Procedures and Policies for Administrative Internships

return to Table of Contents

Procedures and Policies for Administrative Internships

Purpose of Educational Administrative Internship

Educational Administrative Internship is the capstone experience of the Learner-Sensitive Educator model for educational administration.  Followng are the learner outcomes for the internship experience.

The educational administrative intern will:

1. develop and demonstrate skills and knowledge needed to analyze, delegate, monitor, and follow through selected tasks pertaining to each level of licensure,
2. apply theories and best practice strategies in a field placement setting,
3. develop a sense of professional identification with early childhood, elementary, middle and high school, including projects and activities involving staff evaluation and supervision, scheduling, instuctional leadership, and curriculum audits,
4. team with colleagues and parents as needed to plan effective programs for children with diverse needs, along with support services,
5. objectively self-evaluate personal practices in fulfilling educational administrative tasks and duties,
6. develop and demonstrate skills and knowledge needed to implement master agreements, consider budget reductions, manage data, use technology to plan and communicate,
7. become empowered to assume the roles and responsibilities of a beginning educational administrator.

Registration for Educational Administrative Internship

Actual registration for internships and Professional Competency Assessment for Superintendents and Professional Competency Assessment for Principals courses occurs following the mandatory meeting with the program coordinator late in the semester previous to the placement.  Administrative Interns are strongly advised not to enroll in additional courses during internships, except for EdAd 5997 Professional Competency Assessment: Principals and/or EdAd  5998 Professional Competency Assessment: Superintendents, which are required.  Interning demands many new tasks to an already full life.  Interns are advised to consider their life situations when they commit to these levels of discipline.

The Education Department faculty must recommend candidates for internships.  The Office of Field Experiences also evaluates internship applications to ensure that all requirements are met before the placement process is begun.               

 

Selection of Primary Cooperating Site Supervisors and Secondary Site Mentors and Placements

 

A variety of settings and grade level placements are used in a range of school districts.  The placement sites chosen for internships are ones in which the primary cooperating site supervisor is interested and willing to assist pre-service administrators, and ones in which the primary cooperating site supervisor is committed to the Learner-Sensitive Educator model.  Criteria for selection of primary cooperating site supervisors are based upon the recommendation of appropriate supervisors in the school districts and university faculty.  Primary cooperating site supervisors, as well as secondary site mentors, must hold at least a continuing license as defined in Minnesota State Statute and granted by the Minnesota Department of Education in the licensure field and at the licensure level for which they supervise.

All placements are made in school districts in which there is a formal negotiated contract between the University of Minnesota Duluth and the school district. Opportunities exist for multicultural placements in other districts in the state, out of the state, and abroad.

Internship Placements

Principal Placement:

Principal placement will consist of 320 total hours.  Of these 320 hours, the intern must work at least 80 hours working with sites that serve a population other than the candidate's Area of Concentration.  If a candidate has a secondary education area licensure, the candidate must serve 80 hours at the elementary and/or early childhood placement.  If a candidate has an elementary and/or early childhood placement, the candidate must serve 80 hours at the secondary level of education placement.  UMD candidates are also encouraged to complete additional hours in a model of alternative delivery.

Superintendent Placement:

Superintendent placement will consist of 320 hours.  Of these 320 hours, the intern must work at least 80 hours working with sites that serve populations at secondary, elementary, and early childhood placements.  UMD candidates are also encouraged to complete additional hours in a model of alternative delivery.  In addition, 20 additional required hours for licensure must be completed at a setting not typical of US schools.

Principal's Additional Field:

Principal's Additional Field placement will consist of 200 total hours at the level of the requested additional field.

Application for Licensure

It is the responsibility of the intern to complete an application for principal or superintendent licensure.  A licensure application packet may be obtained in the CEHSP Student Affairs Office.  The Minnesota Board of School Administrators has approved the professional education program at the University of Minnesota Duluth.  UMD must verify that the applicant has successfully completed all requirements for a specific licensure area.  A license to administer in Minnesota will then be issued to the applicant by the Minnesota Department of Education.

Application for licensure may be made during the last few weeks of the internship through the Student Affairs Office in Bohannon 120 (726-7156).

NOTE:  Degree completion must be posted on the transcript before licensure forms can be submitted to the Minnesota Department of Education.

Professional and Ethical Behavior

An instern is expected to act in a professional manner at all times.  This includes being in school during regular school hours and participating in any additional activities outside of the regular school day.  An intern is responsible for being aware of and conforming to allregulations applying to other administrators and educators.  The behavior of all administrators including interns is governed by the Minnesota Board of School Administators or the code of ethics established in the state where the internship experience is taking place.  Failure of interns to behave in a professional manner may result in removal from the internship experience.

