Student Teaching Requirements: A Comprehensive Guide

Student teaching is a crucial component of teacher education programs, providing teacher candidates with practical experience in a real classroom setting. This article aims to provide a detailed overview of student teaching requirements, covering various aspects such as eligibility, placement, responsibilities, and assessment.

Introduction

The teacher education program is designed to equip teacher candidates with the necessary skills and knowledge to succeed in any school district. These programs offer specialized training for professional development and field experience, fostering a deeper understanding of the student learning process. Student teaching serves as the capstone experience, allowing students to apply their knowledge and skills in a real-world setting.

Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible for student teaching, candidates must meet certain academic and professional criteria. These requirements ensure that students are adequately prepared to handle the responsibilities of a classroom teacher. Specific eligibility requirements may vary by institution, but generally include:

Senior Status: Students must have senior status at the university or be within two semesters and one summer session of graduation.
Content Area Completion: For secondary and all-grades programs, students must complete at least 75% of the credit hours in their content area. For early childhood and elementary content areas, there cannot be more than one course missing from a content area.
Professional Education Courses: Completion of all professional education courses, including required laboratory field experience courses, with a minimum GPA of 2.5 is typically required. A similar GPA is often required for those earning a license addition, along with completion of all relevant courses.
Proficiency: Students must demonstrate proficiency in the area(s) in which they will be student teaching or completing a practicum.
Background Check: Students are usually required to provide a criminal history check to the school districts before participating in student teaching. An initial background check may be required with the student teaching application.

Placement and Duration

Student teaching placements are carefully designed to provide realistic and intensive experience. Key aspects of placement and duration include:

Placement Settings: Most placements occur in public and private schools statewide, spanning elementary, middle, junior high, and senior high levels. In-state students are often encouraged to student teach in their hometown region, provided the university has a working relationship with the school corporations in that area.
Global Opportunities: Students may have the option to student teach in approved locations through programs like the Global Gateway for Teachers, including opportunities in the Navajo Nation, urban settings, and overseas programs.
Duration: Teacher preparation/certification programs often require 12-16 weeks of student teaching. An additional practicum of six weeks may be required for students adding a license addition to their initial teaching area. When completing a license addition, the primary student teaching assignment may be reduced to ten weeks, with an additional six weeks in the license addition subject area. These experiences are typically full-day, full-time, off-campus, school-based experiences completed in consecutive weeks.
Dual Majors: Students dual majoring in middle level education can expect one placement at the middle level, with another at their chosen elementary or secondary level. Those doubling up in early childhood or elementary education may be paired with a student teaching coordinator who works with school district partners to place them in student teaching centers.

Responsibilities and Expectations

During student teaching, teacher candidates gradually assume the responsibilities of a classroom teacher, under the guidance of a supervising teacher and a university supervisor. The extent of involvement and the assumption of full class responsibilities are determined by mutual agreement among the student, the supervising teacher, and the university supervisor.

Full Range of Duties: The educator preparation institution shall provide opportunities for the student teacher to assume major responsibility for the full range of teaching duties, including extended co-teaching experiences, in a real school situation under the guidance of qualified personnel from the educator preparation institution and the cooperating elementary, middle, or high school.
Active Participation: Augmentation of the program is achieved through participation in the total education activities of the school and school community, which is considered an integral part of the experience.
Restrictions: Students may not enroll in other classes while completing student teaching.
Teaching Authorization: A pre-service Teacher Authorization may allow a student teacher who has completed all coursework to be the Teacher of Record while student teaching if a school is unable to find a fully qualified teacher. The college must agree the student teacher is a good candidate and write a letter recommending the student teacher for the Teaching Authorization, verifying all coursework is complete and only student teaching remains. The K-12 school must formulate a plan of support to ensure the student teacher is set up for success, outline their supports, and name a collaborating teacher who is spearheading the support. The letter should also include how they tried to hire a fully licensed teacher and were not able to do so.

Supervision and Support

Student teachers receive ongoing support and supervision from both a supervising teacher in the school and a university supervisor.

