FAST TRAIN Elementary Program Guidelines for Performance Based Assessment And Fieldwork Experience

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1 FAST TRAIN Programs 4400 University Drive, MS 1E8, Fairfax, Virginia Phone: ; Fax: FAST TRAIN Elementary Program Guidelines for Performance Based Assessment And Fieldwork Experience What is field experience in the FAST TRAIN program? Each course in the FAST TRAIN Program requires 20 hours of field experience. Field experience activities can take a variety of different forms ranging from interviewing teachers, collecting instructional data, working with individuals or small groups of students, and teaching a lesson or unit plan. The purpose of the field experience is to increase pedagogical skills through the active involvement of the teacher candidate in the classroom. During each field experience, students develop a Performance Based Assessment (PBA) that responds to the stated guidelines for each course. The PBA serve as a means for students to synthesize theory and practice, promote reflection, and to document field experience activities. To meet requirements for State of Virginia teaching licensure, students must complete and document field experience in each of the licensure courses, and post the Performance Based Assessment for each course into the electronic anthology in TASKSTREAM ( The syllabus for each course designates the PBA and its due date. In brief, they are as follows: Course Assignment EDUC 511 Child Study EDUC 512 Social Studies IB Unit Planner & Teaching Evaluation Form EDUC 513 Student Mathematics Interview and Action Plan EDUC 514 Inquiry Based Science Unit Plan & Teaching Evaluation Form EDUC 516 Reading/Writing/Spelling Analysis EDUC 520 Student Learning Analysis EDUC 621* IB Final Reflection *Optional Capstone Course *Because Elementary students are working towards a K-6 teaching license, field experience hours should be divided as evenly as possible for courses overall between lower primary grades (K-3) and upper primary grades (4-6) to ensure that students gain experience working at both levels. It is the student s responsibility to ensure that field experience hours are divided between lower and upper primary grades when making fieldwork arrangements. 1

2 Where can I complete my fieldwork? Fieldwork Placement and Site Selection FAST TRAIN students must complete fieldwork assignments in an accredited school working with a supervisor or cooperating teacher who holds the credential they seek (i.e. a U.S. teaching license in Elementary Education and/or a Master s degree in Elementary Education). Supervising teachers should have at least 3-5 years of experience teaching at the Elementary level. The fieldwork school should be overseas or in an otherwise international setting and accredited by an international curriculum agency (e.g. IBO) or U.S. accrediting agency (e.g. WASC, Middle States). If seeking the IB Teacher Award, the fieldwork school should be an IB world school. Please see additional guidelines on page 3. To confirm whether your fieldwork placement site (or cooperating teacher) will meet these qualifications, please the Field Coordinator, Jill Macioch, at gmacioch@gmu.edu with your school s (or teacher s) information. What if I am currently employed in an accredited school? Depending on the fieldwork assignment, students who are currently employed in an accredited school may be able to complete fieldwork in their current classroom or with a supervising teacher at their current school. Students should discuss their specific situation with the course instructor to ensure it will meet requirements of the course. Students who will be completing fieldwork in their own school must submit a Fieldwork Placement Confirmation Form (page 6) signed by the Principal or Head of School acknowledging that they have permission to conduct fieldwork in the school. Submit this form to Jill Macioch, Field Coordinator, at gmacioch@gmu.edu no later than September 1 st for Summer/Fall courses or January 9 th for Spring courses. What if I am NOT currently employed in an accredited school? Local (Washington DC area) Students: The FAST TRAIN office will place local students. Please complete the Fieldwork Placement Request Form (page 5) and submit to Jill Macioch, Fieldwork Coordinator, at gmacioch@gmu.edu by the due dates below. The Field Coordinator will contact you as soon as possible about placement after the deadline. Part-time Elementary students must submit fieldwork placement forms no later than September 1 for Fall or January 9 for Spring. All other students must submit placement forms either September 1 st (Summer/Fall) or February 1 st (Spring) to ensure a timely placement. International & Other U.S.-based Students: You are responsible for finding your own placement. Please follow the Site Selection Guidelines (page 3) for selecting a fieldwork site. You should contact Jill Macioch, Field Coordinator, at gmacioch@gmu.edu as soon as possible if you believe you will need help securing a fieldwork location site. 2

3 Site Selection Guidelines International Field Experience Selection of Site/Teacher How can I choose an appropriate international field experience site? While not all schools/teachers meet all criteria below for site selection, the more criteria met, the more likely your field experience will be worthwhile: The School Must be accredited by an U.S. or international accrediting agency Should be an IB World School The Cooperating Teacher or Supervisor Must hold the credential you seek, either a Master s in Elementary Education or a U.S. teaching license in Elementary Education Must allow you to work, under supervision, with small groups or individuals Should be an experienced teacher with at least 5 years of classroom experience and/or school leadership Should meet minimum authorization requirements from the IB Should demonstrate excellence in teaching as noted by director, colleague, and parents Should have experience mentoring university students or other faculty Should be willing to discuss teaching, learning, and excellence in education PLEASE NOTE: These selection guidelines may not be appropriate for year-long internships required for state licensure. Students should contact fastrain@gmu.edu for additional information. What are some strategies to secure a fieldwork placement site overseas? 1) Identify the correct person to make the request to, usually the Principal, and write a brief cover letter explaining your graduate program and how many hours you would like to volunteer in the school. 2) Be sure to explain the value you can bring to the classroom. What specific methods or resources have you learned from your graduate classes? What additional experience do you have with children? Mention the dispositions! 3) Identify how your class assignment can add value or help a current teacher. Would they like to change an assessment system? Is there a particular student who could use individual attention? Would they like someone to revise and revamp a unit plan? Are they interested in bringing IB principles into the classroom? What can you provide? 4) Be willing to work within the school environment and adapt to their needs. Can you shift the focus of your unit planner to accommodate the current curriculum? 5) Set up time to talk with your cooperating teaching individually prior to starting classroom observations. One-on-one time with the teacher will help you refine your fieldwork plan. 6) Remain committed to the school and classroom. Although your assignment may only take 20 hours of classroom time, think about whether you can volunteer longer. 7) Take your professional relationship very seriously, once the placement is made always be on time, be prepared and be professional. The perception you create as a student of FAST TRAIN often makes the difference in whether or not the school will accept a FT candidate in the future! 3

