Missouri Alternative to Student Teaching

Updated: 7/1/20; Reviewed: 7/13/21
Contact: Department of Education

As required by Missouri law, Jewell will accept two (2) years’ experience as a teacher assistant in lieu of the conventional student teaching requirement if the following conditions are met:

  1. The preservice student’s experience as a teacher assistant is concurrent with the student’s participation in William Jewell’s professional education program and in the same content area and grade range for which the student is seeking certification (cannot use previous paraprofessional or substitute teaching);
  2. The teacher assistant conducted teaching activities comparable to those required for other preservice education students in conventional student teaching placements and demonstrating similar competencies;
  3. The teacher with whom the teacher assistant served meets the qualifications for a cooperating teacher, as defined in Missouri regulation;
  4. The teacher with whom the teacher assistant served has been provided training for observing and evaluating the assistant’s teaching practice through Jewell or through the school or district’s mentor training program; and
  5. The teacher assistant has been working on certification with permission and under the authority of the principal of the school or a designee. (Mo. Code Regs. 5 CSR 20-400.330)
  6. Must successfully complete all DESE required assessments for certification.

Internships
If an exceptional graduating student (see criteria below) who has only student teaching to complete is offered a teaching position, the Department of Education will consider arranging an internship under the following circumstances: In a written petition to the Department of Education faculty the student will:

  • Present official evidence in writing of potential employment offer from the district.
  • Request an internship placement.
  • Offer evidence that the applicant is an exceptional teacher education student by providing the following data:
  1. Evidence of 3.8 overall GPA
  2. Evidence of 3.8 content area GPA
  3. Evidence of 3.8 Education GPA
  4. Excellent evaluations from early field experiences
  5. Written commitment from student to pay mileage for college supervisor
  6. Proposal for supervisor arrangements (college supervisor must possess M.A., supervision experience and be approved by Jewell Department of Education). Ordinarily, regular Jewell DOE faculty will not supervise outside a 30-mile radius of Jewell)
  7. No care team referrals

Department of Education faculty will consider the petition at the next regularly scheduled faculty meeting and notify the student in writing of the Department’s decision about whether to sponsor the internship or not. If the internship is approved the student is responsible for supplying the Department with the appropriate school district documentation to process the internship arrangements.