Spring 2024 Southern University's Teacher Residency Handbook

Southern University and A & M College School of

Education

College of Humanities and Interdisciplinary Studies

Department of Curriculum & Instruction

Teacher Residency Handbook

Dr. VerJanis A. Peoples, Director

Dr. Cynthia D. Bryant, Dean

Dr. Emily Jackson-Osagie, Interim Chair, Department of Curriculum and Instruction

Dr. Natasha L. Hunter, Residency Coordinator

Spring 2024

Revised

WELCOME to the TEAM!

On behalf of the Teacher Residency Coordinator (TRC), allow us to welcome you to the collaborative team!

During the Spring 2018, Southern University’s School of Education, Department of Curriculum and Instruction established the research-based teacher residency. The TRCO began in Stewart Hall Room 174 to provide continuous support for all members of the collaborative team. The team consists of district leadership, mentor teachers, and Southern University faculty and staff members. The teacher residency experience provides professional development and support teacher preparation program candidates (teacher residents) throughout their matriculation and their studies.

From the moment of teacher placement, our teacher residents will have the chance to learn from a full collaborative group of educational experts trained to scaffold their teacher residency experience. This teacher residency program is more than a traditional student teaching experience because it provides a more realistic timeframe to grow professionally by improving the capstone experience of Southern University teacher preparation program participants.

Through our redefinition of university/district partnerships, we are all working toward a common goal, to provide the great State of Louisiana with outstanding future teachers. We look forward to a wonderful year growing professionally together.

Thank you so much for your service to our profession

With warmest regards,

The Southern University Collaborative Leadership Team

Dr. Natasha Hunter, Coordinator, Teacher Residency

Dr. Emily Jackson- Osagie, Interim Chair, Department of Curriculum and Instruction

Dr. Verjanis Peoples, Director, School of Education

CONTACT INFORMATION

Southern University and A & M College Department of Curriculum & Instruction

Teacher Residency Program

W.W. Stewart Hall Room 247 P.O. Box 9983, Baton Rouge, LA 70813 225-771-4678 Website: http://www.subr.edu/

Dr. Natasha L. Hunter Residency Coordinator Phone: 225-771-4678 natasha.hunter@sus.edu

247 Stewart Hall

Dr. Emily Jackson -Osagie Department Interim Chair, Curriculum and Instruction Phone: 225-771-3640 emily.osagie@sus.edu

209 Stewart Hall

Dr. Verjanis Peoples School of Education, Director Phone:225-771-2291 erjanis_peoples@subr.edu

242 Stewart Hall

This handbook does not constitute a contract between a teacher resident and Southern University either expressed or implied. Southern University reserves the right at any time to change, delete, or add to any of the content at its sole discretion.

Introduction

Teacher Residency is a one-year competency-based clinical program where Southern University’s teacher candidates are supervised by an experienced, school-based mentor teacher and the Department of Curriculum and Instruction.

The Teacher Residency Coordinator’s Office (TRCO) has key partnerships with school districts to provide quality teacher residency experiences. The Department of Curriculum and Instruction and our district partners collaborate to design, implement, and assess the teacher residency program and our teacher residents.

Throughout the residency experience, teacher residents are evaluated using an adopted teacher observation rubric. The Aspiring Teacher Rubric created by The National Institute for Excellence in Teaching (NIET) is aligned to Interstate Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (InTASC) Model Core Teaching Standards and Learning Progressions for Teachers (See Appendix).

This handbook is designed to provide an overview of the teacher residency model to include procedures, policies, and materials necessary to assure maximum professional growth for the teacher resident. Because of the significance of teacher residency in preparing our future generation of educators, the teacher preparation program at Southern University is especially grateful to the partnering schools, district leaders, and school mentors who make this experience possible.

