CHAPTER 79
STANDARDS FOR PRACTITIONER AND ADMINISTRATOR
PREPARATION PROGRAMS
(Effective August 31, 2001)
DIVISION I
GENERAL STANDARDS APPLICABLE TO ALL PRACTITIONER PREPARATION PROGRAMS
281—79.1(256) General statement. Programs of practitioner and administrator preparation leading to licensure in Iowa are subject to approval by the state board of education, as provided in Iowa Code chapter 256. All programs having accreditation on August 31, 2001, are presumed accredited unless or until the state board takes formal action to remove accreditation. All administrator preparation programs must submit program documentation between August 31, 2001, and August 31, 2002, for approval of administrator preparation programs under these rules. Commencing August 31, 2001, all program approval evaluations will be conducted under these rules.
281—79.2(256) Definitions. For purposes of clarity, the following definitions are used throughout the chapter:
“Administrator candidates” means individuals who are enrolled in practitioner preparation programs leading to administrator licensure.
“Administrator preparation programs” means the programs of practitioner preparation leading to licensure of administrators.
“Candidates” means individuals who are preparing to become educational practitioners through a practitioner preparation program.
“Clinical experiences” means a candidate’s direct experiences in PK-12 schools. “Clinical experiences” includes field experiences prior to student teaching or internship; internships for preparation programs other than teacher preparation; and student teaching, a full-time clinical practice experience in which the teacher preparation program culminates.
“College/university supervisors” means qualified employees or individuals contracted by the college or university offering teacher preparation who provide guidance and supervision to teacher candidates during the candidates’ clinical experiences in the schools.
“Cooperating administrators” means school administrators who provide guidance and supervision to administrator candidates during the candidates’ clinical experiences in the schools.
“Cooperating teachers” means appropriately licensed classroom teachers of record who provide guidance and supervision to teacher candidates in the cooperating teachers’ classrooms during the candidates’ field experiences in the schools.
“Department” means department of education.
“Director” means director of education.
“Diverse groups” means one or more groups of individuals possessing certain traits or characteristics, including but not limited to age, color, creed, national origin, race, religion, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or socioeconomic status.
“Institution” means a college or university in Iowa offering practitioner, including administrator, preparation or an organization offering administrator preparation and seeking state board approval of its practitioner preparation program(s).
“INTASC” means Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium, the source of national standards for beginning teachers.
“ISLLC” means Interstate School Leaders and Licensure Consortium, a source of national standards for school administrators.
“ISSL” means Iowa Standards for School Leaders, the ISLLC standards with additional expectations for Iowa school leaders.
“Mentor” means an experienced educator who provides guidance to a practitioner, administrator candidate or novice educator.
“Novice” means an individual in an educational position who has no previous experience in the role of that position or who is newly licensed by the board of educational examiners.
“Practitioner candidates” means individuals who are enrolled in practitioner preparation programs leading to licensure as teachers or other professional school personnel that require a license issued by the board of educational examiners.
“Practitioner preparation programs” means the programs of practitioner preparation leading to licensure of teachers, administrators, and other professional school personnel.
“Program” means a specific field of specialization leading to a specific endorsement.
“State board” means Iowa state board of education.
“Students” means PK-12 pupils.
“Teacher candidates” means individuals who are enrolled in practitioner preparation programs leading to teacher licensure.
“Unit” means the organizational entity within an institution with the responsibility of administering the practitioner preparation program(s).
281—79.3(256) Institutions affected. All colleges and universities offering complete practitioner preparation programs in Iowa, as well as other educational organizations engaged in the preparation of administrators, shall meet the standards contained in this chapter to gain or maintain state board approval of their programs.
281—79.4(256) Criteria for Iowa practitioner preparation programs. Each institution seeking approval of its programs of practitioner preparation shall file evidence of the extent to which it meets the standards contained in this chapter by means of a written self-evaluation report and an evaluation conducted by the department. The program shall demonstrate such evidence by means of a template developed by the department and through a site visit conducted by the department. After the state board has approved the practitioner preparation programs of an institution, students who complete the programs and are recommended by the authorized official of that institution will be issued the appropriate license and endorsement(s).
