16 KAR 5:040. Admission, placement, and supervision in student teaching.

16 KAR 5:040. Admission, placement, and supervision in student teaching.

RELATES TO: KRS 161.020, 161.028, 161.030, 161.042

STATUTORY AUTHORITY: KRS 161.028, 161.030, 161.042

NECESSITY, FUNCTION, AND CONFORMITY: KRS 161.028 requires that an educator preparation institution be approved for offering the preparation program corresponding to a particular certificate on the basis of standards and procedures established by the Education Professional Standards Board. KRS 161.030 requires that a certificate shall be issued to a person who has completed a program approved by the Education Professional Standards Board. KRS 161.042 requires the Education Professional Standards Board to promulgate an administrative regulation relating to student teachers, including the qualifications for supervising teachers. This administrative regulation establishes the standards for admission, placement, and supervision in student teaching.

Section 1. Definition. "Cooperating teacher" or "supervising teacher" means a teacher employed in a school in Kentucky who is contracting with an educator preparation institution to supervise a student teacher for the purpose of fulfilling the student teaching requirement of the approved educator preparation program.

Section 2. Cooperating Teacher Eligibility Requirements. (1) Except as provided in subsection (2) of this section, the cooperating teacher, whether serving in a public or nonpublic school, shall have:

(a) A valid Kentucky teaching certificate for each grade and subject taught;

(b) Attained Rank II certification;

(d) Taught in the present school system at least one (1) year immediately prior to being assigned a student teacher.

(2) If a cooperating teacher has not attained Rank II certification, the teacher shall have attained a minimum of fifteen (15) hours of approved credit toward a Rank II within a minimum period of five (5) years.

(3) Teachers assigned to a teaching position on the basis of a probationary or emergency certificate issued by the Education Professional Standards Board shall not be eligible for serving as a cooperating teacher.

(4) In selecting a cooperating teacher, the district shall give consideration to the following criteria:

(a) A demonstrated ability to engage in effective classroom management techniques that promote an environment conducive to learning;

(b) An ability to model best practices for the delivery of instruction;

(d) The demonstration of an aptitude and ability to contribute to the mentoring and development of a preservice educator;

(e) An ability to use multiple forms of assessment to inform instruction; and

(f) An ability to create a learning community that values and builds upon students' diverse cultures.

Section 3. Admission to Student Teaching. In addition to the appropriate sections of the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) standards which are incorporated under 16 KAR 5:010, each educator preparation institution shall determine minimum standards for admission to student teaching which shall include the procedures established in this section. Admission to student teaching shall include a formal application procedure for each teacher candidate.

(1) A record or report from a valid and current medical examination, which shall have included a tuberculosis test, shall be placed on file with the admissions committee.

(2) Prior to and during the student teaching experience, the teacher candidate shall adhere to the Professional Code of Ethics for Kentucky School Personnel established in 16 KAR 1:020.

Section 4. Teacher-student Ratio. The ratio of student teachers to cooperating teachers shall be one (1) to one (1).

Section 5. College Supervisor. (1) The college supervisor shall make periodic observations of the student teacher in the classroom and shall prepare a written report on each observation and share it with the student teacher.

(2) The observation reports shall be filed as a part of the student teacher record and also used as a validation of the supervisory function.

(3) A student teacher shall receive periodic and regular on-site observations and critiques of the actual teaching situation a minimum of four (4) times excluding seminars and workshops.

(4) The college supervisors shall be available to work with the student teacher and personnel in the cooperating school regarding any problems that may arise relating to the student teaching situation.

Section 6. Professional Experience. (1) In addition to the appropriate NCATE standards incorporated by reference under 16 KAR 5:010, the educator preparation institution shall provide an opportunity for the student teacher to assume major responsibility for the full range of teaching duties in a real school situation under the guidance of qualified personnel from the educator preparation institution and the cooperating elementary, middle, or high school. In placing the student teachers in classroom settings, the educator preparation program and the school district shall make reasonable efforts to place student teachers in settings that provide experiences, situations, and challenges similar to those encountered by first year teachers.

