University Induction Clear Credential Program

Transcription

1 explore. experience. expand. University Induction Clear Credential Program Frequently Asked Questions UCLA Extension Education Department Credential Program Contact Information: Miriam Sims (310) Additional contact information for your convenience California Commission on Teacher Credentialing Website: Education Department Le Conte Ave, Suite 639 Los Angeles, CA

2 Frequently Asked Questions Am I eligible for this Clear Credential program? 3 Can I clear my credential if I am unemployed or teaching outside of California? 3 Can I clear my preliminary credential if it has expired? 3 How long does it take to complete the program? 3 How many courses and/or units are required? 3 In general, what coursework is required to complete Clear Credential? 4 What is the cost of the program? 4 Is financial aid available? 4 How can I get credit for previous BTSA work completed? 4 Will the program clear BOTH my credentials? 4 FAQs for Standard Track Induction What is regular access to students? 5 How do I go about obtaining consistent access to students? 5 What if I have limited access within my host class? 5 What content area and type of students should I work with? 5 I just completed a portfolio for my preliminary credential. Does any of that transfer? 6 What activities am I doing with students in the classroom? 6 What are the observation requirements? 6 Additional Contact Information 6 2

3 Am I eligible for this Clear Credential program? Our SB 2042 Clear Credential program is designed for public, charter, and private school teachers who are employed in California districts that do not offer an Induction program. Applicants must hold a valid preliminary SB 2042 credential and provide a CL-855 Verification of Unavailability of a Commission- Approved Induction Program form signed by their employing agency. Can I clear my credential if I am unemployed or teaching outside of California? Yes. Candidates who are not currently employed as a K 12 Teacher or are teaching outside of California may still be accepted into the program, providing candidate can secure a school site to complete his/her practicum. Unemployed candidates are eligible for the Standard Track Induction (STI) option. See STI FAQs below. Can I clear my preliminary credential if it has expired? It would depend on each candidate s individual situation to determine eligibility. Please contact a Program Representative as soon as possible at (310) or [email protected]. The Program Representative can then advise on candidate s options to obtain a clear California teaching credential. How long does it take to complete the program? Clear and Standard Track Induction Candidates: 3 quarters (Fall, Winter, Spring) Fast Track Induction Candidates: 2 quarters (Winter, Spring) How many courses and/or units are required? Clear option: 12 courses; 25.5 units Standard Track Induction: 15 courses; 43.5 units Fast Track Induction: 11 courses; 30 units See pages 5 7 of the application packet for more information 3

4 In general, what coursework is required to complete Clear Credential requirements under the new program standards? Clear University Induction Orientation MSSS Inquiry: Collaboration & Support for Effective Teaching Advanced Pedagogy for Effective Teaching MSSS Fieldwork Support (for Standard Track Induction option) Advanced Culture & Inclusion Advanced Foundations and Methods of English Language: Literacy Development and Content Instruction Advanced Study: Health Education for Teachers Advanced Provisions and Strategies for Special Needs Learner Instruction Elective Toolkit Portfolio Review What is the cost of the program? Tuition is paid on a course-by-course basis commencing with the first quarter in which you are enrolled. Clear option: $4,195 Standard Track Induction option: $6,670 Fast Track Induction option: $4,738 NOTE: The above fees are approximate. Is financial aid available? No. The Clear Program is ineligible for financial aid. For alternative options, visit and then click Student Resources, then Financial Aid, then Extension Grants and/or Private Alternative Education Loans. How can I get credit for previous BTSA work completed? Candidates may submit verified Completion Logs from previous BTSA programs with authenticated BTSA stamps, along with their application, to be evaluated for course equivalencies and exemptions. Will the program clear BOTH my credentials? Yes. The Single Subject Clear and Multiple Subject Clear programs have the same coursework; therefore if a candidate holds both, then both are cleared with the one credential. No extra courses are required. If a candidate holds an Education Specialist credential, the Education Specialist Clear program will clear both general education and special education credentials.

5 FAQs for Standard Track Induction What is regular access to students? Candidates in the Standard Track Induction option are required to have regular access to a classroom that matches the level and subject of the credential that he or she is trying to clear. Regular access to a classroom would be 3-5 hours per week (10 weeks per quarter) to stay on track with the inquiry. This can be done in one day a week or over multiple visits. The candidate needs to have the ability to co-plan lessons with the teacher, deliver occasional lessons, create assessments, interact regularly with students, collect samples of student work, and have access to student data. It needs to be the same classroom and same students for each inquiry (quarter) to track longitudinal data and progress, but it can change for subsequent inquiries. How do I go about obtaining consistent access to students? Candidates who are not employed in a classroom usually rely on personal networks to secure regular access to a classroom. We recommend that you contact schools or teachers that are familiar with your teaching abilities from student teaching, prior employment, substitute teaching, or volunteer work at a neighborhood school. Candidates can set up a meeting with an administrator at a site that has the appropriate grade levels that correspond to the credential that will be cleared. Plan to bring a copy of your teaching credential and this FAQ sheet to clarify what you need to do at the school site. As well as obtaining approval from the school, candidates also need to secure a host teacher and get permission from that teacher to work with his or her students. Once you have successfully finished the Clear program, the host teacher will receive a complimentary enrollment into one of our UCLA Extension Education Department courses. What if I have limited access within my host class? As a point of reference, here are two examples of different access requirements. If a candidate wrote an inquiry question about increasing student achievement for English Language Learners by frontloading vocabulary, he or she would need time to co-plan with the host teacher for a series of lessons, schedule a few classes to deliver the material, and have access to assessment data to see student achievement at the end. The candidate would also need access to data where the direct vocabulary instruction did not take place for comparison. This would require a high level of access for the candidate. However, a candidate could structure his or her inquiry differently to meet a limited access situation. A candidate could write an inquiry question about utilizing different grouping strategies to increase the participation of students with special needs, observe current grouping strategies and student participation, get approval from the host teacher to try different grouping strategies over a few class periods, and observe the changes in participation. This would require less access. Both are totally acceptable inquiries. What content area and type of students should I work with? Candidates must volunteer in the subject area of the credential that he or she is trying to clear. Candidates clearing two credentials will plan inquiries that address their different credentialed areas. As parts of the Inquiry, candidates will be asked to work with students who are English Language Learners and students with Special Needs. 5

6 I just completed a portfolio for my preliminary credential. Does any of that transfer? Portfolio work on the TPEs for the Preliminary Credential does not apply to Clear programs because inquiries are meant to be a current action research project about current practice as an educator. Our orientation class discusses the relationship between TPEs and the California Standards for the Teaching Profession (CSTP) which is the basis for Induction. While the work doesn't "transfer", it will provide a basis for understanding to begin the Inquiry process. All of the writing involved in obtaining the Clear credential is based on application of theory in the candidate s practice. What activities am I doing with students in the classroom? Because each candidate will design their own action research project, it depends on the Inquiry focus. Typically, candidates need to be able to engage in the planning process, make instructional decisions, design assessments, have access to records and data (while on campus only), and conduct quarterly independent lessons with small or whole group instruction. The actual nature of the activities, lessons, and assessments will completely depend on the Inquiry designed. What are the observation requirements? Candidates in the Standard Track Induction and Fast Track are observed once per quarter by a University Support Provider. If you are employed outside out of the geographical area, your observations will be conducted virtually using either live or recorded video of your classroom interactions with students. Video permission and logistics will be discussed further in the orientation course. UCLA Extension Education Department Credential Program Contact Information: Phone: (310) [email protected] Website: Additional contact information for your convenience: California Commission on Teacher Credentialing [email protected] Web site: 6