281—79.5(256) Approval of programs. Approval of institutions’ practitioner preparation programs by the state board shall be based on the recommendation of the director after study of the factual and evaluative evidence on record about each program in terms of the standards contained in this chapter.
Approval, if granted, shall be for a term of five years; however, approval for a lesser term may be granted by the state board if it determines conditions so warrant.
If approval is not granted, the applying institution will be advised concerning the areas in which improvement or changes appear to be essential for approval. In this case, the institution shall be given the opportunity to present factual information concerning its programs at a regularly scheduled meeting of the state board, not beyond three months of the board’s initial decision. Following a minimum of six months after the board’s decision to deny approval, the institution may reapply when it is ready to show what actions have been taken to address the areas of suggested improvement.
Programs may be granted conditional approval upon review of appropriate documentation. In such an instance, the program shall receive a full review after one year or, in the case of a new program, at the point at which candidates demonstrate mastery of standards for licensure.
281—79.6(256) Visiting teams. Upon application or reapplication for approval, a team shall visit each institution for evaluation of its practitioner preparation program(s). The membership of the team shall be selected by the department with the concurrence of the institution being visited. The team may include faculty members of other practitioner preparation institutions; personnel from elementary and secondary schools, to include licensed practitioners; personnel of the state department of education; and representatives from professional education organizations. Each team member should have appropriate competencies, background, and experiences to enable the member to contribute to the evaluation visit. The expenses for the visiting team shall be borne by the institution.
281—79.7(256) Periodic reports. Approved programs shall make periodic reports upon request of the department which shall provide basic information necessary to keep records of each practitioner preparation program up to date and to provide information necessary to carry out research studies relating to practitioner preparation.
281—79.8(256) Reevaluation of practitioner or administrator preparation programs. Every five years or at any time deemed necessary by the director, an institution shall file a written self-evaluation of its practitioner or administrator preparation programs to be followed by a team visit. Any action for continued approval or rescission of approval shall be approved by the state board.
281—79.9(256) Approval of program changes. Upon application by an institution, the director is authorized to approve minor additions to, or changes within, the curricula of an institution’s approved practitioner or administrator preparation program. When an institution proposes a revision which exceeds the primary scope of its programs, the revisions shall become operative only after having been approved by the state board.
DIVISION II
SPECIFIC EDUCATION STANDARDS APPLICABLE TO ALL PRACTITIONER PREPARATION PROGRAMS
281—79.10(256) Governance and resources standard. Governance and resources shall adequately support the preparation of practitioner candidates to meet professional, state and institutional standards in accordance with the following provisions.
	79.10(1) A clearly understood governance structure provides guidance and support for the practitioner preparation program(s).
	79.10(2) The professional education unit has primary responsibility for all programs offered at the institution for the initial and continuing preparation of teachers, administrators and other professional school personnel.
	79.10(3) The unit’s conceptual framework establishes the shared vision for the unit and provides the foundation for coherence among curriculum, instruction, field experiences, clinical practice, assessment, and evaluation.
	79.10(4) The work climate, policies, and assignments promote intellectual vitality, including best practices in teaching, scholarship and service among faculty.
	79.10(5) The unit provides evidence of ongoing collaboration with the professional community, including evidence that there is an active advisory committee that, at a minimum, is solicited semiannually for program input to inform the unit.
	79.10(6) When a unit is part of a college or university, the unit provides evidence of ongoing collaboration with the arts and sciences departments of the institution, especially regarding content endorsements.
	79.10(7) Procedures for an appeals process for candidates and faculty are clearly communicated and provided to all candidates and faculty.
	79.10(8) The unit administers a systematic and comprehensive evaluation system designed to enhance the teaching competence and intellectual vitality of the professional education unit.
	79.10(9) The institution provides the commitment and resources necessary to support a quality clinical program for all practitioner candidates.
