course and candidates must enroll in the appropriate co-requisite as indicated below.
  
  

  Program	Co-requisite seminar course
  Childhood	EDE 402
  Adolescence	EDS 401

  
  Candidates complete a minimum of two field assignments for their program portfolio as part of their student teaching/special education practicum seminar. See your syllabus for details.
• Candidates must keep careful records of time spent in the classroom and in preparing with the cooperating teacher. Lunch is not recorded. These time sheets need to be signed by the cooperating teacher, the building supervisor, and by the candidate and submitted to the Office of Fieldwork at the official end of student teaching/special education practicum. No grades can be given without timesheets on file with the College.
• student teaching/special education practicum and the seminars are graded on a pass/fail basis. To complete student teaching/special education practicum, candidates must successfully complete the above requirements. The College supervisor and the cooperating teacher must agree that the candidate has acquired the skills, competencies and dispositions necessary to independently take over a class.

• Establish on-going communication with the cooperating teacher, including a scheduled weekly planning conference.
• Address problems or concerns immediately through discussion with the College supervisor and the cooperating teacher.
• Assume increasing responsibility for all aspects of classroom teaching, including planning and implementing instruction, classroom organization and assessment of student progress.
• Follow the placement school’s calendar and daily schedule.
• Participate in school related activities with the cooperating teacher, including faculty meetings, professional development opportunities, parent-teacher conferences and interdisciplinary team meetings.
• Keep accurate time sheets signed by the cooperating teacher and the building supervisor and submit them to the Office of Fieldwork. The time sheet is available for printing here.
• Notify the school and cooperating teacher in event of an absence. The College supervisor should also be informed. Lengthy absence may result in an extended placement in order to meet required hours.
• Be proactive! Take the initiative in becoming involved in the classroom. Ask for opportunities to assist. Seek out productive activities to become involved in.
• Develop a receptive attitude towards suggestions and critiques. Constructive feedback from the cooperating teacher and the College supervisor is essential for the student teacher’s professional growth and helps develop the candidate into a reflective practitioner.
• Fill out a self-evaluation form online for either student teaching or special education practica.
• Receive a score of 2 at least once on all of the items on supervisor or cooperating teacher evaluations. You will be assessed four times by your supervisor and a total four times by you cooperating teachers during your clinical practice. On each item of the evaluation form they will all use, you must obtain at least one score that is a 2 or higher. If you do not, you cannot pass your clinical fieldwork course, and must retake it another semester.
• Fill out a site evaluation form. (see Appendix 4).
• Complete assignments on student teaching/special education practicum course syllabus:
  • Steps to completing the assignments are here.
  • The matrices of all key assignments—as well as the rubrics for their grading—are here.
  
  
  ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF
  THE COOPERATING TEACHER
  
  The cooperating teacher plays a fundamental role in the student teaching/special education practicum experience since he or she works the most closely with the student teacher. Cooperating teachers are positive role models for teacher candidates and therefore demonstrate the teaching profession in a positive light, reflecting high quality teacher performance. They are exemplary teachers selected by their principals according to carefully constructed criteria (see Appendix 7). Cooperating teachers are expected to show commitment to mentoring a teacher candidate by:
  • maintaining a positive respectful attitude toward the students and the student teacher.
  • ensuring that the student teacher has maximum exposure to planning and delivery of instruction.
  
  

  Please remember: Student teachers are more than an extra pair of hands. Their primary duties are instructional in nature. They should not be used to photocopy, create general school displays, do lunch duty, or otherwise cover non-instructional tasks. While recognizing that these tasks comprise part of every teacher’s day, student teachers have limited time with you and are eager to learn!

  
  Cooperating teachers are also expected to:
  • Communicate school and classroom policies and procedures, the curriculum, daily schedules, texts, and resources to the student teacher.
  • Provide the student teacher with a class list, copies of texts, curriculum guides, assessment tools and any other resources important in daily instruction.
  • Provide guidance and opportunity for the student teacher to gradually increase classroom responsibilities. Student teachers should be teaching the majority of the day for a minimum of two weeks at the end of their placement. This should include lessons they have developed in conjunction with the cooperating teacher.
  • Provide on-going, honest, and constructive feedback regarding the student teacher’s professional growth to both the student teacher and the College supervisor. Schedule weekly conferences to review lessons and discuss instruction. Efforts should be made to participate in post-observation conferences with the College supervisor and student teacher.
  • Address concerns immediately through honest, open dialogue with the student teacher and College supervisor (if necessary).
  • Complete a final evaluation form for the student teacher of the student teacher’s performance near or at the end of the placement and share it with the student teacher. The evaluation is then given to the College supervisor or submitted to the Coordinator of Fieldwork. It is recommended that the cooperating teacher keep a written record of his or her observations of the student teacher to aid in weekly conferences with the student teacher and also to facilitate completion of the final evaluation form (see Appendix 3).
  • Complete a cooperating teacher data form and submit to College supervisor or Office of Fieldwork (see Appendix 8).
  
