Teacher Professional Expectations Policy

Teacher Professional Expectations Policy

Sponsor:	School for Graduate Studies. Teacher Education Programs
Contact:	Chair, Graduate Education Division
Category:	Graduate Studies
Number:	800.011
Effective Date:	01/01/2021
Implementation History:	The original policy was approved 12/06/2013. It was subsequently revised on 11/06 2018. The effective date the revised policy is 01/01/2021.
Keywords:	Teacher, Professional, Expectations, Dismissal, Ethics, New York State
Background Information:	The teacher education programs have had a policy in place since enrolling its first cohort in 2004 since teachers need to adhere to a professional code of conduct in their K-12 school setting. The program policy became an official college policy in 2013 and was revised in 2018.  After the MAT & MEd in Special Education programs were launched in 2017, this policy was applied to those programs in addition to the MAT program.

Purpose

The main factor for having this policy is ethics. New York State teachers must be ethical and professional with regards to their encounters with school district personnel, program faculty and staff, and most importantly, with their students. This policy will allow us to review any candidate who demonstrates a lack of professional conduct and dismiss him/her from the teaching program.

Definitions

Disposition refers to professional conduct and judgment.

Statements

Empire State University expects teacher education students to teach effectively and to demonstrate behaviors and attitudes that are consistent with the ideal of fairness and the belief that all students can learn. Empire State University expects students in professional education to demonstrate a set of values and attitudes consistent with the highest professional standards and to comply with relevant local, state and federal law. Students who fail to meet professional expectations are subject to warning or dismissal from the program and those dismissed cannot be recommended for teacher certification. Further, the teacher education programs prepare students to function as professionals who serve pupils and clients who may be minors or individuals in circumstances of significant vulnerability. In pursuing their academic programs, students come into direct contact with such vulnerable pupils and clients as part of their field experiences, residency placements, and teaching roles. Empire State University has an obligation to protect those pupils and clients and cannot tolerate student behavior that exploits, endangers, compromises or threatens the welfare, safety or rights of those pupils or clients.

In deciding whether to admit, readmit, retain, or graduate a student from a program, or to recommend an individual for state certification, the teacher education program considers not only the university's admission and academic requirements but also the individual’s competencies related to serving in the teaching profession, including, but not limited to, the individual’s conduct, professional attitudes, values and attributes to the extent such traits impact the person’s ability to serve effectively and ethically in the profession, and advancement in a teacher education program. The teacher education faculty and staff will conduct periodic reviews of students at key checkpoints, such as the time for certification recommendation, to determine whether or not the student will move forward in the process.

Professional Expectations and Criteria:

In deciding whether to admit, readmit, retain, or graduate students from a program, or to recommend an individual for a state teaching certificate, a teacher education program considers:

1. The individual's educational, work, and other life experiences related to the teaching profession.
2. The individual’s ability to communicate and work effectively with students, families, colleagues, peers, university faculty and staff, and communities, including individuals from different backgrounds, individuals with exceptional needs or limitations, individuals from different religious, cultural, racial or ethnic populations, and individuals of different genders and sexual orientations.
3. The individual’s fitness for the profession, including but not limited to any formal charge of professional misconduct or any felony conviction(s).
4. The individual's behavior in light of appropriate professional and ethical standards.
5. The individual's general and specific knowledge, skills, and dispositions needed to successfully complete the particular program and to function effectively in the profession. Dispositions for teaching are defined as those professional attitudes, values and attributes expected of an education professional by this policy and by New York State law and regulations. An instrument is used as a valid, reliable and objective tool for assessment in this process. There is a set process to review the results of this instrument.
6. The legal requirements and professional expectations as set out in the applicable laws and regulations governing state certification;
7. The standards and rules adopted or recognized by a teacher education program and applicable professional organizations; and
8. Whether the individual has met all the other program requirements for retention, graduation, or recommendation for state certification as set forth in the Graduate Catalog and the program's written policies and procedures.

Procedures

Warning or Dismissal from a Teacher Education Program

1. Academic Warning or Dismissal

   The graduate student Evaluation and Grading policy, Satisfactory Academic Progress policy, and Academic Honesty policy contain university policy and procedures for academic warning and dismissal.

2. Professional Warning or Dismissal

   The dean of the School for Graduate Studies may issue a warning or dismiss a student from the program for failure to meet, satisfy, or demonstrate satisfactory performance with respect to one or more of the program's professional criteria (see Part I).

