Year Long Student Teacher Pilot IACTE 8 October 2015.

Year Long Student Teacher Pilot

IACTE8 October 2015

Yearlong Student Teaching Pilot Report

State Board of Education 17 September 2015

L Bice

Process

• DE Staff developed requirements

• Applications open to all 32 IHE’s

• One public one private

• Nine scorers

• UNI and Dordt

• Spring 2014 Planning

• 2014-2015 Implement

2015 IACTE Fall Meeting

UNI Yearlong Student Teaching Pilot:

A Journey of Discovery

Introduction• J.D. Cryer

– Coordinator of Elementary Education at UNI– Project Coordinator for the UNI Yearlong Student

Teaching Program: “Expanding Co-Teaching to Enhance Learning” (EXCEL)

• Current UNI Student Teaching Program– Two 8-week placements– Two separate schools/classrooms/grade-levels– Current program success

State Goals• Does the expansion from a typical one-semester

student teaching experience to a full academic year of student teaching experience better prepare future teachers to maximize each child’s potential and to raise academic achievement?

• By strengthening the clinical experience and the content knowledge of student teachers through a full academic year of student teaching, will first-year teachers perform like highly effective second-year teachers?

Additional DOE Questions• Discuss the feasibility of Co-Teaching• Discuss the ability of Institutions of Higher Education

to manage student schedules to allow for Yearlong Student Teaching

• Discuss the ability of Institutions of Higher Education to manage on-site coursework

• Discuss intern growth as a function of Yearlong Student Teaching

• Discuss the feasibility of Yearlong Student Teaching

Foundational Background• “Co-Teaching” model based on the work of Lynne Cook

and Marilyn Friend • Six key strategies of this model

1) One teach-one observe 2) One teach-one assist 3) Station teaching 4) Parallel teaching 5) Alternative/differentiated teaching 6) Team teaching

YLST Pilot Organization• 3 school districts

– Urban (Waterloo) Elementary– Suburban (Linn-Mar) High School– Rural (Hudson) Middle School

• Students Teachers– Elementary Education majors in Waterloo– Secondary Social Studies majors in Linn-Mar– Elementary/Middle-Level majors in Hudson

Extended Field Experience• Co-Teaching Summer Workshop• 2-weeks prior to the start of classes in schools

– 80 hours• At least 10-hours per week in schools during the fall semester

– 150 hours• Annual School Events (open house/conferences/PLC/extra-curricular

– 20 hours• 1-week full emersion during the fall semester

– 40 hours• Full-time student teaching in the same classroom during spring

semester – 16 weeks (Full benefits of having 2 teachers in the classroom)

On-Site Instruction• Waterloo

– Methods of Teaching Literacy at the Intermediate Level – Methods of Teaching Elementary Social Studies– Classroom Management (Tuesday/Thursday am)

• Field experience T/Th pm + other available time

• Linn-Mar– Methods of Teaching Social Studies at the Secondary Level (Tuesday

after school)• Field Experience T/Th + other available time (Distance)

• Hudson– Human Relations (Monday after school)

• Field Experience T/Th pm + other available time

Collaborative Partners• Yearlong Student Teachers• Cooperating Classroom Teachers• Building Administrators• UNI Course Instructors• Student Teaching Supervisors

Benefits to YLST• Co-Teaching is an excellent model to use as a

foundation for a Yearlong Student Teaching Program. However, there would need to be flexibility in the model in order to provide the student teacher the opportunity to solo-teach for an extended time during the last month(s) of the experience.

Benefit to YLST• Two adults in the classroom helps meet the

individual needs of students, more opportunities to vary instruction, and able to promote stronger engagement and stronger behavioral management.

Benefits to YLST• The opportunity of extending the field

experience time in a classroom by over 250 hours provides a student teacher with a wealth of diverse teaching opportunities prior to the full-time student teaching semester.

Benefits to YLST• The growth of student teachers as a function of

participating in a Yearlong Student Teaching Program was tremendous. Because these student teachers experienced so many duties associated with being a teacher they had an exceptional understanding of the role of a professional teacher and thus felt very prepared and confident moving into their first year of teaching.

Challenges to YLST• The financial obligation for student teachers

was great. In this day and age, with the realities of the increasing cost of higher education, it was difficult for students to take a year off of work in order to engage in an additional semester of field-based education.

Challenges to YLST• Difficulties could arise for a student teacher

with completing his/her program of study in a timely manner, specifically for those teacher candidates at the secondary level or those attempting to obtain a minor or endorsement in literacy, mathematics, special education, ESL, STEM or other fields of study.

Challenges to YLST• Due to the requirements associated with a

Yearlong Student Teaching Program and the large time commitment for completion of final coursework prior to full-time student teaching, student teachers may become overworked, overwhelmed, and stressed out.

Challenges to YLST• Limitations as classroom teachers willing to

host a student teacher for an entire year and classroom teachers to host earlier field experiences for all teacher candidates in a Teacher Education Program may exist.

Challenges to YLST• Matching cooperating teachers and student

teachers could be a challenge. If the “match” is not good, both student teachers and cooperating teachers in the Pilot study indicate that the experience would be very difficult to complete, and may have ramification on future placements. This may be one of the greatest challenges.