  

  Note: Cooperating teachers are offered a tuition waiver of three credits that can be used at any CUNY campus. Alternatively, CSI offers trial memberships to its health facility or tickets to a show at the CSI Center for the Arts.. To be eligible, cooperating teachers must successfully supervise a student teacher for 14 weeks. This may take place during one semester or over two separate semesters. The vouchers will be processed once the final evaluation form has been received by the Coordinator of Fieldwork. Information will be mailed to your school at the end of each semester.

  
  
  
  ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF
  THE COLLEGE SUPERVISOR
  
  The College supervisor serves as the primary liaison between the student teacher, the partner school and the Office of Fieldwork at the College of Staten Island. As a full-time or adjunct member of the education faculty who is highly qualified in his or her field, College supervisors have vast experience in the supervision and professional development of teachers (see Appendix 9). College supervisors aid student teachers in the development of their educational philosophies and classroom practices through frequent personal contacts, classroom observations, and conferences. The College supervisor is expected to:
  • Attend meetings and functions related to student teaching/special education practicum throughout the semester.
  • Attend training in use of CSI Education Dept. assessment system, TK20.
  • Serve as a personal resource to guide the student teacher in all aspects of the experience including professional and interpersonal issues.
  • Address problems or concerns immediately through open dialogue with the student teacher, cooperating teacher, and Director or Coordinator of Fieldwork.
  • Arrange to meet jointly with the cooperating teacher and student teacher early in the semester to review expectations and requirements that facilitate an effective working relationship.
  • Formally observe the student teacher four times over the course of the semester, followed by post-observation conferences. Pre-observation conferences can also be helpful. Try to schedule post-observation conferences when the cooperating teacher is available.
  • Fill out an evaluation of student teaching/special education practicum form for each of the four formal observations, with particular attention to the final observation. The final observation is the most complete picture of the student teacher’s development over time (see Appendix 3). These must be submitted within 1 week of the observation.
  • Observe and evaluate 2 key assessment assignments in the areas of technology and adapting instruction for the student teaching/special education practicum seminar. These are part of the 4 formal observations. The assignments and reflections are graded on a rubric (Appendix 6).
  • Share written evaluation reports with the student teacher and return signed forms to the Office of Fieldwork, along with lesson plans for the lessons observed.
  • Collect and evaluate all lesson plans for observed lessons, and discuss with the student teacher during formal conferences.
  • Collect final evaluation form and cooperating teacher data form from each cooperating teacher and turn in to the Office of Fieldwork (see Appendix 3 and 8).
  • Fill out a site evaluation form (see Appendix 4).
  
  
  
  
  

  The Student Teaching/special education practicum Experience

  
  
  Once the candidate receives his or her letter of placement, the excitement begins. Student teachers have many questions about their new school, their cooperating teacher, their College supervisor, and what will be expected from them during their 14-weeks in a classroom. This section outlines the activities expected of the candidate, the cooperating teacher, and the College supervisor during the course of the student teaching/special education practicum semester.
  
  The Early Days of Student Teaching/Special Education Practicum—Week One
  
  Introduction to the school
  All schools handle introductions differently. In some schools, the principal or assistant principal holds an orientation for student teachers. In other schools, the cooperating teacher or another staff member may provide this function. In any case, the first week should be one where the student teacher becomes familiar with the following:
  • physical layout of the school, including restrooms and teacher lounges
  • school rules and regulations
  • school administration
  • school calendar
  • physical layout of the classroom
  • class rules and management procedures
  • the class’ daily schedule
  • instructional resources such as the library, resource room and available technology
  • curriculum and materials
  • student records, reports, and grading policies
  
  The cooperating teacher can help the student teacher ease into their new role in the classroom in a number of ways. For instance, the cooperating teacher can:
  • Provide seating charts so the student teacher can associate names with faces
  • Provide books and materials being used in the classroom
  • Provide the student teacher with a “personal space” to use each day
  • Share routines and discipline methods
  • Orient the student teacher about how to handle situations as they arise that may be unfamiliar to him or her.
  • Orient the student teacher about communications with parents
  • Describe the subject matter to be taught and which parts the student teacher may be interested or responsible for implementing.
  • Provide suggestions for preparing learning activities
  
  At this time the student teacher should be observing as much as possible and debriefing with the cooperating teacher. In addition, the student teacher can begin to assist in the classroom by taking attendance, distributing supplies, etc., and by providing individual tutorial assistance.
  
