Policies and Procedures

The Ella Cline Shear School of Education believes that dispositions are defined as manifestations of values, commitments and ethics in professional practice. It is therefore the responsibility of members of the educational community to continuously monitor academic progress and dispositions of teacher candidates.

Courses which have linked clinical experience require teacher candidates to engage in teaching-related tasks in P-12 settings. Early indicators of behaviors related to dispositions that cause concern will result in feedback from faculty and staff, and persistent and unaddressed issues may result in a formal referral/intervention request on the part of a faculty or staff member. Graduate Teaching Assistants and practicing teachers will report any concerns to the faculty member of record for the course(s).

Teacher candidates must uphold the professional standards required of the field of education, creating a balance between knowledge, skills, and dispositions essential for becoming reflective and effective teachers. Faculty and staff of the Ella Cline Shear School of Education are committed to providing support to teacher candidates throughout their program of study to achieve maximum benefit from their educational experiences.

Relative to professional dispositions, a tiered system of interventions has been established to provide a structure and support to prepare teacher candidates to meet the needs of the profession, both on- and off- campus. For all levels of intervention, teacher candidates will be afforded the opportunity to provide input and engage in the decision-making process. 

Examples of behaviors that may lead to intervention are described below:

Taking place on campus

  • Violations of the College’s Student Code of Conduct including physical and/or verbal intimidation or discrimination towards children, faculty, staff, and/or fellow college students, assault including sexual assault, and harassment 
  • A pattern of, or a serious instance of, unprofessional behavior including tardiness, and absence without notification, and/or consistently late submission of assignments without appropriate reasons provided
  • A pattern of, or a serious instance of, a lack of cooperation with faculty, staff, and/or fellow college students
  • A pattern of, or serious instance of, negative and/or disrespectful comments/attitudes toward faculty, staff, and/or fellow college students

Taking place in off-campus, including P-12 school-related settings

Specific incidents that are in violation of the College’s Student Code of Conduct including physical and/or verbal intimidation or discrimination towards children, faculty, staff, and/or fellow college students, assault including sexual assault, and harassment as defined in SUNY Geneseo policy.  

  • A pattern of, or a serious instance of, unprofessional behavior including tardiness, and absence without notification, and/or consistently late submission of assignments without satisfactory reasons provided
  • A pattern of, or serious incidents of, inappropriate verbal or written (including texting) communications with children, their parents, faculty, teaching colleagues, and/or school staff members
  • A pattern of, or serious incidents of, negative and/or disrespectful comments/attitudes toward children, their parents, faculty, teaching colleagues, and school staff members
  • A pattern of inconsistent cooperation or non-cooperation with faculty, fellow college students, teaching colleagues, and cooperative groups

Social Media Statement: Teacher candidates at SUNY-Geneseo are reminded that all online activity is discoverable. Hence, online activity should be professional and adhere to the highest standards of conduct as well as to those represented in the attached professional dispositions. In addition to the cautionary note that potential employers are able to access social media accounts, candidates are urged to restrict online interactions with P-12 learners during their preservice semesters.

Policies/Procedures

Ella Cline Shear faculty and staff will provide initial support to candidates related to dispositional concerns.  No documentation is required.

Level One

Policy: Level One Intervention

Faculty and staff will identify persistent and/or significant concerns about a candidate who demonstrates behaviors that reflect inappropriate professional dispositions.  Such concerns are to be discussed with the candidate and documented with the Teacher Candidate Intervention Form.

Procedures: Level One

  1. A faculty/staff member who observes or becomes aware of inappropriate candidate dispositional behavior(s) is required to document and provide detail pertaining to the behavior inconsistent with School of Education dispositions using the Teacher Candidate Intervention Form.  
  2. The candidate will be notified by the faculty member, the Director of Student Success, or the Director of Field Experiences in writing within five (5) business days if he or she has received an evaluation of behavior inconsistent with professional dispositions.
  3. A meeting will be arranged where the faculty/staff member communicates the concerns to the student, reviews the relevant material from the [SOE Dispositions statement document], and explains the appeal procedure.
  4. In discussion with the candidate, the appropriate actions to address the behavior will be documented on the form including further actions to be taken if the behavior continues.  The faculty/staff member may choose to meet with the program chair, the Director of Field Experiences, or the Director of Student Success at this point or hold a joint meeting with the candidate and the appropriate School of Education faculty/staff member.
  5. The faculty/staff member is required to submit a copy of the Teacher Candidate Intervention Form to the Director of Student Success.  One copy will remain with the Director of Student Success, and one copy will be given to the teacher candidate.

Level Two

Policy: Level Two Intervention

Faculty and staff are responsible to identify candidate behaviors that are of a more serious nature and involve the Director of Student Success and/or the Director of Field Experiences where either an intervention plan is created or a decision is made to treat the infraction as Level Three.