Dress Code

Inerns should dress as professionals at all times.  Appropriate dress and grooming may vary according to the dress code adopted by the administrators in the school.  An intern should dress in a manner at least equivalent to the administrators as their school site.  (Keep in mind you are not yet employed and impressions are important.) Hats are typically not allowed during the school day.

Absence during the Internship

When an intern cannot attend school because of illness or other extenuating circumstances, the intern must notify the school office and the Primary cooperating supervisor and/or the Secondary site mentor immediately.  The university supervisor should also be notifed, particularly if the absence occurs on a day when the supervisor has scheduled a visit.  If an absence is anticipated in advance, the intern must discuss it fully with the Primary cooperating supervisor and university supervisor and arrangements made to cover any necessary details.

Any intern who misses more than three days of the internship for any reason during a term must make up the missed days by extending the intership.  A plan for making up the missed days must be arranged with the Primary cooperating supervisor and the university supervisor.

Length of Internship Experience

Internships for principals require 320 hours with at least 80 hours spent at the level outside the area of concentration that the candidate currently possesses.  Internships for superintendents require 320 hours with an additional 20 hours in a setting not typical of the US.

Fall Semester, interns begin their experience when the administrators start school. This may be prior to the start of the UMD semester.  During the first days, interns should participate in all in-service and other activities expected of administrators.  Interns observe the holidays of the school district in which they are placed (rather than following the UMD semester calendar.)

Successful Completion of Internship Experience

All interns must complete at least one semester (320 hours for principals; 320 hours plus 20 hours for superintendents) of full time administrative experience under the supervision of a Primary cooperating supervisor and a secondary site Mentor and a university supervisor.  There will be on-going formal and informal evaluation by the Primary cooperating supervisor, the secondary site Mentor and the university supervisor.  Interns who do not satisfactorily complete their administrative experience may be given the opportunity to intern a second time after going through a review process.  Details of this will depend upon the specific circumstances involved.

Liability Coverage During Internships

The school, the intern, and the Primary cooperating supervisor, as well as the secondary site Mentor, may be legally responsible for injuries or other situations which may occur when working with students and staff.  The intern must obtain liability coverage before the start of interning. 

Assuming Internship Responsibilities

Interns should assume their responsibilities at their assigned sites according to the timing and placement set up with the Primary cooperating supervisor and the univeristy supervisor at the preliminary planning visit.  The candidate, Primary cooperating supervisor, and university supervisor should include the secondary site Mentor in the timing of the secondary site placement to fit accordingly to the entire experience plan.

Additional Responsibilities

Interns may be assigned duties that are part of their cooperating administrator's normal responsibilities, except for evaluations and formal supervision of teaching staff and serving as the designated representative at a special education IEP meeting. Interns may be assigned to committees, chaperone school events, attend in-services, and other activities expected of administators.

A Full Time Experience

The administrative experience is a full-time experience.  It is normal for interns to work beyond the regular school day hours and even the school year.  Gathering administrative intern hours may depend on the opportunities presented during the time period of the internship.  Flexibility and accommodation are a part of an effective and successful administrative internship, just as flexibility and accommodation are a part of becoming an effective and successful administrator.

Procedure for Dealing with Interns Experiencing Problems

Difficulties during the internship experience may arise.  Some difficulties may be easily resolved while others may be of a more serious nature.  The University will respect the Primary cooperating supervisor's wishes whether or not the intern continues in their school district.  Whatever any member of the team (Primary cooperating supervisor, the intern, the secondary site Mentor, and/or the university supervisor) considers a situation to be more problematic than can be resolved through the normal conferencing process, it needs to be brought to the attention of the team. A special conference will be held to discuss the situation and to develop a plan of  action.

Procedures for Dealing with an Intern Experiencing Problems

1. UMD Supervisor informs the Field Experiences Office in writing about an intern experiencing difficulties.
2. Field Office informs the program coordinator about the problem.
3. UMD Supervisor, Primary cooperating supervisor, and Program Coordinator will implement the Intern Support Form to evaluate specific area(s) of concern (s).
4. UMD Supervisor and/or Primary cooperating supervisor will  meet with the intern and discuss areas of conernas shown on the Intern Support Form.
5. If difficulties continue, the field experience coordinator and the UMD supervisor will consult with the Primary cooperating supervisor.  Following these consultations, the UMD field experience coordinator, the UMD supevisor, and the program coordinator will meet to create a Professional Development Plan (PDP).

           a.  The Professional Development Plan (PDP) will be written to deal with each specific situation.

           b.  The Professional Development Plan (PDP) will focus on the needs that should be addressed.

           c.  All interns who are placed on a Professional Development Plan (PDP) will be required to complete their internship at a school district within                 a 40 mile radius of Duluth.