  

  Adolescence Education
  Many student teachers in adolescence education become the primary teacher for 1-2 periods a day during their first week of student teaching/special education practicum. This is up to the cooperating teacher and building supervisor.

  
  
  
  Beyond Observing—Weeks Two through Four
  During this period, responsibilities should be increased as quickly as possible. The rate at which added responsibilities are assumed will vary based on the individual student teacher. The student teacher, with the assistance of the cooperating teacher, should begin to develop and deliver lessons.
  
  The progression generally follows the outline below.
  • Teaching small groups as directed by the cooperating teacher
  • Planning, implementing, and assessing a lesson for a small group
  • Co-teaching a lesson to the full class with the cooperating teacher
  • Planning, implementing, and assessing a lesson for the full class
  • Preparing, implementing, and assessing one or two lessons for the full class each day
  
  Student teachers in adolescence education should be responsible for at least one or two classes per day.
  
  The student teacher should continue to observe, question, examine, and reflect on educational practices of the cooperating teacher. If at all possible, and with the permission of the cooperating teacher and the building supervisor, the student teacher may wish to informally observe other teachers in the building during lunch or prep periods.
  
  The cooperating teacher should observe and give feedback after each lesson delivered by the student teacher. This can take place informally or during the formal weekly conference.
  
  If the student teacher is ready, the College supervisor should try to schedule the first formal observation after the third week. Certainly no observations should be scheduled before this. If the student teacher is going to be switching classrooms after 7 weeks, it is important for the College supervisor to observe two lessons in the first placement, roughly around weeks four and seven.
  
  The student teacher is encouraged to become a part of the school community. They often learn as much from activities outside the classroom as they do from those that take place inside. To this end, student teachers are strongly encouraged to participate as fully as possible in school activities such as:
  • Parent teacher conferences
  • Faculty meetings
  • Professional development sessions
  • IEP meetings
  • Field trips
  • Assemblies
  • Special school events
  
  
  The Final Weeks of Student Teaching/Special Education Practicum—Weeks Four through Fourteen (or weeks four through seven of a dual placement)
  
  By now student teachers have been teaching subjects part-time on a daily basis. It is now time to increase instructional responsibilities until they are primarily responsible (with cooperating teacher input) for the majority of the instructional day. Student teachers in elementary schools should be planning for and teaching the entire day for a minimum of two weeks. In adolescence education, being primarily responsible for one to two instructional periods (classes) per day should have already begun during the first week or two. Cooperating teachers should insure that student teachers have plenty of opportunities for the following:
  • Planning and implementing instruction to small groups and the whole class
  • Planning an extended unit of instruction with appropriate assessment strategies
  • Interacting with parents, when appropriate
  • Interacting with colleagues and building administration
  • Attending staff meetings
  • Attending professional development
  • Using technology to enhance instruction
  • Assessing students and varying instruction according to those assessments
  • Differentiating instruction, including planning and implementing supplemental and enrichment activities for struggling learners, learners with limited English, and for gifted learners
  • Handling discipline problems
  • Handling academic problems
  • Reflecting on instruction with the cooperating teacher
  • Participating in school community activities
  During this time, the College supervisor should ensure that all four formal observations have been successfully completed, conferences held and evaluations submitted to the Office of Fieldwork. If circumstances dictate that the student teacher needs to remain in the school beyond fourteen weeks, the College supervisor should discuss this with the cooperating teacher, the Director or Coordinator of Fieldwork, and the school liaison.
  
  
  
  

  Conferencing with the Cooperating Teacher

  
  
  Since the cooperating teacher plays a vital role in the success of the student teaching/practicum experience, it is extremely important that communication between the two is productive and frequent. Formal conferences to discuss the student teacher’s activities should be planned for once or twice a week, with informal conversations happening more frequently. At this time, feedback on interactions with students or lessons taught can be given. In addition, the student teacher may want to discuss questions arising from observing in the classroom. Evaluation of a student teacher is a continuous and cooperative process.
  