Procedures: Level Two

  1. If it is determined that the candidate is at Level Two, the Director of Student Success and/or the Director of Field Experiences meet with the faculty member and the candidate.  An intervention plan is discussed and agreed upon with appropriate follow-up during this level with strategies, support, and consequences clearly explained and noted in writing on the intervention form.  
  2. The School of Education Policy on Dispositions will be explained at this time including a description of both probation and dismissal possibilities as well as candidate appeal procedures.
  3. The candidate will be notified by the faculty member, the Director of Student Success, or the Director of Field Experiences in writing within five (5) business days if he or she has received an evaluation of behavior inconsistent with professional dispositions documented on the Teacher Candidate Intervention Form.  
  4. A meeting will be arranged with the candidate, faculty/staff member and the Director of Student Success and/or Director of Field Experiences.
  5. An intervention plan will be discussed at the meeting and agreed upon with appropriate follow-up during this level with strategies, support, and consequences clearly explained and noted in writing on the intervention form.
  6. Depending on the severity of the pattern of behavior or incident, the Director of Student Success and/or the Director of Field Experiences, in consultation with the SOE faculty/staff member, as needed, will determine if the unit’s Dispositional Review Committee should be involved.  If the committee becomes involved, the process will move to level three.
  7. The candidate will have the opportunity to respond in writing within five (5) business days of the meeting to the actions outlined in the meeting, explain their behavior, or appeal decisions made in the meeting.
  8. Appeals will be decided by the Director of Student Success.  They may be shared with the Chair of the Dispositions Review Committee and, if necessary, with the Dean of the School of Education.
  9. The faculty/staff member is required to submit a copy of the Teacher Candidate Intervention Form to the Director of Student Success.  One copy will remain with the Director of Student Success, and one copy will be given to the teacher candidate.

It should be noted that candidates can move directly to Level Two or Three depending on the severity of the incident or pattern of incidences.  As an example, behaviors that place the physical or psychological health and safety of children or adolescents at risk, behaviors that violate existing policies of the College or the clinical placement, or behaviors that are illegal could necessitate a candidate being assigned to a particular level from the outset.

Level Three

Policy: Level Three Intervention

Faculty and staff are responsible to identify serious dispositional behaviors that go beyond Level Two and activate the involvement of the Dispositions Review Committee.

Procedures: Level Three

  1. If it is determined by the Director of Student Success in concert with a faculty member or the Director of Field Experiences that the teacher candidate is at Level Three, the candidate must meet with the Dispositional Review Committee where the candidate’s behavior and/or prior dispositional history will be reviewed and the candidate will be given an opportunity to explain the behavior.
  2. The candidate will be notified by the Director of Student Success in writing within five (5) business days if he or she has received an evaluation of behavior on the Teacher Candidate Intervention Form consistent with a Level Three intervention. 
  3. A meeting will be arranged by the Director of Student Success with the Dispositional Review Committee, the candidate, and the referring faculty/staff member.
  4. At Level Three, the Dispositional Review Committee may choose to develop or modify the intervention plan with appropriate follow-up procedures outlined, to place the candidate on probation noting the specifics of what that means, or to recommend dismissal from the program.  In the case of probation or dismissal from the School of Education, the recommendation is sent in writing to the Dean of the SOE for a final decision with a copy sent to the Provost.  
  5. The decision is sent to the candidate in writing within three (3) business days by the Chair of the Committee, or, in the case of probation or dismissal being recommended, by the Dean of the School of Education.
  6. At the discretion of the Committee, the candidate has the opportunity to bring pertinent witnesses, and/or advocate from the college to the meeting. 
  7. The candidate has the right to appeal the findings of the Dispositions Review Committee and/or the Dean’s final decision.  This must be done in writing within five (5) business days of the receipt of the letter from the Committee or the Dean.
  8. The candidate has the right to meet with the Committee and/or the Dean to appeal a decision for either probation or dismissal.  At this meeting the candidate may bring witnesses and/or an advocate (however, only members of the College community may serve as advocates and advocates may only address the committee when answering questions directed to them by committee members).
  9. 9.    The candidate may continue to participate in any campus-based classes in which they are enrolled during the committee’s review or, if appropriate, during an appeal to the committee or to the Dean.  However, the Director of Field Experiences or the Dean reserves the right to exclude the candidate from any field experience during the review and/or appeal process.

Provided no other College policies have been violated, candidates who are dismissed from the School of Education due to dispositional issues may pursue completion of another academic program on campus.  It should be noted, however, that these same dispositional transgressions unacceptable in the field of education may also be unacceptable in other programs within the College.

A candidate who has been dismissed from a School of Education program is no longer eligible to apply to any other SOE program but may be eligible to apply to other SUNY Geneseo programs.

Dispositions Review Committee

  1. Each year, the faculty and staff in the School of Education will elect three members, two full-time faculty and one full-time staff, to serve on the Dispositional Review Committee.  Each member will serve for one academic year.  The Dean will designate one member of the Committee to serve as the Chair.  The chair will convene the Committee when necessary.
  2. The Committee will review the record of the candidates who have been referred and meet with the candidate, witnesses, and any advocates. They may choose to gather additional information on the candidate. 
  3. The committee will make a recommendation to be shared with the candidate and the Dean of the School of Education.
  4. In the case of a recommendation of probation or dismissal, the candidate will be notified in writing by the Dean of the School of Education (who will make the final decision) within three (3) business days.