   1. Grounds for Professional Warning or Dismissal The dean of the School for Graduate Studies may issue a warning or dismiss a student from the program for failure to meet one or more of the following:
      1. A school or a school district decides not to hire or retain the student, dismisses the student from field experience, disciplines the student for misconduct, or determines that the student has behaved inappropriately with respect to any of the professional criteria.
      2. The dean of the School for Graduate Studies determines that the student does not meet the professional criteria.
   2. Procedure for Warning or Dismissal
      1. Once notified of a complaint/incident, the division chair will notify the student and the student’s advisor of the complaint/incident; schedule a meeting between the student, advisor, and chair; and conduct an investigation. The student will have 1 week from the date of notification to confirm a date for this meeting. In advance of this meeting, the student may provide a written response to the division chair concerning the incident. At this meeting, the student may provide information or documentation or be asked by the division chair to provide information or documentation related to the complaint/incident. Based on the investigation, the division chair will make a recommendation to the dean of the School for Graduate Studies and copy the student. The student has 1 week from the submission of the chair’s recommendation to submit a written response to the dean of the School for Graduate Studies. In the absence of the division chair, the Office of Teacher Education will act in his/her place.
      2. Upon receipt of this recommendation, the dean of the School for Graduate Studies may warn or dismiss the student from the program. In making this decision, the dean may obtain information, documentation, or consult with others as deemed necessary.
      3. The dean notifies the student in writing. The warning or dismissal notice includes the effective date and reason for the warning or dismissal. The dean provides a copy to the division chair, Office of Teacher Education, the student’s academic advisor and course instructor(s).
      4. If the student is in a field experience or teaching role and is dismissed by the university, the dean also notifies appropriate school personnel of the dismissal. If the student has been issued transitional B certification and is dismissed, the Office of Teacher Education also notifies appropriate NYS Education Department personnel.
      5. In cases where the student’s behavior appears to present an immediate danger to the welfare and safety or rights of pupils or clients, in accordance with the Student Conduct Policy and Procedures, the dean may place an individual on interim suspension.
      6. A student who receives a warning or is dismissed may make an appeal following the university's policy on Student Academic Appeals.

Decision Not To Recommend For Certification

1. Grounds for Decision Not to Recommend a Student for Certification
   1. The program does not recommend any student for certification who has been dismissed from the program.
   2. The program does not recommend any student for certification who fails to meet NYS Education Department requirements.
   3. The division chair and/or Office of Teacher Education may decide not to recommend a student for certification who fails to meet, satisfy, or demonstrate satisfactory performance with respect to one or more of the program’s academic and/or professional criteria.
      
      
   4. The division chair and/or Office of Teacher Education may decide not to recommend a student for certification if a school or school district disciplines the student for misconduct, dismisses the student from field experience, or determines that a student has behaved inappropriately with respect to any of the professional criteria.
      
      
2. Procedure for Decision Not to Recommend a Student for Certification
   1. The division chair and/or Office of Teacher Education may decide not to recommend a candidate for certification. In making this decision, the division chair and/or Office of Teacher Education may obtain information, documentation, or consult with others as deemed necessary.
      
      
   2. The division chair and/or Office of Teacher Education notifies the student in writing. This notice includes the reason for the decision not to recommend the student for certification. The division chair and/or Office of Teacher Education provides a copy to the student’s academic advisor and the dean of the School for Graduate Studies.
      
      
   3. A student who is not recommended for certification may make an appeal following the university's policy on Student Academic Appeals.

Readmission Consideration

Students who reapply to the program or a different program in the School for Graduate Studies must do so in accordance with the procedures for readmission. In reviewing an application for readmission to the teacher education programs all previous work in a graduate program including the individual's competencies related to serving in the teaching profession and professional expectations and criteria defined in the policy is considered .

Incident Reporting

1. Violations of Criminal Law by Teacher Education Students

   1. Students charged with violations of criminal law must report such charges immediately to the division chair and Office of Teacher Education. The dean is responsible for determining the student’s status upon receipt of the information. The dean makes an evaluation and determination concerning the seriousness of the offense or offenses charged and the bearing, if any, that the criminal charges have on the student’s fitness or ability to perform the duties and responsibilities of field experiences or teaching, until the charges have been dismissed.
      
      
   2. Depending on the nature of the charges and the information available, the dean may immediately remove such students from participation in field experiences or teaching.
   3. If further action is required, including interim suspension from the university, the dean follows the procedures outlined in the Student Conduct Policy and Procedures.

2. Legal Notice

   1. Students in field experiences are covered by New York State Education Law §3023, which requires that each school district “save harmless and protect all teachers, practice or cadet teachers… from financial loss arising out of any claim, demand, suit or judgment by reason of alleged negligence or other act resulting in accidental bodily injury to any person, or accidental damage to the property of any person within or without the school building, provided such teacher, practice or cadet teacher… at the time of the accident or injury was acting in the discharge of his duties within the scope of his employment or authorized volunteer duties and/or under the direction of said board of education….” A student who is involved in any such accident must immediately inform the school administrator and the SUNY Empire division chair and Office of Teacher Education.
      
      
   2. A student who is served with a summons, complaint or other legal process involving an incident which occurred during the course of their teaching or field experience while participating in a teacher education program must immediately forward a copy of the legal papers to the local school administrator, SUNY Empire division chair and Office of Teacher Education.

Applicable Legislation and Regulations

New York State Code of Ethics for Educators (pdf)

New York State Education Law 3023

Part 83 of the NYS Commissioner's Regulations, Determination of Good Moral Character

Part 52 of the NYS Commissioner's Regulations, Registration of Curricula in Teacher Education

Related References, Policies, Procedures, Forms and Appendices