Teacher_Education_Handbook

Withdrawal from a field experience A teacher candidate may request to be withdrawn from the student teaching experience as the result of extenuating or difficult personal circumstances. A withdrawal request may only be initiated by a teacher candidate who is passing the student teaching experience, who is not under review for conditions leading to suspension or termination and prior to the published withdrawal date for the semester. Withdrawals should be carefully considered. A maximum of two student teaching experiences will be sponsored by NSU. If withdrawal is determined to be the best course of action for the student, the Director will cancel or postpone the placement depending on the circumstances and assign a grade of "W" prior to the published withdrawal date or "I" after the published withdrawal date for the semester. The teacher candidate may apply for student teaching the following semester. If the re-enrollment is delayed for more than one calendar year, additional requirements may be imposed for the teacher candidate to be readmitted to student teaching. Mandatory reporting South Dakota codified law 26-8A-3 Persons required to report child abuse or neglected child-- Intentional failure as misdemeanor. Any physician, dentist, doctor of osteopathy, chiropractor, optometrist, emergency medical technician, paramedic, mental health professional or counselor, podiatrist, psychologist, religious healing practitioner, social worker, hospital intern or resident, parole or court services officer, law enforcement officer, teacher, school counselor, school official, nurse, licensed or registered child welfare provider, employee or volunteer of a domestic abuse shelter, employee or volunteer of a child advocacy organization or child welfare service provider, chemical dependency counselor, coroner, or any safety-sensitive position as defined in § 3-6C-1, who has reasonable cause to suspect that a child under the age of eighteen has been abused or neglected as defined in § 26-8A-2 shall report that information in accordance with §§ 26-8A-6, 26-8A-7, and 26-8A-8. Any person who intentionally fails to make the required report is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. Any person who knows or has reason to suspect that a child has been abused or neglected as defined in § 26-8A-2 may report that information as provided in § 26-8A- 8. Student Rights and Policies Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act All students, including Northern State University student teachers, are protected by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). Cooperating teachers and supervisors may have access to student teacher records which contain information about their academic history, their student teaching progress, and other personal information. Disclosure of such information to those other than authorized personnel who have legitimate educational interest is prohibited by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974. It should be understood that the intentional disclosure of protected information by the cooperating teacher or the supervisor violates FERPA and Northern State University’s policy of confidentiality.