N.Y. Comp. Codes R. & Regs. tit. 8 § 85.2

Current through Register Vol. 46, No. 45, November 2, 2024

Section 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, section3033 (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.

N.Y. Comp. Codes R. & Regs. Tit. 8 § 85.2