Intervention & Dismissal

Intervention Action Plan

If faculty members and/or University Supervisors have concerns about a candidate’s teaching performance and determine that remediation is appropriate, they will share areas of concern with the Candidate, offer specific suggestions about how to meet performance expectations, and set goals with a timeline for the candidate to demonstrate improved performance. This written statement is known as an “Intervention Action Plan.”

Candidates with “unsatisfactory” TPEs or TPE domains, as reported at a Progress Conference, will automatically be placed on an Intervention Action Plan. If a candidate’s performance does not meet expectations at the end of the given timeline, they may not move forward in their program, may be withdrawn from Supervised Teaching for the remainder of the semester, or may be placed on an individual plan and agreement (see Dismissal Policy below). 

Dismissal

Clear Academic Standing for Credential Candidates: Clear Academic Standing for all students is defined by Dominican University policy as the condition of maintaining a minimum overall cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.0.  A grade of “Pass” will constitute at least a grade equivalent of “B” for Supervised Teaching experience courses. The first time that a candidate fails a course, the Program Director is notified and the candidate may be placed on Academic Probation with the consultation of the candidate’s advisor. If, at the end of the Academic Probation semester, all courses are not passed, the candidate is dismissed. In rare cases, at the discretion of the Program Director and a Professional Standards Committee (PSC), a graduate candidate may continue for an additional semester on Academic Probation if they have improved their pass rate during the probationary semester.

Professional Conduct for Credential Candidates:  In addition to requiring that all Teacher Candidates adhere to all University policies set forth in this Teacher Preparation Handbook, Dominican University policy, and the CTC, the Dominican University Department of Education holds high standards for those wishing to earn a teaching credential.  Standards specific to professional conduct appear in Program Standards and in the California Teacher Performance Expectations (TPEs).

The standards and expectations in the Professional Conduct and Obligations section of this Handbook are expected to be applied in all credential classes, field experiences, and teaching assignments. These standards must be met, or progress made toward fulfilling these standards, in order for a candidate to continue in the credential program. Candidates’ progress toward meeting standards related to professional conduct is determined by faculty based on their professional judgment.

If faculty have concerns about a candidate’s professional conduct and determine that remediation is appropriate, they will tell the candidate about specific areas of concern, offer suggestions about how to meet the performance expectations, and set specific goals and a timeline in which the candidate needs to demonstrate improved performance. This written statement is known as an “Intervention Action Plan.”

If a candidate’s performance does not meet expectations at the end of the given timeline, they will be dismissed from the program. The dismissal notice will be delivered to the candidate by email notification.  Candidates in danger of not meeting these expectations may be given the opportunity to formally withdraw from the University by completing the appropriate Withdrawal form from the Registrar’s Office in lieu of dismissal.

Under certain circumstances, a PSC may determine that a candidate’s professional conduct is of such a serious nature that the intervention action plan is not an appropriate solution. In these rare cases, a candidate will be dismissed forthwith.

If a candidate is dismissed from the program and wishes to appeal this decision, they are required to adhere to the following appeals process:

• • Submit a formal written statement of appeal to the Dean of Liberal Arts and Education.

  • The Dean will consider any additional material presented by either the Program Director, Department Chair, or the Teacher Candidate and then prepare a statement, with copies to the Program Director and the candidate, regarding their assessment. If, in the judgment of the Dean the dismissal is inappropriate, the Dean will ask the Program Director and Department Chair to re-evaluate the dismissal decision. In every case, the burden of proof remains with the candidate.

  • If the Program Director determines there has been an error in the determination to dismiss, they will notify the Registrar’s Office of the decision if necessary.

  • If the candidate wishes to appeal the decision of the Dean of the School, they must file a formal written statement to the VPAA within 10 working days of the Dean’s decision. The complaint should include reasons why the Dean’s decision should be reconsidered. The VPAA or their designee (typically the Dean of Students or the Associate Vice-President for Academic Affairs) will provide a formal written response within 10 working days of receiving the formal complaint. This decision is final.

  • Tuition refunds are only made in accordance with regular University policy.