  

  Here are some suggested guidelines for student teacher/cooperating teacher conferencing: Set aside specific time each week Discuss situations when fresh in one’s mind Have a topic to discuss at each conference Keep running records of what was discussed Allow for honest differences of opinion Treat all conferences as a tool in the development of the student teacher Help the student teacher to become a reflective practitioner

  
  Early conferences may be spent on discussing the classroom, including the students and the curriculum. Planning, instruction and assessment all become important components of the conferencing time. The cooperating teacher will need to help the student teacher refine teaching skills such as questioning, classroom management, delivering instruction, and differentiated instruction. Conference time should also be spent on evaluating student work. The student teacher needs to understand how the philosophy and theory of learning, in addition to state and local standards, inform the assessment of student work and the measure of pupil progress.
  
  
  
  

  The Student Teaching/Special Education Practicum Seminar

  
  
  The student teaching/special education practicum seminar is an integral and required part of the student teaching/special education practicum experience. It is designed to provide an opportunity to share and reflect on student teaching/special education practicum with professors of education, colleagues and peers. Attendance at the weekly seminar is mandatory for all student teachers. Guest speakers frequently discuss important topics such as employment opportunities in the NYC Department of Education, navigating the system, and licensing requirements. Several sessions will be devoted to the New York State Certification requirements for the reporting of child abuse and maltreatment and school violence prevention and intervention.
  
  Each program may have slightly different requirements for the seminar and specific requirements and syllabi will be distributed on the first day of class. However, student teachers and interns in all programs must complete several assignments that meet INTASC standards to be used for the program portfolio. See Appendix 5 and 6 for course syllabi, including specific assignments to be completed during student teaching/special education practicum.
  
  
  
  
  

  Assessment

  
  
  The assessment of the student teacher is based largely on the College of Staten Island Department of Education’s conceptual framework. Student teaching/special education practicum is the capstone experience in the candidate’s program and it is a time to synthesize and develop the knowledge, skills, and dispositions acquired along the way. While it is recognized that candidates continue to develop professionally once teaching in schools, exit from the program is contingent on demonstrating competency in a number of areas laid out in the student teaching/special education practicum evaluation form. The program portfolio also plays an important role in the candidate’s program and needs to be completed before the end of student teaching/special education practicum. The Portfolio Handbook (available in 3S-208) and workshops given each semester can answer any questions regarding this requirement.
  
  The cooperating teacher provides informal feedback to the student teacher throughout the placement. At the end of the placement, the cooperating teacher completes a written student teacher evaluation form (Appendix 3). After discussing this form at a formal conference, the student teacher should sign it to acknowledge that the information contained on it has been discussed and accepted by the student teacher. The evaluation can be given to the College supervisor or mailed directly to the Coordinator of Fieldwork at the College of Staten Island.
  
  The College supervisor completes written evaluations of the four formal student teacher observations he or she conducts. The observations should be discussed and signed by the student teacher before submitting it to the Office of Fieldwork. These evaluation reports become part of the teacher candidate’s file in the Department of Education.
  
  
  
  
  

  Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

  
  
  This section answers some of the most frequently asked questions about the student teaching/special education practicum experience. Please contact the Office of Fieldwork if your question has not been answered in this handbook. If you can think of any other questions that student teachers, cooperating teachers, building supervisors or College supervisors might like answered, please submit them to the Office of Fieldwork and we will include them in our next printing of this handbook.
  • What kinds of activities count as hours on my time sheet? Activities that can be recorded on your time sheet include time spent in the classroom, formally preparing with the cooperating teacher during a preparation period or before or after school. Lunch cannot be recorded.
  
  
  • I love the class I’m working with. Can I stay a few extra weeks and watch my fifth-graders graduate? Of course, once the official end of student teaching/special education practicum arrives, candidates may elect to stay and continue with their cooperating teacher as long as they have explicit permission from the principal and the cooperating teacher.
  
  
  • Do I need to pass the various certification tests before I student teach/begin a special education practicum? When should I take these tests? Candidates should take the required exams before the completion of student teaching/special education practicum if they wish to teach the following semester. Each candidate’s circumstances are different, but it is generally recommended that teacher candidates do not take the LAST before completing the core liberal arts and sciences courses and a majority of courses in their major. The content specialty test (CST) should be taken near the end of completing courses in the candidate’s subject area. The ATS-W should be taken after completion of the methods courses but before the end of student teaching/special education practicum. If you have questions regarding the timing of these tests, consult your program coordinator, Director of Fieldwork, the Certification Officer (718-982-3736) or your seminar instructor.
  
