Or. Admin. Code § 584-017-1037 - Cooperating Teachers: Program Standards

(1) The Cooperating Teacher standards are established pursuant to Sections 3 and 4, chapter 279, Oregon Laws 2015 (Enrolled SB 83).

Cooperating Teacher Qualifications

(2) An educator preparation provider (EPP) may utilize an educator for supervising candidates in a clinical experience required by the Commission in OAR 584-017-1045 Student Teaching if the educator:

(a) Holds a qualified license as provided in subsection (3) or (7);

(b) Meets the experience requirements as provided in subsection (5);

(c) Meets the endorsement requirements as provided in subsection (6) or (7);

(d) Meets the characteristic requirements as provided in subsection (9);

(e) Is co-selected with a partnering school district or other partnering entity as provided in subsection (10) or (11); and

(f) Completes program training from the EPP as provided in subsection (12).

License Requirements

(3) Educators who hold the following licenses may serve as Cooperating Teachers:

(a) Preliminary Teaching License;

(b) Professional Teaching License;

(c) Teacher Leader License;

(d) Legacy Teaching License;

(e) Basic Teaching License;

(f) Standard Teaching License;

(g) Initial I Teaching License;

(h) Initial II Teaching License;

(i) Continuing Teaching License;

(j) Distinguished Teaching License;

(k) Preliminary CTE Teaching License (May only supervise candidates pursuing CTE endorsements);

(l) Professional CTE Teaching License (May only supervise candidates pursuing CTE endorsements); and

(m) American Indian Language Teaching License (May only supervise candidates pursuing American Indian Language Teaching License and endorsements).

(4) Educators who only hold the following licenses may not serve as Cooperating Teachers:

(a) Reciprocal Teaching License;

(b) Restricted Teaching License;

(c) Emergency Teaching License;

(d) Limited Teaching License;

(e) International Visiting Teaching License;

(f) Restricted Substitute Teaching License;

(g) Substitute Teaching License;

(h) Charter School Registrations (Teaching and Administrator);

(i) Restricted CTE License;

(j) Administrator Licenses, except as follows:

(A) May serve as mentors for candidates in administrative license preparation programs; or

(B) May serve as a Cooperating Teacher if the educator also holds a current and valid teaching license and is assigned to a teaching position.

(k) Personnel Services Licenses (School Counselor, School Psychologists and School Social Workers), except as follows:

(A) May serve as mentors for candidates in the school counselor, school psychologist and school social worker preparation programs; or

(B) May serve as a Cooperating Teacher if the educator also holds a current and valid teaching license and is assigned to a teaching position.

Experience Requirements

(5) To qualify as a Cooperating Teacher, educators holding a Preliminary Teacher License, Basic Teaching License, Initial I Teaching License, Initial II Teaching License or Preliminary CTE Teaching License must:

(a) Have three full years of teaching experience; and

(b) No longer be in probationary contract status.

(c) Educators holding a Professional, Teacher Leader, Legacy, Professional CTE, Standard, Continuing. Distinguished, or American Indian Language teaching licenses have met all experience requirements.Endorsement Requirements

(6) A Cooperating Teacher must hold the same endorsement that the teacher candidate is preparing for during the clinical experience required by the Commission in OAR 584-017-1045 Student Teaching., unless the Cooperating Teacher is an alternative cooperating teacher, as provided in subsection (7).

Alternative Cooperating Teachers

(7) If an EPP and partnering school district do not have a qualified educator to serve as a Cooperating Teacher, the EPP and partnering school district may:

(a) Use a Cooperating Teacher with a related endorsement area (e.g., a biology teacher supervising a teacher candidate for chemistry endorsement);

(b) Use an appropriately qualified provider-based clinical educator (e.g., adjunct faculty) as the Cooperating Teacher; or

(c) Use an appropriately qualified (non-school district) supervisor related to the endorsement area (e.g., a supervisor in a community-based early childhood program for a SPED early intervention program).

(d) The alternative Cooperating Teacher must meet the program training requirements as provided in subsection (12).

(e) The EPP must report the use of the alternative Cooperating Teacher, as provided in the TSPC Program Review and Standards Handbook.

