Policies, Procedures, & Expectations

Admission to Teacher Education does not guarantee admission to the final field experience.

• This admission point requires maintenance of the cumulative 2.7 GPA.

• A minimum grade of C- is required in all education and licensure area courses.*

• Candidates must have completed the majority of their professional and specialty studies courses as well as content courses in the area of licensure before student teaching.

• The candidate must pass the required Pearson Test for North Carolina: Foundations of Reading and PRAXIS Elementary Education: Content Knowledge for Teaching (CKT) Mathematics or the PRAXIS II tests in the area(s) of licensure.

• Completion of a certified background check if one has not been completed within 6 months of the time of application to student teaching.

• Successful completion of an interview with a team of teacher education faculty and public school partners is the final piece in admission to student teaching.

*Elementary Education majors must earn a B- or better in the Foundations of Reading and Mathematics sequences to continue to student teaching.

Completion of student teaching does not guarantee recommendation for licensure as a teacher in the state of North Carolina.

• At the end of student teaching, the clinical educator and building level principal or his/her designee must certify that the student teaching experience has been successful.

• The candidate must have maintained the cumulative 2.7 GPA.

• The candidate must pass the required Pearson Test for North Carolina: Foundations of Reading and PRAXIS Elementary Education: Content Knowledge for Teaching (CKT) Mathematics or the PRAXIS II tests in the area(s) of licensure.

• The Dean of the COEHS must recommend the candidate for licensure, which certifies that the candidate has satisfactorily completed an approved teacher education program, passed all required tests and has satisfactorily completed student teaching.

• Candidates must pay the appropriate licensure fee.

Lenoir-Rhyne Education students working in public school placements must submit electronically a certified background check to the Director of Teacher Education via the organization Certified Background (CastleBranch - www.castlebranch.com). Use the Package code of EO50. This check must be completed prior to a placement in a school. All background checks must have been completed within 12 months of your placement. Background checks older than 12 months are no longer valid; a new check must be completed.

This policy is implemented in order to clarify the requirement for, and conditions that may arise from, a criminal check as applies to internships and student teaching assignments made by Lenoir-Rhyne University’s College of Education and Human Services (COEHS).

The Criminal History Check

• All students of Lenoir-Rhyne University requiring placements for field study arranged for by the COEHS (candidates) are required to obtain a background check as a requirement. Field study includes any field experience or other work tied to a course, lab, or service requirement of a program of the COEHS in which candidates may come in contact with students in schools, or with other individuals who are clients of agencies.

• This may exclude candidates who are already licensed professionals serving in a role with the school or agency with which the field placement will be made. To be excluded from this policy, a candidate must have been serving continuously with a school or agency entity that conducted a criminal history check.

• For all candidates not excluded from this policy, the background check will be conducted according to all sections of the following schedule that applies:

  1. At the point of entry into teacher education or a counseling program.

  2. Immediately previous to service in the schools in an internship or field-based course or experience and/or student teaching such that the background check is in hand before the student enters the school or agency facility.

  3. Immediately previous to any service in either schools or an agency as a counseling intern or other human services role such that the background check is in hand before the student enters the school or agency facility.

  4. Renewal of the background check is also required if the background check is older than one calendar year from the date printed on the background check.

• In order for a candidate to begin their field placement, the background check must be “clear,” that is show neither a criminal history nor history of inappropriate behavior with or toward children or potential agency clients. The Chair of the School appropriate to the field placement will notify the candidate that their placement is canceled when a background check is received that is other than “clear.”

• A “clear” background check is defined as a report that shows no criminal charge (misdemeanor or felony), serious summary charge that is entered into a criminal history, or report from a governmental agency regarding inappropriate behavior with or toward children or potential agency clients. This background check will be conducted to examine the North Carolina, Federal, or other state records.

• A record other than “clear” may show evidence of the following, but is not limited to the following examples:

  1. Any history indicating a conviction, no contest or other similar plea that suggests that the candidate a) poses a threat to the physical safety of school students, agency clients or personnel, or b) behaves in a way that the integrity or honesty of the candidate interferes with their performance in their professional role. This includes, but is not limited to, inappropriate behavior involving drugs and alcohol.

  2. Any history with “no decision” or “pending” will also be considered as other than “clear” until such time that official evidence of disposition is presented that would show that charges are dismissed or withdrawn.

  3. A more complete list of examples of offenses that may result in a criminal history are presented in North Carolina Law, §115C-238.

• An outside vendor approved by the COEHS will complete the background check. The candidate will bear the financial responsibility for the background check. Applications are available from the Field Placement Coordinator who is also the person to whom the background check report should be directed. Reports that are other than “clear” will be referred to the appropriate School Chair for action.

