JEP Handbook - The JEP Program

A key component of all teacher preparation programs is clinical experiences, which involve the time a candidate spends in real-world classrooms and educational settings. The Bailey Graduation School of Education (BGSE) is committed to providing diverse experiences for JEPs in Pre-K-12 schools. UTK facilitates practicum experiences for JEPs to ensure they have opportunities to work with Pre-K-12 students from varied backgrounds, socioeconomic statuses, ethnic/racial groups, English language proficiencies, as well as students with exceptionalities.

Clinical experiences provided by the JEP pathway include practicum experiences and the JEP Clinical Practice. The following is a breakdown of these components and the expectation of the JEP.

Practicum Experiences

JEPs are required to complete four (4) Diverse Field Experiences by their program completion. These Practicum Experiences are accomplished by observing another teacher's classroom and reflecting on the observation.

The reflection questions for each observation include:

What is the TEAM indicator you selected for this observation? Explain why you selected the above indicator (what did the teacher and/or students do in relation to this indicator? Is this an area of reinforcement, or an area of refinement? Use details from the observation to support your ideas)
What is the ProCAD domain that you noticed in this observation? Explain why you selected the above domain and what you observed about this domain: (what did the teacher and/or students do in relation to this domain? Is this an area of reinforcement, or an area of refinement? Use details from the observation to support your ideas)
What did you see during this observation that you would consider for your own classroom setting? Please explain your answer.
What did you see during this observation that you do not think would be a good fit in your classroom setting? Please explain your answer.

Guidelines for JEPs on conducting these Practicum Experiences:

You will need to conduct the observations necessary to complete the Practicum Experiences forms during your plan time and/or other times that you do not have student supervision duties. If you encounter difficulty, please contact your UTK advisor for assistance.
You must complete 4 practicum experiences by the end of the JEP program. Plan accordingly. We suggest that you try to complete these early in the program.
Ask your mentor teachers and/or your school administrators for suggestions about classrooms you should observe in order to complete these Practicum Experiences. Create a plan of classroom observations that will benefit your development as a teacher. (For example, if you are struggling to engage gifted learners, ask your mentor or administrators for a suggestion of a classroom where the teacher effectively challenges gifted learners. Or, if your classroom is mostly gifted learners, observe a classroom with more learning diversity to gain a perspective different than your own classroom provides).
Gain permission to observe from the classroom teacher prior to showing up to observe their class. This is common teaching courtesy.
Be an unobtrusive presence in the classroom while you are observing.
Thank the classroom teacher who allowed you to observe their class. If you are critical of this teacher in your reflection, there is no need to be critical of this teacher in person or to share your critique with them.
Remember to enter your reflection into HAL using the form located on Canvas Catalog.
You should take notes during the observation to help organize your thoughts for the reflection. If you like, you can use this document: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1R-8qkO_whZsdDOSwnSJPBFQBQ3HeI-uY/view?usp=sharing

JEP Clinical Practice

About the JEP Clinical Practice

The Job-Embedded clinical practice consists of up to three years serving as a teacher of record while participating in UTK coursework. During this time, JEPs are assigned highly qualified mentor teachers in the school or district setting to assist their progress.

In addition to the support provided by the mentor teachers, a UTK supervisor also maintains contact with both mentors and the JEP to enhance the professional development of the JEP.

Job-Embedded Practitioners are teachers of record in their schools. Thus, their academic year is defined by the school calendar of the partnership school system and not that of the University calendar. JEPs thus are subject to the same vacation periods, holidays, and required in-service days as other teachers in their schools. JEPs must carefully balance their schedules to allow for both their school-based job requirements and their University coursework.

Length and Structure of the Job-Embedded Clinical Practice

Job-Embedded Practitioner candidates have three academic years, beginning with the start of the first academic year of their JEP program, to complete all program requirements. Thus, candidates who begin in Spring will have less than three years to complete program requirements. Most JEPs complete the program in two academic years.

The exact length and structure of the JEP program is unique to each JEP, as requirements differ from program to program, and are also dependent of the outcome of a transcript review. For this reason, each JEP candidate will co-create a Plan of Study with their UTK advisor in order to help support progress through the program. This Plan of Study will be reviewed each fall and spring semester, to make changes as necessary, during the JEPs required meeting with their program advisor.

Expectations of JEPs during clinical practice:

Attendance

JEPs are not excused from their teaching jobs because of conflicting responsibilities such as University coursework and/or JEP program requirements. Absences are acceptable only as outlined by the employee handbook of the JEPs school/district. If a JEP must be absent, they are expected to leave substitute plans and follow any/all other protocol for absences as outlined by their school/district.

