Resident Teacher Program in Special Education
As of January 1, 2007, the RT program is a two-year program. RT's begin the program on June 1 of the first year, taking courses during the summer session, and complete the program the end of May in the second year. In most cases, the school placement changes during the two years, providing the RT with two different grade level/school experiences.
Background, Goals, & Philosophy
The Resident Teacher Program in Special Education (SERTP) at the University of North Dakota (UND) seeks to attract and keep teachers in rural schools in North Dakota that have had great difficulty recruiting and retaining teachers. SERTP's goal is to provide inexperienced teachers with support in entering the special education teaching profession. The purpose is to increase the pool of endorsed and well prepared special educators in the region by enabling University of North Dakota students, who are already certified teachers and are admitted to graduate programs in special education, to complete a full-year internship in a school district or special education unit under the joint supervision of experienced special educators and a University of North Dakota special education faculty member. The focus of the program is in the area of mild/moderate disabilities with an emphasis on working with students in inclusionary settings.
Partnerships
The program is based on partnerships between the University of North Dakota, and public schools and special education units across the state of North Dakota.
Target Population
The target population of candidates is individuals considered by UND as "home-grown." In SERTP's case, this means recruits are already living in a rural area of the state and will be trained to become special education teachers in their community. In the state of North Dakota, special education teachers need to have completed a baccalaureate program in general education, so SERTP seeks unemployed or recently graduated general education teachers to participate in its program. Most of the candidates are interested in teaching special education and have already completed a bachelor's degree in general education. Several of the candidates are para-educators in the school district when they apply for the program.
back to top
Program Components
Characteristics
Resident teachers (RTs) earn a M.Ed. or M.S. in special education through on-campus and online coursework, and on-the-job experience in a school district/special education unit. Each resident teacher assumes full responsibility for a special education caseload and must be certified to teach in North Dakota. RTs earn a stipend and a waiver of UND tuition for a majority of the coursework in the master's degree (tuition is waived fall and spring semesters, but not summer). Residents are responsible for university fees and books each semester. Candidates are expected to complete a two year program, although in certain cases, a one year program is an option for completing the program. Typically, candidates with no or little completed coursework in special education, complete a two year option, whereas, candidates who have completed several courses in special education, complete a one year option.
Resident mentors (certified special education teachers) from the school district/special education unit provide support to the resident teachers and work with the university supervisor. These mentors offer resident teachers consultation, demonstration teaching, feedback and support. Resident mentors receive training prior to the start of the academic year. This occurs on site at each of the school districts and is conducted by the University mentors/supervisors. Resident mentors are not paid to participate in the program. They are chosen collaboratively by the school district, special education director, and University.
In order to participate in the Resident Teacher Program, a school district forms a team consisting of the principal, special education mentors and special education director and/or coordinator that must commit to the following:
- Provide a mentor teacher in each of the disability categories (i.e. LD, ED, DCD).
- Balance the resident teacher's caseload and time between students in each of the three disability areas.
- Provide a set/designated time for the resident teacher and resident mentors to meet on a regular basis. Optimally, the Resident Mentor's time with the Resident Teacher should be daily for 15-30 minutes. At a minimum, mentoring time should occur for 30-60 minutes once a week.
The University of North Dakota's representative of the Special Education Program Area agrees to the following responsibilties:
- Provide an orientation for the mentor teachers.
- Be available by email and telephone to answer questions and provide consultation.
- Arrange for a minimum of one on-site visit with the Resident Teacher and school team each month.
- Meet with all Resident Teachers in a seminar format on a regular basis.
- Be responsible for clarifying the requirements for internship credits and assigning all grades.
back to top
Admissions
Applicants apply for both the master's program in special education and the SERTP. Admission to the master's program is ongoing, but admissions for the SERTP is conducted only in the spring. Admission to both programs is competitive. See "Graduate Admissions" on the UND website for the application for the master's program and "Application" on the SERTP website for the RT program.
The admissions process for the master's program consists of a transcript/GPA review, recommendations review and writing assignment. The SERTP admissions process consists of admissions to the master's program, an interview, a thorough reference check via telephone, a mentee style survey, and a problem-solving writing activity. Candidates admitted to both the master's and RT programs are then interviewed by the school district, allowing the school district/special education unit to have a role in the final decision regarding the placement of the RT. Note that the program attempts to place RT's in areas they wish to be placed, although this is not always possible and depends on placement availability.
back to top
Resident Teacher Candidates
RT's can complete the year of residency without completing the master's degree, although the university encourages them to complete the master's as quickly as possible.
RT's commit to the following responsibilities:
- Attend summer school at UND (on-campus) full-time for the six week summer session, plus one week prior to the summer session for orientation and skill training. Typically, RT's are in class Monday through Thursday throughout the seven weeks. Housing is available on a full-time or part-time basis through the University Housing Office.
- Attend evening or online classes (one to three nights a week) during the school year.
- Work for the school district/special education unit that supports the RT in the internship year/s as a special education teacher for one year following completion of the program, if a position is available and if the RT is offered the position.
- Repay the stipends received throughout the summer if the RT chooses to leave the program prior to or during the school year.
back to top
Incentives
Incentives for RT's
The academic year tuition waivers, stipends, and mentoring components mentioned above are the greatest incentives for candidates.