	79.10(10) Institutional commitment to the unit includes financial resources, facilities, appropriate educational materials, library services, and equipment to ensure the fulfillment of the institution’s and unit’s missions, delivery of quality programs, and preparation of practitioner candidates.
	79.10(11) The unit provides sufficient faculty, administrative, clerical, and technical staff to plan and deliver a quality practitioner program(s).
	79.10(12) Resources are available to support professional development opportunities for faculty.
	79.10(13) Resources are available to support technological and instructional needs to enhance candidate learning.
	79.10(14) The use of part-time faculty and graduate students in teaching roles is purposeful and is managed to ensure integrity, quality, and continuity of programs.
281—79.11(256) Diversity standard. The environment and experiences provided practitioner candidates shall support candidate growth in knowledge, skills, and dispositions to help all students learn in accordance with the following provisions.
	79.11(1) The institution and unit maintain a climate that supports diversity.
	79.11(2) The institution and unit document their efforts in maintaining and increasing a diverse faculty and include teacher education candidates in plans, policies, and practices as required by the Higher Learning Commission.
	79.11(3) Practitioner candidates experience clinical practices in settings that include diverse populations and students of different grade levels and of diverse learning needs.
281—79.12(256) Faculty standard. Faculty qualifications and performance shall facilitate the professional development of practitioner candidates in accordance with the following provisions.
	79.12(1) Faculty members in professional education are adequately prepared for responsibilities assigned to them and have had experiences in situations similar to those for which the practitioner candidates are being prepared.
	79.12(2) Faculty members instruct and model best practices in teaching, including the assessment of their own effectiveness as it relates to candidate performance.
	79.12(3) Faculty members are engaged in professional development as well as scholarly and service activities that relate to teaching, learning, and practitioner preparation.
	79.12(4) Faculty members collaborate regularly and in significant ways with colleagues in the professional education unit and other college/university units, schools, the department, area education agencies, and professional associations as well as with community representatives.
	79.12(5) Part-time faculty members and graduate assistants, when employed, are identified as faculty members and meet the licensure and experience requirements appropriate for their assigned responsibilities.
	79.12(6) Faculty members preparing practitioner candidates maintain an ongoing, meaningful involvement in activities in preschools or elementary, middle, or secondary schools. A minimum of 60 hours of such activities shall include team teaching during the period between approval visits. A maximum of 30 hours of the 60-hour requirement may be completed by supervising preservice candidates in PK-12 classroom settings.
DIVISION III
SPECIFIC EDUCATION STANDARDS APPLICABLE ONLY TO INITIAL PRACTITIONER PREPARATION
PROGRAMS FOR TEACHER CANDIDATES
281—79.13(256) Clinical practice standard. The unit and its school partners shall provide field experiences and student teaching opportunities that assist candidates in becoming successful teachers in accordance with the following provisions.
	79.13(1) Candidates admitted to a teacher preparation program participate in field experiences including both observation and participation in teaching activities in a variety of school settings and totaling at least 80 hours’ duration, with at least 10 hours occurring prior to acceptance into the program. A maximum of 40 hours of previous experience as a teacher or teaching associate may be credited toward the 80 hours if a program chooses to implement specific criteria for this option.
	79.13(2) Clinical practice for teacher and other professional school personnel candidates supports the development of knowledge, dispositions, and skills that are identified in the unit standards.
	79.13(3) Programs document clinical expectations at various developmental levels throughout the program. These expectations are shared with candidates, supervisors, and cooperating teachers.
	79.13(4) Environments for clinical practice support learning in context, and include all of the following:
	a. 	Scheduling and use of time and resources to allow candidates to participate with teachers and other practitioners and learners in the school setting.
	b. 	Teacher candidate learning that takes place in the context of providing high-quality instructional programs for children in a state-approved school or educational facility.
	c. 	Opportunities for teacher candidates to observe and be observed by others and to engage in discussion and reflection on clinical practice.
	d. 	The involvement of teacher candidates in assessment, planning and instruction as well as in activities directed toward the improvement of teaching and learning.
