Program Description

PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS

Before the beginning of the Apprenticeship, the supervising administrator assigns the Apprentice to a team of teachers who are responsible for supporting struggling learners (e.g. Response to Intervention - RTI, Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports - PBIS, student assistance, data team). The team must include at least one general education and one special education teacher. the administrator and team meet periodically to determine how to include the Apprentice in their work, how to create structures that will allow the Apprentice to complete his/her responsibilities to the program while supporting the school's goals, and how to supervise the Apprentice, including required formal coaching as well as informal mentoring.

The Apprenticeship program has three formal structures. First, Strategic Intervention (S.I.) involves Apprentices in implementing research-based interventions. Online materials will help guide the Apprentice in using student data to locate, implement, and evaluate one strategy in each of five areas (behavior/classroom management, content instruction, learning strategies, comprehensive literacy, and mathematics), plus one additional area to be determined by the team. The S.I. can take place in general or special education settings, with small or large groups, individual teaching or co-teaching, general or special education students, wherever support is needed most. For each of the six selected strategies, Apprentices document their work using Torres, Cook, and Farley's (Teaching Exceptional Children, 2014) Ten-Step Evidence Based Practice Implementation Process Checklist, and support the checklist with data and artifacts collected from lessons they created. When Apprentices are not implementing their S.I., they are working closely with classroom teachers to support struggling learners. Much as a student teacher might, they can co-teach, lead small- or whole-group instruction in special or general education settings, collect data, contact parents or agencies, and/or assist individual students. However, at no time can they serve in lieu of a licensed teacher, substitute teacher, or paraeducator.

Second, 15 Coaching Sessions are required (approximately one every 2-3 weeks). Please note that Coaching guidelines can be replaced by any state's comprehensive teacher mentoring program. The Apprentice is observed by a teacher on the team and/or the supervising administrator. Both Apprentice and coach complete the Lesson Reflection Template created by the Center on Instruction for use in documenting intensive inreventions. During the subsequent Coaching Session, in which the Apprentice and Coach meet face to face for at least 20 minutes, they compare notes on the Template and determine one success and one area for improvement, which will be used during subsequent sessions. The two sets of notes, including highlighted areas, comprise the second section of the portfolio.

The final requirement is meeting the initial licensure standards set forth by the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC, cec.sped.org). There are seven standards with required readings for each standard. The supervising administrator and teacher team ensure that the Apprentice is provided with the opportunity to meet each of the standards. The last portfolio section is dedicated to a written description of how the standards have been met, including references to required readings and activities, and accompanying documentation.

SUMMARY

FreeTeacher U is a free year-long aprenticeship for individuals with a Bachelor's degree and experience in the schools, culminating in special education licensure. The program is supervised by a building administrator and implemented by a pre-existing team of teachers. It focuses on narrowing the achievement gap through implementation of evidence-based interventions. There are three major program requirements. This page outlines requirements for entry to the program, the program itself, and requirements for successful completion.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

Supervising administrators must verify that Apprentices have met all requirements before the first day of school. There are five requirements for program entry:

1. Applicants must possess a Bachelor's degree in any academic field.

2. Applicants must have an undergraduate GPA of 3.0 OR GRE scores that are above average in the education field (at least 150 verbal, 147 math, 3.9 AWA).

3. Applicants must have 250 documented hours of experience working with students in K-12 schools within the past two years, paid or unpaid.

4. Applicants must pass a criminal background check, meeting all standards required by the district and state.

5. Applicants must have passed the required state subject test in special education (e.g. Praxis II). Recommended study materials include an introductory college textbook in special education and any materials provided by the test publisher (e.g. ETS). State cut scores can found on the test publisher site.

EXIT REQUIREMENTS

The Apprentice must satisfy two requirements in order to complete the program. First, the Apprentice must pass the edTPA (Teacher Performance Assessment, edtpa.com) in special education. This performance exam is administered and scored by Pearson and is mandatory in many states. The EdTPA should be submitted in February or March in order for scores to be reported by the end of the school year. A score of 37 is required unless the state has set another cutoff, in which case the state's cut score prevails.

Second, a formal portfolio defense takes place at the end of the school year, before the supervising administrator and teacher team. Apprentices prepare a 30-minute formal presentation of his/her accomplishments, supported by student data, followed by a 30-minute question and answer session. A rubric for satisfactory performance is provided. The supervising administrator is solely responsible for the final determination as to whether or not the applicant has met the determined standard.