Internship Handbook

for the

PK-12 Principal/

PK-12 Supervisor of

Special Education

License

University of Northern Iowa

Department of Educational Leadership,

Counseling, and Postsecondary Education

SchindlerEducationCenter 508

Cedar Falls, IA 50614-0604

(319) 273-2605 (Office)

FAX: (319) 273-5175

Mission Statement

The Educational Leadership Faculty at the University of Northern Iowa

develop and nurture reflective Leaders of Learning, Service, and Change

who positively impact student achievement and school improvement.

Revised Fall 2009

Table of Contents

Internship Handbook

The Purpose of the Internship3

Overview of the Internship 3

Guidelines for the Internship4

Internship Requirements for the PK-12 Principal/PK-12

Supervisor of Special Education License5

Mentor Responsibilities7

Mentor Stipends8

Intern Responsibilities9

UNI Faculty Field Supervisor Responsibilities10

Stages of the Internship11

Appendices13

Intern Contact Information14

Mentor Contact Information15

Mentor Contract Form16

Supplier Information Form18

Course-Assigned

Course-Assigned Internship Experiences20

Course-Assigned Internship Reflection Form22

Course-Assigned Internship Log24

Site-Determined

Site-Determined Internship Experiences27

Internship Plan Worksheet40

Internship Plan Approval Form44

Site-Determined Internship Reflection Form45

Site-Determined Internship Log47

Internship Skill Formative/Summative Assessment Form50

Resources

Student Management System (SMS) Instructions

Iowa Standards for School Leaders

The Purpose of the Internship…………………………..

The purpose of the UNI Internship component of the UNI Principalship Preparation Program is to bridge the gap between theory and practice. Internship is designed to build on previous academic and experiential learning. During the internship, educational leadership experiencesare required to be completed by each internship student. It will be necessary for each student to collaboratively plan experiences with theirmentor and the UNI Faculty Field Supervisor thatare aligned with the Iowa Standards for School Leaders (ISSL). The plan is to be approved by the Faculty Field Supervisor, mentor, and UNI Faculty. Guidelines for internship experiences and an internship plan worksheet are included in this handbook.

Overview of the Internship………………………………….

Internship for the PK-12 Principal/PK-12 Supervisor of Special Education License is a five-credit hour field-based clinical experience distributed throughout the program that takes place in a local school setting. This internship experience is supervised by a local, active, certified school administrator (mentor) in partnership with a UNI Faculty Field Supervisor. A minimum of 425 hours of internship work in the local district setting is required of each participant enrolled in internship. Of the 425 hours, 225 hours are site determined internship experiences that have collaboratively been determined by the Faculty Field Supervisor, mentor and intern. Allinterns will complete an internship plan in conjunction with their mentor(s) and the UNI Faculty Field Supervisor for the Site-Determined Internship.

Interns will also be assigned 200 hours of internship work in their coursework. These internship experiences are considered Course-Assigned Internship.

All internship experiences are to be aligned with the Iowa Standards for School Leaders (ISSL) as required for the PK-12 Principal/Special Education Supervisor License.

Guidelines for the Internship (Site Determined) …………

1.The internship experiencesareoften completed in the attendance center or school system where the intern is employed. However, interns are highly encouraged to work in other schools within or outside their districts as time permits to expand their understanding of school leadership. It is the responsibility of the internsto obtain approval for their internship by securing the permission of an appropriately certified active administrator(s) to serve as

mentor(s). However, UNI Faculty members are available to help interns select mentors, if requested.

During thefirst semester of the intern’s enrollment in the UNI Principalship Program, a faculty memberfrom the UNI Educational Leadership Program will visit interns and their mentors for face-to-face meetings at the mentors’ schools to discuss how the internship will operate.

2.All internship plans must bring the interns into a direct working relationship with individuals and/or groups and must consist of authentic tasks that are clearly representative of educational leadership aligned with the ISSL Standards. Interns are required to utilize the ISSL STANDARDS (found in this handbook) when developing their site-determined internship plans.