	79.13(5) PK-12 school and college/university personnel share responsibility for the selection of cooperating teachers who demonstrate skills, knowledge, and dispositions of highly accomplished practitioners.
	79.13(6) Cooperating teachers and college/university supervisors share responsibility for supervising the candidate’s achievement of unit standards.
	79.13(7) The unit is responsible for all of the following:
	a. 	Defining qualifications for practitioner candidates entering clinical practice.
	b. 	Providing quality supervision that includes primary responsibility for communication/collaboration with cooperating teachers and candidates.
	c. 	Responding to specific needs of cooperating schools.
	d. 	Implementing an evaluation process that assists in selecting quality cooperating teachers.
	79.13(8) Teacher candidates develop and demonstrate the capacity to utilize assessment data in effecting student learning within their classrooms.
	79.13(9) Accountability for student teaching experiences is demonstrated through all of the following:
	a. 	Involvement of the cooperating teacher in the continuous formative evaluation and support of practitioner candidates.
	b. 	Involvement of the college or university supervisor in the formative evaluation of practitioner candidates through a minimum of biweekly observations and consultations.
	c. 	Collaboration of the cooperating teacher and the college/university supervisor in determining areas for improvement, developing and implementing plans for improvement, and determining final evaluation of the student teacher.
	d. 	Use of written evaluation procedures, with completed evaluation forms included in practitioner candidates’ permanent institutional records.
	79.13(10) The student teaching experience for initial licensure meets all of the following:
	a. 	Includes full-time experience for a minimum of 14 consecutive weeks during the student’s final year of the practitioner preparation program.
	b. 	Takes place in the classroom of an appropriately licensed cooperating teacher in the subject area and grade level endorsement desired.
	c. 	Consists of interactive experiences that involve college or university personnel, the student teacher, and the cooperating teacher.
	d. 	Includes prescribed minimum expectations and responsibilities, including ethical behavior, for the student teacher.
	e. 	Includes prescribed minimum expectations and responsibilities for cooperating teachers, the school district or accredited nonpublic school, and higher education supervising faculty members.
	f. 	Requires the student teacher to become knowledgeable about the Iowa teaching standards and to experience a mock evaluation performed by the cooperating teacher or a person who holds an Iowa evaluator license (see rule 282—20.51(272) and Iowa Code section 284.10), which shall not be used as an assessment tool by the program.
	g. 	Requires the student teacher to bear primary responsibility for planning and instruction within the classroom for a minimum of two weeks (ten school days).
	h. 	Involves the student teacher in professional meetings and other school-based activities directed toward the improvement of teaching and learning.
	i. 	Involves the student teacher in communication and interaction with parents or guardians of students in the student teacher’s classroom.
	79.13(11) The institution annually offers one or more workshops for cooperating teachers to define the objectives of the student teaching experience, review the responsibilities of the cooperating teacher, and provide the cooperating teacher other information and assistance the institution deems necessary. The cumulative instructional time for the workshops shall be one school day or the equivalent hours, and the workshops shall utilize delivery strategies identified as appropriate for staff development and reflect information gathered through feedback from workshop participants.
	79.13(12) The institution enters into a written contract with the cooperating school providing clinical experiences, including field experiences and student teaching.
281—79.14(256) Candidate knowledge, skills and dispositions standard. Teacher candidates shall demonstrate the content, pedagogical, and professional knowledge, skills and dispositions necessary to help all students learn in accordance with the following provisions.
	79.14(1) Prior to admission to the teacher preparation program, each teacher candidate attains the qualifying score determined by the unit on a basic skills test of reading, writing, and mathematics.
	79.14(2) Each teacher candidate demonstrates the acquisition of a core of liberal arts knowledge, including but not limited to English composition, mathematics, natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities.