Lessons Learned• Time to plan on campus

– Faculty involvement (On and off campus)– Program of Study (Tracked set of classes)– Co-Teaching Workshop/Ongoing Training– Coordination of Program

Lessons Learned• Time to plan off-campus

– Have supportive administrators – Determine facilities, schedule, and technology

needs to teach classes on-site– Find qualified and motivated teachers able to be

true mentors (Financial support/TLC). Turnover– Develop clear roles and expectations– Relationships are crucial

Lessons Learned• Time to plan with students

– Create specific plan of study– Meet all licensure requirements (Dual majors

consideration)– Determine daily class schedule vs. field experience

(consecutive days of field experience/Credit hours?)– Minimize expense involved (financial support)– Maximize “Match”

Final Recommendation• Based upon the benefits associated with a Regular Student

Teaching Program model, there is not enough information to support the statement that expansion of the typical one semester of student teaching to one full academic year better prepares future teachers to maximize each child’s potential and raise academic achievement. Each model has a unique set of benefits and drawbacks for student teachers.

• It is the final recommendation that the three Regent’s Institutions of Higher Education work to implement a Yearlong Student Teaching Program model as an alternate option alongside the Regular Student Teaching Program model.

Questions???

YLST PILOT2014-2015

IACTE ReportOctober 8, 2015

Introduction

Ryan Zonnefeld, Ph.D.• Teacher Preparation Program Director

Current Dordt College Student Teaching Program (3 pathways)

• PDS (Professional Development School)• Local • Non-local

Background

Based on our PDS model (collaborative partnerships with TPP and exemplary P-12 schools)

Expansion of PDS with added dimensions of accountability and enhanced collaboration

Main goal: Improvement of P-12 learning

Background

Main goal: Improvement of P-12 learning• Supporting goal 1: to equip interns with knowledge,

skills, and professional dispositions essential to attaining P-12 student learning through sustained, on-site, and intensive professional preparation

• Supporting goal 2: to enable the improvement of teaching practice of professional teachers (mentors) by providing key opportunities for collaborative professional development and partnership

• Supporting goal 3: reflective, practical inquiry and research opportunities for both interns and mentors that result in improved teaching practices and improved P-12 learning

YLST Pilot Organization

One school district• Sioux Center Community High School• Sioux Center Community Middle School• Kinsey Elementary School• Sioux Center Christian School• Stepping Stones Preschool

YLST Pilot Organization

14 interns (student teachers)Secondary History ELLK-12 Music SPEDMiddle School Early ChildhoodElementary Reading

21 mentors (cooperating teachers) 5 site coordinators (P-12 administrators) 5 college coordinators (DC Educ Dept) 1 program coordinator

(Dr. Patricia Kornelis)

Key Features

Extensive Field Experience Co-teaching Theory and Practice Match TIPs (Teacher Inquiry Projects)

Extensive Field Experience

Fall• In-service and training workshops – prior to beginning

of school year• Interns on site with partner mentor Monday-Thursday

(7:45-11:30) – 240 hours• Afternoons/evenings – complimentary education courses

Spring• Interns full-time student teaching with partner

*Students with two endorsements split fall and spring placement between two mentors in two endorsement areas

Co-teaching (St. Cloud State University Model)

Co-teaching/Mentoring training, prior to school year

Co-teaching with intern fall semester (lead role)

Weekly meetings with intern and college coordinator

Monthly meetings with YLST team (M, SC, CC, PC)

Co-teaching with intern spring semester (from lead to support to solo)

Theory and Practice Match

Initial selection of education courses in fall to support practice in P-12 setting

• Methods and applied educational psychology

Collaborative Course Design – fall workshop• Mentors volunteered in areas of expertise

Modified On-Site Instruction

TIPs: Teacher Inquiry Projects

Initiated and designed by intern with collaborative support from mentor and college coordinator

Design:• Issue studied• intervention designed, implemented and studied for

effectiveness

TIPs shared with: • stakeholders• IDEA fest• 6 at NAPDS

Benefits to interns

Statistically significant evidence of the effectiveness of co-teaching and extended field experience

• Improved classroom management skills• More confidence in teaching • Deeper understanding of curriculum• Higher level of professionalism• Higher level of reflective skills

Benefits to mentors

Mentors reported• Intense professional growth by modeling

good teaching and working collaboratively with interns

• Increased reflective practices• Exploration of new ideas• Confidence/affirmation of their skills as

professional educators by collaborating or co-teaching college education course

Benefits to P-12 students

With two capable and active professionals teaching students:• reduction in student-teacher ratio• enhanced ability to meet student needs in

diverse and large classrooms• greater student participation and

engagement• increased instructional support for all

students

Challenges: Structural

Co-planning time Meaningful placements of interns

with multiple endorsements Balancing the load of theory and

practice elements (college classes vs preparation of teaching responsibilities)

On-site college instruction

Challenges: Personnel

Paradigm shift in mentor/intern relationship and student teaching responsibility

Matching of mentors and interns

Overall Challenges

Location – rural setting Secondary

• Buy-in• Scheduling challenges

Reflections

YLST holds incredible promise• Evidence that YLST does produce graduates

that are better equipped and more qualified/capable than traditional model

• New InTASC standards lend themselves to this model well

Reflections

Commitment to the co-teaching model• Overwhelming evidence that co-teaching is

the most effective model for student teaching

• Implementation to all three strands• Need to provide significant and ongoing

training in co-teaching for paradigm shift and for clarity of expectations

Final Recommendation

While we fully endorse the YLST model, it has become clear that the scalability for this model for all of our students is not feasible

We will continue to implement as one pathway for students

Possible Applications

• Student Scholarships• $5,000 per student for year long ST• Support while not working

• Partnerships between P-12 and IHE• YLST or Professional Development Schools model• $75,000 per Partnership P-12 and IHE

• P-12 lead, $5000 per mentor up to 10 ST’s in building/district• $25,000 support admin and IHE• Partner to prepare teacher