4.0 Field Experiences and Clinical Practice

Data on all field experience and clinical practice placements is maintained by the Office of Educator Support and Assessment Specialist. Initial and Advanced certification programs work directly with the Coordinator of Field Experiences and Clinical Practice to best serve candidates and our partnering school districts with research-based experiences. Placements are based on the following criteria:

1. OSU must have a contractual agreement with the participating school district,
2. the principal and the Mentor Teacher/Educator must be in agreement about the placement,
3. the Mentor Teacher/Educator must meet established criteria to work with a candidate,
4. a qualified OSU Supervisor must be available for travel to that site, and
5. program faculty recommendation for clinical practice (based on academics, field experiences, and dispositions)

Candidates will be placed in diverse school settings. The definition of a diverse placement in a public school site is one that includes 30% or more nonwhite population of students or 10% or more English language learners according to the latest available data at www.schoolreportcard.org.  Selection of the site will continue to be at the discretion of the placement coordinator. Candidates are responsible for their own transportation to and from field experience and internship sites.  Previous clinical/field experiences will be considered when determining the internship placement.

• 4.1 Clinical Practice Internship Requirements 

  In order to apply for a clinical practice internship, teacher candidates must

  1. be fully admitted to Professional Education,
  2. have taken and received a score on the appropriate subject area exam (OSAT) by the deadline to apply for an internship (deadline provided at mandatory Intent to Student Teach meeting),
  3. follow the application process outlined in the Intent to Student Teach meeting (the previous semester) by the provided deadline
  4. Receive faculty recommendation of program faculty for your internship (details provided at Intent to Student Teach Meeting)
  5. GPA must be at least 2.5 in the following categories:
  6. Overall, Professional Education courses, and Program Specialization courses (Exception: Secondary English Education, and Family and Consumer Science Education require a 2.75 in this category).
  7. All grades must be a “C” or better in past and current enrollment in the areas of Professional Education and Specialization Courses, or you will not be placed in clinical practice. Be aware that Professional Education coursework with grades of “C” and grades of “P” in field experience courses will not compute to a “C” average.

   

  Meeting these minimal criteria does not necessarily guarantee a placement.

• 4.2 Course Completion Policy 

  Interns must complete the required coursework before beginning their clinical practice semester.

   

  1. Interns must focus their time and attention on their internship duties during the clinical practice semester.
  2. If not prohibited by the program area, an intern may take one course or up to 3 hours during or after the clinical practice semester.
  3. All Professional Education courses must be completed prior to the clinical practice semester.
• 4.3 State Background Check 

  In alignment with Oklahoma state statutes and administrative code (OS §70-6-190, OS §70-3-104, OAC 210:20-9-98), the Oklahoma State University (OSU) Office of Educator Support (OES) requires a state-level background check (name check) on ALL non-certified candidates prior to placement in any field experience or clinical practice. The candidate is responsible for associated fees, which may vary depending on in-state or out-of-state student status. The OES may request an updated background check as needed. While we make every effort to place candidates in the best possible field experience or clinical practice situation, school districts do review background checks and past criminal history in terms of their own policies and may decline to host a particular candidate for field experiences or clinical practice.

   

  Candidates will be notified in the event that a background check is returned containing a report of criminal activity:

  1. Where disposition data is not shown or further explanation of the charge or disposition is needed, the candidate will be responsible for providing a certified copy of the disposition. No placement will be made into a field experience or clinical practice until a final disposition is provided.
  2. If a candidate has any charges pending, no placement will be made into a field experience or clinical practice until satisfactorily resolved and documented with either a cleared background check or a certified copy of the disposition of charges.
  3. If a background check contains incorrect information, it is the candidate’s responsibility to obtain documentation proving the misidentification.
  4. In the case of a deferred sentence:
  5. Misdemeanor convictions that receive a deferred sentence may receive a placement in field experiences or clinical practice during the period of deferment.
  6. Felony convictions that receive a deferred sentence will not be placed in field experiences or clinical practice until the terms of deferment have been successfully met.   
• 4.4 Application for Clinical Practice Internship 

  The semester before student teaching, the candidate must complete the Clinical Practice Internship Application Packet and attend an Intent to Student Teach meeting, in which the Professional Education staff will provide candidates from all programs with important information. These are held the following days/times with rooms posted and announced in a variety of ways:

