Content Comparison

The purpose of all student interventions within the University of Northwestern’s Teacher Education Program is to facilitate growth towards successful achievement of program outcomes and success as a beginning teacher. When a concern about professionalism occurs, it is best for the student and program faculty to address it directly in order to define the problem and assist the student in setting appropriate goals for improvement.  For this purpose, the following process has been defined.

1. A Request for Review of Professional Behavior (see Appendix F) may be completed when there is a professional behavior concern that may negatively affect a student’s ability to successfully complete the teacher education program and perform as a professional educator. This request may be completed by Northwestern faculty members, cooperating school personnel and the Program Coordinator for the licensure program or Student Development personnel.
2. The Request for Review is completed as necessary and submitted to the Assistant Dean of the School of Education. This form may be completed and submitted at any point during a student’s involvement in a teacher education program, from initial enrollment in pre-professional courses to program completion and teacher licensure recommendation.
3. Once a Request for Review is received by the Assistant Dean of the School of Education, the Program Coordinator for the specific licensure field is contacted and an Admission and Retention Committee meeting is called by the Coordinator to meet with the student and discuss the concern.
4. The Admission and Retention Committee (ARC) meets with the student to discuss the concern.  At this meeting the Admission and Retention Committee may take either of the following actions:

Discuss the concern and require no further action.

Discuss the concern and require that the student complete a Professional Behavior Plan (PBP). This plan will be completed with the Program Coordinator for the student’s major or another SOE faculty member designated by the ARC.  A copy of the plan becomes part of the student’s SOE file.  A follow-up meeting of the ARC is set to monitor the student’s completion of the plan. A copy of the Professional Behavior Plan form may be found in Appendix G or on the online portal.

• Minutes of the ARC meeting are distributed to the student, academic advisor, Program Coordinator for the student’s major, the Assistant Dean of the School of Education and the student’s SOE file.
• A Professional Behavior Plan (PBP) will consist of specific objectives, procedures for assessment of objectives and a time line for assessment of progress towards meeting objectives as well as responsibilities of the student and any faculty members identified in the plan.
• If a Professional Behavior Plan has been required, a follow-up meeting of the Admission and Retention Committee will take place as planned. At this meeting the Admission and Retention Committee may decide any of the following:

The PBP has been successfully completed and no further action is required.The PBP needs to be reinitiated, revised or extended. In this case a new PBP is required and a new follow-up meeting with the ARC  is set.

If the student has been unsuccessful in completing one or more Professional Behavior Plan(s), the student may choose to withdraw from a teacher licensure program or the Admission and Retention Committee (ARC) may recommend dismissal from a teacher licensure program.

Minutes of the Admission and Retention Committee meeting are distributed to the student, academic advisor, Program Coordinator for the student’s major, the Assistant Dean of the School of Education and the student’s SOE file.

Successful resolution of all Professional Behavior Plan objectives is required to receive approval for admission to a teacher education program, admission to student teaching, and recommendation for licensure. Therefore, the requirement of a Professional Behavior Plan may interrupt a student’s progress in a teacher licensure program.