Certification Areas:

Program Certification Areas

Elementary Education

 Elementary Education: Grades 1-5

 Elementary Education: Integrated to Merged (Special Education)

 Elementary Education: Grades 1-5 (MAT)

Middle School Education

Secondary Education

 Middle School: Integrated to Merged (Special Education) Grades 4 - 8

 English (6-12)

 Physical Education (K-12)

 Music – Instrumental (K-12)

 Music – Vocal (K-12)

 Social Studies (6-12)

 Mathematics (6-12)

 Science (6-12)

Biology

Physics Chemistry

Prerequisites for Admission to Residency:

Teacher preparation candidates who were admitted to a university for a degree with a major in teacher education or formally admitted to a program of study in teacher education and remain continuously enrolled under a catalog description program/degree plan for a university or nonuniversity provider before July 1, 2018, the policy will be eligible to become certified to teach in Louisiana upon completing all program of study requirements and meeting all BESE certification requirements. If a provider has a catalog or other document that indicates that they have the right to change the curriculum for a degree or program after admission, teacher candidates will be required to complete any changes to the curriculum identified by a university or nonuniversity provider.

Application Requirements for Residency I: A teacher candidate must meet all requirements as outlined below before receiving approval from the Residency Coordinator to begin Residency I.

a. PRAXIS: Students must pass all parts of the PRAXIS II assessments (Content Knowledge and the Principles of Learning and Teaching) before acceptance into Residency I. An official ETS score report demonstrating passing scores must be submitted to the Department of Curriculum and Instruction. All Praxis II test reports must be received by April 15th for teacher candidates anticipating Teacher Residency I in the Fall semester. For teacher candidates anticipating Teacher Residency I in the Spring semester, official Praxis II ETS score reports must be received by no later than November 15th .

b. THE SCHOOL OF EDUCATION RESIDENCY APPLICATION: Students planning to enroll in Teacher Residency I during the fall semester must complete a teacher application no later than April 15th. Students planning to enroll in Teacher Residency I during the spring semester must complete a teacher application no later than November 15th . Residency application (See Appendix) must include an unofficial transcript and an updated curriculum sheet.

c. LOUISIANA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION (LDOE) RESIDENT TEACHER CERTIFICATE:

Students must apply for a valid resident teacher certificate. The resident teacher certificate is valid for one school year and allows a candidate to simultaneously serve as a paid substitute teacher for up to ten days per semester. The hours accrued during the days of serving as a substitute teacher will be counted towards the hours required for Teacher Residency I (see Appendix for the Resident Teacher Checklist).

NOTE: The application for the resident teacher certificate will be discussed and reviewed during residency seminar.

d. GRADE POINT AVERAGE: Students must maintain a minimum 2.5 overall GPA (includes both transfer GPA and institutional GPA) and a minimum 2.5 overall major GPA (includes both the required professional education coursework and the required content area coursework).

e. COURSEWORK: Students must successfully earn a "C" or better for all prior coursework attempted. A student will not be allowed to start Residency I with an incomplete (I) in any course(s). Students must have taken all courses outside of CRIN/CRIR/SPED before enrolling in Residency.

f. ENROLLMENT IN RESIDENCY COURSES: Students must enroll in Teacher Residency I (CRIN 463 or CRIN 467). NOTE: Teacher candidates should confer with their academic advisor at the beginning of each semester to update their curriculum sheet and to confirm academic progress.

g. LIABILITY INSURANCE: Students must submit proof of affiliation with a professional educational organization offering education liability insurance, such as A+PEL, LAE, Kappa Delta Pi, etc. to the Department of Curriculum and Instruction. See Organizations & Association for more information.

h. APPROVAL: Upon approval to start Residency I, students will receive an email from the Residency Coordinator to inform the candidate of their mentor teacher and school placement site (see Appendix for placement site email example). Resident teachers will be assigned to school placement sites and are not allowed to arrange their placements. Once a teacher candidate receives their placement site, the candidate must compose a schedule.

i. REPEATING RESIDENCY I: A teacher candidate who does not earn a "C" or better in Teacher Residency I (CRIN 463 or CRIN 467) and/or a candidate who must repeat coursework is required to repeat Teacher Residency I.

j. RESIDENCY SEMINAR REQUIREMENT: Residency I students must attend mandatory weekly seminars which are University-Based Professional Development opportunities.

