Standard 20: The unit must provide each candidate with individualized advising, which includes:

(1) prior to student teaching or practicum, discussing the candidate's attainment of content and pedagogical knowledge and skills as required by parts 8710.2000 to 8710.8080, enactment of professional dispositions, and progress toward completing the program;

Individualized academic advising is central to Metro State’s teaching and learning mission and to the academic success of our diverse student body. Upon admission into the Urban Teacher Program (UTP) and School of Urban Education (UED), teacher candidates are assigned a faculty advisor in their licensure area who meets with them at least twice after program admission and before student teaching. At a minimum, these individualized advising sessions take place as a requirement for the Urban Teaching Practicum & Seminar (EDU 311) course (i.e. to have their Progress Check #1 completed with their advisor) and for the Advanced Urban Teaching Practicum & Seminar (EDU 450) course (i.e. to have their Progress Check #2 completed with their advisor).

Included among various other topics for discussion, items 9 & 10 on the Progress Check #1 agenda addresses preliminary attainment of licensure standards documented in TaskStream and demonstration of UED-defined dispositions. The candidate’s progress toward completing the program is discussed even earlier in the agenda for Progress Check #1 when the faculty advisor and the teacher candidate use the DARS, transcript, and UED Course Completion Worksheet for their licensure program to monitor the candidate’s progress in completing course requirements and planning the path to program completion.

During the Progress Check #2 Assessment of Readiness to Student Teach advising meeting, progress in completing course requirements aligned with content and pedagogy standards is discussed on page 1 of the Progress Check form, progress in meeting subject area and pedagogy licensure standards documented in the “Monitoring Candidate Progress in Meeting SEPs” folio in TaskStream on page 2 of the form, and demonstrating expected dispositions as stated in UED Standards of Professional Conduct on page 3 of the form.  Completion of Progress Check #2 is required for admission to student teaching, and identifies for the candidate any coursework, clinical field work, or licensure exams still needed to be completed before student teaching and completing their program.

Advising about enactment of UED-defined dispositions important for urban teachers also occurs during the Urban Teaching Practicum & Seminar (EDU 311) and the Advanced Urban Teaching Practicum & Seminar (EDU 450) seminars as assessment of candidates’ enacting these dispositions takes place during these practicum experiences. As instructor of the seminars, the Director of Field Experiences meets with individual students if the dispositional assessment by their cooperating teacher raises any concerns. The Director of Field Experiences also provides individualized and group advising to candidates in completing field requirements, student teaching, edTPA, and licensure requirements during their enrollment in EDU 311 and EDU 450 seminars.