Council on Teacher Education

Selection of Cooperating Personnel for Educator Licensure Candidates

Establishing the criteria for selection of cooperating teachers is the joint responsibility of CoTE and individual educator licensure programs.  Many factors must be weighed when making the selection of the "best possible" learning sites for our candidates.  Specific placement procedures vary within programs and with individual school districts.  Each educator licensure program is responsible to ensure that cooperating personnel meet the CoTE minimum criteria (see list below) and any additional requirements established by the educator licensure program.  All clinical experience placements are finalized through procedures agreed upon by both the school district and the educator licensure program.

The requirements for cooperating personnel detailed in this policy do not apply in cases in which the educator licensure candidate is completing student teaching in a community-based early childhood education setting, charter school, or non-public school and the cooperating teacher holds a Gateways Level 5 credential.

Cooperating personnel supporting educator licensure candidates from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign must meet the following CoTE minimum criteria: 

1. be legally licensed and qualified to teach in the subject areas assigned;
2. be directly engaged in teaching subject matter or conducting learning activities in the area of student teaching;
3. have three or more years of teaching experience (a master’s degree is preferred, but not required);
4. has received a “proficient” or above performance rating in his or her most recent evaluation;
5. be willing to collaborate with University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign clinical faculty;
6. be willing to allow the candidate to complete program expectations.
   

Meeting CoTE’s minimum criteria does not guarantee an educator licensure candidate placement.

All programs must have a written report on file with CoTE that includes:  

1. a list of any requirements beyond those above for cooperating personnel;
2. a description of how clinical placements are made within each educator licensure program;
3. a plan for how requirements for cooperating personnel will be shared with the cooperating personnel and placement districts.