Requirements for Residency II: A teacher resident must successfully complete Residency I and Residency II in two consecutive semesters (i.e. Fall and Spring or Spring and Fall). Teacher residents must meet the following mandated requirements before receiving approval from the Residency Coordinator to begin Teacher Residency II:

a. GRADE POINT AVERAGE: Teacher residents must have a minimum 2.5 overall GPA (includes both transfer GPA and institutional GPA) and a minimum 2.5 overall major GPA (includes both the required professional education coursework and the required content area coursework).

b. COURSEWORK: Teacher residents must earn a "C" or better for Teacher Residency I (CRIN 463 or CRIN 467) to enroll in Teacher Residency II (CRIN 464 or CRIN 468). Teacher residents must earn credit for all coursework required (See CURRICULUM). A candidate will not be allowed to start Residency II with an incomplete (I) in a course(s).

c. CERTIFICATION: Teacher candidates must hold a valid resident teacher certificate. The resident teacher certificate is valid for one school year. Therefore, Residency II students are still covered under the same residency certificate from Residency I.

d. RESIDENCY SEMINAR: Residency II students must attend mandatory weekly seminars which are University-Based Professional Development opportunities.

e. ENROLLMENT IN RESIDENCY COURSES: Teacher residents must enroll in Teacher Residency II (CRIN 464 or CRIN 468).

f. GRADUATION ELIGIBILITY: Teacher residents are eligible for graduation upon satisfactory completion of coursework including residency requirements.

RESIDENCY LAGNIAPPE:

a. ABSENCES DURING TEACHER RESIDENCY:

1. Absences due to Illness: If any residency student must be out for an illness or emergency, it is the responsibility of the teacher resident to contact the Residency Coordinator and their respective mentor teacher to inform both parties of the reason for the absence.

2. University Excused Event: Group activities that conflict with scheduled classes and are sponsored by the academic department or through the university’s athletic department must be supported by documentation from the sponsor. Examples include:

i. A trip by a group of students in fulfillment of class or departmental requirements and the University controls time, route, and mode of travel.

ii. Travel by an individual or non-class group for the purpose of representing the University and the University controls the time, route, and mode of travel (Athletics and athletic support groups as examples).

iii. Authorized special duties at the University: (examples, ROTC students required participation, Band members required participation in oncampus events).

Note: If a student believes he/she has been treated unreasonably because of participation in a university authorized activity, he/she can appeal using the following sequence of appeal to (1) individual faculty member, (2) departmental chairperson and (3) the appropriate college dean (college offering the course). The decision of the dean is considered final. The activity's sponsor will assist the student with the appeal and provide evidence of proper documentation and faculty notification of the class absence(s) in question.

3. Professional Development: Teacher residents are allowed absences to participate in district and university events. Examples: Professional development workshops, meetings, skills/methods, coaching, etc. Teacher residents must notify the residency school site mentor teacher at least five class days before the absence.

4. Other Excuses Absences: Jury Duty, Military Deployment, etc.

b. RESIDENCY INSTRUCTIONAL TIME REQUIREMENTS

1. According to Bulletin 996, residents are required to spend a minimum amount of instructional time completing residency tasks:

i. Elementary Education candidates must spend a minimum of 80 percent of the residency school site’s instructional time each week engaged in residency activities (exclusive of recess and lunch).

ii. Secondary Education candidates must spend a minimum of 60 percent of the residency school site’s instructional time each week in the first semester and 80 percent of the residency school site’s instructional time each week in the second semester engaged in residency activities.

2. NOTE: Teacher Residency I and II start the first day of the assigned school district’s academic calendar. Residency students will follow all holiday breaks observed according to the school district’s academic calendar. The school district’s calendar often begins before the first day of class at SUBR. Placement site assignment(s) will be the same for each semester of the year-long residency (two consecutive semesters). Site assignment(s) will be used to meet course clinical experiences and state certification requirements. Residency students must attend any professional development training their assigned mentor attends during district-planned professional development days, faculty meetings, and planning meetings.

c. BREAK IN FULL-YEAR RESIDENCY

1. Teacher residents must successfully complete Residency I and Residency II in two consecutive semesters (i.e. Fall and Spring or Spring and Fall). Teacher residents will not be permitted to take a break from their residency courses.