3.The Site-determined Internship plan will be developed during the first semester of the UNI Principalship Preparation Program. Internship planning will be done in collaboration with the intern, mentor, and the UNI Faculty Field Supervisor. Internship Plans are to be submitted to the Faculty Field Supervisor before the end of the first semester.

4.It is the intent of the UNIFaculty Field Supervisor to visit the school site of each intern during each fall and spring semester of the intern’s participation in the UNI Principalship Preparation Program. The UNI FacultyField Supervisor expects mentors to evaluate interns each semester using forms provided in thishandbook. Each semester the UNI Faculty Field Supervisor will visit privately with the mentor to review theintern’s performancebefore meeting with both the mentor and intern to reflect on the intern’s current progress with his/her internship. At this time, internship plans may be revised, if needed, tomore individually meet the developmental needs of the intern.

5.Mentors may communicate with UNI Faculty and UNI Faculty Field Supervisorat anytime through e-mail, phone calls, or requestsfor additional meeting times.

Internship Requirements for the PK-12 Principalship/PK-12 Supervisor of Special Education License…………………...

Number of Required Internship Hours(Course-Assigned Internship and Site-Determined Internship)

  • Course-assigned internship - Interns will complete a minimum 200 hours.
  • Site-determined internship - Interns will complete a minimum225 hours of special education, elementary and secondary internship experiences created with mentorsand aligned with the Iowa Standards for School Leaders. Included within the total 225 hours of internship, intern should complete 100 hours in his/her current endorsement area (elementary, middle school, high school). For example, a high school teacher would complete 100 internship hours in high school and 75hours in an elementary school. The intern would also complete 50 hours in special education. All interns, regardless of endorsement area, must complete a minimum of 15 hours in early childhood education (included within elementary hours).
  • The total of course-assigned and site-determined internship hours should be no less than 425 hours.

Reporting Internship Hours: Reflection Forms and Logs

  • Interns will report all course-assigned internship hours and log via the Student Management System (SMS). See pages in Appendices section for directions on how to use the SMS. The Reflections section is not required of course-assigned experiences.
  • Interns will report all site-determined internship reflections, hours and log via the Student Management System (SMS). Mentors and UNI Faculty Field Supervisors will review the submissions each semester in a face-to-face meeting with the intern.
  • Interns need to write a brief summary and a brief reflection/critique of eachsite-determinedinternship experience. If experience covers more than one skill area, the reflection needs to address each skill area.
  • Internsare to complete internship activities each semester in the principalship preparation program. As the intern progresses through the program, internship experiences should become more authentic and require interns to use more highly developed and more complex leadership skills.
  • Interns are to provide mentor and UNI Faculty Field Supervisor with copies of reflections copied off the SMS.
  • Interns need to provide their mentors and UNI Faculty Field Supervisor with copies of all their internship submissions.

Evaluation of the Intern’s Progress. At the end of eachfall and spring semester, the mentor will evaluate the intern’s progress utilizing the assessment form found at the end of Internship section Appendices of theHandbook. The following are talking points for discussion:

  • What experiences went well for your intern this semester?
  • What experiences did not go so well for your intern this semester?
  • How can the UNI Faculty Field Supervisor help?
  • Do you reflect with the intern on a regular basis to encourage growth and development through self-evaluation? What has been the reflection focus during this evaluation period?
  • Has your internshared his/her Internship experiences with you on a regular basis? Are his/her submissions up to date?
  • How many hours of site-determined internship did your student complete this semester? ______
  • Please rate the quality of your intern’s work for this semester using a scale of 1-10 (10 being the highest and 1 being the lowest). ______

Mentor Responsibilities……………………………………

The Mentor:

1.Assists the intern in the development and implementation of the internship plan.

2.Completes mentor contract form and returns to Marlene Shea on or before October 1.

3.Collaboratively approves the internship plan, which includes a selection of specialized experiences that are aligned with the ISSL Standards, with the UNI Faculty Field Supervisor.