(2) Each educator preparation institution shall provide a full professional semester to include a period of student teaching for a minimum of twelve (12) weeks, full day, or equivalent, in school settings that correspond to the grade levels each and content area of the student teacher's certification program.

Section 7. Compensation of Cooperating Teachers. (1) The Education Professional Standards Board shall contract with the local school district, or make other appropriate arrangements, for the direct service of a cooperating teacher to each student teacher.

(2)(a) The educator preparation institution shall electronically submit a report of all cooperating teachers and their corresponding student teachers to the Education Professional Standards Board:

1. On or before October 15 for a cooperating teacher supervising a student teacher during the fall semester; or

2. On or before February 15 for a cooperating teacher supervising a student teacher during the spring semester.

(b) Each report shall include:

1. The number of contract weeks that the cooperating teacher is working with each student teacher for that semester;

2. The cooperating teacher’s full name and certificate number;

3. The student teacher’s full name, Social Security number, demographic data, and contact information;

4. The student teacher’s preparation and certification area by assigned certification code;

5. The names and assigned codes of the school and school district where the cooperating teacher is employed and the student teaching requirement is being fulfilled. If the certified cooperating teacher is employed in a nonpublic school which meets the state performance standards as established in KRS 156.160 or which has been accredited by a regional or national accrediting association, the institution shall submit the name, assigned code, and address of the school.

(c) If an educator preparation institution fails to provide the report by the date established in paragraph (a) of this subsection, the Education Professional Standards Board shall not be liable for payment under this administrative regulation.

(3)(a) Upon receipt of the report, the Education Professional Standards Board shall submit a "Cooperating Teacher Payment Voucher" to each cooperating teacher.

(b) The voucher, or its electronic equivalent if available, shall be signed by the cooperating teacher, building principal, and the college supervisor as verification of the cooperating teacher’s service to the student teacher.

(c) To be eligible for compensation under this administrative regulation, the cooperating teacher shall submit the completed voucher to the Education Professional Standards Board:

1. On or before December 15 for a cooperating teacher supervising a student teacher during the fall semester; or

2. On or before May 1 for a cooperating teacher supervising a student teacher during the spring semester.

(d) If a cooperating teacher fails to provide the completed voucher, or its electronic equivalent, by the date established in paragraph (c) of this subsection, the cooperating teacher shall not be eligible to receive any compensation available under this administrative regulation.

(4)(a) The payment to a cooperating teacher shall be determined based upon available funding allocated under the biennial budget bill and the total number of weeks served by all cooperating teachers reported for the fiscal year.

(b) The payment shall be allocated to a cooperating teacher based upon the number of weeks the teacher supervised a student teacher as reported in subsections (2) and (3) of this section.

(5) Payments to cooperating teachers shall be disbursed to the school districts or to cooperating teachers in nonpublic schools by the Education Professional Standards Board:

(a) On an annual basis; and

(b) On or before June 15.

(6) Compensation to cooperating teachers shall be provided under this administrative regulation if state funds are appropriated for this purpose. Payment of state funds under this administrative regulation shall:

(a) Be a supplement to the compensation provided by an educator preparation institution to a cooperating teacher who is supervising an institution’s student teacher; and

(b) Not supplant the educator preparation institutions’ compensation responsibility.

Section 8. Incorporation by Reference. (1) "Cooperating Teacher Payment Voucher", revised 7/2000, is incorporated by reference.

(2) This material may be inspected, copied, or obtained, subject to applicable copyright law, at the Education Professional Standards Board, 100 Airport Road, 3rd Floor, Frankfort, Kentucky 40601, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (23 Ky.R. 4281; eff. 8-4-97; Am. 27 Ky.R. 1082; 1475; eff. 12-21-2000; 28 Ky.R. 2077; 2347; eff. 5-16-2002; Recodified from 704 KAR 20:706, 7-2-2002; 33 Ky.R. 838; 1274; eff. 12-1-06.)