2. A teacher candidate who does not earn a "C" or better in Teacher Residency I (CRIN 463 or CRIN 467) and/or a candidate who must repeat coursework is required to repeat Teacher Residency I (CRIN 463 or 467).

d. UNSATISFACTORY PERFORMANCE OF A TEACHER RESIDENT

1. The collaborative team conducts an evaluation process which constitutes a continuous performance of the teacher resident. During this process, the teacher residents will become aware of their progress. Should deficiencies not be addressed the teacher resident will be informed of their delayed program progression.

2. Administrative Removal

i. A teacher resident may be removed from a partnering school and have their Teacher Residency experience terminated if it is determined by the principal or university members, in consultation with the Teacher Residency Coordinator, that the teacher resident’s presence has a negative impact on the health, safety, welfare, or practices of any persons in the partnering school.

ii. The Teacher Residency Coordinator will provide the Teacher Resident with written notice of his/her removal within 24 to 48 hours of the decision.

e. PRAXIS

1. Teacher residents must pass all parts of the PRAXIS II assessments (Content Knowledge and the Principles of Learning and Teaching) before acceptance into Residency I.

2. The state of Louisiana created additional routes for teachers to secure temporary employment. Graduates who are within 10% of the BESE-adopted passing Praxis score may have their employing school system apply for a Temporary Employment Permit (TEP) which is valid for one calendar year.

3. The School of Education offers several resources for students to prepare for their Praxis exams including Praxis Lab, 240tutoring, Praxis Preparation I (CRIR 213), and Praxis study companions. In addition, the Praxis Coordinator is accessible for advisement and prep sessions.

Jametrice Johnson

jametrice.johnson@sus.edu

Stewart Hall, Room 234

Timeline for Establishing Teacher Residency Placements

Placements are arranged through the TRCO with the partnering school site's approval. Teacher residents will not be placed in any school from which they have recently graduated or in a school in which an immediate relative is a leader, student or staff member unless approval has been granted by the Teacher Residency Coordinator. Teacher candidates do not arrange their own teacher placements. Residency placement sites are based on

availability and the degree of study within our partnering schools and school districts. Calendar of Events for Teacher Candidates Placement

Spring/Fall

January/February

August/September

March/April

October/November

April 15

November 15

April/May

November/December

 gather feedback from teacher residency partners

 audit teacher candidate program documentation to determine eligibility

 request mentor recommendations from district partners

 Students must complete the Teacher Residency I application no later than April 15th for Fall enrollment and November 15th for Spring enrollment.

 maintain regular communication between university and districts in final determinations of placements

 seek feedback from district partners regarding program improvement in residency handbook

May December

 Collaboratively finalize placements with university/school

 Teacher residents and mentors are notified about placement sites no later than the end of the semester that proceeds the start of Residency.

 The submission of an incomplete application will delay teacher resident placement

The Southern University Mentor Model

The School of Education at Southern University adopted The Mentor Model. The Mentor Model is a year-round teacher residency program, which pairs teacher candidates with an experienced mentor teacher.

Education majors in their senior year are starting their school year alongside mentor teachers in the City of Baker Schools¸ East Baton Rouge Parish School System, Louisiana State University Laboratory School (LSU Lab), Southern University Laboratory School, and Zachary Community School System to complete a full-year teacher residency program. Like medical school or other professional programs, our candidates complete an immersive full-year experience mastering the skills of an effective teacher.

The Teacher Residency Office was established as a resource center for all collaborative team members and will serve school districts through mentor training throughout the academic school year.

Key Components of the Teacher Residency Mentor Program

1. Teacher Residency Educator Development Seminars: Training will be provided throughout the academic year including conferences hosted by the Teacher Residency and Recruitment Center.

2. Mentor Design: The mentor model establishes multiple support from its collaborative team members – mentors, school leaders, and university supervisors. As a team, they facilitate the professional growth of the residency resident over the course of the academic year (36 weeks).

3. Mentor Teacher: Mentor Teachers are experienced, school-based educators who supervised teacher residents during their first and second semesters of Residency. In this role, mentors guide, support, collaborate and co-teacher with teacher residents through gradual release (See Appendix).

