University of Pittsburgh

School of Education

Department of Instruction and Learning

Special Education Teacher Preparation (SETP)

7-12

Practicum Guide

Fall 2014

Program Faculty:

Sheila Conway

Doug Kostewicz

Steve Lyon

Rachel Robertson

Mandi Skerbetz

Amy Srsic

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The Special Education Teacher Preparation 7-12 Practicum Guide

Fall 2014

The Department of Instruction and Learning at the University of Pittsburgh offers a post-baccalaureate teacher certification program in special education, which meets all requirements for the Pennsylvania Department of Education, 7-12 Special Education certification. Admission to the program requires that candidates submit evidence of an earned7-12, K-12, or Reading Specialist certification. Candidates must also complete the prerequisite courses in Instructing English Language Learners and Foundations of Special Education or equivalent courses. Students begin their studies in the summer term and complete them in the summer term of the following year. See Appendix A for more details on the teacher preparation program.

During the fall term, full-time teacher candidates enrolled in the program complete two, one-day per/week practica in both of their student teaching placement sites. Students are provided two different types and levels of classroom experiences: low incidence disabilities (life skills, autism, or multiple disabilities support) and high incidence disabilities (learning and/or emotional support). The student teaching experience takes place during the spring term when teacher candidates complete two, eight-week student teaching experiences.

Part-time teacher candidates may also complete a practicum placement in the fall. Although the university attempts to place the student in a classroom where he/she will student teach, this is not always possible.

Purpose

The weekly field experience practicum in the student teaching placement school provides multiple opportunities:

  • for both the university student and the mentor teacher to get to know one another,
  • to acquaint the university student with the students, school, classroom, and curriculum in the environment in which student teaching will take place,
  • for the university student to complete activities related to graduate course assignments (Examples: administering assessments, tutoring in reading, teaching lessons, recording data, etc.), thereby applying what has been learned in university courses to authentic learning contexts, and
  • for the university student to begin to take on classroom responsibilities with feedback from the mentor teacher in preparation for the assumption of more complex instructional responsibilities when the student teaching placement officially begins in the spring.

Expectations

In addition to getting to know the mentor teacher, students, classroom, and curriculum, the teacher candidate should participate in a variety of school activities that will help familiarize him/her with the professional roles and responsibilities of the classroom teacher and other school personnel. Examples of such activities include: attending in-service training; learning safety and emergency procedures; assisting with out-of-classroom tasks, such as hall monitoring or cafeteria duty; and assisting in classroom routines and procedures, such as taking attendance or collecting assignments. Please, keep in mind that student teachers are to be supervised by mentor teachers at all times.

Under the mentor teacher’s direct supervision, the practicum student can provide assistance, direction, and/or instruction to individuals or small groups of students. This can take many forms, and the student should gradually assume more responsibility. The practicum student can also teach or direct part or all of a lesson or activity, if provided with advance notice and ample planning time. The frequency and duration of these activities will vary depending on the readiness of the student and the complexity of the instructional needs of the classroom students. The objective of such activities is to prepare the practicum student to quickly assume teaching responsibilities during the second semester student teaching experience. See Appendix B for a list of appropriate activities.

Note: Although practicum students will be expected to carry out activities related to course assignments, preparations for conducting school-based activities and the development of reports related to these assignments should take place on the students’ own time outside of the practicum classroom/host school.

Weekly Practicum Report

Each week, the practicum student will be required to complete a brief report that identifies the kinds of activities in which he/she was engaged. These activities include but are not limited to in and out-of-class observations; clerical tasks; supervision or assistance in school and classroom activities and routines; implementation of classroom procedures; teaching or provision of academic assistance; carrying out activities needed to complete course assignments; attendance at meetings; etc. The mentor teacher should read and sign the student’s weekly log to verify its accuracy. The report form (Appendix C) and directions (Appendix D) are attached.

Attendance

The practicum student should report regularly to the classroom on the appointed day chosen in consultation with the mentor teacher. Students are expected to attend once per week (per placement) for twelve weeks beginning on the week of September 8, 2014. Students may start earlier if mutually agreed upon by the student, mentor teacher, and host school.

All absences must be reported to the mentor teacher as soon as possible and made up on a date/time pre-approved by the mentor teacher. At the beginning of the practicum, students are to arrange a notification procedure for absences or late arrival with the mentor teacher.

Attire and Appearance

The student teacher is to follow the dress code adopted by the cooperating school district for teachers and classroom personnel. If no dress code exists, the student teacher is expected to dress in a professional manner.

Academic Standing and Student Teaching Policy

Information regarding Academic Probation and Dismissal can be found at: At the graduate level, a student must maintain a minimum 3.0 GPA to be considered in good academic standing. Failing to meet the GPA requirement will result in academic probation. Only letter grades with GPA values will be used to compute and determine academic probation status. While on probation students are limited to registering only for courses in which a letter grade is given. In this case, a student placed on academic probation will not be permitted to student teach until they are removed from probation status.

Information regarding the University Grading Policy for Graduate Courses can be found at: Please, be advised that students with I or G grades in any coursework will not be permitted to student teach unless permission is granted by the program coordinator.

