Student Instructional Role

Carol Kumm

Jul 16, 2024

2108

A program-aligned instructional role is a role within a school, teaching or supporting PK–12 students. Instructional role requirements differ depending on the Relay program. All instructional roles should be aligned with the content area of the program, including applicable grade-level alignment. Some flexibility exists to support students with instructional roles that fall outside of these guidelines. However, flexibility will only be granted in alignment with state regulations and at Relay’s discretion.

Relay’s Instructional Role Guidelines by Program

Program-Aligned Instructional Role for Students with a Residency or New York Teacher Pathway Area of Study

Appropriate instructional roles for Relay Teaching Residency or New York Relay Teacher Pathway candidates include, but are not limited to, teacher-in-residence, paraprofessional, or co-teacher. Students can read more about the New York Teacher Pathway or Relay Teaching Residency in the Academic Catalog. Students enrolled in one of Relay’s programs as a Teaching Residency or New York Teacher Pathway candidate must hold a position that meets the following criteria:

In year 1, hold a non-lead teaching position aligned to the content area and grade level** for the program that allows the ability to complete gateway and coursework assessments, including performance-based assessments (e.g., assessments based on classroom planning, observation, and reflection).
Spend consistent time in the resident advisor’s classroom to observe, learn, and co-teach. Some states require a minimum amount of time in the resident advisor’s classroom, which is described in the corresponding EPP Handbook.
Take on more responsibility for whole-group instruction across the year, leading to full lesson and class instruction by the end of the year.
Release time from school to attend weekly clinical practice seminars (2.5 hours weekly)
In year 2, students must teach at least one group/class/grade/subject of at least 3-8 students in order to successfully complete the Capstone. Students should also teach the same group of birth–grade 12 students during their prerequisite class (CLIN-523, CLIN-531, or CLIN-533) and in EDU-510 whenever possible. Exceptions to this should only be made when a job change or leave from Relay prevents them from working with the same group of students.
In year 2, students may be required to transition into a teacher of record/lead teacher role* in the content area and grade level for their program.

Note: Relay’s guidelines may be less restrictive than state requirements. A student’s instructional role must align with state requirements, if pursuing certification/licensure, and Relay’s guidelines. State requirements specific to the Educator Preparation Program can be viewed in the Academic Catalog.

Program-Aligned Instructional Role for Students Without a Residency or Teacher Pathway Area of Study (Non-Residents)

Appropriate instructional roles for all other Relay candidates (Non-Residency, Non-Teacher Pathway, etc.) include, but are not limited to, lead teacher or teacher of record.* Students enrolled in one of Relay’s Master of Arts in Teaching Programs or Certification/Licensure Programs without a Residency or Teacher Pathway Area of Study must hold a position that meets the following criteria:

Hold a teaching position aligned to the content area and grade level** for the program that allows the ability to complete coursework assessments, including performance-based assessments (e.g., assessments based on classroom planning, observation, and reflection)
In year 2, students must teach at least one group/class/grade/subject of at least 3-8 students in order to successfully complete the Capstone. Students should also teach the same group of birth–grade 12 students during their prerequisite class (CLIN-523, CLIN-531, or CLIN-533) and in EDU-510 whenever possible. Exceptions to this should only be made when a job change or leave from Relay prevents them from working with the same group of students.
In year 2, students may be required to transition into a teacher of record/lead teacher role* in the content area and grade level for their program.

*Teacher of Record/Lead Teacher: A person employed by a school district who teaches the majority of the instructional day in an academic instructional setting and is responsible for evaluating student achievement and assigning grades.

**Content Area and Grade-Level Instructional Role Alignment

Table 5

Programs	Content Area	Grade Level
MAT in Early Childhood Education or Early Childhood Special Education or Certification/Licensure in Early Childhood Education or Early Childhood Special Education	Early childhood setting	Infant to third grade (Birth to age 8)
MAT in Elementary Education or Certification/Licensure in Elementary Education	Either self-contained or departmentalized elementary setting	K-6
MAT in English Language Arts Education or Certification/Licensure in English Language Arts Education	English Language Arts, Reading, Writing	5-12
MAT in Mathematics or Certification/Licensure in Mathematics Education	Mathematics	5-12
MAT in Science Education or Certification/Licensure in Science Education	Science (e.g., General Science, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, etc.)	5-12
MAT in Social Studies Education or Certification/Licensure in Social Studies Education	Social Studies (e.g., Social Studies, History, Government, Economics, Psychology, etc.)	5-12
MAT in Middle Grades Education or Certification/Licensure in Middle Grades Generalist	English Language Arts, Reading, Writing, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies	5-8
MAT in Special Education or Advanced Certificate in Special Education or Certification/Licensure in Special Education	Must teach in a setting with: the ability to conduct direct instruction to a minimum of six students who are officially classified as having disabilities, and the capacity to tutor a small group of students for the entirety of the school year. *For the MAT in Special Education, the above requirements must be met in the second year of the program. Any content area is allowable during the first year.	K-12
MAT in Early Childhood Special Education	Early childhood setting Must teach in a setting with: the ability to conduct direct instruction to a minimum of six students who are officially classified as having disabilities or need more intensive academic, emotional, and/or physical support, and the capacity to tutor a small group of students for the entirety of the school year. *For the MAT in Early Childhood Special Education, the above requirements must be met in the second year of the program. Any content area is allowable during the first year.	Infant to third grade (Birth to age 8)

Instructional Role Requirements and Qualifying Clinical Experience

Students who are enrolled in an educator preparation program to pursue certification/licensure must hold an instructional role that meets state- and program-specific requirements while completing their qualifying clinical experience. For more information about the instructional role requirements for one of Relay’s educator preparation programs, see the Academic Catalog.

Instructional Role Requirements for AmeriCorps Membership

Students who enroll as AmeriCorps members must meet the following instructional role requirements:

Must teach at a school site with a signed Memorandum of Understanding (or AmeriCorps Service Site Agreement)
Must teach full-time with a 9-hour workday
Must be a salaried employee with access to benefits
May not teach in a parochial school
May not hold a paraprofessional role