Policies

This page is designed to communicate to WIT participants certain policies regarding attendance, lane credit, recertification credit, and the CUIP stipend. Please contact the director with any questions.

Attendance

Lane Credit

Recertification Credit

CUIP Stipend

Attendance

Strict attendance is a requirement of the WIT program. Participants are allowed to miss two days (8 class hours) without any penalty. If they miss more than half an hour on any given day, this will be counted against the 8 hour allowance.

Time may be made up, provided that either (1) the mentors and the director know about the absence in advance and approve a make-up plan in advance or (2) the absense is due to a personal or medical emergency.

To make up time, the participant talks to the mentor and devises a plan. This can include making up time on Wednesday Open Lab days, or making up time during the mornings or afternoons when a section is not meeting.

NOTE: Participants can only make up 4 hours on each Wednesday. This is because we don't think anyone can profitably try to learn for 8 hours straight.

The director must approve all make-up plans.

Participants who miss more than 8 days will be asked to leave the Institute.

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Lane Credit

Lane credit is offered by the Chicago Public Schools Teachers Academy for Professional Growth and Development. The Graham School at the University of Chicago serves as agent for CPS on Lane Credit. Policies are the responsibility of CPS. Graham School will submit completed paperwork (with the director's signature) to the Teachers Academy, which will then certify the lane credit and send it (via CPS Mail Run # or home address) to the participant.

Successful participants may receive 3 units of Lane Credit. This is the maximum allowed by CPS for any given course.

To receive lane credit, participants may miss only two days (8 class hours) of the Institute. They must submit all required paperwork, including a check for $20 payable to the Teachers Academy, to the Graham School before the end of the Institute on July 20.

To receive lane credit, participants must also be certified as having "passed" the Institute, which means that they have met the attendance requirements and that they have show "substantial progress toward meeting the goals of the Institute." This means that participants must have shown real and measurable growth and have nearly completed, or completed, a curriculum web (for advanced participants) or a combination of classroom home page and web-based lesson (for basic participants).

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Recertification Credit

Recertification credit is available to any WIT participant who has submitted an approved recertification plan to the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE). Policies regarding this credit are the responsibility of ISBE, and the Graham School at the University of Chicago serves only as an agent for ISBE in this process.

Participants may receive 16 CEUs for participation in WIT. This represents 1 CEU for every 5 hours of the Institute.

To receive recertification credit, participants may miss only two days (8 class hours) of the Institute. They must request a recertification certificate, which will be signed by the WIT director and mailed directly to the participant, who will then use the certficate as evidence of having met recertification requirements. The Graham School does not communicate directly with ISBE about the specific recertification activities of WIT participants.

To receive recertification credit, participants must also be certified as having "passed" the Institute, which means that they have met the attendance requirements and that they have show "substantial progress toward meeting the goals of the Institute." This means that participants must have shown real and measurable growth and have nearly completed, or completed, a curriculum web (for advanced participants) or a combination of classroom home page and web-based lesson (for basic participants).

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CUIP Stipend

WIT participants from CUIP schools (except those in Delta section) are eligible to receive a $1000 stipend upon successful participation in WIT. This stipend is paid by CUIP; the Graham School has no involvement in the stipend process.

NOTE: Delta section participants are receiving a stipend directly from Kenwood High School. WIT has no involvement in the Delta stipend.

To receive a full stipend, participants must meet the requirements for lane credit listed above.

If participants miss more than 2 days of the Institute, the stipend will be adjusted downward. Each day missed over 2 reduces the stipend by $100. No stipends will be given if a participant misses more than 8 days of the Institute.

Thus:

Stipends will be issued at the end of August and will be subject to normal tax and social security deductions. The stipends are processed by the Local Business Center (LBC) of the Physical Sciences Division of the University. Questions should be directed to the WIT director (until August 31) or to Rebecca Kurns in the LBC.

After September 1, contact Rebecca Kurns or Ben Lorch (CUIP Coordinator, 834-2159) for questions regarding the WIT stipend.

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