Supervising Teacher Eligibility: The cooperating teacher, whether serving in a public or nonpublic school, shall have a valid teaching certificate or license for each grade and subject taught and at least three years of teaching experience as a certified educator. Prior to student teacher placement, a cooperating teacher shall receive training approved by the Education Professional Standards Board, including basic responsibilities, best practices in supporting the student teacher, and effective assessment of the student teacher.
University Supervisor Role: The university supervisor shall conduct a minimum of four observations of the student teacher in the actual teaching situation, a portion of which may be remote. The observation reports shall be filed as part of the student teacher record and used as validation of the supervisory function. The university supervisors shall be available to work with the student teacher and personnel in the cooperating school regarding any problems that may arise related to the student teaching situation. University supervisors shall receive training approved by the Education Professional Standards Board, including basic responsibilities, best practices in supporting the student teacher, and effective assessment of the student teacher.
Ratio: The ratio of student teachers to cooperating teachers shall be one-to-one.

Assessment

Assessment is an integral part of the student teaching experience, providing feedback and evaluating the teacher candidate's performance.

Teacher Performance Assessment (edTPA): As of fall 2016, teacher candidates may be required to complete a teacher performance assessment (edTPA) during student teaching. The cost of scoring edTPA can be $300, which may be covered by the university through fee funds and vouchers.
Kentucky Teacher Internship Program Teacher Performance Assessment: The educator preparation institution shall use the Kentucky Teacher Internship Program Teacher Performance Assessment documents established in 16 KAR 7:010.

Field Experience Requirements

Prior to admission to student teaching, each teacher candidate shall complete a minimum of 200 clock hours of field experiences in a variety of primary through grade 12 (P-12) school settings. These experiences should allow the candidate to participate in:

Engagement with diverse populations of students: This includes students from different ethnic or cultural groups, socioeconomic groups, English language learners, students with disabilities, and students from across elementary, middle school, and secondary grade levels.
Observation in schools and related agencies: Such as Family Resource Centers or Youth Service Centers.
Student tutoring
Interaction with families of students
Attendance at school board and school-based council meetings
Participation in a school-based professional learning community
Opportunities to assist teachers or other school professionals

The educator preparation institution shall maintain electronic records that confirm all candidates enrolled in student teaching have fulfilled the field experiences.

Compensation

Student Teachers: A student teacher shall not receive direct compensation for student teaching.
Cooperating Teachers: The Education Professional Standards Board may make arrangements with local school districts to compensate a cooperating teacher. The payment to a cooperating teacher shall be determined based upon available funding allocated under the biennial budget bill and the total number of days served.

Program Structure and Support Systems

Institutions often provide structured support and resources to guide student teachers through their experience.

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Internship Semester: Teacher candidates in most programs will complete a yearlong internship in their programâs final year, divided into two semesters. The semester immediately before student teaching is known as the internship semester, during which candidates actively attend, participate in, and establish connections within an assigned classroom while fulfilling coursework requirements.
Field Experience Resource Hub: The Office of School and Community Partnerships may provide a Field Experience Resource Hub, a one-stop Canvas resource for field experience needs.
Student Teaching Orientation: Student Teaching Orientation is a requirement for all student teachers during their student teaching semester.

Ethical Considerations

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.

Placement Considerations

The educator preparation institution and the school district shall make reasonable efforts to place student teachers in settings that provide opportunities for the student teacher to develop and demonstrate the practical skills, knowledge, and professional dispositions essential to help all P-12 students learn and develop. A student teacher shall not be placed in a setting that is not consistent with his or her planned certification content and grade range. The student teacher placement shall provide the student teacher with the opportunity to engage with diverse populations of students.

Candidates pursuing a primary through grade 12 certificate shall have their student teaching balanced between an elementary school placement and middle school or high school placement. Candidates pursuing an elementary certificate shall have their student teaching balanced between a placement in primary through grade 3 and a placement in grade 4 or grade 5. Candidates seeking dual certification in either middle school or secondary content areas shall have equal placements in both content areas.

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