Candidates with Restricted Teaching Licenses

(8) If a school district has employed a candidate as a teacher under the provisions of the Restricted Teaching License, the EPP and employing school district must develop a plan to address the cooperating teacher requirements within the clinical experience required by the Commission in OAR 584-017-1045 Student Teaching. The plan must be submitted to the Commission for approval, as provided in the TSPC Program Review and Standards Handbook.

Characteristic Requirements

(9) To serve as a Cooperating Teacher, an educator must:

Pedagogy, content knowledge, and dispositions in support of candidate learning

(a) Demonstrate effective instruction and assessment, including:

(A) Content knowledge related to subject area;

(B) Curriculum development and differentiation;

(C) Lesson planning and use of multiple instructional strategies;

(D) Assessment, including the use of formative assessment to support student learning;

(E) Academic language as it pertains to content delivery and support of student learning; and

(F) Classroom management.

(b) Demonstrate dispositions that support candidate growth, including:

(A) The ability to listen actively and respond constructively to teacher candidates;

(B) The ability to adapt and be flexible in response to changing circumstances;

(C) The capacity for empathy towards others and the ability to build trusting relationships;

(D) The ability to serve as a role model with respect to professional and ethical behavior;

(E) A commitment to inquiry in teaching and working with teacher candidates; and

(F) A commitment to ongoing professional development and learning.

(c) Employ equity principles and practices to support student learning by:

(A) Utilizing a strength-based approach that recognizes the learning potential of all students through the use of inclusive practices; and

(B) Engaging students through differentiated instruction and assessment practices.

Supervision, mentoring, and reflective practice in support of candidate learning

(d) Understand adult learning and the professional growth of teacher candidates by:

(A) Demonstrating the ability to scaffold experiences in support of teacher candidates' growth;

(B) Using a variety of strategies and resources to respond to teacher candidates;

(C) Demonstrating the ability to help others actively learn new knowledge and skills; and

(D) Demonstrating regard for multiple perspectives.

(e) Facilitate learning experiences that promote collaborative inquiry, analysis, and reflection by:

(A) Using data to engage the teacher candidate in examining and improving practice; and

(B) Guiding candidates effectively in collaborative problem solving and reflective thinking.

(f) Understands the teacher candidate's program and requirements.

Classroom environment and expectations in support of candidate learning

(g) Create an environment of professional and respectful communication with teacher candidates.

(h) Create effective collaborative time in support teacher candidates' learning; and

(i) Demonstrate skill in collaborating with families and the broader education community.

Co-Selection of Cooperating Teachers

(10) The EPP and partnering school district(s) must co-select, prepare, evaluate, support, and retain high-quality clinical educators, both provider- and school-based, who demonstrate a positive impact on candidates' development and PreK-12 student learning and development. In collaboration with their partners, the EPP must use multiple indicators and appropriate technology-based applications to establish, maintain, and refine criteria for the selection, professional development, performance evaluation, continuous improvement, and retention of clinical educators in all clinical placement settings.

(11) If the EPP is unable to find a partnering school district to meet the requirements of subsection (10) for a specific endorsement area, the EPP may use another partner in lieu of the school district. The EPP must develop a plan for utilizing a substitute partner as provided in the TSPC Program Review and Standards Handbook.

Program Training

(12) The EPP and the partnering school district must provide program training to educators supervising teacher candidates in the clinical experience required by the Commission in OAR 584-017-1045 Student Teaching.

(a) The program training must provide the Cooperating Teacher with an understanding of program and licensure requirements of their teacher candidate; and

(b) The Cooperating Teacher must complete the program training prior to supervising a teacher candidate in a clinical experience required by the Commission in OAR 584-017-1045 Student Teaching.

(c) The Cooperating Teacher is required to complete the program training only once for each EPP, unless significant modifications have occurred with the program that affect the role of the Cooperating Teacher.

Annual Report

(13) Annual Reports: The EPP must report on the training of Cooperating Teachers, as provided in the TSPC Program Review and Standards Handbook.

Notes

Or. Admin. Code § 584-017-1037

TSPC 4-2017, f. 6-27-17, cert. ef. 7/1/2017

Stat. Auth.: ORS 342

Stats. Implemented: ORS 342.120, 342.147 & 342.165