	79.14(3) Each teacher candidate completes specific, dedicated coursework in human relations and cultural competency and thus demonstrates acquisition of knowledge about and skill in interpersonal and intergroup relations that contribute to the development of sensitivity to and understanding of the values, beliefs, life styles, and attitudes of individuals and the diverse groups found in a pluralistic society. The unit shall provide evidence that the human relations and cultural competency coursework is designed to develop the ability of participants to:
	a. 	Be aware of and understand the values, life styles, history, and contributions of various identifiable subgroups in our society.
	b. 	Recognize and deal with dehumanizing biases such as sexism, racism, prejudice, and discrimination and become aware of the impact that such biases have on interpersonal relations.
	c. 	Translate knowledge of human relations into attitudes, skills, and techniques which will result in favorable learning experiences for students.
	d. 	Recognize human diversity and the rights of each individual.
	e. 	Relate effectively to other individuals and various subgroups other than one’s own.
	f. 	Have an awareness of federal and state civil rights legislation as it impacts students.
	79.14(4) Each teacher candidate demonstrates, within specific coursework dedicated to understanding exceptional learners, in other coursework, and in clinical experiences, the necessary knowledge, skills, and dispositions toward meeting the learning needs of all students, including students from diverse ethnic, racial, and socioeconomic backgrounds, students with disabilities, students who are gifted and talented, English language learners, and students who may be at risk of not succeeding in school.
	79.14(5) Each teacher candidate in elementary education demonstrates acquisition of knowledge about and receives preparation in elementary reading programs, including but not limited to reading recovery.
	79.14(6) Each teacher candidate in secondary education demonstrates acquisition of knowledge about and receives preparation in the integration of reading strategies into secondary content areas.
	79.14(7) Each teacher candidate demonstrates acquisition of the knowledge, skills and dispositions designated by the unit standards and aligned with the INTASC standards embedded in the professional education core for an Iowa teaching license at a level appropriate for a novice teacher. Each candidate exhibits competency in all of the following professional core curricula:
	a. 	Content/subject matter specialization. The candidate demonstrates an understanding of the central concepts, tools of inquiry, and structure of the discipline(s) the candidate teaches and creates learning experiences that make these aspects of the subject matter meaningful for students. This is evidenced by a completion of a 30-semester-hour teaching major which must minimally include the requirements for at least one of the basic endorsement areas, special education teaching endorsements, or secondary level occupational endorsements. Each elementary candidate must also complete a field of specialization in a single discipline or a formal interdisciplinary program of at least 12 semester hours.
	b. 	Student learning. The candidate demonstrates an understanding of human growth and development and of how students learn and participates in learning opportunities that support intellectual, career, social and personal development.
	c. 	Diverse learners. The candidate demonstrates an understanding of how students differ in their approaches to learning and creates instructional opportunities that are equitable and adaptable to diverse learners.
	d. 	Instructional planning. The candidate plans instruction based upon knowledge of subject matter, students, the community, curriculum goals, and state curriculum models.
	e. 	Instructional strategies. The candidate demonstrates an understanding of and an ability to use a variety of instructional strategies to encourage student development of critical and creative thinking, problem-solving, and performance skills.
	f. 	Learning environment/classroom management. The candidate uses an understanding of individual and group motivation and behavior; creates a learning environment that encourages positive social interaction, active engagement in learning, and self-motivation; maintains effective classroom management; and is prepared to address behaviors related to substance abuse and other high-risk behaviors.
	g. 	Communication. The candidate uses knowledge of effective verbal, nonverbal, and media communication techniques, and other forms of symbolic representation, to foster active inquiry and collaboration and to support interaction in the classroom.
	h. 	Assessment. The candidate understands and uses formal and informal assessment strategies to evaluate the continuous intellectual, social, and physical development of the student, and effectively uses both formative and summative assessment of students, including student achievement data, to determine appropriate instruction.
	i. 	Foundations, reflective practice and professional development. The candidate develops knowledge of the social, historical, and philosophical foundations of education. The candidate continually evaluates the effects of the candidate’s choices and actions on students, parents, and other professionals in the learning community; actively seeks out opportunities to grow professionally; and demonstrates an understanding of teachers as consumers of research and as researchers in the classroom.
