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Focused Studies in Education Handbook

York College of Pennsylvania

Department of Education

York, PA 17403

9/26/16

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General Information about Focused Studies in Education

Focused Studies in Education is offered to students enrolled in any Education major who initially registered for and commenced Student Teaching. Focused Studies in Education is a ten (10)-credit course. If a student is currently enrolled in other coursework (besides Student Teaching), that student may stay enrolled in those courses, if they are graduation requirements. Students who do not complete student teaching, but complete a Focused Studies in Education program instead, are not eligible to apply for any state teaching certification. A student may still earn a baccalaureate degree without certification, if all other course and credit requirements are met. Students who are entered into the Focused Studies course are relieved of student teaching duties to pursue research and activities related to topics and/or projects approved by the Department Chair. Students are only eligible for Focused Studies if they meet all of the following criteria:

• Admission to the Student Teaching semester• Approval of the Chair of the Department of Education• Student does not find satisfaction in the student teaching assignment, but wishes to graduate on

time OR College Supervisor and/or Cooperating Teacher feel as is the student teacher ishindering the education of the students in the classroom

During Focused Studies, students take much of the responsibility when choosing this path and are responsible for formulating a plan, in conjunction with their College Supervisor. Generally, the experience topics and/or projects correlate to the student’s particular needs and interests. Those electing, or being recommended for, this option may seek career paths that include work experiences dealing with people and education in a variety of settings other than the traditional classroom.

Examples of career paths served by this non-certification degree are: • Positions involving training and development in a variety of businesses and corporations• Educational specialists or other positions within social service agencies, community agencies, or

other governmental agencies• Careers in public relations• Employment in youth organizations or youth programs

Some students, who successfully complete the Focused Studies Program and graduate, may be eligible for Student Teaching and state teaching certification at a later date. If students choose to pursue Student Teaching in the future, he/she must re-apply to the College. He/she must wait a minimum of one year before reapplying. During this year, the student must pursue avenues of professional development and improvement in the area of education. If the student would like to be reconsidered for Student Teaching (after one year of successful completion of the Focused Studies Program), he or she must contact the Director of Field Services and a student teaching application must be completed.

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The Focused Studies Program is not an option for any student if he/she is arrested for a crime or possesses a clearance reflecting a violation.

Placement in Focused Studies in Education

• Generally, a student is not permitted to choose and/or a recommendation is not made for astudent to enroll into Focused Studies until mid-term of the Student Teaching semester.

• Students are only eligible for Focused Studies if they meet all of the following criteria:o Admission to the Student Teaching semester and commencement of Student Teachingo Approval of the Chair of the Department of Educationo Student does not find satisfaction in the student teaching assignment, but wishes to

graduate on time OR College Supervisor and/or Cooperating Teacher feel as is thestudent teacher is hindering the education of the students in the classroom

• If the Focused Studies Program is being considered, the College Supervisor, CooperatingTeacher, and Student should meet regarding this option.

• The College Supervisor will then notify the Director of Field Services.• Should the Director of Field Services feel as if the Focused Studies Program is a viable

alternative to Student Teaching, the Chair of the Department of Education will be contacted.• The Chair of the Department of Education has ultimate authority to approve or deny the Focused

Studies option.• The Student will contact his/her advisor should a Focused Studies Program be put into place.• Additional coursework, which was originally scheduled with Student Teaching, may continue

(so that graduation course and credit requirements will be met).• The College Supervisor, who was originally assigned to the Student, will remain supervising the

Student until the end of the Focused Studies Program.• The Student and College Supervisor will discuss a proposal, outlining activities and hours (see

chart of approximate hours, included in this Handbook). This proposal will includetopics/projects outlined by the College Supervisor, as well as the activities required by theCollege (see “Student’s Portfolio/Notebook Contents” described later in this Handbook).

