Assignments and Consent to Work with Student Data
Candidates in early field experiences, pre-student teaching, and student teaching or practicum should protect the privacy of P-12 students and their families in any assignments. These assignments include observations of student behavior in classrooms and in other school environments, case studies of learning for individual students, video and audio recording of the candidate’s teaching, interviews (with students, family members, and staff), and reviews of academic records including Individual Education Plans. In every case it is the candidate’s responsibility to review the assignment with their host teacher, to ascertain who else must be informed about the assignment, and to ensure that appropriate consent has been collected. The candidate is responsible to follow all district and University policies regarding informed consent and data management.
Absences from Clinical Experiences
When teacher candidates cannot attend school because of illness or other extenuating circumstances, they should notify their school office, the cooperating teacher, and the clinical supervisor immediately.
Teacher candidates who miss more than three days of clinical experiences during a term must discuss with their Licensure Program Lead a plan to extend in order to compensate for lost time. An additional registration may be required.
Use of Student Teachers as Substitutes
University of Minnesota – Twin Cities pre-service teachers are learning how to become successful teachers of record. The University-School partnership’s priority is to collaboratively provide quality clinical learning experiences supporting teacher candidate development. Occasionally, teacher candidates may be asked by the school to consider serving as a substitute during student teaching. If asked, teacher candidates should contact their licensure program lead to identify if this opportunity would be beneficial to their learning. The following CEHD policy language for substituting while student teaching describes general parameters, but each licensure program determines candidate readiness on a case-by-case basis.
Due to Minnesota state law, undergraduate students without a completed bachelor’s degree cannot serve as substitute teachers in schools*. However, M.Ed and post-bac teacher candidates are able to serve as substitutes for their cooperating teacher when absent from school according to the following parameters:
- The teacher candidate, while completing their program-required student teaching weeks, may serve as a short-call substitute only in their own student teaching classroom. Time spent as a substitute in the student teaching classroom will count toward the required student teaching weeks. Note: per PELSB rule, student teaching must happen with a continuous group of students, which precludes substitute teaching in another classroom.
- The teacher candidate must have received the appropriate PELSB license to serve as a substitute teacher in Minnesota.
- The candidate must desire and should not be pressured to serve in this capacity for the school partner. NOTE: The candidate may elect to notify the school partner that they wish to stop serving as a substitute teacher and return to their role as student teacher in the placement for any reason.
- The candidate must be making appropriate academic and professional progress toward completion of the licensure program as identified by the licensure program lead for their program in consultation with the student teaching supervisor.
- Number of days, timing within student teaching placement, subbing situation, and any other factors must be approved by the licensure program lead.
- The candidate must be paid for their substitute work according to the regular school/district practices.
For Elementary Ed ILP and Early Childhood ILP, in some circumstances the program may be able to offer flexibility to substitute during the final weeks of the student teaching term. This will be considered on a case-by case basis if subbing opportunities arise. Approval of the licensure program lead is required in these cases. Candidates should contact the LPLs.
*If you are an undergraduate student who holds an associates degree in any field or have been working as a paraprofessional in your student teaching school for at least one year, options may be available for the 2024 – 2025 academic year. Please contact your LPL.
Student Teacher Serving as Teacher of Record
PELSB policy states that in cases where a student teacher holds a license aligned to the assignment (i.e., a Tier 2 license), they can serve as both teacher of record and student teacher. However, our college policy is that a case by case analysis and approval of this arrangement must include the licensure program lead/program director, the school administrator, the clinical coordinator, and the candidate. University-District agreements, program requirements, and support must be examined – including “identifying a cooperating teacher to provide the student teacher with ongoing support, observations, and feedback”. Finally, due to PELSB required parameters for student teaching for licensure, Tier 2 teachers cannot serve as a substitute teacher in other classrooms during their student teaching period.
Withdrawal or Removal of a Teacher Candidate from a Placement
If a teacher candidate withdraws or is removed from a clinical placement by CEHD, the program field placement coordinator or Licensure Program Lead will contact the cooperating teacher and the school principal to inform them of the withdrawal or removal. In the case that a school requests the removal of a teacher candidate, contact should be made with the licensure program lead or clinical coordinator.
