Support for Teacher Education Programs (STEP)

A Message from the Director

The STEP Office and I look forward to working with you as we assist you and your students with their field placement assignments. Our office is committed to serving you and your students in finalizing the all important field experiences which begin as early as the freshman year of study. Annually our office is directly or indirectly involved in over 2000 placements of students in area school districts. Our Professional Development School Network consists of 22 school districts with whom we place a large number of our students but they are not able to handle all of our requests. Therefore it is imperative that we do our best to develop and maintain positive working relationships with all schools who participate in our field placement programs.

Our goal is to provide you with prompt, courteous and quality service. To that end we have identified some of the Frequently Asked Questions about the STEP Office to help you as you plan your work with students in the field. Although they are answered sufficiently in this brochure, a more detailed explanation can be obtained through the STEP Office or from the STEP Office website.

Critical to the work of the STEP Office is effective communication and coordination among all of those who play a role in the field placements. The STEP Office does not have unilateral control of the school districts’ placement decisions. Therefore, we must coordinate our programs with their policies and regulations. Among those participating in the placement process are: The STEP Office staff; the School of Education Departments’ faculty, department coordinators and department chairpersons; the Dean’s Office; the local school district boards of education, school principals and cooperating teachers; supervisors and, of course, the students themselves. We all play important roles in this process.

The STEP Office must facilitate the process in a way that will enable us to provide quality placements for all of our students. Therefore, it is extremely important that we follow the guidelines and policies identified in this brochure which have been mutually developed by the STEP Office and the School of Education departments. Our effectiveness in delivering services can only be maintained through a cooperative effort of the departments, our office, faculty, school districts and our students.

Finally, when you visit a school, please try to meet with the principals just to let them know how everything is going and to find out if there is any issue about which you should know. Often times it is not easy to get to see the principals. Leaving your business card with the secretary and a message inviting the principal to contact you with any questions or concerns is always a good practice. In so doing, it helps develop positive relationships with the principal and his staff. This is extremely important to us in maintaining our relationships with the local schools.

Please feel free to contact me or any member of our staff with any questions that you have regarding the placement of your students or about our programs and services. Also, your suggestions are most welcomed. We strive to do our best to serve you. With your support and cooperation we will be successful in facilitating the placement of all of our teacher candidates. I wish you well for a successful field experience and remind you that we are here to work with you.

Sincerely,
Robert J. Bartoletti, EdD
Director