CHAPTER 77
STANDARDS FOR TEACHER INTERN PREPARATION PROGRAMS
281—77.1(256) General statement. Programs of teacher intern preparation leading to licensure in Iowa are subject to approval by the state board of education, as provided in Iowa Code chapter 256.
281—77.2(256) Definitions. For purposes of clarity, the following definitions are used throughout the chapter:
“AEA” means area education agency.
“BOEE” means the board of educational examiners, the board responsible for establishing licensure requirements and issuing licenses.
“Cooperating teachers” means classroom teachers who provide guidance and supervision to teacher candidates during the candidates’ field experiences in the schools.
“Department” means the department of education.
“Director” means the director of education.
“Institution” means a four-year college or university in Iowa offering teacher intern preparation and seeking state board approval of its teacher intern preparation program.
“INTASC” means the Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium, the source of national standards for beginning teachers.
“Intern” means an individual who is enrolled in a teacher intern preparation program leading to teacher intern licensure.
“Mentor” means an individual, employed by a school district or area education agency as a classroom teacher, or a retired teacher, who holds a valid license issued under Iowa Code chapter 272. The individual must have a record of four years of successful teaching practice with at least two of the four years on a nonprobationary basis and must demonstrate professional commitment to both the improvement of teaching and learning and the development of beginning teachers or teacher interns.
“Practitioner” means a teacher, administrator, or other school personnel holding a license issued by the board of educational examiners.
“Program” means the program for teacher intern preparation at colleges and universities leading to licensure of teacher interns.
“State board” means the state board of education.
“Teacher intern candidate” means an individual who is enrolled in a teacher intern preparation program leading to teacher intern licensure.
“Teacher intern preparation program” means the program for teacher intern preparation at colleges and universities leading to licensure of teacher interns.
“Unit” means the organizational entity within an institution with the responsibility of administering the teacher intern preparation program.
281—77.3(256) Institutions affected. All Iowa colleges and universities engaged in the preparation of teacher interns and seeking state board approval of their programs shall meet the standards contained in this chapter.
281—77.4(256) Criteria for Iowa teacher intern preparation programs. Each institution seeking approval of its program of teacher intern 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. For institutions not already offering practitioner preparation programs approved by the state board, the evaluation process shall include a site visit by representatives of the department and additional documentation as needed. After the state board has approved the teacher intern preparation program filed by an institution, teacher intern candidates who complete the program and are recommended by the authorized official of that institution will be issued the appropriate license and endorsement(s).
281—77.5(256) Approval of programs. For initial approval, institutions shall submit written documentation of the teacher intern preparation program’s compliance with program approval rules 77.10(256) through 77.16(256). For institutions that do not already have practitioner preparation programs approved by the state board, the evaluation process shall include a site visit by representatives of the department and additional documentation as needed. Approval by the state board of the institutions’ teacher intern preparation programs 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 cover the period of time between initial approval and the institution’s next regularly scheduled state review under rules 281 IAC 79.5(256) and 281 IAC 79.6(256). After the initial approval period, approval of the teacher intern preparation program will be included as part of the institution’s reapplication for approval of its entire practitioner preparation program. Approval, if granted to institutions offering only teacher intern preparation programs, shall be for a term of five years; however, approval for a lesser tern 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 the next regularly scheduled meeting of the state board. The institution may also reapply at its discretion when it is ready to show what actions have been taken to address the areas suggested for improvement.
281—77.6(256) Periodic reports. Institutions with approved teacher intern preparation programs shall make periodic reports upon request of the department. The reports shall provide basic information necessary to keep up-to-date records of each teacher intern preparation program and to carry out research studies relating to teacher intern preparation.
281—77.7(256) Approval of program changes. Upon application for approval of program changes by an institution, the director is authorized to approve minor additions to, or changes within, the curricula of an institution’s approved teacher intern preparation program. When an institution proposes a revision that exceeds the primary scope of its programs, the revision shall become operative only after having been approved by the state board.
281—77.8(256) Governance and resources. As a component of the program, the institution shall work collaboratively with the local school district(s) or AEA.
