Program Overview

Single Subject Credential Program Policies

The SF State Single Subject Credential program has four components which student teacher candidates must successfully navigate in order to complete the program and apply to the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CCTC) for a Single Subject Credential. They must:

1. Meet all program prerequisites;
2. Complete all academic courses with a grade point average of 3.0 or better and no grade lower than a C;
3. Successfully complete student teaching; and
4. Pass the State-mandated teacher assessment process (edTPA).

Program Requirements

The program requires students to meet all prerequisites, complete academic courses with a GPA of 3.0 or better, successfully complete student teaching, and pass the edTPA.

Substituting During Student Teaching Assignment

Due to the demands of courses and fieldwork in the credential program, the Department of Secondary Education does not recommend that candidates substitute teach. Student teachers may substitute for their Cooperating Teacher in case of his/her absence for a reasonable number of days in the semester, provided the student holds an emergency permit AND prior approval has been given by the University Supervisor and the Cooperating Teacher.

• Student teachers may substitute during the first semester of the credential program; however, these hours cannot be counted towards the 160 hours of observation required for SED 640.
• Substituting during second semester is ONLY permitted with authorization from the Student Placement Coordinator and then only for a limited number of hours per week.
• Student teachers must continue student teaching their regular classes while substituting during the second semester.
• The cooperating teacher, who will be absent, must make arrangements for another school employee to cover the class if the student teacher teaches in a second cooperating teacher's classroom.
• If for any reason, the University Supervisor or Placement Coordinator believes that substituting might negatively impact the student's successful completion of the program, the request will be denied.
• Student teachers must follow guidelines of the district where they are substituting.

Grading in SED 640 / 660

If there are differences in opinion between a candidate's Cooperating Teacher and University Supervisor over questions of student progress and / or student grades, a second University Supervisor will be asked by the Department Chair to observe the student teacher candidate to resolve the differences.

• Any time a student receives a NC in SED 640/660, they will also receive zeros or incompletes on any class assignment related to the field placement.

Field Placement / Practicum

Our Field Placement Coordinator identifies potential field sites/cooperating teachers, and candidates interview for student teaching placements. At the beginning of the field placement process, all candidates will be given opportunities to interview at two school sites for a potential student teaching field site/placement.

• The selection decision is often based on how well the candidate presents him or herself professionally.
• School-site administrators and cooperating teachers make the final decision to accept or decline the placement.

Possible Second Field Placement/Practicum

In the event that a Student Teacher experiences difficulty with the first placement or if the school (Cooperating Teacher / Principal) requests the student leave the placement, the Department Chair, Field Placement Coordinator and, if possible, the University Supervisor will meet with the candidate to evaluate the specific circumstances.

• If school personnel (Cooperating Teacher / Principal) requests the student leave the placement, they do need to document their reasons for doing so.
• After being requested to leave a placement, the student will earn a NC in SED 640 or 660.
• The Department Chair, in consultation with the Field Placement Coordinator, University Supervisor and relevant faculty members (if possible), will make a decision to recommend or not recommend a possible second field placement the following academic year.

Repeating SED 660

If a student must take a leave, (because of a family emergency, illness, accident, pregnancy, unexpected lengthy cooperating teacher absence, change in grade level and class assignment, or other equally serious disruption out of the control of the student), during his/her SED 660 semester, the Field Placement Coordinator, and SED Department Chair, in consultation with the university supervisor, will review the circumstances and determine whether the student needs to repeat SED 660 and SED 752 the following year.

• In the case of Art, Music, P.E., and specific foreign languages, the program can only offer these small C&I II seminars in the spring semester because enrollment is too low to justify fall and spring course offerings.
• Consequently, the Department Chair, in consultation with the field placement coordinator and student, will design an individual study plan to accommodate the student's needs during the interim semester.

Candidate Support Intervention Policy

Credential candidates may demonstrate a variety of difficulties or issues which require intervention while in the Single Subject Credential program. Such issues may include:

• Academic difficulties (e.g., problems with coursework);
• Practicum difficulties (e.g., unsuccessful in SED 640/660);
• Dispositional difficulties (e.g., inappropriate actions/behaviors in classrooms, the school site, or the school district).

Student Has Academic Difficulties

1. Identification of Difficulties: Faculty member identifies difficulties in an effort to support the candidate.
2. Consultation: Faculty member may choose to e-mail or meet with colleagues to see if there are shared concerns.
3. Action Plan: Whenever possible, the faculty member confers with the candidate and develops a plan to address the difficulties.

Student Has Difficulties in the Field Placement / Practicum

1. Identification of Difficulties in the Field Placement (Beyond Obtaining the Placement): The faculty member identifying difficulties will review all Evaluation Reports for Observations and Documents (ERODs) as well as written communications from cooperating teachers and school-site administrators.
2. Consultation: The faculty member may schedule an assessment / intervention meeting with the candidate's professor for SED 751: Classroom Environment and Management, the Field Placement Coordinator, Curriculum and Instruction Professor, University Supervisor and/or Department Chair.
3. Action Plan: An action plan of concrete steps for the student to follow will be developed out of the consultation meeting.

Declassification Policy (Situations Under Which Students May Be Removed from the Program)

There are four types of situations under which a student may be removed from the Single Subject Credential Program. Removal from the program is referred to as declassification.

1. Difficulties in Securing a Placement: SFSU will set up only two appointments for a candidate to secure a school placement during an academic year before the student chooses to withdraw or the Department Chair appoints a declassification panel.
2. Academic Difficulties: If a candidate earns below a C in a course or has a semester grade-point-average lower than a 3.0, the student may withdraw or be automatically de-classified.
3. Dispositional Difficulties: At any time while in the credential program, should a candidate exhibit unprofessional behavior, he/she is subject to receiving a NC in whatever class they are taking (SED 640/660).
4. Teaching Difficulties / Difficulties in Field Placement / Practicum: If a candidate receives a NC in SED 640 or SED 660, the student may withdraw or is subject to be disenrolled through the multi-level declassification process.