	j. 	Collaboration, ethics and relationships. The candidate fosters relationships with parents, school colleagues, and organizations in the larger community to support student learning and development; demonstrates an understanding of educational law and policy, ethics, and the profession of teaching, including the role of boards of education and education agencies; and demonstrates knowledge of and dispositions for cooperation with other educators, especially in collaborative/co-teaching as well as in other educational team situations.
	k. 	Technology. The candidate effectively integrates technology into instruction to support student learning.
	l. 	Methods of teaching. Methods of teaching have an emphasis on the subject and grade level endorsement desired.
	79.14(8) Each teacher candidate meets all requirements established by the board of educational examiners for any endorsement for which the candidate is recommended, as well as standards developed by national professional organizations as appropriate for specific endorsement areas. Programs shall submit curriculum exhibit sheets for approval by the board of educational examiners and the department.
	79.14(9) Candidates seeking an endorsement in elementary education attain the state’s designated criterion score on a content knowledge assessment as a condition precedent to successful program completion and recommendation for licensure.
	79.14(10) Candidates seeking an endorsement in elementary education demonstrate competency in content coursework directly related to the curricula commonly taught in Iowa elementary schools.
281—79.15(256) Assessment system and unit evaluation standard. The unit’s assessment system shall appropriately monitor individual candidate performance and use that data in concert with other information to evaluate and improve the unit and its programs.
	79.15(1) Unit assessment system.
	a. 	The unit utilizes a clearly defined management system for the collection, analysis, and use of assessment data.
	b. 	The unit provides evidence that the assessment system is congruent with the institution’s mission and the unit’s framework for preparation of effective teachers.
	c. 	The unit demonstrates an alignment of unit standards with INTASC standards, as well as Iowa teaching standards, Iowa preparation core professional standards (79.14(7)), and Iowa board of educational examiners’ licensing standards (282—subrules 14.123(4) and 14.123(5)).
	d. 	The unit clearly documents candidates’ attainment of the unit standards.
	e. 	The unit demonstrates propriety, utility, accuracy and fairness of both the overall assessment system and the instruments used and provides scoring rubrics or other criteria used in evaluation instruments.
	f. 	The unit documents the quality of programs through the collective presentation of assessment data related to performance of teacher candidates. Documentation shall include:
	(1)	Data collected throughout the program;
	(2)	Evidence of evaluative data collected from teachers who work with the unit’s candidates; and
	(3)	Evidence of evaluative data collected by the unit through follow-up studies of graduates and their employers.
	g. 	The unit explains the process for reviewing and revising the assessment system.
	h. 	The unit demonstrates how the information gathered by the unit and from the candidate assessment system is shared with faculty and other stakeholders and used for program improvement.
	79.15(2) Performance assessment system for teacher candidates.
	a. 	The system is an integral part of the unit’s planning and evaluation system.
	b. 	The system has multiple admission criteria and assessments to identify candidates with the potential to become successful teachers.
	c. 	The system includes the administration of a basic skills test with program admission denied to any applicants failing to achieve the institution’s designated criterion score.
	d. 	The system has multiple decision points. (Minimum: admission to professional education program, approval for student teaching, and recommendation for licensure.)
	e. 	The system includes a coherent, sequential assessment system for individual teacher candidates that is shared with faculty with guidance for course and program improvement, as well as assessment criteria (e.g., rubrics) and a process for ongoing feedback to teacher candidates about their achievement of program standards with guidance for reflection and improvement, and is drawn from multiple formative and summative assessments of each of the following, including, but not limited to, institutional assessment of content knowledge, professional knowledge, and pedagogical knowledge and their applications, and teaching performance including the effect on student learning.
	79.15(3) The unit annually reports to the department such data as is required by the state and federal governments at dates determined by the department.