     6.  Intern, UMD supervisor, Field Experience Coordinator and program coordinator will meet and discuss the Professional Development Plan.  

          The plan will be signed by all and should include:  An established timeline for completion of requirements as specified in individually designed

          PDP.  Failure to follow through with any part of a PDP may affect the next placement, result in no placement at all, result in removal from that             particular placement, or result in removal from the program.

     7.  A field Experience coordinator or a designee will  visit the intern for additional observations.

     8.  The UMD supervisor, Primary cooperating site supervisor, Field Experience coordinator, Program Coordinator, and the Department Head will make the final decision whether or not to remove an intern from their placement.

     9.  In the case of the candidate being removed, the Field Experience Office will inform the district administrator.

    10.  Candidates, after being removed from their intership placements, will be sent a letter within ten days explaining the reason (s) for their departure.

    11.  Candidates who have had internships will have to register again and pay all costs.

    12.  Copy of written plan is to be placed in the intern's file.

Equal Opportunity

All federal and state requirements concerning students with identified disabilities will be adhered to.  If an intern is identified as having special needs, such as a learning disability or physical disability, the UMD Access Center will be consulted to ensure appropriate accommodations are provided for the disabilities.  To the extent possible and based on the intern's permission, Primary cooperating supervisor and secondary site Mentor will be informed ahead of time regarding an intern's disabilities.

Policy Statement on Sexual, Racial, Religous Harassement

The University of Minnesota Board of Regents Policy on Sexual, Religious, and Racial Harassment, adopted December 11, 1998, defines "sexual harassment" as "unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and/or other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature, when:

1. submission to such conduct is made either explicitly or implicitly a term or condition of an individual's employment or academic advancement in any univeristy activity or program;
2. submission to or  rejection of such conduct by an individual is used as the basis of employment or academic decisions affecting this individual in any university activity or program; or
3. such conduct has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual's work or academic performance or creating an intimidating, hostile,or offensive working oracademic environment in any university activity or program."

A more in-depth description may be found in the University of Minnesota Duluth current catalog.  In addition, every school district has a sexual harassment policy in place.  It is the intern's responsibility to become familiar with and understand the policy at the individual district site.

Minnesota Board of School Administrators Rules for Internship Placements

Placement of Interns

Interns shall be supervised by Primary cooperating supervisors and secondary placement Mentors in the licensure field and at the licensure level for which those persons completing licensure program are to be recommended for administrative licensure.  The internship requirement applies only to the persons completing a program to be recommended for entrance license.

Requirement for Primary Cooperating Supervisors and Secondary Site Mentors

Primary cooperating supervisors and secondary site Mentors who have interns shall (a) be experienced and (b) hold at least a continuing license in the field and at the level at which they are administering.

Requirements for University Supervisors

Faculty assigned to supervise administrative internships experiences in the educational administrative licensure program  shall have administration experience at the licensure level of the licensure program.

Appeals Policies and Procedures for Interns

Difficulties can arise related to the educational administrative internship experience.  Some difficulties may be easily resolved while others may be of a more serious nature.  If an intern believes additional support is needed in dealing with a situation, the department recommends she or he should follow these steps for  resolution of the situation withing the Department of Education:

1. When possible and appropriate, first address the difficult situation by meeting with our UMD supervisor and/or the Primary cooperating supervisor.
2. If the situation cannot be resolved through Step 1, then call or email the cooordinator of the Office of Field Experiences (OFE) at UMD (Jim Sersha).  Provide OFE with a general outline of the situation and then arrange to meet with one of the directors to create a plan for resolving the situation.
3. The OFE directors will determine if they believe the program coordinator or department head should also be brought into the discussion and planning.  However, as an education department student, you can always appeal directly to the program coordinator, and then to the department head, if you believe you need additional review of your situation.

Interns can also address their their situation outside of the department through either of the following two options:

1. Follow the Student Academic Grievance Policy (http://www.d.umn.edu/catalogs/current/umd/gen/grieve.html) to address your situation.

AND/OR

     2.  MN Statute 122A.09 Subdivision 4c indicates you can appeal your situation directly through the Minnesota Board of School Administrators. (http://www.msbsa.org/)