   

  For Spring Student Teaching

  Stillwater – 1^st  week in September, 5:00pm

   

  For Fall Student Teaching

  Stillwater – 1^st week in February, 5:00pm

   

  Program area faculty will discuss particular placements with candidates, and candidates should make specific requests using the Student Teaching Application. Candidates should not meet with or contact teachers or principals in an attempt to establish a placement. The following guidelines should be considered when listing placement preferences in the space provided on the application:

   

  1. Public Schools: All internships occur in public schools.
  2. Placement in Diverse and Geographic Settings: Candidates will be placed in diverse school settings: a variety of socio-economic settings, a variety of geographic settings, and experiences working with diverse groups of students. Previous clinical/field experiences will be considered when determining the internship placement.
  3. Professional Experiences: Candidates will be placed in a location where professional experiences can develop. Candidates will not be placed in a school where their children attend, where a relative is employed, or where they have developed personal relationships. In addition, candidates will not be placed in any school system(s) they attended. Candidates are expected to adhere to these guidelines.
  4. Finances: Finances cannot be considered when determining the internship placement.
  5. Out-of-Area/State Placements: Out-of-area/out-of-state placements are rare and only granted in extreme cases. To request an out-of-area/out-of-state placement, refer to the policy on the OSU Professional Education website. Note that the intern must appeal to the Field Experiences Committee for consideration, and, if granted, the intern bears all financial responsibility associated with placement, travel to on-campus meetings, supervision, and fees charged by a cooperating institution. Some programs facilitate international student teaching.  Advisors can help with this option. NOTE: Check with specific program areas for information about any additional placement requirements.   
• 4.5 Placement in Clinical Practice Internships 

  As a general rule, interns are placed within a 75-mile radius of Stillwater and in the Tulsa area for OSU-Tulsa students. Candidates will be placed in Stillwater Public Schools on a limited basis.

   

  Requests are sent to school districts for placements. After the Office of Educator Support receives confirmation of the placement, each candidate will receive a confirmation e-mail. The assignment is tentative until all pre-clinical practice program requirements are completed.

• 4.6 The Internship Experience 

  Your Support Team –Many individuals are invested in making sure you have the best possible internship experience to help you move from college to professional life:

   

  • Course Instructor – Candidates who are interning will also be enrolled in a course specific to their The instructor for this course will provide a syllabus, conduct course meetings, communicate regularly with OSU supervisors, and assign grades for the course.
  • OSU Supervisor – This person is hired by OSU as a liaison among the candidate, the course instructor, the Professional Education office, the mentor teacher, the program coordinator, and the school. The OSU supervisors meet with candidates regularly, observe candidates teaching at least three times, and give written feedback and recommendations after each observation.
  • Mentor/Cooperating Teacher – This person works with the candidate as a team teacher, gradually giving more responsibility for planning and implementing lessons in his or her classroom. After receiving a confirmation letter, the candidate should visit with the mentor teacher, principal, and other faculty members in the department. It is extremely important to conference daily with the mentor teacher, asking questions and getting feedback. He or she will observe the candidate, give written feedback and recommendations, and complete formal mid-term and final evaluations. All OSU clinical practice interns are evaluated in accordance with the InTASC Standards as well as with standards specific to program areas.
  • School Principal – When available, the school principal may conference the candidate, the OSU Supervisor, and the mentor teacher during the semester.

  Mentor/Candidate Relationships (Applies to All Field Placements and Clinical Practice) The relationship between candidates and mentors must be of a professional nature, as the mentor is evaluating the educator candidate.  

   

  Phases of the Clinical Practice Internship

  Clinical practice internship assignments are highly individualistic. Involvement in classroom activities will depend upon the individual's readiness to perform the tasks assigned. The cooperating teacher and university program area supervisor will assess the candidate’s abilities and determine his/her responsibilities and tasks. In no case will the intern immediately assume total responsibility for the class.

   

  Due to the individualistic nature of the assignment, no set time period can be attached to the various phases of the clinical practice internship. Ideally, candidates will engage in co-teaching with their mentor teacher throughout the entire experience. This will afford opportunities to teach collaboratively as well as function as the lead teacher across planning, instruction, and assessment.

