College of Education and Social Work

WCU Substitute Teaching While Student Teaching Policy

Revised September 2023

The Substitute Teaching Permit for Prospective Educators became effective on September 11, 2016, with the passage of Act 86 of 2016. The expiration date on this provision has been extended indefinitely.

From PDE:

The Substitute Teaching Permit for Prospective Educators became effective on September 11, 2016 with the passage of Act 86 of 2016.

This permit allows an education student in an approved Pennsylvania teacher preparation program who meets the specific requirements in the law to be hired by a Local Education Agency (LEA) in a controlled salaried permit position.

WCU’s College of Education and Social Work policy, relative to student teachers, regarding Act 86 of 2016 permitting prospective teachers to act as substitute teachers are outlined in this document. The guidelines below only apply to West Chester University student teachers during their assigned student teaching placement(s).

NOTE: All decisions relating to student teacher readiness and responsibilities will be determined by the mentor teacher, university supervisor and student teacher.

Process:

• The permit is issued by the chief school administrator of the LEA (school district, charter school, area vocational-technical school, or intermediate unit) to the eligible education student.
• The student must present verification of enrollment status and completed semester hours to the LEA.
• The LEA must verify the requirements for criminal history, child abuse clearances, and Good Moral Character.
• The governing body of the LEA will fix the salary paid to the student.
• Substitute time is not eligible for Pennsylvania State Employees Retirement System or School Employees Retirement System retirement credit.

Assumption

School districts and West Chester University’s teacher preparation programs desire to partner in good faith so that both the development of the student teacher is appropriately supported during the student teaching experience and the needs of the school district for substitute teachers can be partially alleviated with the use of qualified student teachers in their buildings. 

Context

1. Student teachers are enrolled in a WCU credit bearing course called student teaching and are paying tuition for the experience of student teaching under the daily mentoring of a cooperating teacher and supervision by a university faculty member.
2. The Pennsylvania Department of Education provides minimum requirements for student teaching. These requirements must be met for an individual to be recommended for certification in Pennsylvania. A minimum of 12-weeks of supervised student teaching is required by PDE. WCU requires 15-weeks of student teaching.
3. West Chester University has specific requirements for the awarding of a degree and the PDEapproved teacher preparation programs within the College of Education and Social Work have additional requirements for students who are participating in student teaching.
4. West Chester University is forever grateful to the school sites who host our student teachers.

Requests of the School District (School Site/Education Facility/Childcare Center) 

1. School districts who wish to use a WCU student teacher as a substitute teacher establish a process for providing the “locally issued permit”, as described in the legislation, to the student teacher.
2. If student teachers are being considered for substitute teaching, the process for becoming an approved substitute teacher is communicated to the student teacher directly.
3. School districts should give student teachers the opportunity to decline an offer to act as a substitute teacher on any given day, just like other substitute teachers.
4. School districts make efforts to inform building administrators that only approved student teachers are to be used as substitute teachers.
5. Building administrators adhere to this Substitute Teaching While Student Teaching Policy provided by West Chester University.
6. School districts may enact stricter guidelines for using student teachers as substitute teachers or choose not to use student teachers as substitute teachers. 

Responsibilities of the University/University Supervisor Assigned to the Student Teacher 

1. University supervisors will observe their WCU student teachers on a schedule determined collaboratively by the student teaching triad (student teacher, cooperating teacher and university supervisor).
2. University supervisors will use an abbreviated Danielson Framework for Teaching Evaluation form, “Satisfactory Observation Checklist” or Student Teaching Observation form, within the first 4 weeks of the student teaching experience to help determine a student teacher’s eligibility to substitute teach.
3. Student teachers who receive a “satisfactory” rating on all criteria within the checklist or a satisfactory student teaching observation, will be identified as Eligible for Substitute Teaching.
4. The university supervisor and the student teacher will initial a copy of the Satisfactory Observation/Checklist. The Checklist/Observation form, along with a copy of the Mentor Teacher/Supervisor signature page, will be given to the student teacher and copies will be submitted to the Office of Clinical Experiences and Candidate Services.
5. If the student teacher is deemed Not Yet Eligible for Substitute Teaching, a Satisfactory Observation/Checklist will be used in subsequent observations until an evaluation of Eligible for Substitute Teaching is reached.

Responsibilities of the Student Teacher 

1. Student teachers who desire to be considered for substitute teaching while student teaching will initiate the school district’s process for becoming an approved substitute teacher. A student teacher is not obligated to act as a substitute teacher during the student teaching semester, but those who believe they may be interested in doing so should initiate the process as soon as possible.
2. Student teachers will submit all required paperwork when applying for an Act 86 permit (process below) to the school district or substitute teaching service in order to become an approved substitute teacher.
3. Student teachers who complete the appropriate steps to become an approved substitute teacher and receive an Eligible to Substitute Teach designation by their university supervisor on the Satisfactory Observation Checklist may accept substitute teaching opportunities under the following conditions:
             *Can substitute within their host teacher’s classroom 
             *Can substitute no more than 10 days total within the host teacher’s classroom
4. Student teachers must notify their university supervisor as soon as possible about any substitute teaching assignments and keep a log of those assignments.

Directions to University Supervisor:

Use the checklist below or schedule 1 of the 3/6 student teaching observations within the first four weeks of student teaching to rate the student teacher in the areas of Classroom Environment and Instruction criteria taken from the Danielson Framework for Teaching:

Declare on the document either:

1. “Eligible for Substitute Teaching”, meaning that all criteria listed in each domain were rated satisfactorily by the university supervisor.
2. “Not Yet Eligible for Substitute Teaching”, meaning the student was rated Unsatisfactory on 1 or more criteria in either domain.
   1. If the candidate is rated as “Not Yet Eligible for Substitute Teaching,” a follow-up observation should be scheduled within a reasonable amount of time (ideally within 2-weeks) by the university supervisor. At the follow-up observation, the process is repeated until an “Eligible for Substitute Teaching” rating is documented and turned into the Office of Clinical Experiences and Candidate Services, along with a copy of the Mentor Teacher/Supervisor signature page

West Chester University Student Teaching Evaluation Satisfactory Observation Checklist

Sample Eligibility Letter

WCU student teachers will be permitted to act as a substitute teacher during their student teaching experience under the following conditions.

WCU student teachers:

1. Must obtain a positive recommendation from their Mentor Teacher and University Supervisor prior to being used as a substitute teacher in their student teaching classroom.
2. Shall be the substitute teacher in the host teacher’s classroom when there is a need for coverage in host teacher’s classroom or another classroom in the building. May NOT substitute outside of their host teacher’s classroom. If there is a need for a substitute teacher in another classroom, PDE suggests that the mentor teacher be assigned to the “other classroom” for the day and the student teacher remains in his or her “student teaching classroom” as a substitute.
3. May serve as a substitute teacher for no more than ten (10) days during the student teaching semester. May not use your five approved absences for this opportunity.
4. May be observed as a student teacher at the same time they are acting as a substitute teacher in their assigned “student teaching classroom.”
5. Must notify their University Supervisor immediately once they learn that they will be substitute teaching rather than student teaching.
6. Must be officially employed by the LEA as a paid substitute and the LEA will determine the fixed salary of the student teacher when acting as the substitute teacher.
7. Are in good standing and are representative of a quality West Chester University student.

Frequently Asked Questions