• Ordinarily, a copy of the background check is maintained by the COEHS for that period of time a candidate remains a student at Lenoir-Rhyne University. Should it be the explicit policy of a school district or agency, a copy of the “clear” background check will be supplied to the entity with which the candidate will do their field experience. Assurance from any entity receiving such documentation will guarantee the security of the private and confidential information that may be part of the background check. Graduate students who are employed a a North Carolina public school and completing their field experiences in their place of employment are not required to obtain a background check through Castelbranch.com.

The Appeal Process

• In the event a candidate has other than a “clear” background check, the candidate can appeal the decision of the Chair to block the placement of the candidate into a field setting.

• Any appeal of a denial of field placement based on the background check may be filed within fourteen (14) calendar days from the date of notification of such denial.

• An appeal shall utilize the following procedure:

  1. In the event that the candidate is a student in the School of Education, the appeal shall go to the Teacher Education Council through its Chair. Their recommendation would be via written request of the candidate, and a personal appearance in front of the committee is available at the election of the candidate.

  2. In the event that the candidate is a student in the School of Counseling and Human Services, the appeal shall go to the Graduate Student Council.

  3. The recommendation of the appellate committee will be forward with all pertinent documents to the Dean of the COEHS. A decision of the Dean of COEHS, which may involve appropriate consultation with legal counsel of the University or of the NC-DPI, will be made and the decision will be communicated to the candidate in writing.

  4. Should the candidate desire to appeal the decision of the Dean, such appeal should be in writing within 14 (fourteen) days of notification and will be directed to the Provost of the University. The Provost will render the final decision in this process.

During the part-time internship, undergraduate teacher candidates are expected to attend one full day in the school placement each week of the semester.

During the full-time student teaching, all teacher candidates are expected to attend school in their assigned placements each day as required in the host school calendar.

An intern or student teacher’s university supervisor may require a time log (click here for the format) to be completed by a deadline established by the university supervisor.

If, students are going to miss a day of internship or student teaching, they must:

• notify the clinical educator in a timely manner,

• notify the university supervisor in a timely manner,

• notify the school principal in a timely manner, and

• provide lesson plans for the clinical educator in a timely manner prior to the absence.

All absences are expected to be made up before the internship or student teaching experience is completed. The university supervisor should be notified of how absences are being made up.

On-campus or off-campus required events (i.e. L-R Job Fair, Honors Convocation, Student Teacher Workshop or designated professional conferences) may be attended without penalty. Teacher candidates in undergraduate programs (Elementary Education or Middle Grades Education) are expected to attend the required Lenoir-Rhyne convocations just like any other day student at Lenoir-Rhyne University. Student teachers may need to plan ahead to meet this requirement, as they cannot attend convocations during school hours. Student teachers may not skip student teaching days to meet the convocation requirement.

Master of Arts in Teaching students can be excused for one day of edTPA© preparation. MAT candidates must give appropriate and sufficient notification to the clinical educator and principal of their cooperating school.

Lenoir-Rhyne teacher education candidates should follow professional behavior relating to all personal electronic devices. Interns must keep cell phones turned off or on silent mode. Interns may not text message or use any personal electronic device of any kind in a classroom or school. Emergency situations should be discussed with the clinical educator.

Special consideration should be taken in the use of personal information published to an electronic website such as Facebook, Twitter, or other site. Inappropriate publications whether photos, text, or messages could affect the professional standing of a student teacher.

Students in field experiences are required to gain permission for use of classroom recordings, images, and student work samples (click here for permission form). Only authorized personnel are permitted to record instructional exchanges.

Communication with parents or guardians will be professional and will be monitored by the clinical educator and university supervisor.

You will be expected to sign and follow your school system’s Acceptable Use Policy as if you are an employee of the school system.

Please note the following policies followed throughout North Carolina:

All electronic communications with students who are currently enrolled in the school system must be school-related and within the scope of the employees’ professional responsibilities, unless otherwise authorized by this policy. Employees are prohibited from knowingly communicating with current students through any personal electronic device or personal social network page. An Internet posting on a personal social media website intended for a particular student will be considered a form of direct communication with that student in violation of this policy.

Students can find the school systems complete policy at the following addresses:

• Alexander County Schools

• Catawba County Schools

• Hickory City Schools

• Iredell-Statesville Public Schools

• Newton-Conover City Schools

If an intern is placed in a school district that is not listed above, then they should request this policy from the district’s Human Resources Office.

Under no circumstances shall teacher candidates in part-time internships substitute during their regularly assigned internship.

During the student teaching semester, the teacher candidate may substitute for their clinical educator with approval from their University Supervisor. They should not substitute before February 25.