4. University Supervisors: University Supervisors are faculty members of Southern University and A & M College who serve as supervisors for teacher residents and cooperate with school site mentors and administrators to support the teacher residents’ progression throughout their clinical experience. The University Supervisors evaluate teacher residents using the National Institute for Excellence in Teaching (NIET) Aspiring Teacher Rubric and they facilitate meetings with the residents throughout the academic year.

5. Daily Professional Support: The TRCO is open M-F 8-5 to provide continuous support to all stakeholders. The Teacher Residency Coordinator is available for one-on-one consultations and meetings daily by appointment.

6. Co-Teaching: Adaptations of the St. Cloud State University Co-Teaching Model are implemented into a full-year residency program with recommended co-teaching strategies for each phase of the residency. Evidence of co-planning and co-assessment are implemented across the academic year.

The Evaluation System

The collaborative team will work collaboratively together to measure growth and ensure success of all teacher residents The evaluation system is based upon The University of Alabama’s Clinical Master Teacher Model. The following evaluations will be conducted during each residency rotation, and the Southern University approved resident lesson plan template and evaluation protocol will be required of all formal evaluations.

Responsible Collaborative Team Member

Mentor & TRRO Faculty & School Leader

Residency I 2 per semester At least twice per semester December End of semester

Residency II 2 per semester At least twice per semester May End of semester

Evaluation Tool and Ratings Overview: NIET Aspiring Teacher Rubric

 NIET Aspiring Teacher Rubric: The rubric serves as a tool for supervisors, mentors, and preparation faculty to provide aspiring teachers with high-quality feedback about their strengths and areas of improvement on the path to becoming a teacher.

 Areas of Observation: Teacher Candidates’ skills and abilities are observed using the following performance indicators: Instructional Plans, Assessment, Standards and Objectives, Presenting Instructional Content, Activities and Materials, Questioning, Academic Feedback, Teacher Knowledge of Students, Thinking and Problem Solving, Environment, Engaging Students and Managing Behavior, and Professionalism and Ethical Behavior.

 The Rubric’s Performance Ratings: The Aspiring Teacher Rubric is broken down into 5 ratings, where Level 5 is the highest level of achievement.

Mastery of Expectations Mastered the Program’s Expectations Above the Program’s Expectations Meets the Program’s Expectations Below Program’s Expectations Does Not Meet the Program’s Expectations

Evaluation Tool: NIET Aspiring Teacher Rubric

The Aspiring Teacher Rubric is a valid and reliable research-based tool used to assist supervisors, mentors, and preparation faculty in improving teacher candidates’ path to become an educator. The rubric is divided into a total of 12 performance indicators as shown below:

Instruction

Standards and

Objectives Presenting

Instructional Content

Performance Indicators:

Activities and

Materials Questioning

Academic Feedback

Teacher Knowledge of Students

Thinking and Problem Solving

Designing and Planning Learning Environment

Instructional Plans Assessment Environment Engaging Students and Managing Behavior

Professionalism

Professionalism and Ethical Behavior

The Aspiring Teacher Rubric Training and additional details can be found on the National Institute for Excellence in Teaching website at the following link: https://sites.google.com/niet.org/aspiringteacherrubricdecember/home

Steps for Evaluation

3 Days prior to observations

Pre-Conference

Lesson Observation

Immediate Feedback

Post Conference

 Resident submits the pre-conference form and lesson plan with teaching materials to their University Supervisor and Mentor.

 Prior to teaching the lesson, the University Supervisor and Mentor coordinate to meet with the teacher resident.

 The University Supervisor and Mentor teacher will observe the entire lesson together.

 The University Supervisor and Mentor teacher will provide verbal feedback to the resident immediately following the observation

 Teacher Resident’s University Supervisor conducts post observation conference with resident within 48 hours of observation.

o Evaluator ratings are presented by University Supervisor

o Actionable feedback and performance goals are presented by both Teacher Resident’s University Supervisor and Mentor

o Resident maintains copies of all evaluations in their portfolio (via Watermark – SL&L)

o Retain all documentation associated with the evaluation and upload the content into Watermark (SL&L)

 Lesson Plans

 Pre-Conference Reflection

 Post-Conference Reflection

 NIET Aspiring Teacher Rubric

 Actionable feedback and performance goals

NOTE: The TRRO Director should be contacted immediately if a resident is not meeting program expectations. Example: Mean Score on NIET Aspiring Teacher Rubric ranges from 12.49.