	79.15(4) The department shall periodically conduct a survey of educational agencies employing licensed graduates of approved programs to ensure that the graduates’ needs are adequately met by their programs and by the approval process herein.
DIVISION IV
SPECIFIC EDUCATION STANDARDS APPLICABLE ONLY TO ADMINISTRATOR PREPARATION PROGRAMS
281—79.16(256) Administrator preparation clinical practice standards.
	79.16(1) Administrator candidates shall study about and practice in settings that include diverse populations, students with disabilities, and students of different ages.
	79.16(2) Clinical practice for administrator candidates shall support dispositions and the development of knowledge and skills that are identified in the Iowa board of educational examiners’ licensure standards, the unit’s framework for preparation of effective administrators, and standards from ISLLC or other national professional organizations as appropriate for the licenses sought by candidates.
	79.16(3) Clinical practice for candidates shall include clearly stated expectations that tie the experiences to coursework.
	79.16(4) Environments for clinical practice shall support learning in context, including:
	a. 	Scheduling and use of time and resources to allow candidates to participate with administrators and other practitioners and learners in the school setting.
	b. 	Administrator candidate learning that takes place in the context of providing high quality instructional programs for children.
	c. 	Opportunities for administrator candidates to observe and be observed by others and to engage in discussion and reflection on practice.
	d. 	The involvement of administrator candidates in activities directed at the improvement of teaching and learning.
	79.16(5) School administrators and institution faculty shall share responsibility for administrator candidate learning, including, but not limited to, planning and implementing curriculum and teaching and supervision of the clinical program.
	79.16(6) School administrators and institution faculty shall jointly provide quality clinical experiences for administrator candidates. Accountability for these experiences shall be demonstrated through:
	a. 	Jointly defined qualifications for administrator candidates entering clinical practice.
	b. 	Selection of institution faculty and school administration members who demonstrate skills, knowledge, and dispositions of highly accomplished practitioners.
	c. 	Selection of school administrators and institution faculty members who are prepared to mentor and supervise administrator candidates.
	d. 	Training and support for school administrators who mentor and supervise administrator candidates.
	e. 	Joint evaluation of administrator candidates by the cooperating administrator(s) and institution supervisor.
	79.16(7) The institution shall enter into a written contract with the cooperating school districts that provide field experiences, including administrator internships.
281—79.17(256) Administrator preparation candidate performance standards.
	79.17(1) Candidate knowledge and competence.
	a. 	Candidates for administrator roles in schools shall be expected to support dispositions and develop the knowledge and skills identified by the profession and reflected in the Iowa Standards for School Leaders embedded in the requirements for an Iowa administrator license at a level appropriate for a novice administrator.
	b. 	Alignment shall exist between the administrator preparation program’s expectations for content, performance, and dispositions, Iowa board of educational examiners’ licensure standards, Iowa Standards for School Leaders, educational leadership, and other standards appropriate for specific areas.
	c. 	Administrator candidates shall demonstrate their knowledge of:
	(1)	Administration, supervision, and evaluation for appropriate levels of schools.
	(2)	Curriculum development and management for appropriate levels of schools.
	(3)	Adult learning theory and its impact on professional development.
	(4)	Human growth and development for children in appropriate levels of schools.
	(5)	Family support systems, factors which place families at risk, child care issues, and home-school relationships and interactions designed to promote parent education, family involvement, and interagency collaboration for appropriate levels of schools.
	(6)	School law and legislative and public policy issues affecting children and families for appropriate levels of schools.
	(7)	Evaluator approval requirements.
	d. 	Administrator candidates shall demonstrate their dispositions and knowledge related to diversity as they work with faculty, student populations and communities.
	e. 	Administrator candidates shall demonstrate competency in:
	(1)	Facilitating the development, articulation, implementation, and stewardship of a vision of learning that is shared and supported by the school community.
	(2)	Advocating, nurturing, and sustaining a school culture and instructional program conducive to student learning and staff professional growth.
	(3)	Ensuring management of the organization, operations, and resources for a safe, efficient, and effective learning environment.