• The student will formulate a written proposal (including activities, assignments, projects, andtimeline) in conjunction with feedback from the College Supervisor. The student has less thanone week to formulate this proposal, so that it may be implemented immediately. The CollegeSupervisor will submit the final proposal to the Director of Field Services.

• The Student and College Supervisor will meet regularly throughout the remainder of thesemester.

• The Student will be required to log hours on their Reflection Log (see log in “SupportingDocuments” section of this Handbook) throughout the Focus Studies Program. The

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approximate number of hours will be dependent upon the number of weeks remaining in the semester.

o The following chart provides the approximate number of required hours for FocusedStudies. All hours will be logged by the student and approved by the College Supervisor.

Focused Studies Weeks/Approximate # of Hours Required* 8 weeks 320 hours 7 weeks 280 hours 6 weeks 240 hours 5 weeks 200 hours 4 weeks 160 hours 3 weeks 120 hours 2 weeks 80 hours 1 week 40 hours *If additional credits are needed for graduation, corresponding coursework mustbe scheduled. Focused Studies must be completed the same semester that the student plans to graduate.

• The Student is responsible for applying for graduation.

The Role of the Student

• Students are to conform to policies of the Department of Education at York College ofPennsylvania.

• Students are to be prompt, punctual, and dependable for any appointments and/or activitiespertaining to the Focused Studies Program. If a planned meeting or agreed-upon placementactivity must be canceled for any reason, it is imperative that the Student communicates in atimely fashion with his/her College Supervisor and any other parties involved.

• Students are required to demonstrate requisite professional and personal dispositions as follows:o Competence in written and oral expressiono Professional attitudeo Personal enthusiasmo Ethical, moral charactero Personal organizationo Ability to meet deadlineso Good interpersonal skillso Ability to accept and profit from constructive criticismo Personal maturityo Use of prudent judgmento Dependability

• The Student is responsible for completing all projects and activities in the approved proposal.• The Student is also responsible for any additional activities required by the College Supervisor.

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• In addition to the agreed-upon activities required by the College Supervisor, the student willcomplete the following:

o Reflective Logo Career Development Projecto Alternative Professions Project

• The student is responsible for arranging an on-site “shadowing” experience (see “AlternativeProfessions Project” in the “Supporting Documents” section of this Handbook).

• All activities (College Supervisor-required and College-required) may be logged as hours. Thisincludes any meetings that fulfill the requirements, as well as time-spent creating projects.

• The Student will document all activities using a portfolio or notebook, organized as describedbelow.

Student’s Portfolio/Notebook Contents Students are required to keep a portfolio of documentation throughout their experience. The components are outlined below. All projects should be shared with the College Supervisor and the notebook should be reviewed during each visit between the College Supervisor and Student.

• Focused Studies Informationo Focused Studies Handbooko Approved Proposal (list of activities, hours, etc.)

• Reflective Logo A minimum of one entry per week is required.o Each entry should include a summary of activities and personal thoughts/reflections

by the student. The template, found in the “Supporting Documents” section of thisHandbook should be utilized for the Reflective Log.

o In addition to hours spent on projects, hours may also be logged for other activities(i.e.- Meeting with College Supervisor; Independent completion of projects relating tothe placement; any hours relating to the Focused Studies Experience, etc.).

o The Log should be shared with the College Supervisor every week until the requiredhours have been fulfilled.

• Career Development Projecto The student will become acquainted with the resources found on the College’s Career

Development Center webpage (“for students and alumni” section) and office.o The student will use an online resource (i.e.- “FOCUS”), found on the Career

Development Center’s webpage, to discover possible academic and occupationaloptions that are consistent with his/her interests, personality, skills, and values. Anonline account will be needed. The student should contact the Career DevelopmentCenter about any questions regarding the account access.

o After completing the survey, the student will call or email the Career DevelopmentCenter to arrange a meeting to discuss the results of the survey. At this meeting,future career possibilities should be discussed.