Roles and Responsibilities of the Teacher Resident

1. Assume the role of a co-teacher and assist with ALL classroom responsibilities, including before and after school duties

2. Complete all residency course requirements, on time

3. Collaborate with mentor daily and seek guidance from the residency coordinator and university supervisor

4. Know your content and be prepared for all teaching tasks

5. Attend and participate in weekly Residency Seminar work sessions

6. Attend ALL meetings and professional development opportunities and strive to learn through each professional development opportunity

7. Be open to receiving constructive feedback

8. Document instructional hours and your experiences throughout your teacher residency

9. Model strong professionalism

10. Be punctual with attendance and all university assignments

11. Adhere to the school system’s policies regarding conduct, appearance, grading and record keeping, and communication reporting dress.

12. Follow the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) guidelines regarding confidentiality of student record

13. Commit to the moral and ethical responsibilities of teaching

14. Notify the mentor teacher and University supervisor of absences

15. Professionalism: Teacher residents are required to wear professional attire, embody a professional demeanor, and exhibit respect for students, staff, peers, and other educational stakeholders while visiting school sites.

16. Social Media: Teacher residents must not use any form of social media to contact students and/or parents while completing Residency. All communication should be through or with the Mentor Teacher. Be mindful of personal postings on social media by displaying a professional demeanor and appearance.

17. Residency portfolios must be submitted by November 30th for fall semester residents and April 30th for spring semester teacher residents.

Professional Educational Organizations and Associations

1. Teacher Residents must provide proof of affiliation with a professional educational organization offering education liability insurance.

2. Joining a professional educational organization provides teacher residents with an opportunity to make connections, develop relationships, and network with other professional educators and teacher residents.

a. Associated Professional Educators of Louisiana (A+PEL): A+PEL’s mission is to support, empower, and encourage Louisiana educators throughout their entire careers by providing comprehensive legal coverage, professional development, financial resources, and opportunities to amplify their voices.

b. Kappa Delta Pi (KDP): KDP’s mission is to support and recognize scholarship and excellence in education. Membership with KDP provides teacher candidates with access to scholarships, tutoring services, liability insurance, and professional development. Members must have a GPA of 3.0

c. Louisiana Association of Educators (LAE): LAE’s mission is to organize and empower educators to promote quality public schools, strengthen the profession, and improve the well-being of public-school children across Louisiana. Membership with LAE provides teacher candidates access to liability insurance, networking opportunities, and professional development.

Observation Instruments

1. Throughout the one-year residency experience, teacher residents will conduct selfevaluations aligned to Louisiana teacher competencies and NIET Aspiring Teacher Standards and Indicators.

2. Collaboratively, the Mentor Teacher and University Supervisor will arrange and conduct at least two informal observations and evaluate teacher residents using the NIET Aspiring Teacher Standards and Indicators to assist the teacher resident in continuous improvement in their instructional practices.

Feedback Surveys

1. At the end of each residency semester, teacher residents will provide feedback to their mentor teacher and University Supervisor.

2. Feedback forms are a course requirement and must be submitted by the end of the semester.

Graduation Requirements

1. Pass all major courses with a C or better

2. Maintain a 2.5 cumulative GPA

3. Pass Praxis Content and Principles of Learning and Teaching (PLT)

4. Complete Residency (2 semesters)

5. Complete 60 hours of Service Learning

6. Submit an SUBR graduation application to your advisor

Note: The Teacher Residency Coordinator Office (TRCO) has no tolerance for teacher residents who do not represent themselves professionally in all facets of the residency program.

Mentor Teachers

Mentor Teachers are experienced, school-based educators who supervise teacher residents during their first and second semesters of Residency. In this role, mentors guide, support, collaborate and co-teacher with teacher residents using the gradual release approach (See Appendix).