Placement is a joint responsibility of the School of Education at Lenoir-Rhyne and the public school official designated by the superintendent. Teacher candidates are placed in schools accredited by the NC State Department of Public Instruction and, preferably, SACS CASI as well. Teacher candidates are placed within a thirty miles radius from the university unless unique circumstances apply.

Teacher candidates are not ordinarily placed:

• in schools they have attended during the last 5 years.

• under teachers who have previously taught them.

• in schools where close relatives are faculty, administrative staff, or students.

Identification of Qualified Clinical Educators

The School of Education ensures clinical educators who supervise students in field experiences meet the following requirements:

• Be professionally licensed in the field of licensure sought by the student;

• Have a minimum of three years of experience in a teaching role;

• Have been rated, through the educator's most recent formal evaluations, at least at the "proficient" level as part of the North Carolina Teacher Evaluation System, or the equivalent on an evaluation system utilized by another state or partner school, as applicable, in the field of licensure sought by the student. The principal shall determine which clinical educator best meets the needs of each intern and shall assign the most appropriate clinical educator to that intern, with priority consideration for those clinical educators rated as “distinguished” and “accomplished.” If a principal determines that a teacher rated as “proficient” is the most appropriate clinical educator for an intern, the principal shall maintain records of the reasons for that determination.

During each field experience semester, the university supervisor visits each student teacher and conducts a minimum of three formal observations (i.e., full lesson followed by a post observation conference and a pre-observation conference if possible). Additional mandatory visits include an orientation visit, a mid-term evaluation conference and a final evaluation conference with the clinical educator, the student teacher, and the principal, if available.

The university supervisor’s initial visit in the part-time student teaching internship and full-time student teaching semesters shall include conferences with the principal, the cooperating classroom teacher, and the student teacher. Subsequent visits shall include conferences with any or all of the above as needed.

On campus group or individual conferences with student teachers may be scheduled at the discretion of the university supervisor in addition to weekly seminar class meetings.

Click here for more comprehensive information regarding the role of the University Supervisor.

The part-time internship for undergraduate programs shall consist of teacher candidates attending placement in a public school setting for one full day per week (usually on Wednesday) during the semester preceding full-time student teaching. A full school day is determined by the beginning and ending hours for each individual school. Interns are expected to communicate with clinical educators regarding morning report time and afternoon finishing time.

The full-time student teaching experience shall consist of a minimum of 16 weeks of observing, assisting, and teaching for Elementary, Middle Grades, and K-12 candidates, with at least five full-time continuous weeks of full responsibility for teaching. This means carrying the full load of classes and assuming all record-keeping duties of the host teacher.

Candidates with dual placements split their semester between their two placements by spending six weeks in one placement and ten weeks in the other placement. The student teacher should carry the entire teaching load of the clinical educator for at least three full weeks in one placement and five full weeks in the other placement. The sequence of the placements is determined by the student teacher, the clinical educator, and the university supervisor collaboratively.

In the full-time teaching semester, student teachers shall maintain the same schedule as regular classroom teachers (arrival and departure time). Exceptions to this regulation are customarily not allowed and must be approved in advance by the university supervisor and the clinical educator.

The student teacher is expected to be in his/her assigned placement all work days whether the clinical educator is in attendance or not.

Student teachers follow the host school calendar. The host school determines holidays, inclement weather days, and workdays. The student teacher is expected to participate in all workdays and to make up inclement weather days however the host school calendar dictates.

During the Internship I (EDU 626) teacher candidates spend at least 20 hours in a public school classroom with a clinical educator.* The schedule for completing these hours is determined by collaborative agreement between the teacher candidate, clinical educator, and school administrators.

In the full-time MAT Internship II (EDU 636), teacher candidates shall maintain the same schedule as regular classroom teachers (arrival and departure time). Exceptions to this regulation are customarily not allowed and must be approved in advance by the university supervisor and the clinical educator.

During the MAT Internship (EDU 636) teacher candidates follow the host school calendar. The host school determines holidays, inclement weather days, and workdays. The student teacher is expected to participate in all workdays and to make up inclement weather days however the host school calendar dictates. The teacher candidate is expected to be in his/her assigned placement all work days whether the clinical educator is in attendance or not.

*Residency students will spend at least 5 hours observing a master teacher in the content area and 5 hours attending/participating in IEP/504 meetings, PLC meetings, staff development meetings, and/ or after-school activities.

Teacher candidates may accompany their cooperating clinical educator on school/class field trips during their internship or student teaching. Teacher candidates must seek approval to accompany their clinical educator on school/class field trips by making a formal request to the University Supervisor via email. The University Supervisor will consider the request and make a recommendation to the Director of Teacher Education and the Program Coordinator. The University Supervisor will notify the teacher candidate after a final decision is made.

