regulations of the commissioner of education

Part 85 Mentor Teacher Internship Program

(Statutory authority: Education Law, §§ 207, 3033 [2]-[4], [5]; L. 1997, ch. 436, § 1, part A, § 117-b)

Sec.
85.1 Definitions
85.2 Application and district internship plan

Part (§§ 85.1-85.2) filed: May 27, 1986 as emergency measure, expired 60 days after filing; July 28, 1986 as emergency measure; made Permanent by order filed Sept. 26, 1986 eff. Sept. 27, 1986.

§ 85.1 Definitions.

As used in section 3033 of the Education Law and in this Part:

(a) Intern shall mean a person who:

(1) is a full-time teacher with no greater than a 90 percent classroom instruction assignment employed by the governing body of a school district or board of cooperative educational services having an approved internship plan, and is in his or her first or second year of service in a particular license area or area of certificate title;

(2) holds a valid Provisional or Permanent teacher’s certificate or temporary emergency license issued by the Commissioner of Education, or a valid regular teaching license, temporary per diem certificate for a field in which no licensed person is available to teach, or the equivalent of a temporary emergency license issued by the city school district of the City of Buffalo, other than a certificate or license valid for supervisory or administrative service; and

(3) has not participated in the mentor teacher-internship program in the previous year.

(b) Mentor shall mean a teacher who is Permanently certified in the same area of certificate title as the intern, or Permanently licensed in the same license area as the intern, and who has demonstrated his or her mastery of Pedagogy and subject matter skills, given evidence of superior teaching abilities and interpersonal relationship qualities, and has indicated willingness to participate by being a mentor in an approved mentor teacher-internship program. Each teacher designated as a mentor shall carry not more than a 90 percent classroom instruction assignment but at least a 60 percent classroom instruction assignment, except that a teacher may serve as a mentor on a full-time basis for not more than two school years out of five consecutive school years. In the event that a school district or board of cooperative educational services demonstrates to the satisfaction of the commissioner that an appropriately certified mentor is not available, a teacher Permanently certified or licensed in a different area of certificate title or license area than that of the intern, may serve as a mentor. Service as a mentor shall not result in any change in the mentor’s tenure area or areas, and shall not otherwise diminish or impair the tenure and seniority rights of the mentor teacher.

Sec. filed: May 27, 1986 as emergency measure, expired 60 days after filing; July 28, 1986; amds. filed: July 27, 1987; Nov. 2, 1987 as emergency measure; Dec. 28, 1987 as emergency measure; Jan. 26, 1988; Dec. 23, 1997 eff. Feb. 6, 1998.

§ 85.2 Application and district internship plan.

(a) Application. In order to qualify for State funds pursuant to Education Law, section 3033 and this Part, a school district or board of cooperative educational services shall submit an application and plan in a form prescribed by the commissioner. Such application and plan shall be submitted for approval by the commissioner no later than the date specified by Education Law, section 3033(2). Such application shall contain an assurance by the chief executive officer of the school district or board of cooperative educational services that the plan to establish and implement a mentor teacher-internship program has been approved by the board of education or board of cooperative educational services.

(b) District internship plan. The plan shall provide evidence of its development in accordance with the provisions of article 14 of the Civil Service Law, and shall contain the following components:

(1) a statement of the number of interns and mentors to participate in the program during the school year for which funding is requested and the percentage of all eligible persons in the district or board of cooperative educational services who will participate as interns in the program.

(2) a description of:

(i) how the needs of the interns for training and support will be assessed;

(ii) the training and professional support to be provided to the interns, which may include, but shall not be limited to, participation in the district or board of cooperative educational services staff development program, a teacher resource and computer training center or a post-secondary institution program; and

(iii) how the mentors will guide and support their interns, including the portion of time each intern will have direct contact with the mentor, provided that the role of the mentor shall not be construed as limiting or supplanting the authority of school administrators or supervisors to supervise or evaluate the performance of the interns and that information obtained by a mentor through interaction with an intern shall not be made available to supervisors or used in the evaluation of such intern;

(3) the process and criteria for the selection of mentors for interns, including the selection of persons eligible to serve as mentors from a list of eligible persons developed by a selection committee composed of certified or licensed personnel employed by the school district or board of cooperative educational services, a majority of whom shall be classroom teachers. Such classroom teachers shall be chosen by the certified or recognized teachers employee organizations representing teachers in the school district or board of cooperative educational services whenever such organizations exist;

(4) the process and criteria for selection of interns;

(5) a description of the training to be provided to mentors including a description of the extent to which this training will be coordinated with the district staff development program;

(6) a program evaluation system which shall include, but shall not be limited to, criteria for assessment of mentor performance, and criteria for assessment of intern performance in areas including, but not limited to, instructional planning and management, classroom management, presentation of subject matter and communication skills; and

(7) an operational budget, in a form satisfactory to the commissioner, which identifies all funds and resources deemed necessary for the implementation of the program. Such budget may include up to 10 percent of the salary of each mentor per mentor-intern relationship and up to 10 percent of the salary of each intern, and other estimated costs of the program including, but not limited to, the reasonable cost of evaluation, training and materials. Equipment costs shall not be included.

(c) Reporting requirements. Following each school year in which a school district or board of cooperative educational services has implemented an internship plan, the school district or board of cooperative educational services shall file with the department a report which shall include the names of the interns who have successfully completed the mentor teacher-internship program and their areas of certification and licensure, the certificate titles or license areas and the number of years of teaching experience of the teachers who have served as mentors, a description of the teaching assignments of each mentor and intern, and copies of each intern’s summative evaluation form together with other evaluation and descriptive information as the commissioner may require. Such information shall be submitted in a form prescribed by the commissioner.

(d) Variances. (1) A variance may be granted from the requirement of subparagraph (b)(2)(iii) of this section that information obtained by a mentor through interaction with an intern shall not be made available to supervisors or used in the evaluation of such intern upon a finding by the commissioner that a school district or board of cooperative educational services has entered into an agreement negotiated pursuant to article 14 of the Civil Service Law, concerning the use of such information whose terms are in effect and are inconsistent with such requirement.

(2) A variance may be granted from any of the specific requirements of this Part upon a finding by the commissioner that:

(i) such requirements have been substantially met;

(ii) all requirements of section 3033 of the Education Law have been met; and

(iii) the granting of a variance is consistent with the purposes of the mentor teacher-internship program.

Sec. filed: May 27, 1986 as emergency measure, expired 60 days after filing; July 28, 1986; amds. filed: Nov. 2, 1987 as emergency measure; Dec. 28, 1987 as emergency measure; Jan. 26, 1988; June 26, 1990; Dec. 23, 1997; Sept. 19, 2000 as emergency measure; Nov. 14, 2000 eff. Nov. 30, 2000. Amended (d)(l).