1. Mentor Teacher Certification Requirements

a. Mentor Teachers must hold a Mentor Teacher Certificate or The Provisional Mentor Teacher Ancillary Certificate to mentor undergraduate residents and postbaccalaureate candidates. The Louisiana State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) allows case-by-case waivers for eligible mentors (linked here).

b. According to the Louisiana Bulletin 996 Policy Statement, beginning September 1, 2020, the teacher of record shall be required to hold a provisional Mentor Teacher ancillary certificate or a Mentor Teacher certificate in accordance with LAC 28:CXXXI (Bulletin 746)

2. Mentor Teacher Roles and Responsibilities

a. Mentor Teachers served as knowledgeable experts who coach and support teacher residents.

b. Mentor teachers:

i. Introduce teacher residents to essential school and support personnel

ii. Develop a partnership agreement with the teacher resident to establish trust and build a strong relationship

iii. Utilize the teacher preparation competencies manual to track and facilitate teacher self-reflection and improvement

iv. Support teacher residents by providing one-on-one coaching

v. Observe and provide feedback to the teacher residents

vi. Ensure teacher residents are aware of district and school-wide policies related to effective instruction and classroom management

vii. Engage and monitor the teacher resident by providing high quality instructions experiences such as: classroom teaching, student assessment data analysis, planning and goal setting, conferences, and teacher development opportunities

viii. Coordinate with the collaborative residency team (University Supervisor, Residency Coordinator, and Mentor Teacher) to support the teacher resident

ix. Coordinate and collaborate with the University Supervisor to monitor, provide feedback, and address the needs of the teacher resident

x. Complete the Mentor Teacher Evaluation Survey

xi. Maintain an open line of communication with the University Supervisor to ensure issues or areas of concern are addressed in a timely fashion

xii. Gradually release the resident from observer to full time teaching responsibilities. Devote at least one week for teacher residents to teach independently. During this time, the mentor provides support to the teacher resident.

xiii. Coordinate with the collaborative residency team (University Supervisor and Residency Coordinator)

3. Teacher Residents and Placement

a. Teacher residents are undergraduate students enrolled in senior level coursework.

b. Teacher residents are supervised by an experienced, school-based mentor teacher and the Department of Curriculum and Instruction during residency. While in residency, teacher residents will participate in campus-sponsored seminars and placement site clinical learning experiences.

c. Teacher residents and mentors are notified about placement sites no later than the end of the semester that proceeds the start of Residency.

4. Forms and Survey (See Appendix)

a. Partnership Agreement

b. Formal Observation Form

c. University Supervisor Feedback

d. Teacher Resident Feedback

The School Leadership

Each school has a team of leaders they may include, but is not limited to the principal, assistant principal, curriculum coordinator, etc. The designated school leader will serve throughout the academic year as the main contact.

The school leadership team represents the best interests of the school and fully immerses the teacher residency team into the school culture daily. Residency and program feedback should be shared with the university supervisor and the residency coordinator regularly.

School Leadership Roles and Responsibilities

1. Participate in any school site or school team meetings.

2. Conduct weekly walkthroughs in all residency classrooms.

3. Include residents in ALL appropriate school activities before, during, and after school with faculty, parents, students, and the community.

4. Facilitate the SLT (student learning target) process for residents in the same procedure/timeline as other school faculty.

5. Offer residents opportunities to collaborate with school level planning and assessment.

6. Provide the teacher resident with an overview of the policies (i.e., faculty and student handbook, planning book, etc.) of the placement school.

7. Provide instructional materials such as textbooks, curriculum guides, etc.

8. Offer, as appropriate, mini conferences with the teacher residents on job interviews, etc., to support their introduction to the education professional community.

9. Facilitate a supportive climate in which the teacher resident feels welcome and encouraged to become a member of an instructional team.

10. Include teacher resident in all, appropriate, school related professional development activities.

The University Team

The university team consists of the teacher residency coordinator, the School of Education Leadership Team, and university supervisors.

Role of Teacher Residency Coordinator’s Office (TRCO):

1. To establish, in conjunction with the leadership team (dean, associate dean, and department chair), the policies and procedures for all teacher experiences in the School of Education.