	77.8(1) The institution’s responsibilities shall include but not be limited to:
	a. 	Organizing and implementing the screening of prospective teacher interns;
	b. 	Submitting a recommendation by the authorized official of the institution to the BOEE for a teacher intern license. The recommendation from the institution must be submitted to the BOEE upon the teacher intern candidate’s completion of the coursework and competencies, as outlined in the program content in subrule 77.12(1), and prior to the beginning of the teacher internship year;
	c. 	Supervising the teacher intern during the internship year;
	d. 	Verifying that the teacher intern has successfully completed all required coursework and demonstrated all required competencies in the approved teacher intern program;
	e. 	Submitting a recommendation to the BOEE that the teacher intern candidate is eligible to move from the teacher intern license to the initial license;
	f. 	Preparing data in response to the department’s request for information regarding, but not limited to, the selection of teacher interns and the institution’s teacher intern preparation program, institutional support, local school district or AEA mentors, and local school district or AEA support.
	77.8(2) The local school district’s or AEA’s responsibilities shall include, but not be limited to:
	a. 	Offering employment to an individual who has been evaluated by a college or university and is eligible for or accepted in the approved teacher intern preparation program;
	b. 	Participating in a mentoring and induction program;
	c. 	Providing a district mentor for the teacher intern;
	d. 	Ensuring that an assignment does not unnecessarily overload the teacher intern with extracurricular duties not related to the teaching assignment;
	e. 	Providing other support and supervision, as needed, to the teacher intern to maximize the opportunity for the teacher intern to succeed;
	f. 	Preparing data in response to the department’s request for information regarding, but not limited to, the selection of teacher interns and the district’s or AEA’s teacher intern preparation program, institutional support, the local school district or AEA mentors, and local school district or AEA support.
Mentors serve the role of coaching, guiding, and providing feedback to the intern. This relationship is not a supervisory situation and evaluation is not part of this model.
	77.8(3) A teacher intern committee, with membership including, but not limited to, a program director from the institution, teacher education faculty, and 7-12 school district personnel, shall design the teacher intern preparation program.
The teacher intern committee shall develop program goals, the program of study including field experiences, a system of support for teacher interns including mentoring and supervision by program faculty, an assessment plan for documenting teacher intern candidates’ progress during preparation, and other items deemed appropriate to the program design.
Upon implementation of the teacher intern preparation program, a teacher intern committee shall monitor progress of the program toward goals, examine formative and summative data about candidates and the program, and recommend ways to address issues arising during implementation or subsequent to analysis of evaluative data.
	77.8(4) Resources shall support quality clinical practice for all teacher intern candidates, professional development for faculty, and technological and instructional needs of faculty to prepare teacher intern candidates with the dispositions, knowledge, and skills necessary to support student learning.
	77.8(5) Teacher intern candidates’ and faculty’s access to books, journals, and electronic information shall support teaching and scholarship.
	77.8(6) Sufficient numbers of faculty and administrative, clerical, and technical staff shall be available to ensure the consistent planning, delivery, and quality of the teacher intern program.
	77.8(7) The use of part-time faculty and graduate students in teaching roles shall be managed to ensure integrity, quality, and continuity of the teacher intern preparation program.
	77.8(8) Institutional commitment shall include financial resources, facilities and equipment to ensure the fulfillment of the institution’s and unit’s missions, delivery of a quality program, and preparation of teacher intern candidates.
281—77.9(256) Diversity.
	77.9(1) Recruitment, admissions, hiring, and retention policies and practices shall support a diverse faculty and teacher intern candidate population in the program.
	77.9(2) Efforts toward racial, ethnic, and gender diversity among teacher intern candidates and program faculty shall be documented. In addition, diversity efforts shall include persons with disabilities, persons from different language and socioeconomic backgrounds, and persons from different regions of the country and world.
	77.9(3) Unit efforts in increasing or maintaining diversity shall be reflected in plans, monitoring of plans and efforts, and results.
	77.9(4) The institution, the program and members of the partnership shall maintain a climate that supports diversity in general as well as supporting teacher intern candidates and faculty from underrepresented groups in the program.
281—77.10(256) Faculty.
	77.10(1) Faculty members from the institution and others in the partnership shall have preparation and have had experiences in situations similar to those for which the teacher interns are being prepared.
	77.10(2) The collective competence and background of the entire teacher intern preparation program faculty shall reflect a balance of theory, experience, and knowledge appropriate to the teacher intern preparation program being offered.