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Appendix A

Suggested Plan of Study – Full-Time
MEd with Special Education 7-12 Certification
Semester / Purpose of Course
MEd / Special Education 7-12 Certification / Credits / Course Title
The first Summer Term consists only of coursework.
Summer Session II
(late June-August) / x / x / 3 / IL 2575: Transition Processes & Special Education Procedures
x / x / 3 / IL 2509: Applied Behavior Analysis
x / x / 3 / IL 2513: Instructional Methods – High Incidence Disabilities
During the Fall Term, students take four courses, spend two days per/week in their assigned student teaching classrooms (one day in the high incidence setting and one day in low incidence setting).
Fall* / x / x / 3 / IL 2511: Curriculum and Program Development – LowIncidence Disabilities
x / x / 1 / IL 2861: Practicum in Secondary Special Education - SETP
x / x / 1 / PSYED 2261: Adolescent Development
x / 3 / EDUC 2201: Introduction to Research Methodology
x / x / 3 / **Specialization Course (See below)
During the Spring Term, students complete 14 weeks of student teaching during the day and continue with coursework during the evening. Students also attend a weekly student teaching seminar facilitated by the program coordinator.
Spring / x / x / 3 / IL 2552: Student Teaching – Special Education in Secondary Schools
x / x / 3 / IL 2512: Assessment and Instruction – High IncidenceDisabilities
x / x / 3 / IL 2522: Education of Students with Social/Emotional Disorders
x / x / 1 / PSYED 2261: Adolescent Development
x / 3 / **Specialization Course (See below)
Students complete program coursework in the second Summer Term.
Summer Session I
(early May-mid June) / x / x / 1 / PSYED 2261: Adolescent Development
x / 3 / IL 2590: Research Seminar in Special Education
Total
37 / *During the fall semester, students spend two days a week in a low incidence practicum which supports the low incidence methods course taken that semester.

Appendix B

Weekly Practicum Activities

  • Conferencing with Mentor Teacher – Meeting with the mentor teacher for discussion and planning directly related to the classroom or field placement experience
  • Classroom Observation – Observing the mentor teacher, other teachers, related service personnel, and/or paraprofessionals working directly with student(s)
  • Assisting Students – Under the direction of the mentor teacher or other personnel, providing some form of assistance to student(s) in skills/tasks/activities related to academic, communication, social, behavior, or daily living areas
  • Instructing Student(s) – Conducting and managing any component of an individual, group, or whole class instructional lesson/activity
  • Supervising Student(s) – Watching/observing student(s) as they participate in an individual or group activity/routine to ensure safety or adherence to rules and procedures (e.g., free-time computer use, recess, hall monitoring, bus duty)
  • Clerical Functions – Completing routine clerical tasks such as duplicating materials, grading homework, taking attendance, or data entry
  • Classroom Routines and Procedures – Assisting in or managing the performance of non-instructional routines/procedures such as collection of homework or preparation for dismissal
  • Meetings – Attending meetings, such as instructional-team meetings, IEP conferences, or in-service and professional development training sessions
  • Course Work – Conducting activities directly related to course assignments, such as administering an assessment, conducing a structured interview, or implementing an instructional program that you wrote
  • Other – Any activity that is not described in the above categories

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Appendix C

Special Education Teacher Preparation 7-12

Weekly Practicum Report – Visit # ______

Student’s Name______Mentor Teacher ______

School ______Class/Grade Level______

____Low Incidence ____High Incidence Date(s)/Time Attended______

Complete this report for each week.

Type of
Activity / Brief Description of What You Discussed/Observed
or What You Did/Accomplished / Amount of
Time
Conferencing with Mentor Teacher
Observation
Assisting Student(s)
Instructing Student(s)
Supervising Student(s)
Clerical Functions
Classroom Routines and Procedures
Meetings
Activities Related to Course Assignments
Other

Student Signature______Mentor Teacher Signature______

Appendix D

Weekly Practicum Report Instructions

Complete reports for both your high and low incidence field experiences. For each placement, complete one report for the week, beginning with the week of September 8th (or when you officially start your practicum). Indicate the date(s) and the time(s) you were in attendance on the appropriate line. A total of two reports will be completed each week.

Weekly Practicum Reports do not need to be typed. If you choose to handwrite your reports, be sure to write legibly. Forms should be submitted regularly to Amy Srsic. A file folder labeled Fall Practicum Reports is on the shelf just outside office 5147 in Posvar Hall. Forms completed electronically still need to be signed by the mentor teacher but can be scanned and sent electronically to Amy Srsic at .

Table:

Column 1 indicates the activity in which you were involved. These activities are defined as follows:

  • Conferencing with Mentor Teacher – Meeting with the mentor teacher for discussion and planning directly related to the classroom or field placement experience
  • Classroom Observation – Observing the mentor teacher, other teachers, related service personnel, and/or paraprofessionals working directly with student(s)
  • Assisting Students – Under the direction of the mentor teacher or other personnel, providing some form of assistance to student(s) in skills/tasks/activities related to academic, communication, social, behavior, or daily living areas
  • Instructing Student(s) – Conducting and managing any component of an individual, group, or whole class instructional lesson/activity
  • Supervising Student(s) – Watching/observing student(s) as they participate in an individual or group activity/routine to ensure safety or adherence to rules and procedures (e.g., free-time computer use, recess, hall monitoring, bus duty)
  • Clerical Functions – Completing routine clerical tasks such as duplicating materials, grading homework, taking attendance, or data entry
  • Classroom Routines and Procedures – Assisting in or managing the performance of non-instructional routines/procedures such as collection of homework or preparation for dismissal
  • Meetings – Attending meetings, such as instructional-team meetings, IEP conferences, or in-service and professional development training sessions
  • Course Work – Conducting activities directly related to course assignments, such as administering an assessment, conducing a structured interview, or implementing an instructional program that you wrote
  • Other- Any activity that is not described in the above categories
  • In column 2, briefly describe what you did. If activities take place outside of your assigned classroom, indicate where (e.g., phys. ed. class in gym, fifth grade science class, auditorium, cafeteria, etc.).
  • In column 3, indicate the total number of minutes or hours you spent in a particular category. For example, even though you observed five different activities in three different places, you only need to record the total time you spent observing.

Signatures: Sign your report and ask your mentor teacher to review and sign it as well.

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