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o Upon completion of the survey and meeting, the student will write a paper (minimum2 pages). The content of this paper should convey the results of the onlineinstrument, include a summary of the Career Counselor meeting, and weigh pros andcons of all possible careers. In addition, the paper should include some researchresults the student completed for the possible careers.

o A thorough description of the Career Development Project, including anaccompanying grading scale, can be found in the “Supporting Documents” section ofthis handbook.

• Alternative Professions Projecto This project should be completed after the “Career Development Project.”o The student will arrange for a time to shadow a professional in one profession as

researched in the Career Development Project. The minimum amount of hours forsuch an experience will be at least 10. The College Supervisor and Student willconsult on the exact amount of hours. The hours should be logged on the FocusedStudies Reflection Log.

o At the end of the “shadowing,” the student is responsible for procuring a “Letter ofCompletion” that includes the following:

§ Position, name, and agency of employment of the selected profession § Number of hours spent “shadowing” § Signature of professional who the student spent time “shadowing”

o The student will write a reflection paper.o A thorough description of the Alternative Professions Project, including an

accompanying grading scale, can be found in the “Supporting Documents” section ofthis handbook.

• Proposal Activitieso Artifacts from activities explained in proposal

• College Supervisor’s Inputo Visitation Formso Final Evaluation/letter of recommendation

• Miscellaneouso Letter of completion signed by a professional (see “Alternative Professions Project”)o Any other documentation or useful information gained from the experience

The Role of the College Supervisor

• The College will award the College Supervisor a stipend, equivalent to that of supervising aStudent Teacher.

• The College Supervisor acts as a coordinator and a liaison between the College and the Studentto ensure that the experience is productive.

• The College Supervisor will initiate site visits as deemed appropriate and meet with the studentthroughout the experience. Each visit will be documented with a “Focused Studies VisitationForm” (see Supporting Documents section of this Handbook).

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• The College Supervisor will be responsible to oversee all required assignments (explained in thesection of this handbook entitled “Student’s Portfolio/Notebook Contents”). He/she should bereviewing the student’s notebook. Rubrics found in the “Supporting Documents” section of thisHandbook should be utilized.

• The College Supervisor will write a final evaluation in the form of a letter on York College ofPennsylvania letterhead. A final evaluation meeting will also be held with the student (andCooperating Mentor if he/she is available). The Focused Studies Final Evaluation instrumentfound in the “Supporting Documents” section of this Handbook will be used.

• The College Supervisor has the responsibility of assigning the final grade. The grade is acombination of both the Student Teaching and the Focused Studies portions of the semester.

• At the end of the experience, the College Supervisor will submit the following paperwork to theField Services Office:

o Copies of all visitation forms (including those completed during the Student Teachingportion of the semester)

o Cooperating Teacher Reference Letter from the Student Teaching portion of the semester (if completed)

o York College of Pennsylvania Student Teaching Evaluation Forms (both Cooperating Teacher’s and Student Teacher’s- if completed during the Student Teaching portion of the semester)

o Pennsylvania PDE430 Student Teaching Evaluation Forms (College Supervisor’s- if completed during the Student Teaching portion of the semester; this document should be reviewed with the student)

o A copy of the student’s Reflective Log

o College Supervisor’s final evaluation lettero Focused Studies Final Evaluation form (completed by College Supervisor and signed by

both the Student and the College Supervisor), including a grade for the semester

Final Grading

• The College Supervisor is responsible for assigning a final letter grade to the student.• The College Supervisor should combine the grade earned during the portion of the semester that

the Student taught and the portion of the semester that the Student completed a Focused StudiesProgram.

• The College Supervisor may review the student’s Notebook as he/she determines the student’sfinal grade. The student ultimately keeps the notebook and its contents (The Supervisor willneed to procure copies of artifacts if needed).