Incentives for School Districts
Special education teachers in the schools receive support from the RT's with their caseload of students. Schools are frequently able to retain the RT as an employee of the school after a one or two year "on-site interview." Since the RT is taking University coursework, teachers in the schools benefit from the information RT's learn about best practices and current trends in the field. In addition, the master's coursework delivered online is often accessed by teachers who want to complete a master's degree, but have not previously been able to attend courses on the Grand Forks campus.
Incentives for the University
The special education master's program enrollment has more than tripled since the initiation of the SERTP, therefore recruitment is an important benefit to the University. In addition, the partnerships with several K-12 schools established through the SERTP contribute to the University's presence across the state, as well as meeting several aspects of the University's Strategic Plan.
Incentives for the State of North Dakota
Recruitment, preparation, and retention of special education strategists to meet the shortage of special education teachers in rural areas is a priority of the State Legislature, thus the SERTP meets an area of critical need in the state. In addition, the preparation of highly qualified "quality" teachers for quality schools, meet the mandate of the No Child Left Behind Act.
Support
RTs are mentored and supported by resident mentors (certified special education teachers in the school), special education directors and/or coordinators, a University of North Dakota clinical supervisor, and a University of North Dakota advisor. In addition to this support, the RTs form a strong cohort group and support each other. They meet in a seminar format every two to four weeks with the university supervisors and advisor and also meet informally on a regular basis.
back to top
Evidence of Success
Evaluation Summary
At the end of each school year, RT's, resident mentors, and school administrators are requested to each complete a survey. The following summarizes the responses from these surveys.
The administrators have been very supportive of the program and of the RTs. They considered the RTs to be well-prepared and receiving adequate support from the program. Resident mentors are asked to rate various skills of the RT using a scale that ranges from 1 (almost never) to 5 (almost always). Overall, RTs have been rated highly (mean of 4 or above) in the following areas:
- Being cooperative and having a positive attitude;
- Having effective instructional skills;
- Having flexibility to meet the needs of a broad range of students;
- Being knowledgeable of special education procedures, including paperwork in compliance with regulations;
- Showing collaboration with other teachers;
- Expressing creativity and innovative ideas;
- Working with parents;
- Contributing to the school in general;
- Assessing students; and
- Having the necessary level of ability to work independently as compared to other first-year teachers.
When asked to identify the major strengths of the Resident Teacher Program, the building principals and resident mentors emphasized:
- On-the-job training associated with supervision;
- Opportunities for RTs to work with students with different disabilities;
- Quality of support from UND mentors;
- Quality of the RTs;
- RTs as extra support for the schools;
- Improving the hiring system by offering a pool of qualified candidates from which to choose;
- Providing the means for rural schools to recruit and retain highly qualified special education teachers.
RTs are also asked to respond to a survey assessing their perceptions about the program and its impact on their career as teachers. The RTs have given high ratings to the program and express feeling prepared to deal with most tasks related to being a special educator.
When asked to identify strengths of the program, on-the-job training was by far the most frequently cited area. At least half of the RT's have perceived the opportunity for "first-hand experience" or "hands-on approach" to special education as the major strength of the Resident Teacher program. Comments on the importance of on-the-job training included:
- "It was very helpful to attend classes while working. Hands-on experience. The classes made more sense."
- "Being able to work hands-on in a school setting has been very beneficial. I have learned so much more applying what I learn in class to what I do in the classroom."
- "Being part of the school staff. Being responsible for my own caseload. We were really able to learn how to be a special ed. teacher."
- "The constant hands-on experience that you are gaining along with the support from mentors (UND + school)."
- "Great on-the-job experience. I found it to be very beneficial to [teach] and learn instead of just learning about it all."
Other areas also cited as strengths included:
- The mentor system, including the quality of mentors (both UND and local mentors), and the level of communication between mentors and RT's
- The tuition waiver and stipend
- Coursework flexibility
- Face-to-face seminar meetings
- Opportunity for networking
back to top
Costs/Implementation Requirements
The school district/special education unit provides funding of $16,160 for each resident teacher accepted into the program that will be placed in their district/unit. Administered by the University of North Dakota, these funds are used to underwrite a 9-month half-time Graduate Teaching Assistantship (GTA) appointment for each student. This pays the RT an $11,804 (2007-08) stipend and $500 in fringe benefits that includes health insurance, and also partially supports the UND supervisor/mentor, and program costs. The work assignment for GTA's participating in the program is in the district/special education unit. In addition to the 6-10 hours of coursework expected of GTA's per week, the resident teachers enroll in internship credits as part of the program.
What makes this program unique? Why is it successful?
- The appointment of the Resident Teachers as Graduate Teaching Assistants, therefore providing them with a tuition waiver or scholarship for most of the masters program. (This may be more of an incentive than what makes it successful, but it definitely creates a unique partnership between the University and the schools.)
- The three layered mentorship: building level mentors, university field mentor, and university advising mentor.
- The on-the-job training format while taking graduate courses makes for natural connections between research and practice and between the theoretical and real-life.
- The delivery of the coursework online allows schools across the state to participate in the program so that other teachers in the district or area have the opportunity to access the coursework.
- The progrm meets the needs of schools in rural/remote areas since the RT's are prepared in a cross-categorical program that licenses them as educational strategists who are able to case manage students with learning disabilities, emotional disturbance, and developmental/cognitive disabilities.
(4/08)
back to top