If a teacher candidate has an open Intervention Plan, they may not be eligible to attend school/class field trips.

Lenoir-Rhyne University teacher education candidates should consider that their conduct on and off university grounds reflects their university, family, and profession. Appropriate conduct is expected of all teacher education candidates on and off-campus during the week as well as weekends and holidays.

Student teachers will adhere to the dress code policies and expectations set forth by the school and/ or district in which they are placed. If a student teacher is unsure of these policies and expectations, they should contact the district’s Human Resources Office for clarification.

Student teaching is the most relevant experience in teacher education because it is the final step in role-taking: taking on the role of teacher in the act of educating students. Student teaching is a full-time responsibility. Student teachers are expected to focus their full energies on this experience, just as the licensed teacher would. Therefore, employment during the weekdays of the full-time student teaching semester is highly discouraged. Taking courses beyond the required co-requisite of the student teaching seminar is also highly discouraged.

Student athletes must also prioritize student teaching by working their athletic participation around student teaching. Student athletes are encouraged to work with their coaches so they may arrange arriving at practices late in order to allow the appropriate focus on the student teaching experience. Parent conferences and team planning often occur after the school day. Student athletes are expected to maintain the same work hours as licensed teachers are each day.

All students taking 4 or more credit hours per semester must submit required immunizations per state law. Additionally, some academic programs have additional immunization requirements. Information regarding immunizations is detailed on the LR Student Medical Record. This is available online on LR’s Student Health Services webpage at https://www.lr.edu/student-life/cornerstone. Click the Health Form button.

At Lenoir-Rhyne University, we emphasize the development of the whole person. Espousing a positive set of values promotes our personal development and enhances our interactions with others.

At LR—whether it's in the classroom, in the resident halls, on the athletic fields, or elsewhere—attention to values is a key component of the educational experience.

Academic integrity is a critical element in our community of learners. All contributors to Lenoir-Rhyne University—students, faculty, staff, and administration—are charged to support and to cultivate a learning environment in which integrity flourishes.

These values are articulated in LR's Honor Commitment Pledge:

A fundamental purpose of a liberal education is its attempt to cultivate in the student a sense of honor and high principles pertaining especially to academics, but extending to all areas of life. An inherent feature of Lenoir-Rhyne University is its commitment to an atmosphere of integrity and ethical conduct. As a student of Lenoir-Rhyne University, I accept as my personal responsibility the vigorous maintenance of honesty, truth, fairness, civility, and concern for others.

My devotion to integrity demands that I will not cheat in academic work and that I adhere to the established and required community code of conduct. I accept the responsibility for upholding the established standards against those who would violate them. And I understand and accept the consequences of infracting upon or assisting others in infracting upon this code. In addition to and beyond the requirements of any code or law, I affirm my own commitment to personal honor and integrity in all matters large and small. Even though the ideal of honor is an abstract one, by implementing this ideal, I join the men and women of Lenoir-Rhyne University in making the concept of honor a reality.

Intervention Procedures & Due Process

At any point in a candidate’s progress through the teacher education program, there may be circumstances where an intervention involving termination may be necessary. In these cases, the intervention must be handled judiciously, and often with immediacy. In addition to strict adherence to due process rights of candidates, attention must also be given to the needs of children, partnership teachers and school administrators.

The following intervention steps must be observed in internship and/or student teaching:

1. Inform the student. Open communication between the intern, partnership teacher, and university supervisor guides the intern in monitoring his/her growth. Concerns regarding any evaluation criteria need to be communicated early and in writing with the intern’s signature acknowledging awareness of the concern(s). The university supervisor should forward a copy of all documentation to Director of Teacher Education.

2. Support or assistance. Partnership teacher and university supervisor support professional development in concern areas using available resources.

3. Written notification. If a candidate is in jeopardy of not successfully completing the internship or student teaching, the university supervisor notifies him/her in writing specifying which exit criteria are not being met. In addition, the supervisor in collaboration with the partnership teacher develops a Candidate Intervention Report (click here).

4. Meeting. In the event a candidate needs to be removed from the internship or student teaching, the Director of Teacher Education (or designee), University Supervisor, and school personnel (as appropriate) meet with the intern. At the meeting, the candidate:

   • Receives a written summary of the areas of concern in the form of the Candidate Intervention Report;

   • Has an opportunity to further review documentation supporting the removal decision; and

   • Responds to the concerns.

5. Appeal. In the event the student disagrees with the decision, the student may request an appeal to the Dean of the College of Education & Human Services within forty-eight (48) hours after notification of the decision. A decision of the Dean is final and may not be appealed. The request for appeal must be in writing and must state the reasons for the appeal and the remedy requested.

See the full version of the University’s Grievance Policies and Procedures in the University Student Handbook, The Cub.