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Supporting Documents

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York College of PennsylvaniaDepartment of Education

FOCUSED STUDIES VISITATION FORM

Name: ____________________________________ Date:_________________________

Location:_______________________________ Time: _____________________

Summary of Visit/ Items Addressed:

College Supervisor’s Reaction and Suggestions:

Student’s Signature: ____________________________ Supervisor’s Signature: _________________________

Date: _________________________________________

Original: Supervisor Copy 1: Student

Focused Studies Reflective Log

Use this form to record the experiences you engage in during your Focused Studies. Each week, log your hours of your experience, record your activities, and reflect on your professional growth. Be sure to complete your running total in the “Total Cumulative Hours” section as well. Submit

this log to your College Supervisor each week.

Student Name: College Supervisor Name:

Student ID: Semester:

Week 1 Dates:

Activities Please provide a detailed description of all tasks / projects / assignments completed.

Reflection Please provide a comprehensive reflection of your experience this week (i.e. What were your

setbacks/successes? What did you learn about professionalism? What surprised you this week? Etc.)

Total Hours Completed This Week: Total Cumulative Hours Completed:

Week 2 Dates:


Reflection Please provide a robust reflection of your experience this week (i.e. What were your setbacks/successes?

What did you learn about professionalism? What surprised you this week? Etc.)


Week 3 Dates:





Week 4 Dates:





Week 5 Dates:





Week 6 Dates:





Week 7 Dates:





Week 8 Dates:





Week 9 Dates:





Week 10 Dates:





Week 11 Dates:





Week 12 Dates:





Career Development Project

1. This assignment will offer you an opportunity to learn more about the careers you might pursuefollowing the completion of your degree.

2. Begin by completing the FOCUS survey available from the Spartan Career Path. You may takethe survey by visiting https://www.focuscareer2.com/Portal/Login.cfm?SID=411 and signing inwith your YCP user name and password. You might also schedule a time to complete the surveyat the Career Development Center. Information about the center can be found athttp://www.ycp.edu/offices-and-services/academic-services/career-development-center/

3. Print the results of your survey.4. Schedule a meeting with a Career Development Counselor. You can schedule the meeting by

logging in to the Spartan Career Path calendar application at https://ycp-csm.symplicity.com/students/index.php

5. Present the results of your survey to your Career Development Counselor and discuss your careeroptions with him/her.

6. Prepare a written reflection summarizing your findings. The reflection should adhere to thefollowing requirements:

• Address potential career options and next steps following graduation.• Reference lessons learned from completing the FOCUS survey and meeting with the

Career Development Counselor.• Describe how the Alternative Experience Project has affected their potential career choices.• Follow the following written conventions:

ü Two or more typed pages ü Double spaced with 1 inch margins ü Utilized Times New Roman font ü Free of spelling, grammatical, or structural errors

7. Attach the following items to your alternative experience paperwork:• A copy of your completed FOCUS survey signed and dated by the Career Development

Counselor with whom you met.• A typed copy of your reflection essay.

8. Submit the above (signed survey and essay) to your College Supervisor with this document.Distinguished (10 Points) Proficient (9-8 Points) Basic (7 or Fewer Points)

☐Comprehensively summarized career options and next steps following graduation. ☐Comprehensively summarized lessons

learned from completing the FOCUS survey and meeting with the Career Development Counselor. ☐Comprehensively summarized lessons

learned from the Alternative Experience Project. ☐Followed all required conventions for

the assignment. ☐Flawless spelling and grammar.

☐Summarized career options and next steps following graduation. ☐Summarized lessons learned from

completing the FOCUS survey and meeting with the Career Development Counselor. ☐Summarized lessons learned from the

Alternative Experience Project. ☐Followed nearly all required

conventions for the assignment. ☐Nearly flawless spelling and

grammar.

☐Failed to summarize career options and next steps following graduation. ☐Failed to summarize lessons learned

from completing the FOCUS survey and meeting with the Career Development Counselor. ☐Failed to summarize lessons learned

from the Alternative Experience Project. ☐Did not follow required conventions for

the assignment. ☐Several spelling and grammar mistakes.