School and District Policies

As school/district employees, JEPs must follow school and district policies as they apply to regularly employed staff. These include arrival and departure times, parking, smoking and vaping regulations (no smoking, vaping, or possession of tobacco/nicotine products on any school campus), dress code, use of school-owned equipment and supplies, and similar policies.

JEPs are to attend school-related functions that other teachers in the building are expected to attend: faculty meetings, PTA meetings, parent-teacher conferences, IEP meetings, and similar activities. In rare instances, UTK class schedules may interfere with some afternoon and evening school activities. JEPs should discuss any conflicts with their course instructor and/or their advisor, as their school-based duties/expectations will likely need to be accommodated by UTK.

State Standards and School Curriculum

Standards outline what students should learn in a given subject and grade level; curriculum outlines how students should be taught. Standards are defined and approved for each subject and grade level by the State Board of Education. Depending on districts, schools, grade level, and subject areas, defined curriculum may or may not be provided.

The JEP accepts the responsibility to teach the required standards as approved by the Tennessee State Board of Education. If a curriculum has been approved or adopted by the school/district to which they are assigned, JEPs accept responsibility to teach the approved curriculum.

Professional Learning and Parent Contact Hours

Teachers (including JEPs) are required to participate in professional development (also known as in-service trainings) as well as out-of-contract hours, parent contact hours, after-school parent meetings, parent-teacher conference nights, and school open-house/family engagement evenings. JEPs must fulfill their school district’s professional development requirements as well as their parent contact hour requirements.

More details on these requirements can be found at the following website:

https://www.tn.gov/education/lea-operations/inservice-guidelines.html

Google Certified Educator-Level 1

Google Certified Educator Level 1 is a UTK requirement for JEPs. JEPs must complete this certification by the end of their first academic year in the JEP program. JEPs may also use this certification to meet district PD hours, if their district allows (contact with your district is required to verify).

Liability Insurance

All JEPs are required to carry professional liability insurance for the duration of their participation in the program. Many teachers choose to maintain this coverage throughout their teaching careers. JEPs are required to provide proof of this insurance by the end of their first semester of the JEP program. Failure to provide evidence of coverage will result in a ProCAD Area for Refinement plan. If not rectified, this can result in removal form the JEP program.

Background Check

Based on state policy, all JEPs are required to complete a Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) criminal background check as a condition of being hired by a school district, as well as a pre-condition for admission to the Bailey Graduate School of Education Teacher Preparation program. If the JEPs hiring school district does not provide assurance to UTK that a TBI Background Clearance has been conducted, UTK can require the JEP to complete an additional background clearance.

Drug Screening

All JEPs serving in school districts where drug screening is required must complete this security clearance as required by their district.

P-12 Student Behavior

JEPs are accountable for P-12 student behavior when conducting any educational activity. JEPs must assume liability for their actions during instructional activities.

Corporal Punishment

UTK JEPs may neither administer corporal punishment to students nor serve as witness to its administration.

Searching Students

UTK JEPs may not initiate or carry out searches of students, students’ property, or students’ lockers.

Transportation of Students

JEPs must not transport students in their own personal vehicles either before, during, or after school.

Child Protection and Suspected Child Abuse

Everyone in Tennessee is a mandatory reporter of child abuse and neglect, as specified by Tennessee Code:

Tennessee Code Annotated 37-1-403(a)(1) Any person who has knowledge of or is called upon to render aid to any child who is suffering from or has sustained any wound, injury, disability, or physical or mental condition shall report such harm immediately if the harm is of such a nature as to reasonably indicate that it has been caused by brutality, abuse, or neglect or that, on the basis of available information, reasonably appears to have been caused by brutality, abuse or neglect.

Tennessee Code Annotated 37-1-403(i)(1) Any school official, personnel, employee, or member of the board of education who is aware of a report or investigation of employee misconduct on the part of any employee of the school system that in any way involves known or alleged child abuse, including, but not limited to, child physical or sexual abuse or neglect, shall immediately upon knowledge of such information notify the Department of Children's Services or anyone listed in subdivision (a)(2) of the abuse or alleged abuse.

In order to ensure awareness of and compliance with all applicable child abuse and neglect requirements, JEPs are required to complete the child protection certification (see Gateway 2). Evidence of this certification must be uploaded to HAL. The link to this training is here: Child Protection Training Instructions.

Confidentiality of Information

Each JEP assumes the professional propriety necessary for keeping confidential information that is given in confidence by students, teachers, administrators, and mentoring professors in accordance with Tennessee statute T.C.A. § 49-5-1003 and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, 20 USC § 1232(G), (FERPA). This includes information derived from student performance, personnel records, or faculty meetings.