  
  • Do I need to be fingerprinted to student teach/begin a special education practicum? You need to be fingerprinted to begin student teaching/special education practicum. The NYC Dept of Education comes to CSI the semester before student teaching/special education practicum to do fingerprinting and photo IDs. Information and dates for new student teachers are made available as soon as visits and fees are confirmed, usually during the student teaching/special education practicum interviews.
  
  
  • Do I have to stay for the 37 ½ minutes of supplemental instruction in the schools? The extra 37 ½ minutes are part of the regular instructional day for all teachers. Student teachers will be expected to take part in this supplemental instruction. Some schools will not take student teachers who cannot stay for this time. If you have a time conflict, please contact the Office of Fieldwork in 3S 211.
  
  
  • I have a job that will prohibit me from student teaching/special education practicum full time. If you have another personal commitment that prohibits you from being in the school on a full time basis, part time student teaching/special education practicum arrangements can be made. However, please be aware that you will not be able to complete the student teaching/special education practicum requirements in one semester. If your job or other commitment will take the majority of your time and energy, you may want to consider postponing student teaching/special education practicum until your circumstances change.
  
  
  • What do I have to do to apply for certification? Toward the end of your student teaching/special education practicum semester, as you near graduation, you will begin the process of state certification. If you are graduating in January, your graduation date is January 31st. If you are graduating in June, your graduation date is June 15th and if you are graduating in August, the graduation date is August 31st. You need to complete the NYSED certification application on line. A complete set of directions is available in 3S-208.
  
  
  • Read the entire set of directions thoroughly before you begin the process.
    After you have completed the application and paid your fee on line you must e-mail the certification officer the requested information set forth in the directions. Once the process is completed the certification officer will enter the on line college/institutional recommendation required by the NYSED.
    
    Upon request, if necessary, you can obtain a letter from the certification officer that states you have completed an approved teacher preparation program and CSI is entering the college/ institutional recommendation. You can use this letter to obtain a teaching position in the NYCDOE schools.
    
    NOTE: You can only apply for certification in the area of the approved program you have completed and is endorsed on your transcript.
  
  
  • Do I need to wait for my official certification certificate to arrive from the state before I begin to look for a job? No. The letter that you may request from the Certification Officer, stating that you have completed a registered Education program and are graduating, will be acceptable to initiate employment with the NYC Department of Education. However, you may not officially begin paid work until the day after your official graduation date –January 31st, June 15th or August 31st.
  
  
  
  
  

  Appendices

  
  Appendix 1
  Applications for Student Teaching/Special Education Practicum
  Options on this page are:
  • 1A—Undergraduate Programs
  • 1B—Paraprofessionals
  • 1C—Graduate Sequence 2
  
  Appendix 2
  Time Sheet—Record of Student Teaching/Special Education Practicum Hours
  
  
  Appendix 3
  Example of Student Teacher/Intern Evaluation Forms
  
  
  Appendix 4
  Fieldwork Site Evaluation Form
  
  
  Appendix 5
  Student Teaching/Special Education Practicum Syllabi—Basic for all programs
  NOTE: Syllabi for all programs are given at the first meeting for student teaching/special education practicum. Observed Key Assessment Assignments and Rubrics
  
  
  Appendix 6
  • Appendix 6A
    6A—Assignments to be observed and graded by college supervisors
    • Adapting Instructional Strategies Assignment
    • Motivation and Management Assignment
    • Communication and Technology Assignment
    • Assessment of Learning Assignment
    • Professional Development Assignment
    • Parent and Community Involvement Assignment
    
    
  • Appendix 6B
    6B—Rubrics for the above key assessments
    • Rubrics for Adapting Instructional Strategies Assignment
    • Rubrics for Motivation and Management Assignment
    • Rubrics for Communication and Technology Assignment
    • Rubrics for Assessment of Learning Assignment
    • Rubrics for Professional Development Assignment
    • Rubrics for Parent and Community Involvement Assignment
  
  Appendix 7
  Cooperating Teacher Qualifications
  
  
  Appendix 8
  Cooperating Teacher Data Form
  
  
  Appendix 9
  College Supervisor Qualifications