The cooperating teacher and/or the clinical supervisor may be called upon to discuss reasons for the withdrawal or removal with the teacher candidate and make certain that the teacher candidate has evaluated the appropriateness of their decision, or understands the consequences of removal. On the occasion when a teacher candidate withdraws, it may be beneficial for the candidate to have an opportunity to reflect on the experience to bring closure. In the case of removal, the cooperating teacher may be called upon to assist in documenting reasons for the removal and/or provide specific information for a professional Progress Review meeting with the student. The cooperating teacher and/or the clinical supervisor may also be called on to help determine appropriate expectations, options, or consequences in the Progress Review process.
Professional Progress Review Process
Students in teacher licensure programs are provided with formative and summative evaluation of their professional performance as outlined above. When concerns arise related to professional performance standards, these are communicated through a Progress Warning email or Progress Review meeting initiated by the Licensure Program Lead/lead faculty in the teaching program.
A Progress Review meeting is intended to assist the professional development of the CEHD student. Those who participate and make decisions or recommendations in a Progress Review meeting must consider the career development interests and needs of the student, the professional standards expected by the college, and, where appropriate, the standards expected by the profession and the state.
Progress Review meetings are called for the purpose of making a decision about admission of a candidate to a student teaching experience, internship, pre-student teaching or other field experience (hereafter referred to as a field experience); removal or withdrawal of a candidate from a field experience; reassignment of a candidate to a new field experience site; or establishing appropriate developmental activities for success of the candidate in the field experience. They are also called for the purpose of making a recommendation to remove a candidate from a college program leading to a certificate, license, or degree. Following a Progress Review meeting, students will receive a written Progress Warning outlining expectations for improvement, and consequences for a failure to meet these expectations. Progress Warning expectations are established on an individual basis, taking into consideration the nature of the progress concerns. Continued lack of progress may lead to a time-limited academic suspension or to discontinuation from a student’s program. Progress Warning communications become a part of the student’s record of advisement.
Liability Coverage During Clinical Experiences
The Regents of the University of Minnesota Liability Program covers clinical experiences as follows:
Teacher candidates placed in school districts that provide liability for their teachers also receive the same coverage. Under state law, teacher candidates who have completed not less than two years of an approved teacher education program and who are placed under the supervision of a fully qualified teacher are deemed employees of the school district in which they are rendering services for the purposes of worker’s compensation; liability insurance, if provided for other district employees; and legal assistance. Thus, if a district provides liability insurance for teachers, teacher candidates placed in that district are also covered.
Teacher candidates can also receive liability coverage during clinical experiences by becoming a student member of Education Minnesota. Students interested in this coverage can get more information from Education Minnesota at 651-227-9541 or 1-800-652-9073.
Teacher Strikes
If a teacher candidate is placed in a school district in which there is a teacher strike or an impending teacher strike, the cooperating teacher should notify the clinical supervisor as soon as possible. The clinical supervisor will contact the program coordinator to discuss procedures for the teacher candidate to follow. This should be done early enough so that the teacher candidate can be adequately informed. The following guidelines, adopted by CEHD, will be followed in the event of a teacher strike:
- At all times CEHD will avoid taking sides or otherwise becoming involved in the labor dispute.
- University faculty and supervisors should advise teacher candidates not to cross teacher picket lines.
- Teacher candidates will be contacted by their clinical supervisor or program coordinator for instructions as to how they may complete their program requirements.
- In the event of a strike that occurs early in the semester, teacher candidates will return to the University and participate in activities developed by their respective programs.
- CEHD will honor its contract with individual cooperating teachers and school districts. Likewise, CEHD will work with individuals and districts to develop alternative means for the fulfillment of their obligations to the College and its teacher candidates.
Payment of Honoraria to Cooperating Teachers
Payment of honoraria to cooperating teachers is based on an agreement between each school district, CEHD, and the UMN Board of Regents.
Full-time Final Clinical Experiences
Cooperating teachers of full-time teacher candidates will receive $20 per week, unless the district agreement differs from the University. Payments cannot be processed for the cooperating teacher until the Office of Teacher Education and/or the program’s home department has received the required survey response and/or paperwork for processing the stipend. Stipends are processed by the University twice annually—in December and in June—after all cooperating teachers respond to the University’s required survey. However, cooperating teachers can only be paid once per fiscal/tax year. Please plan accordingly.
Part-time Final Clinical Experiences
Cooperating teachers of part-time teacher candidates will receive $10 per week.
No extra compensation is paid for training, conferences, or other activities demanding the time of the cooperating teacher in carrying out their cooperating teacher obligations.
Payment of honoraria occurs at or near the end of each University term, but no more than once each tax year. The issuance of payments to the school districts or to individual cooperating teachers is dependent upon the policies of each school district.