4.Provides supervised work experiences as outlined in the internship plan, reviewsreflections for accuracy, and completes confidential semester evaluations (fall and spring semester) of the intern's work.

5.Provides the leadership necessary to ensure that the intern's role is fully understood by the Board of Education, faculty, and students, as appropriate.

6.Gives support and guidance and opens the doors that provide opportunities for the intern to gain those experiences that will enhance the quality of the internship experience.

7.Conducts periodic review sessions with the intern to discuss what has been accomplished and

provides the intern feedback regarding his/her internship experiences.

8.Provides release time, if at all possible, in order for the intern to complete authentic tasks associated with the Principalship/Special Education Supervisor.

9.Communicates with UNI Faculty Field Supervisor as needed.

10.Prepares semester assessments(forms may be found on page 50) for intern at the end of each fall and spring semester. Formsmust be thoroughly completed in order to qualify for semester mentor stipends. Semester evaluationforms will be included in the student’s confidential intern folder kept by the UNI EducationalLeadership Program.

11.A sample of the Mentor Contract is included. A typed copy with your intern’s name will be mailed to you for your signature and return to Marlene Shea. Marlene also needs acompleted Mentor Contact Form, a completed Supplier Form withfull name including middle initial, home address, social security number, and a recent resume.

UNI requires this information before stipend payments can be sent to mentors.

12.No immediate family member will be allowed to mentor an intern, unless person chooses to mentor for no pay.

Mentor Stipends…………………………………......

1. The intern’s designated mentor will receive $200.00 per semester (fall and spring) for mentoring a UNI internifthe following requirements are met:

a. The payment of mentor stipends is dependent upon the mentor completing and submitting

1) a mentor contact form,

2) completed Mentor Contract form (this will be mailed to you for signature and return) (please DO NOT date the form),

3) one Supplier Form (first semester only),

4) a recent resume (first semester only),

5) a quality internevaluation submitted during a meeting with the UNI Faculty Field Supervisor each semester.

Due dates for submission are February 1 and June 1.

Mentor stipend payments will be received 4-6 weeks after the February 1 or June 1 due date for submission.

b. Mentors must have all required paperwork filed with the Secretary, Marlene Shea, as stated in items 10 and 11 under Mentor Responsibilities on page 7.

c. If (a) and (b) above have not been met, the University will not authorize payment of stipend.

Intern Responsibilities………………………………………

The Intern:

1.Follows and abidesby all of the rules, guidelines and policies of the school district and maintains absolute confidentiality and ethical standards.

2.Completes Intern Contact form and returns to Marlene Shea () on or before October 1.

3.Accepts the primary responsibility for cooperatively developing the site-determined internship plan that is acceptable to both the mentor and UNI Faculty Field Supervisor. Plan is due in Educational Leadership office on or before the end of intern’s first semester of study.

4.Submits signed Internship Plan Approval Form to UNI Faculty Field Supervisor by December of first semester of study.

5.Maintains an open, cooperative relationship with the mentor and others involved with the internship.

6.Performs all elements of the internship in an exemplary manner.

7.CompletesSite-Determined and Course-Assigned Internship reflection forms and the Internship Log in a timely and responsible manner each semester. Copies of reflection forms and logs are to be made available to the mentor and UNI Faculty Field Supervisor at each evaluation session. Logs are automatically updated when reflection forms are submitted via the SMS. The Principalship Administration Coordinator will access intern’s Student Management System files for office files.

8.Completes 225 hours of site-determined internship experiences and 200 hours of course-

assigned internship hours as required by UNI to be eligible for the PK-12 Principal/Special

Education Supervisor License. Internship experiences are to be completed during each

semester of the Principalship Preparation Program. See page 5 for specific breakdown of hours. Interns record only Course-Assigned Internship hours via the SMS and no reflection is required. However, all information requested on the Site-Determined Reflection form must be submitted.

9.Initiates conversations with mentor about how to help with educational leadership

responsibilities at school site. Takes the initiative to be involved in all school activities and

functions.

