Status of Department Goals:

Prepare for, monitor, and evaluate the 12 week student teaching experience.

This is ongoing. We are discovering that if an elementary student needs to register for 3 courses of student teaching, then we need to offer that person 2 placements. This means that students must learn early in the process if they will need 3 or not. This does not always happen.
Initial teacher feedback is that they like the 12 week as opposed to 14, but most do not like the 6/6 split (as opposed to 7/7). So, it is up to the supervisor to carefully monitor the progress of a student in his initial 6 week placement. If he hasn’t accomplished what needs to be experienced in that setting after 6 weeks, the supervisor must recommend that he stay an additional 1-2 weeks. Upon successful completion of that, he may progress on to the second 6 week placement, which may be shortened, depending on student, teacher, and situation. Flexibility is the key, and there is to be no fear of serving 13 weeks if that is what is needed.

Monitor and evaluate impact of 2 courses of student teaching in terms of financial aid, securing appropriate placements, and quality of student teaching performance.

o Most answered above. The whole process is dependent upon the expedience with which the students inquire about their financial status and stipulations before student teaching. As we continue to focus on giving this information when they apply for student teaching the semester before going out, smoother procedures and results will follow.

Consider/develop an Augsburg “EVAL” system for student teaching observations. Perhaps pilot in Spring 2003.

This was discussed. The committee examined observation forms from other institutions. We thought it might be more expedient to revise when the department made a final decision about how the 10 standards would be divided, into 4 or 5 domains. Then we would structure the observation form around those domains.

Update student teaching syllabus to include MSEP’s.

This was accomplished. Syllabus is attached.

Determine student teaching requirements as related to Blackboard and experiment with using Blackboard as a part of the student teaching experience.

There were no formal “assignments” for student teachers other than to check emails and the Blackboard site where announcements, reminders and changes in schedule were posted. A suggestion was given to select a couple of elementary and secondary student teachers to spearhead a discussion on Blackboard that would support their student teaching.

Discuss ways to offer Rochester-based field experiences and student teaching to those who live there.

There was no specific need this semester, but this procedure has been followed in the past: field work was allowed in Rochester schools and student teaching was accomplished by completing half the requirements in a southern TC suburb and half in Rochester.

Review department survey for potential student teaching adjustments.

In response to comments addressing lack of advance information about the student before the placement began, the request letter to the principal now specifically asks that the biographical information be passed on to the cooperating teacher. A further suggestion is to just send the CT the biography when the request is made.
Supervisors are reminded to be sensitive about extending the first placement for a K-12 candidate if she deems that goals have not be achieved.
Seminar dates are set so that a K-12 student teacher will not miss 2 days in a 6 week setting, only 1. The final seminar is scheduled 2 weeks after most students have completed their student teaching

Other goals.

Several suggestions were extended to revise the classroom management segment of Seminar Two. We will try separating the students in to elementary and secondary large groups and provide appropriate speakers for each.
We want to continue monitoring and evaluating the 6 week placements to assure that students have enough time to strengthen their skills.
We want to continue evaluating the procedure for assessing the program-ending portfolio.