• 4.7 Problem-Solving Process 

  Most problems that arise during the internship are resolved through daily conferencing. The following process should be followed if a problem isn’t resolved through conferencing between the Candidate, the Mentor Teacher, and/or University Supervisor:

  1. The University Supervisor or the Mentor may alert the Office of Educator Support (OES) representative and Program Coordinator to discuss any issue(s) or concerns.
  2. The area or program coordinator will develop a plan of improvement (POI form below) to resolve the problem(s) with input from the Mentor Teacher, University Supervisor, and OES staff. The POI form to be used by all OES programs is available below.
  3. The candidate will meet with the Program Coordinator and an OES staff member to discuss the POI and receive coaching on expectations/needs moving forward to be successful.
  4. An OES representative will communicate the POI to the Principal and to all involved parties.
  5. The Candidate will follow the outlined POI; the University Supervisor and Mentor Teacher will document the Candidate’s progress.
  6. The University Supervisor will communicate to the program coordinator the Candidate’s progress toward resolving the challenge(s).

   

  The OSU Internship Plan of Improvement  is designed to assist in the problem-solving process.

• 4.8 Removal from Internship Placement

  If the Candidate fails to satisfactorily meet the POI, one of the following alternatives will occur:

  1. The Candidate is removed from the assignment and reassigned to the partner school or the school system.
  2. The Candidate is removed immediately from the internship in that school system.
  3. The Candidate is removed immediately from the internship.

  NOTE: The Candidate has the right to appeal the decision to remove them from their internship placement. Appeals are sent to the Senior Director of Teacher Education.

• 4.9 Memorandum of Understanding

  The Memorandum of Understanding is an agreement among the following parties: Oklahoma State University Office of Educator Support (called the "University"), the Partner School (called the “School”) to which the OSU student (the “Candidate”) is assigned, and the Candidate. A breach of this agreement can result in the Candidate’s removal from the internship. Candidates will be required to sign an MOU and are bound by the details outlined here.

• 4.10 Special Needs of the Intern

  Accommodations that are required by your plan on file with the OSU Student Accessibility Services will be followed during your clinical practice internship and may require a Plan of Expectation to outline how the accommodations can be addressed within your critical practice internship. You must meet with your course instructor prior to the beginning of the semester to discuss these needs.

• 4.11 Insurance

  School districts and OSU do not ensure a Candidate during the internship; Candidates are responsible for carrying medical insurance. By joining a professional organization, such as the Association of American Educators (https://www.aaeteachers.org/index.php/pages/liability-insurance),  they will have liability insurance during the internship. This is essential protection for the candidate as a professional working in a school setting; student membership is offered at a significantly reduced rate for both organizations.

• 4.12 Outside Activities/Classes during the Clinical Practice Internship

  The internship experience is considered the beginning of a Candidate’s professional career, and his/her energies should be directed toward making the most of the professional assignment. Therefore, outside employment or taking coursework other than the internship courses is not advised during the internship. If a Candidate believes employment is necessary, s/he must confer with the University Supervisor and Mentor to ensure such employment doesn’t conflict with school site schedules or other professional obligations.

• 4.13 Schedule of Clinical Practice Internship Assignments

  Clinical practice is conducted for 16 weeks in most cases, though there are a few programs for which this differs due to curriculum/seminar needs. Placement personnel will convey the expected timeframe for the internship, and candidates should also share this information with mentors.

   

  Once your professional experience begins, the candidate will follow the schedule of the school district to which they are assigned. They must attend all meetings and events that the teachers in the cooperating school must attend. Candidates should be absent only for serious reasons (e.g., illness, death of a family member). If absent, candidates must notify the cooperating teacher, university supervisor, and the building principal well in advance if possible. If you are absent for more than two days, make-up days may be required. As with any course, excessive absences beyond the attendance policy may result in failing the course/internship.

• 4.14 Professional Dress in Clinical Practice Internship

  Clinical interns are expected to dress professionally and to adhere to any dress code set forth by the school district. Visible jewelry for body piercing, facial hair, and visible tattoos may be considered inappropriate professional dress in some schools and districts.