4 Documentation Guidelines How can I document that I have completed field experience? All students participating in classroom based experiences are required to submit a Field Experience Record (page 7) for each licensure course no later than the last date of the course (or by the relevant extended summer deadlines, see below). For EDUC 512 and EDUC 514, students must also submit a teaching evaluation form listed in the syllabus. All fieldwork documentation must be signed by the cooperating teacher or supervisor, scanned, then uploaded into TASK STREAM by the student. One Field Experience Record is required for each course. All Field Experience Records must be signed by the supervising teacher (or by the Principal/Head of School for students doing field experience in their own classroom). All of the dates and hours of field experience should be recorded as separate entries on the Field Experience Record. It is not acceptable to submit one entry for 20 hours. Additional fieldwork documentation may be required from your instructor; see syllabus for relevant details. For courses taken during the full-time intensive summer program, fieldwork must be completed using the due date timeline below. Field Experience Summer Course Due Dates Session I Session II Session III Field Experience Due Date November 15 January 15 March 15 All other courses will result in a grade of In Progress (IP) with fieldwork due according to the dates noted above. Final grades are issued for each course once the Field Experience Report is completed and submitted to TASKSTREAM for evaluation. *Candidates who plan to graduate in Summer, must complete field experience in early August to graduate in time. Ask you advisor for the exact date. Students who wish to student teach in the Spring, must make arrangements with their instructors from Summer Session II and Summer Session III courses to have all PBAs and fieldwork logs/evaluations submitted to TASKSTREAM in order to have their work evaluated and grades posted by the end of the fall semester prior. Students are not eligible to student teach unless all grades for licensure courses are posted with passing grades the semester prior. 4

5 Fieldwork Placement Request Form Submit this form to Jill Macioch at NLT September 1 st for fall courses and February 1 st for spring (January 9 th deadline for Part-Time Elementary students) Semester Home Address Student Name Phone # Program Elem ESL IB Total Hours required School District Request Course Number Course Name Instructor Describe nature of assignment (child study, classroom observation, sample lesson, etc.) Grade level / range Subject Hours required Course 1 Course 2 Course Number Course Name Instructor Describe nature of assignment (child study, classroom observation, sample lesson, etc.) Grade level / range Subject Hours required Course Number Course Name Instructor FAST TRAIN Programs 4400 University Drive, MS 1E8, Fairfax, Virginia Phone: ; Fax: Describe nature of assignment (child study, classroom observation, sample lesson, etc.) Grade level / range Subject Hours required Course 3 5

6 Fieldwork Placement Confirmation For international pre-service and in-service teachers If you are currently employed, or have a field site arranged, at an accredited school please send the following information via to the Field Coordinator, Jill Macioch, at: gmacioch@gmu.edu no later than September 1 st for fall or February 1 st for spring courses. School Name: Address: Accrediting Agency: Principal or Head of School: Site Supervisor or Cooperation Teacher: Credential Supervisor/Teacher Holds: In addition, for those who are completing field experience during employment (i.e. as a teaching assistant) attach a signed letter or forward a confirmation from your principal or supervisor that indicates their understanding of the field experience requirements and their willingness to let you complete the field experience portion of your coursework while employed. Sample letter is below. **************************************************************** Permission to complete field experience assignments I understand and am willing to comply with the field experience assignments as required by George Mason University. I am willing to allow (name of student/teacher) to complete a total of hours of field experience in my school. Name: School: Supervising Teacher: Contact information: FAST TRAIN Programs 4400 University Drive, MS 1E8, Fairfax, Virginia Phone: ; Fax: Phone: Signature of Responsible School Personnel Date 6

7 Mason Student: G number: Course: Field Experience Record Cooperating Teacher: Title: Years of Experience: Semester: To the Cooperating Teacher: Degree/License: Please sign signature column to indicate that the student completed field experience in your classroom. Please make any additional comments on the back of this sheet. Thank you for your time, effort and support in this endeavor. Date Grade Subject or Action School Hours Observed Teacher Signature Student's Signature: 4/24/2014 Date: 7

8 Field Experience Evaluation Form (for courses that do not require a teaching evaluation form) Mason Student: G number: PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL QUALITIES Excellent Above Average Average Below Average Course: Communication Skills Semester: Dependable Cooperating Teacher: Title: Years Experience: Degree/License: Punctual Professional Qualities Demonstrates knowledge of child development Cooperating Teacher s Signature: Demonstrates knowledge of content necessary for successful teaching Comments: Understands how students differ in their approaches to learning Can create learning experiences that make subject matter meaningful Uses a variety of instructional or assessment strategies Understands individual/group motivation to create a positive learning environment Uses effective verbal and non-verbal communication strategies Plans activities using knowledge of subject matter, students, community and curriculum goals Engages in critical reflection to improve fieldwork experience Fosters positive relationships with colleagues, students, and families 8