Professional Conduct

JEPs must maintain professional and ethical conduct as outlined in UTK’s ProCADs and the Tennessee Code of Ethics (see earlier ProCADs section).

Social Behavior

JEPs must assume the role of the teacher in the community concerning socially acceptable behavior. JEPs will establish and maintain professional relationships with all relevant members of the school and the school community. Social behavior expectations and requirements of JEPs also apply to JEPs social media accounts.

Dress Code-read carefully

The most common complaint that UTK receives regarding our teacher candidates is about how they choose to dress in the school setting.

At an absolute minimum, JEPs must follow the dress code that P-12 students in their host school must follow—for example, no sleeveless tops, leggings, or exposed undergarments.

In addition, JEPs should dress professionally. For example, while students may be allowed to wear sweatpants, sweatpants are not considered professional dress; therefore, JEPs should not wear them.

When in doubt about appropriate attire for the teaching profession, JEPs should seek guidance from their mentor teachers and their UTK advisor.

UTK provides support for the professional dress of our teacher candidates. Example includes the following:

Smokey’s Closet provides free, gently used professional clothing for students.

Asking for Professional Recommendations

As professionals, JEP's need to be mindful of professional courtesies. Each JEP has the responsibility to ask permission of those requested to complete recommendations concerning future employment.

Transportation and Housing of JEPs

JEPs are responsible for their own transportation and housing. For information on UTK housing, contact the Director of Residence Halls.

Expectations of Mentors and Supervisors for Job-Embedded Practitioners

Mentor Expectations

Mentoring includes sharing, modeling, coaching, and encouraging the intern’s professional growth and development in the context of daily classroom life.

Job-embedded practitioners will be assigned two (2) Mentor Teachers prior to being admitted to the JEP program. The Mentor Teacher’s name and TN Educator License Number should be indicated on their official intent to hire letter sent by the LEA to UTK.

At least one of these Mentors should be based in the same school as the JEP candidate. The other Mentor can be a district level supervisor or coach, as applicable. Whenever possible, the Mentors should be licensed in the same program area as the JEP candidate, or in a closely related program area. The decision-making process for Mentor selection occurs between districts, building level administrators, and UTK.

The Mentor is an important part of the partnership between UTK and the LEA in ensuring a successful JEP teacher candidate experience. The Mentor often helps the JEP candidate make connections between educational and learning theory learned in UTK coursework and the challenges and realities of the 21st century classroom.

The roles of Mentors include:

The Mentor will evaluate the Job-embedded practitioner’s Professional Competencies, Attitudes, and Dispositions (ProCADS) at the end of the first and second semesters, for each year the candidate is enrolled in the Job-embedded program. At the end of each semester, the UTK program coordinator will send a link to complete this brief evaluation via email.
The Mentor should help the JEP candidate select classrooms to observe for their Diverse Field Experiences. JEP candidates must observe learning settings with students from varied backgrounds and with diverse learning needs. The Mentor should help select teachers/classrooms for the JEP to observe in order to meet this requirement.
The Mentor should provide general JEP candidate support. The Mentor should make a point to contact the candidate frequently and inquire about the candidate’s professional growth and development in the context of daily teaching activities. Should concerns arise, the Mentor should be willing to contact UTK in order to best plan supports for the JEP candidate.
If deemed appropriate by the LEA and UTK, the Mentor may engage in conducting TEAM evaluations of the JEP.
The Mentor will receive feedback on mentoring skills and practices.
The Mentor will have the opportunity to evaluate the performance of the JEP’s UTK Supervisor.

Supervisor Expectations

UTK supervises and facilitates the JEPs professional learning and progression through the JEP program. This is often a collective effort between the UTK advisor and a UTK supervisor.

UTK is expected to:

● Communicate with JEPs weekly.

● Include mentor teachers in communications with JEPs whenever relevant.

● Make sure that JEPs are observed and evaluated at least 4 times a semester. Usually, two of these observations will be conducted by the school. For observations conducted by UTK, the UTK Supervisor must:

Use the TEAM observation model with fidelity.
Provide observation feedback via HAL within 5 school days.
Include the JEPs mentor(s) on observation feedback provided via HAL (if relevant).
Provide meaningful, actionable feedback to the JEP.
Allow enough time between observations for improvement to reasonably occur.

● Model professional competencies, attitudes, and dispositions (ProCADs).

● Evaluate the JEPs ProCADs at the end of each semester.

Additionally, UTK advisors are expected to conduct an advising session with the JEP candidate each Fall and Spring semester (see Gateway 4 for more information).

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