Comments:

Total Points Possible: 10 Your Points: _____

Alternative Professions Project

1. This assignment will offer you an opportunity to explore a possible career pathway in a more in-

depth manner. 2. This Alternative Professions Project must be completed after the Career Development Project. 3. The student should choose one profession that came to light from completing the Career

Development Project. 4. The student is responsible for securing a brief “internship” by contacting a professional from one

career as researched in the Career Development Project. The minimum amount of hours for such an experience will be at least 10.

5. The College Supervisor and Student will consult on the exact amount of hours. The hours should be logged on the Focused Studies Reflection Log.

6. At the the end of the “shadowing,” the student is responsible for procuring a “Letter of Completion” that includes the following:

ü Position, name, and agency of employment of the selected profession ü Number of hours spent “shadowing” ü Signature of professional who the student has spent time with “shadowing”

7. Prepare a written reflection summarizing your activities and reactions. The reflection should adhere to the following requirements:

• Summarize activities during the experience. • Reference lessons learned from the experience. • Describe how the Alternative Professions Project has affected their potential career

choices. • Follow the following written conventions:

ü Two or more typed pages ü Double spaced with 1 inch margins ü Utilize Times New Roman font ü Free of spelling, grammatical, or structural errors

8. Submit the above written paper to your College Supervisor with this document. Distinguished (10 Points) Proficient (9-8 Points) Basic (7 or Fewer Points)

☐Comprehensively summarized activities. ☐Comprehensively summarized lessons

learned from completing the project ☐Included thoughtful reflections. ☐Followed all required conventions for

the assignment. ☐Flawless spelling and grammar.

☐Summarized activities. ☐Summarized lessons learned from

completing the project. ☐Included reflections. ☐Followed nearly all required

conventions for the assignment. ☐Nearly flawless spelling and

grammar.

☐Failed to summarize activities adequately. ☐Failed to summarize lessons learned

from completing the project. ☐Included little or no reflections. ☐Did not follow required conventions for

the assignment. ☐Several spelling and grammar mistakes.

Comments:

Total Points Possible: 10 Your Points: _____

Focused Studies Final Evaluation

A final experience meeting (including the supervisor and student) may need to be held prior to the completion of this evaluation by the College Supervisor.

Professionalism

Distinguished (3)

Proficient (2)

Needs Improvement (1) Student exhibited a professional attitude and demeanor.

Student exhibited personal maturity and good interpersonal skills.

Student respectably accepted and profited from constructive feedback.

Comments:

Products

Distinguished (3)

Proficient (2)

Needs Improvement (1) Student completed required projects in a timely manner.

Student demonstrated care and attention to detail.

Student showed competence in written expression.

Comments:

Professional Experience Activities

Distinguished (3)

Proficient (2)

Needs Improvement (1) Student comprehensively described the activities he/she engaged in throughout the alternate experience program.

Student comprehensively reflects on experiences throughout the experience.

Student has completed the requisite number of hours for the focused studies program.

Comments: Completed by College Supervisor Only:

Focused Studies Points (total from above): ___ / 27 Career Development Project Assignment (from project rubric): ___ / 10

Alternate Professions Project Assignment (from project rubric): ___ / 10 Total Points: ___ / 47

Focused Studies Grade Key (this is NOT the grade for the semester)* “4”

47-43 points “3.5”

42-40 points “3”

39-37 points “2.5”

36-35 points “2”

34-31 points “1-0”

30 or fewer points *The grade from the Focused Studies Rubric will be combined with the grade earned during the Student Teaching portion of the semester and placed in the box in the top right corner of this document.

Student’s Signature: _________________________________________ Date: _________________ Evaluator’s Signature: _________________________________________ Date: _________________ Evaluator’s Position: ☐Student ☐College Supervisor

Student Name:

Major:

College Supervisor Name:

Semester:

Completed by College Supervisor: *Final Grade for the Semester-