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Areas for Concern/Targets for Growth

The Areas for Concern/Targets for Growth (ACT for Growth) process is designed to emphasize the attitudes and behaviors (PDF) characteristic of early childhood and childhood studies professionals and to encourage candidates to develop and demonstrate these attitudes and behaviors. ACT for Growth also establishes a process for identifying—and assisting candidates in changing—attitudes and behaviors that are causes for concern.

The Process

Process flowchart (PDF) 

Any PSU faculty member(s) or staff member(s) who has a concern about a candidate should first notify the Program Coordinator of Childhood Studies or Early Childhood Studies. The Program Coordinator should check to see if there are any previous records of concern for that candidate. If the Program Coordinator finds an earlier record of a concern he or she may share the information about the concern with the person requesting it.

Stage 1 Communicating Concerns and Targeting Growth
Any PSU faculty or staff member(s) who has a concern with a candidate based upon the indicators described later in this document, is expected to follow the process as outlined below. If a concern comes from a clinical supervisor, the appropriate faculty member and the clinical supervisor should both complete the process.

1. Meet with the candidate to discuss the concern. Complete the Student/Faculty Meeting Summary Form (MS Word) Both the candidate and faculty member should sign this form. In the event that the candidate does not attend the meeting, the Candidate/Faculty Meeting Summary Form should still be completed and all remaining steps of the process followed.
2. Retain a copy of the form and provide a copy to both the candidate and the appropriate Program Coordinator. The Program Coordinator keeps all papers pertaining to a concern in a confidential file in accordance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act. These files will be maintained until the candidate graduates, after which they will be destroyed.
3. The Program Coordinator will notify the candidate’s academic advisor.

Stage 2 Developing an Improvement Plan (PDF)
If the Program Coordinator receives three (3) documents of concern for one individual, he/she will set up a meeting with the candidate, the last reporting faculty member and the candidate’s academic advisor. Additional faculty members may be invited at the discretion of the Program Coordinator. The goal of the meeting will be to develop a candidate’s Improvement Plan. If the Program Coordinator is the concerned faculty member, the Department Chair will take on the role of meeting facilitator in lieu of the Program Coordinator. Other people such as the cooperating teacher and/or principal may be invited at the Program Coordinator’s discretion.

Components of the candidate’s Improvement Plan will include the following:

1. Description of improvement steps to be followed by the candidate
2. Timeline for completion of the plan
3. Date for follow-up meeting
4. Signature of all meeting participants Copies of the plan will be provided to the candidate and the Program Coordinator and the candidate’s academic advisor.

Stage 3 Improvement Plan Review and Follow-Up
The candidate will be required to document how the goals of the Improvement Plan were accomplished. Successful completion of the plan will be determined at the follow-up meeting and documented by the Program Coordinator.

Unsatisfactory completion of the plan may result in one of the following actions: The Program Coordinator, Department Chair, and Advisor(s) convene to determine a recommended action. For Teacher Certification Candidates:

1. The candidate may be required to withdraw from, or denied acceptance into, the Teacher Certification Option.
2. The Improvement Plan may be continued or a new Improvement Plan may be formulated.
3. The candidate may choose to voluntarily withdraw from the Teacher Certification Option.

For All Other Candidates:

1. The Improvement Plan may be continued or a new Improvement Plan may be formulated.
2. Additional consequences may vary.