	77.10(3) The program shall administer a systematic and comprehensive evaluation system and professional development activities to enhance the teaching competence and intellectual vitality of the teacher intern preparation program faculty.
	77.10(4) Policies and assignments shall allow faculty to be involved effectively in teaching, scholarship, and supervision of teacher intern candidates.
	77.10(5) Teacher intern faculty members shall maintain an ongoing, meaningful involvement in activities in schools where teacher interns are employed. Activities of full-time permanent teacher intern faculty members from the institution preparing teacher interns shall include at least 40 hours of team teaching during a period not to exceed five years in duration at the middle or secondary school level. This five-year period shall align with the institution’s scheduled cycle of state review.
281—77.11(256) Teacher intern selection.
	77.11(1) Representatives from the teacher intern committee shall be actively involved in the identification of criteria for selecting teacher intern candidates. Representatives from the teacher intern committee shall be actively involved in the screening, interviewing and selection of teacher intern candidates.
	77.11(2) Rigorous screening shall be used to select teacher intern candidates. The screening shall include, but not be limited to:
	a. 	Verification of the prospective candidate’s completion of a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution. If any candidate’s undergraduate grade point average is less than 2.5 on a 4.0 scale, the program admission criteria shall specify the additional criteria that an applicant must satisfy for provisional admittance to the teacher intern preparation program;
	b. 	Evaluation of the prospective candidate’s transcripts to determine if the prospective candidate meets the state minimum requirements for at least one of the board of educational examiners’ secondary (7-12) endorsement areas listed in 282 IAC 14.141(272);
	c. 	Evaluation of the prospective candidate’s minimum of three years of postbaccalaureate work experience;
	d. 	An in-person interview of the prospective candidate designed to generate information related to the attributes identified as essential for candidates by the partnership;
	e. 	Examination of references submitted by the prospective teacher intern;
	f. 	Evaluation of an impromptu writing sample submitted by the prospective teacher intern; and
	g. 	Verification that the prospective candidate has successfully passed a basic skills test at the level approved by the teacher education institution.
281—77.12(256) Curriculum and instruction.
	77.12(1) Content. Teacher intern candidates shall develop the dispositions, knowledge, and performance expectations of the INTASC standards embedded in the professional education core for an Iowa teaching license at a level appropriate for a novice teacher. The teacher intern preparation program content shall include:
	a. 	Coursework and competencies equivalent to a minimum of 12 semester hours specified by the board of educational examiners to be completed prior to the beginning of the candidate’s initial employment as a teacher intern. The coursework and competencies shall include, but not be limited to:
	(1)	Learning environment/classroom management. The intern shall demonstrate an understanding of individual and group motivation and behavior to create a learning environment that encourages positive social interaction, active engagement in learning, and self-motivation.
	(2)	Instructional planning. The intern shall plan instruction based upon knowledge of subject matter, students, the community, curriculum goals, and state curriculum models.
	(3)	Instructional strategies. The intern shall demonstrate an understanding of and shall use a variety of instructional strategies to encourage students’ development of critical thinking, problem solving, and performance skills.
	(4)	Student learning. The intern shall demonstrate an understanding of how students learn and develop and provide learning opportunities that support intellectual, career, social, and personal development.
	(5)	Diverse learners. The intern shall demonstrate an understanding of how students differ in their approaches to learning and create instructional opportunities that are equitable and are adaptable to diverse learners.
	(6)	Collaboration, ethics and relationships. The intern shall foster relationships with parents, school colleagues, and organizations in the larger community to support students’ learning and development.
	(7)	Assessment. The intern shall demonstrate an understanding of and shall use formal and informal assessment strategies to evaluate the continuous intellectual, social, and physical development of the learner.
	(8)	Field experiences that provide opportunities for interaction with students in an environment that supports learning in context. These experiences shall total at least 50 contact hours in the field prior to the beginning of the academic year of the candidate’s initial employment as a teacher intern.
	b. 	A minimum of 4 semester hours of a teacher intern seminar during the teacher internship year to include support and extension of coursework from the teacher intern introductory content.
	c. 	Coursework and competencies equivalent to a minimum of 12 semester hours specified by the BOEE to be completed prior to the recommendation for an initial teaching license. The coursework and competencies shall include but not be limited to:
	(1)	Foundations, reflection, and professional development. The intern shall continually evaluate the effects of practitioners’ choices and actions on students, parents, and other professionals in the learning community and actively seek out opportunities to grow professionally.