10.Utilizes professional days to visit schools in other school districts to observe and work with school leaders in a different school context.

UNI Faculty Field Supervisor Responsibilities………………………………………

The Faculty Field Supervisor:

1.Works with intern and mentor to develop and review internship plan. This occurs the first semester of the student’s program.

2.Approves internship plan developed by intern and mentor. On or before the end of the first semester of study, the UNI Faculty Field Supervisor sends one copy of plan and Internship Plan Approval Form to Marlene Shea and retains one copy.

3.Coordinates and schedules meetings directly with mentors and interns.

4.Meets with mentor and intern a minimum of one time at the end of each fall and spring semester, to review and assess intern’s progress, discuss possible changes to internship plan, review intern’s reflection forms, and collect intern’s evaluation/assessment forms. Forwards one copy of all forms to Marlene Shea and retains one copy. Fall evaluation/assessment forms are to be sent to Ms. Shea by February 1; spring forms by June 1.

  1. Confirms with Marlene Shea that all necessary paperwork from mentor has been received in

order for UNI to process mentor stipend payment.

  1. Meets with intern and mentor each semesterto discuss Formative/Summative

Evaluation/assessment. Forwards one copy to Marlene Shea and retains one copy.

7.Provides prompt and accurate communication to interns via the web and/or e-mail.

8.Answers questions regarding the Professional Portfolio.*

* For specific directions and requirements in compiling Portfolio, please refer to the Portfolio Handbook found in the last section of this Handbook.
Stages of the Internship……………………………………

Stage 1: Preparing for the Internship -Assessment

(Completed in the Orientation course)

  • Complete and submit Intern Contact Form to Educational Leadership office and UNI Faculty Field Supervisor.
  • Choose the school/district site and mentor for your internship.
  • Use the LSI I and II to begin formulating your professional development plan.
  • Write statements of your position and leadership goals to be included in your first draft of the critical element reflective research paper titled “My Philosophy of Educational Leadership.”
  • Obtain and analyze school/district assessments, improvement plans, etc.

Stage 2: The Internship Plan

  • Develop your Internship Plan using the Internship Plan Worksheet found in this Handbook. Choose one or more activities in each of the 38 skill and experience areas underISSL.

[Course-assigned internship experiences are not included within the Internship Plan.]

  • Meet with mentor to reach consensus on the planned activities and plan local project(s) and various service activities.
  • Present internship plan and Plan Approval Form to mentor(s) and UNI Faculty Field Supervisor by the end of the first semester of study.

Stage 3: Implementation

  • Implement planned internship activities/experiences and document.
  • Reflect on your intern experiences and your leadership practice, using the Internship Reflection Form, found in the Student Management System. See page 52 in Appendices which will guide you in using the SMS system. Your hours by Skill areas will automatically be logged when you use the SMS. (See items 7 and 8 on page 9 for details in completing Reflection forms.)
  • Monitor progress and adjust the activities throughout this stage.

Stage 4: Evaluation - The Internship

Throughout the Internship, students will complete Course-Assigned and Site-Determined Reflection forms which will provide evidence of fulfilling the hours required and development of the 38 skill areas via the Student Management System (SMS).

Requirements:

A minimum of 200 hours of Course-Assigned Internship Experiences – Recorded in the Course-Assigned Reflection Forms, which generates the Course-Assigned Internship Log via the Student Management System (SMS).

Please note that you are not required to complete the Reflection section on

the Course-Assigned Internship forms. You will only need to record

experience, standard and hours.

A minimum of 225 hours of Site-Determined Internship Experiences – Site-Determined Reflection Forms must address all 38 skill areas. Hours are to include 15 hours in early childhood (may be included in the required elementary hours); 100 hours in major area of emphasis (elementary or secondary); 75 hours in minor area (elementary or secondary); and 50 hours in special education. A Site-Determined Internship Log will be generated by the Student Management System (automatically taken from the Site-Determined Reflection Forms) which verifies completion of the required hours.