	(4)	Collaborating with families and community members, responding to diverse community interests and needs, and mobilizing community resources.
	(5)	Acting in an ethical manner with integrity and fairness.
	(6)	Understanding, responding to, and influencing the larger political, social, economic, legal and cultural context.
	f. 	Administrator candidates shall understand what elements are needed to effectively integrate technology to enhance learning.
	79.17(2) Administrator candidate assessment and administrator preparation program planning and evaluation.
	a. 	The performance assessment system for administrator candidates shall be an integral part of the administrator preparation program’s planning and evaluation system.
	b. 	Multiple criteria and assessments shall be used for admission to identify administrator candidates with potential for becoming school leaders.
	c. 	Assessments of administrator candidates’ performance shall be aligned with ISLLC standards, ISSL, state licensure standards, and the administrator preparation program’s learning outcomes.
	d. 	Information on performance of administrator candidates shall be drawn from multiple assessments, including, but not limited to, institutional assessment of content knowledge, professional knowledge and its application, pedagogical knowledge and its application; teaching and other school personnel performance and the effect on student learning, as candidates work with students, teachers, parents, and professional colleagues in school settings; and follow-up studies of graduates and employers.
	e. 	The design and implementation of the assessment system shall include all stakeholders associated with the administrator preparation program’s activities.
	f. 	The administrator preparation program’s assessment system shall:
	(1)	Provide description of stakeholders’ involvement in system development.
	(2)	Provide evidence that the assessment system reflects both the institution’s mission and the administrator preparation program’s framework for preparation of effective administrators.
	(3)	Include a coherent, sequential assessment system for individual administrator candidates that shall:
	1.	Provide evidence that the unit and Iowa licensure standards are shared with administrator candidates.
	2.	Utilize, for both formative and summative purposes, a range of performance-based assessment strategies throughout the program that shall provide administrator candidates with ongoing feedback about:
	●	What performance of administrator candidates is being assessed or measured.
	●	How performance of administrator candidates is being assessed or measured.
3. Require administrator candidates to demonstrate and provide evidence of what they have learned.
	4.	Have multiple summative decision points.
	5.	Clearly document administrator candidates’ attainment of the unit and the board of educational examiners’ licensure standards by providing evidence of:
	●	Content knowledge via multiple measures.
	●	Professional and pedagogical knowledge via multiple measures.
	●	Collection and analysis of data related to student achievement via multiple measures.
	6.	 Include scoring rubrics or criteria for determining levels or benchmarks of administrator candidate accomplishment.
	7.	Demonstrate credibility of both the overall assessment system and the instruments being used.
	(4)	Document the quality of programs through the collective presentation of assessment data related to performance of administrator candidates and demonstrate how the data are used for continuous program improvement. This shall include:
	1.	Evidence of evaluative data collected by the department from teachers, administrators and other professional school personnel who work with the administrator preparation program’s candidates. The department shall report this data to the unit.
	2.	Evidence of evaluative data collected by the unit through follow-up studies of graduates and their employers.
	(5)	Demonstrate how the information gathered via the individual administrator candidate assessment system is utilized to refine and revise the unit’s framework and programs’ goals, content and delivery strategies.
	(6)	Describe how the assessment system is managed.
	(7)	Explain the process for reviewing and revising the assessment system.
	g. 	An annual report including a composite of evaluative data collected by the administrator preparation program shall be submitted to the bureau of practitioner preparation and licensure by September 30 of each year.
These rules are intended to implement Iowa Code sections 256.7, 256.16 and 272.25(1).
[Filed 10/22/99, Notice 6/30/99—published 11/17/99, effective 8/31/01]
[Filed 8/10/01, Notice 4/18/01—published 9/5/01, effective 10/10/01]
[Filed 8/12/04, Notice 3/31/04—published 9/1/04, effective 10/6/04]
[Filed 9/17/07, Notice 6/6/07—published 10/10/07, effective 11/14/07]