1 Western Australian Combined Universities Training Schools Internship 2013 Application Guidelines Round Two September 2012 As a pre-service teacher about to enter your final year of training, you are invited to apply for an Internship with the WA Combined Universities Training Schools (WACUTS). This Internship project is an exciting innovation involving Murdoch University, the University of Western Australia, Curtin University and the Society for the Provision of Education for Rural Australia (SPERA). This is the first time Western Australian Schools of Education have worked in such a collaborative way. One of the intended outcomes of the project is that Western Australia will have a collegiate master class of teacher graduates with the professional capacity and work readiness to take appointments in a range of Western Australian schools, especially in those schools requiring exceptional teachers to improve student outcomes. Students in their final year of study towards a teaching qualification, (Early Childhood, Primary and Secondary), at Murdoch University, the University of Western Australia and Curtin University are eligible to apply for an Internship. If you are a dedicated, hard working student and you believe you are a suitable candidate for an Internship please read the following information carefully before applying. Conditions of Appointment to an Internship Applicants for the Internship are required to commit to a full school year, attached to one of the Combined University Training Schools participating in this project. The list of Training Schools is attached. Applicants must be enrolled at Murdoch University, the University of Western Australia or Curtin University and be in their final year of their teacher education course. Interns will be considered full-time students at their respective university for the full academic year. Interns will commence work at one of the participating Training Schools (see attached) on Monday, 4 th February 2013 and finish on Thursday 19 th December 2013. These dates do not coincide with the university academic year. All required course work including practicum s for the final year of the teacher education program will be completed during the Internship. Each university is structured slightly different. Specific details relevant to each university are provided as an appendix. Assistance and time will be given on the school site to ensure university requirements are met. The intention is for the Internship to be seen as one entity combining both university and school requirements; that is, bridging the gap between theory and practice. Where possible the universities will ensure course work is linked to work being undertaken at the school. All Interns will complete their block placements in the designated Term time, at the participating Training School to which they have been assigned at the beginning of 2013. Students will attend two to three days a week for the first few weeks of school before Semester One of University begins. Then students will negotiate attendance for the rest of the year as outlined in Internship guidelines.
Additional Information Interns may have the opportunity to apply for a Limited Authority to Teach (LAT), after successfully completing their Final Placement (PP, PI or ATP). Interns with a LAT (Semester 2, 2013), will be eligible to be paid for teacher relief at the Training School to which they are attached, if the opportunity presents, for the remainder of the year. This situation may, however, vary between Training Schools. Interns will be involved in an online forum and network with students across all universities for professional discussion linked to the internship and AISTL standards. City interns will be offered a rural experience (5 days) within the internship to link with their country counterparts. Application Process The Intern application and decision making process will occur over the next month so that we have significant lead time into preparing interns for 2013. Applications are due by Monday 10 th September. Short listed candidates will be invited to attend a screening session on Wednesday 12 th September from 1-4 at Murdoch University. Students will be notified of their successful application on Friday 28th September. The 2013 intern cohort will meet with the 2012 cohort at an informal session scheduled for Friday October 26 th from 3-5pm at Murdoch University School of Education in the staff common room. Disclaimer: Please note that this offer is dependent on the allocation of DEEWR funds from the Quality Teacher Program There are Two Distinct Application Processes involved in this program 1. Application process for selection into the Internship (Due 10 th September) All participating university staff manage the application process jointly. All students will send through an electronic application to wacutsapplications@yahoo.com with all supporting documents. These will be shortlisted by the team and then a screening session will be held. 2. Application for a Scholarship or Stipend (optional and due October) This process is managed by the Department of Education. Please note that you do not have to apply for a scholarship or stipend if you are applying for an internship. However it does draw financial benefit and prestige. Not all Interns will be eligible for or awarded a scholarship or stipend. Each year the department targets particular areas to support. This means that whilst expectations for all Interns in the program remain the same, those Interns without a scholarship will not be required to apply for a position based on state-wide availability. Interns without a scholarship will not be guaranteed a job in 2013, but would be supported fully in job applications and be deemed more competitive than other graduates due to their year-long experience at one of the Combined Universities Training Schools. Information about the Scholarship and Stipend opportunities is included in this package. Interested students need to refer to the Department of Education s website for additional information and application process.