2. To coordinate all contacts, operations, activities, and records which pertain to teacher resident experiences with university personnel and area school districts.

The Responsibilities of TRCO:

The collaborative responsibilities of the TR Coordinator:

1. negotiate a memorandum of understanding with each participating school district for the placement of teacher residents in model schools.

2. review, with all program faculty applications for the teacher residency program.

3. working collaboratively with program faculty and partner districts in determining resident/mentor.

4. design and deliver on-going professional development opportunities for resident members.

5. provide on-going support for all teacher resident members and partner districts.

6. negotiate the teacher residency program calendar for each district.

7. maintain communications via the TRCO website and social media.

8. monitor teacher resident progress through regular consultations with the university supervisor.

9. administer and summarize program evaluations at the end of the academic year.

10. share evaluation results with the university and respective districts.

The Responsibilities of the University Supervisor

University Supervisors are faculty members of Southern University and A & M College who serve as supervisors and evaluators for teacher residents using the NIET Aspiring Teacher Rubric. The University Supervisors cooperate with school site mentors and administrators to support the teacher residents’ progression throughout their residency experience. It is expected that the University Supervisor will conduct at least three evaluations during the year-long residency experience and submit the data to the residency coordinator. University Supervisors:

1. coordinate with the collaborative residency team (University Supervisor, Residency Coordinator, and Mentor Teacher) to support the teacher resident by arranging and completing at least two informal observations and evaluate teacher residents. Note: pre and post conferences must also be arranged.

2. use the NIET Aspiring Teachers Rubric and conduct professional development learning opportunities for the teacher residents to learn the components of the rubric (during weekly seminars)

3. conduct three observations (one in March, one in April, and one in May) of our residency students teaching a lesson in their respective content

4. provide feedback and insight to residency students based on what is captured from observing the students teach.

5. monitor teacher resident progress through regular consultations with the Residency Coordinator

6. utilize Moodle to post assignments and professional development learning tasks for students. In addition, monitor students e-portfolios in Watermark (SL&L)

7. maintain an open line of communication with the Mentor Teacher to ensure issues or areas of concern are addressed in a timely fashion

8. serve as a point of contact for teacher residents

The District Leadership

The district team typically consists of the designated district liaison (as main contact), the superintendent, as well as elementary/secondary supervisors and/or the human resources director.

Partnering Schools Selection

Among the criteria for selecting partner schools are:

1. having highly effective faculty who understand and are interested in teacher preparation programs and are willing to participate in those programs.

2. demonstrating sensitivity to multicultural concerns in its curriculum and programs and reflecting cultural diversity in the faculty and student populations.

3. maintaining adequate physical facilities with up-to-date instructional equipment, including information technology and materials.

4. provide appropriate technology in all classrooms.

5. implementing a curriculum that includes optimum educational experiences for both students and teacher residents and teachers who utilize effective teaching strategies.

6. incorporating state approved curriculum.

7. participate in the Louisiana state assessment system.

Annual Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)

School system superintendents recognize that working as a collaborative team is essential to the Southern University and A & M College teacher preparation program. In addition, as a team, we, collaboratively, play a vital role in improving the quality of teachers entering the profession. MOUs will be reviewed each spring at the university/partner meeting and signed.

The District Leadership Responsibilities

The system level district liaison fulfills important responsibilities within the teacher preparation program. Among these responsibilities are:

1. exercise leadership by encouraging principals and teachers to collaborate with university teacher preparation programs.

2. provide valuable assessment information to the university relative to ways the various teacher preparation programs can be strengthened; and

3. approve all partner schools and teachers within the system for participation in Southern University’s teacher preparation program for teacher residencies.

Aspiring Teacher Rubric

Mentor Verification Form

Click here for the digital copy of the NIET Aspiring Teacher’s Rubric.

You should be able to use Kami or open the document in Google Classroom to highlight the behaviors or actions you did during your lesson that support your selfevaluation rating.

Click here to see the actual evaluation form that will be used by mentors and university supervisors when they observe you teach your lessons.

SUBR Residency Instructional Feedback and Formal Observation

The Gradual Release Approach

Lesson Plan Annotation Guide

Resident Teacher Certification Application

Resident