Acceptable Professional
Experience
For Certification
Statement of Philosophy
Of all the components of a teacher education program, among the most vital is student teaching, internship, or other clinical experiences which places the candidate for certification into direct contact with students or clients in a laboratory-type setting. Under certain circumstances, candidates become involved in an on-the-job type experience that is less formally structured and controlled but achieves much the same in terms of end results. While it is difficult to evaluate such experience in relation to the more formal student teaching or internship, it may be unrealistic to require such clinical experience when the candidate has already demonstrated competence on the job.
Authority to Make Policy
The general control and supervision of the public school system of the state of Utah are vested in the State Board of Education. Its authority includes (1) adopting policies which have broad application and give to the Board the general overseeing of the public school system; (2) enacting rules and regulations to eliminate and prevent all unnecessary duplication of work or instruction in school districts and elsewhere as provided by law; and (3) setting standards under which the public school system shall be operated.
Specifically, with regard to teacher education programs, Section 53-2-18 of state law provides that "The State Board of Education shall determine the scholarship and training required of applicants for diplomas . . . and certificates."
Definition of Terms
- Endorsement: A specialty field or area listed on a certificate which indicates specific qualification of the candidate; e.g., art, history, English, and other such fields.
- Alternative School: A public or private school designed to meet the needs of a particular group of students under special circumstances; e.g., job corps centers, correctional centers, and special programs for high school drop-outs.
Policy Statement
1. Experience accepted in lieu of student teaching for teaching certification.
- Requirements for Basic Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary
Certificate stipulate that two years of successful teaching experience
may be accepted in lieu of all or any part of . . . student teaching.
This has been defined to mean two years of full-time contract teaching experience
(kindergarten through grade twelve) in a regular classroom situation
in public or accredited private or parochial schools. The following experiences
may be accepted:
(1) Job Corps.
(2) Alternative School and similar type teaching experience.
(3) Community college, trade-technical college, and other postsecondary teaching experience.
(4) Headstart and preschool teaching experience.
(5) Teaching experience in business or industry.
2. Experience accepted for administrative/supervisory certification (must hold or be eligible to hold early childhood, elementary, secondary, or special education certification).
- The Basic Administrative/Supervisory Certificate requires completion
of "not fewer than two years of acceptable professional experience." This
has been defined to mean two years of full-time professional experience;
e.g., teaching, counseling, special education, etc., (kindergarten
through grade twelve) in public or accredited private or parochial
schools.
-
Appropriate experiences that would provide the competencies desired in a school administrator/supervisor may be accepted for up to one-half of the requirement in approved programs. Examples of these experiences include:
(1) Alternative school and similar type professional experience.
(2) Community college, trade-technical college, and other postsecondary professional experience.
(3) Headstart and preschool professional experience.
(4) College of education and state education agency professional experience.
(5) Professional experience in academic departments of colleges or universities, if there has been sufficient involvement with public school programs and curriculum.