List of Training Schools for 2013 2013 SHS Metro SHS Rural DHS Prim Metro Prim Rural Shenton Senior High School Duncraig Senior High School Kelmscott Senior High School Como Senior High School Willetton Senior High School Esperance Senior High School Harvey Senior High School Kalgoorlie Boulder Community Morawa District High School GinGin District High School Maylands Peninsula Primary School Rosalie Primary School Hillman Primary School Bertram Primary School Bletchley Primary School Success Primary School Melville Primary School Parkwood Primary School Harvey Primary School O Connor Primary School Choose three schools from the above list for your internship options and place on the front of your application form. Murdoch University Model An Overview: All students will enrol as externals in their final year. Students will be attached to a school for the whole year. ECE students must be placed in Kindy or Pre-Primary Students will attend four Professional Development sessions over the year. Total number of prac days (Block and Distributed) is greater than 80 days Based on 2012 feedback the following times have been allocated, however given that all schools and interns are different there is room to negotiate. University and School times Pre semester 28/1-25/2 (4 weeks) Term 1 (EDU 3154) + core units Term 2 (EDN 300 4 th year elective, not for ECE or Secondary) Term 3 PIP and PI Term 4 Days per week 2-3 days (negotiable) 1-2 days per week depending on pre-semester load completed (negotiable) 1-2 days per week (negotiable) Block and negotiated time 1-2 days Opportunity for LAT 3
APPLICATION PROCESS FOR SELECTION INTO THE WACUTS INTERNSHIP 1. A letter to the selection panel, maximum of 1 page, stating your interest in the WACUTS Internship Program and identifying the school/s of choice. 2. A statement of claims against the criteria (using Times New Roman font 12pt, 1.5 spacing and 2.5 margins). Maximum of 1 page per criteria. Students must address the three selection criteria, providing evidence that will inform the selection panel of your professional and personal strengths and abilities. 3. Voluntary completion of the 2013 final year teaching scholarship application. Applicants who do not wish to apply for a scholarship can still apply to the Internship program. 4. A copy (not original) of your latest academic transcript. SELECTION CRITERIA Criteria 1: Provide a personal statement about your background experiences and how they have informed your beliefs about teaching and learning. Criteria 2: Submit your academic transcript and outline your pedagogical strengths with regard to instructional ability and professional content knowledge based on your results. (Explain any anomalies in the results if needed). Criteria 3: Outline what you would like to achieve from a WACUTS Internship, both personally and professionally. You may attach appendices as evidence to support your claims. Short-listed applicants will be notified by email and interviewed by a selection panel at Murdoch University. Applications should be emailed to wacutsapplications@yahoo.com Closing Date for Applications is Monday 10 th September, 2012. Please contact Tania Broadley at T.Broadley@curtin.edu.au; Elaine.Sharplin@uwa.edu.au or S.ledger@murdoch.edu.au if there are difficulties in submission prior to the date. No late applications will be accepted. Application Checklist Application for Internship form Letter of interest Statement of claims against the selection criteria A copy of latest academic transcript Copy of completed Scholarship Application Form (if applying) 4
APPLICATION FOR INTERNSHIP Commencing January 2013 PERSONAL/ UNIVERSITY DETAILS University: Student No.: Course: Phase of Learning ECE or Primary or Secondary Secondary (Major/minor Curriculum Areas): Title: Surname: Given Names: Home Telephone No: Mobile Telephone No: Home/contact address: Postcode: Email address: Are you applying for a 2013 Department of Education Final Year Scholarship? Or Stipend? Please identify your first three choices for your 2013 placement. See the attached training schools list. 1. 2. 3. 1. 1st REFEREE Referee s name: Current position: Location: Contact Tel. No: Relationship to you e.g. Lecturer / Employer: Email address: 2. 2nd REFEREE Referee s name: Current position: Location: Contact Tel. No: Relationship to you e.g. Lecturer / Employer: Email address:
Scholarships (Department of Education) Scholarships are only available to Training School Program final-year teaching students. The scholarship is worth $15000, payable in fortnightly instalments during the year of study (Feb 2013 Jan 2014). More information about Department of Education scholarships is available at: http://det.wa.edu.au/ teachingwa/detcms/navigation/becoming-a-teacher/scholarships Scholarship recipients must be available to teach full-time and state-wide in a public school on completion of their course (i.e. at the start of the 2014 school year) for a period of one year. A scholarship payment is considered taxable income. If Centre-link payments are received by students, these may be affected. Enquiries should be directed to the Department of Education s Scholarship Coordinator Ms Tricia Wilson patricia.wilson2@det.wa.edu.au phone 92703025. Scholarships will be advertised immediately on the Department s Teaching WA website www.det.wa.edu.au/teachingwa An Interns participation in the project will be reviewed each term. Unsatisfactory performance, leading to a termination of the Internship, will require a repayment of any scholarship funds received. This can be negotiated with DET in a payment plan over time. If an Intern who is on a DET scholarship signs up for a contract in a rural school and fails to complete the stated number of years, payments or repayments will be calculated on a pro rata basis. Eligibility Criteria for a Department of Education and Training Scholarship You are eligible to apply for a DET scholarship if you: are an Australian citizen or permanent resident, or a New Zealand citizen; intend to complete a B.Ed or Master of Teaching qualification in 2013 and will be able to meet registration requirements of the WA College of Teaching upon graduation, as well as meet recruitment requirements of the Department of Education. This includes passing a Criminal Records Check to the satisfaction of the Department; accept a teaching position in a Western Australian public school in a rural area for the duration of the contractual period of 2 years (that is, state-wide availability). This does not include the Remote Teaching Service. satisfy University admission requirements. Students interested in applying for a Department of Education Scholarship or Stipend should need to follow the procedure stipulated by the Department on their website (see brochure attached). 6
Stipend (Department of Education) Final-year teaching students participating in the Training Schools Program in rural schools, who do not currently reside in that rural location or within reasonable driving distance, are eligible to apply for a weekly stipend (payable fortnightly) for the school year: $265 per week in the goldfields, Kimberley; and Pilbara regions; $200 per week in the Mid-West region and $135 per week in the Wheat-belt and south West regions. More information about Department of Education stipends is available at http://det.wa.edu. au/teachingwa/detcms/navigation/category.jsp?categoryid=1199548 HECS-HELP relief The Australian Government will pay half the HECS-HELP debt for early childhood teachers working in rural or disadvantaged schools. Both new graduates and existing teachers will be eligible. Eligible teachers will be able to apply to Australian Taxation Office for debt reduction. Guidelines will be in the Tax Pack. 7