	(2)	Communication. The intern shall use 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.
	(3)	Exceptional learner. The intern shall use knowledge of exceptional learners that contributes to the education of individuals with disabilities and the gifted and talented.
	(4)	Reading strategies. The intern shall integrate reading strategies into the teaching of the content area.
	(5)	Computer technology. The intern shall use knowledge of technology, including computers, to enhance instruction.
	(6)	An advanced study of the items set forth in 77.12(1)“a”(1) to (7).
	77.12(2) Instructional practices. The program faculty shall:
	a. 	Apply adult learning theory and its impact on professional development;
	b. 	Utilize innovative instructional practice supported by research;
	c. 	Reintegrate active engagement of teacher intern candidates and facilitate teacher intern reflection; and
	d. 	Connect professional education studies prior to, during, and following the internship year with teacher intern candidates’ field experiences.
281—77.13(256) Candidate support.
	77.13(1) The program shall provide an orientation for teacher intern candidates prior to the internship year including but not limited to the program goals and expectations, licensure requirements, support to be provided by the supervisor from the institution and the teacher mentor at the site of the internship, and cohort-building.
	77.13(2) Teacher intern faculty shall provide teacher intern candidates with academic advising, monitoring of their performance throughout the program, and consultation opportunities.
	77.13(3) Teacher intern faculty shall provide regular supervision in teacher intern candidates’ classrooms with additional supervision and assistance as needed.
	77.13(4) The program shall coordinate support between the teacher intern candidate’s local district mentor and program supervisor. In some cases, the institution may wish to hire its own on-site cooperating teacher to serve as a second mentor who could also provide evaluative feedback to the institution.
	77.13(5) The program shall offer the teacher intern candidate access to support services offered by the institution.
281—77.14(256) Candidate assessment.
	77.14(1) Performance of teacher intern candidates shall be measured against national professional standards, state licensure standards, and the program’s learning outcomes.
	77.14(2) The program shall utilize a coherent, sequential assessment system for individual teacher intern candidates. The assessment system shall clearly document candidates’ attainment of the unit’s and the board of educational examiners’ licensure standards by providing evidence via multiple measures of content knowledge, professional and pedagogical knowledge, and effect on student learning and achievement. Whenever possible, this assessment system shall document teacher intern candidates’ performance of content specified in 77.12(1)“a”(1) to (7) and 77.12(1)“c”(1) to (5) in the teacher intern candidates’ classrooms and shall document candidates’ performance toward meeting the Iowa teaching standards.
	77.14(3) The institution shall document teacher intern candidates’ completion of licensure requirements, and the authorized official of the institution shall recommend eligible candidates for licensure.
281—77.15(256) Program evaluation. The institution shall:
	77.15(1) Demonstrate how the information gathered via the individual teacher intern candidate assessment system is utilized to refine and revise the program’s goals, content, delivery strategies, and candidate support.
	77.15(2) Document the quality of programs through the collective presentation of assessment data related to performance of teacher intern candidates and demonstrate how the data are used for continuous program improvement.
	a. 	This documentation shall include evidence of evaluative data collected by the teacher intern preparation program through studies of teacher intern candidates while they are in the program and data collected from the district(s) or AEA employing the candidates. This evidence shall include, but is not limited to, candidates’ content and pedagogical knowledge and performance, level of support for candidates provided by the institution and the local district or AEA, and perceived quality of preparation throughout the program.
	b. 	This documentation shall include evidence of evaluative data collected by the teacher intern preparation program through follow-up studies of teacher intern preparation program graduates and their employers.
	77.15(3) Submit an annual report to the department including, but not limited to, a composite of evaluative data collected by the program.
These rules are intended to implement Iowa Code sections 256.7 and 256.16.
[Filed 5/9/02, Notice 4/3/02—published 5/29/02, effective 7/3/02]
[Filed 11/21/02, Notice 10/2/02—published 12/11/02, effective 1/15/03]
[Filed 11/16/05, Notice 8/31/05—published 12/7/05, effective 1/11/06]