This includes Teacher Education candidates in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and the College of Arts and Sciences. A candidate must complete Phase III by submitting an Application for Admission to the Internship in Teaching to the Director of Clinical/Field-Based Instruction, Licensure, and Outreach one semester prior to the internship. To be eligible for the internship, the candidate must have been admitted to Teacher Education and obtained an overall GPA of 2.5 or higher at the time of application. Candidates must document that they have taken or be registered to take Praxis II examinations on the subject area and on the PLT, prior to the first day of the teaching internship. Elementary education candidates must also take the Foundations of Reading (FOR) assessment prior to admission to teaching internship and obtain a passing score on the FOR (229 or higher) to be eligible for an educator’s license recommendation. Final eligibility is determined through screening at the end of the semester prior to the internship. The candidate must also have achieved a minimum grade of C in all professional education, content major, and concentration courses taken prior to the internship.
Students seeking a degree in Teacher Education and an educator license are expected to schedule the internship during the last semester of the senior year. As a general rule, graduate students seeking admission to teacher education and the internship are expected to meet the same requirements as undergraduate students prior to their internship experience. All student placements and other communications with local schools are directed through the Office of Clinical/Field-Based Instruction, Licensure, and Outreach.
Application and Placement Procedures
1. Meetings are conducted each semester by the office of Clinical/Field-Based Instruction, Licensure, and Outreach, 318 Allen Hall, to distribute and explain the application packet for admission to the internship in teaching. Applications should be submitted by September 15 for the spring semester and by February 15 for students wishing to complete the internship in the fall semester.
2. When making application, the candidate may list three public school districts where he or she would prefer to be placed. The candidate should not select a district where he/she attended school, or where immediate family members attend or are employed. Parents, siblings, spouses, children (including stepchildren), and in-laws are considered immediate family members. Completed applications are reviewed and placement requests discussed with students as needed.
3. Specific assignments are made by the Office of Clinical/Field Based Instruction, Licensure, and Outreach in cooperation with local public school district administrators and professional staff.
4. Candidate preferences are considered in determining placement. However, due to the availability of qualified teachers, distance from campus, supervisory requirements, and other factors, candidates cannot be assured of obtaining their first choice. Candidates should not contact school districts or schools to make their own internship assignment. The Office of Clinical/Field Based Instruction, Licensure, and Outreach makes the final decision regarding all placements.
Additional Coursework/Outside Employment/ Supervision during the Teaching Internship
1. The teaching internship experience consists of 15 semester hours, which include the Internship in Teaching and the Professional Seminar. The seminar is an integral part of the internship. No course work other than the teaching internship and seminar hours (15 hours) can be taken during the internship semester. A grade of “C” or higher must be obtained in the first placement of teaching internship in order to continue on to the second placement.
2. The teaching internship is a full-time duty providing the best possible instruction and learning environment for the students. Outside employment may impede teaching performance and is highly discouraged.
3. The internship is completed under the direction of qualified school and university supervisors who are trained evaluators and have appropriate professional qualifications.