Administrative Board Policy: The Montana Board of Regents recognizes that the Montana University System's success in preparing teachers for the State's elementary and secondary schools depends, in part, upon the support and assistance of the school districts and the individual teachers who supervise student teachers. Further, the Board of Regents is aware that there are unique circumstances that each of the five campuses with teacher education programs must take into account before adopting a schedule of compensation for teachers who supervise their respective student teachers. Such compensation may include cash stipends and/or professional development opportunities in many forms and, except for a uniform fee, may vary from campus to campus.

1. The five campuses units of the Montana University System which prepare elementary and secondary teachers agreed to adopt a uniform schedule for the payment of teachers who supervise student teachers. The schedule is based on the following assumptions: will review each January the fee awarded to teachers who supervise their student teachers. Thereafter, the campuses will consult and develop recommendations for a minimum uniform fee for all supervising (mentor) teachers for the next academic year.

The campuses will convey their recommendation(s) to the Deputy Commissioner for Academic and Student Affairs who, in turn, will resolve any differences that may exist among them and will authorize a uniform fee.

2. In addition, each campus engaged in teacher education will develop a separate plan to provide additional compensation to supervising (mentor) teachers. This additional compensation may take many forms and should be designed to be responsive to the professional development needs of teachers who accept responsibility as supervising (mentor) teachers.

3. Before March 1 of each year, the campuses of the Montana University System with teacher education programs will report their respective plans for compensating supervising (mentor) teachers in the next academic year to the Deputy Commissioner for Academic and Student Affairs. The Deputy will brief the Board of Regents at their March meeting on the Montana University System's plan for compensating supervising (mentor) teachers in the next academic year.

a.

the basic unit of student teaching is considered to be 30 clock hours of actual teaching done on a one-hour-per-day-for-a-full-quarter (or its equivalent) basis. Five quarter hours of credit are usually awarded for such a unit of student teaching.

b.

a student may take a longer single assignment (up to a total of 15 hours) of student teaching, or he may take two separate assignments (ordinarily totaling 10 hours).

c.

under special circumstances, a student may be permitted to enroll for a number of hours of student teaching not a multiple of 5; e.g., 6 hours, which would require at least 20% more clock hours of actual teaching than the "basic unit" of 5 hours. Such arrangement, however, tends to be the exception rather than the rule.

d.

whether a student is getting 5, 10, or 15 credits for a given student teaching assignment, certain supervisory factors remain relatively constant: (1) the amount of orientation and consultation prior to taking over the class, and (2) the amount of individual conference time throughout the teaching period.

2.

On the basis of these assumptions a pay scale, based on a flat fee of $25.00 plus an additional fee of $5.00 per credit hour of student teaching registered for, was accepted.

3.

A student teaching assignment of one unit (the student would ordinarily be registered for 5 credits) would carry a payment to the supervising teacher of $50.00 ($25.00 plus 5 times $5.00); for an assignment of two units (10 credits), the amount would be $75.00 ($25.00 plus 10 times $5.00); for three units (15 credits), the amount would be $l00.00--the maximum which would be paid for any assignment. Payments for student teaching assignments not multiples of 5 will be computed in the same fashion.

4.

Where more than one supervising teacher is involved in a single assignment, the total amount will be divided among the teachers involved. (Ordinarily, a student should not be expected to work with more than two supervising teachers on any one student teaching assignment.)

5.

When a student takes two separate units of student teaching under different supervising teachers, the initial orientation and conference fee of $25.00 will be included in the payment made to each teacher.

Executive Council, November 1, 1957; Council of Presidents, Nov. 23, 1981.