GRADUATE LICENSURE PROGRAM

You must be formally admitted into the CEHS Graduate Licensure Program (http://www.cehs.wright.edu/studentinfo/student_services/graduate_ted.php). The admission process includes criteria such as admission into Graduate Level Teacher Licensure Program (application, writing sample, completion of content course work, passing Praxis II content area exam(s), admission into the School of Graduate Studies (SOGS), AND applying for your graduate field practicum. Your official admission may be contingent upon an admissions interview. Students may be permitted to complete ED 612 - Graduate equivalent of Phase I (during the summer) - prior to being officially accepted into the program, though must meet all admissions criteria before proceeding onto the next practicum - Phase II (ED 614).

Be aware that Teacher Candidates who are unsuccessful in their first attempt at Student Teaching are offered a second attempt if the WSU student / Teacher Candidate chooses. If the second attempt at Student Teaching continues to be unsuccessful, the WSU Student / Teacher Candidate will be recommended to pursue graduation without licensure.

PRACTICUM APPLICATION: Students must apply online for their Graduate Level field practicum assignment, adhering to the appropriate term's deadline listed on the home page of this web site. Field practicum assignments are arranged by the information provided on your online practicum application as well as accommodating our Partner Districts first. If you have special needs or special interests feel free to include this information on the practicum application.

Practicum assignments are pursued for the entire year of your program according to your Phase II ED 614 practicum application. If a situation arises that presents a specific opportunity for you that would also affect your next practicum assignment (ED 616 or Student Teaching), you must notify our office no later than the 5th week of the term immediately preceding the affected practicum experience. Requests are only taken into consideration if made well in advance and in writing (by the building Principal and Clinical Faculty member), along with a specific circumstance request form completed by you - the WSU Teacher Candidate. These requests must be received no later than 5th week of the term immediately preceding the effected term's practicum assignment.

Practicum applications are required for Phase I (ED 612 - if needed) AND for Phase II, part 1 (ED 614). There is no need for you to submit additional practicum applications if you proceed through the program uninterrupted with your cohort group. Our office will process accordingly your next practicum assignment, as well as the paperwork that determines your Student Teaching approval.

ATTENDANCE:

Required practicum attendance is detailed at the bottom of this page. If something would arise that would keep you from your scheduled observations (ie. illness) you must make the following three calls to notify of your absence.

1. Contact your assigned Clinical Faculty - do this as early as possible.
2. Your assigned Supervisor (contact information is available from our office - feel free to call - or with your assignment information on TK20).
3. The Office of Professional Field Experiences (775-2107) - leave a message on our voice mail if calling outside of our office hours.

Always call your school/Clinical Faculty member if you must miss any part of your scheduled day or if you will be tardy. Advance notice prior to the day of your placement is, by far, the most appropriate notification of anticipated absence. You must also call the Office of Professional Field Experiences at 775-2107 if you miss a day or change your hours any day.

FINGERPRINTING INFORMATION:

The Office of Professional Field Experiences requires that all individuals who are participating in field experiences have current background checks - local through BCII (Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation) and FBI, on file prior to attending any field practicum assignment locations. BCII results are current for only twelve months. It is your responsibility to make sure that your background-check results stay updated.

• You should complete the fingerprint process prior to your Phase I field experience, and should again complete the fingerprint process as needed within each 12 month period, though be sure these are most current prior to your Phase III or Student Teaching internship assignment.
• If you have had a background check for your employment at a childcare facility, etc., this result is acceptable, but be prepared to provide a copy of this result to the Office of Professional Field Experiences. Your background check must be current when you apply for your teaching license after Student Teaching. Because of this, it is very important that you be cognizant of the expiration date of your background check.
• Visit the Educational Resource Center (ERC) located in 112 Allyn Hall, and inquire about their electronic fingerprinting process. The ERC results are assured to reach OPFE AND the Ohio Department of Education. You are encouraged to request a copy for your own records as well.
• If you have not lived in Ohio for the past five years, you will also need to complete an FBI background check. There is an additional charge for this process. Make this request while at the ERC.

PRACTICUM ASSIGNMENTS: Your practicum site is arranged according to the information provided on your on-line application according to your planned registration for that term. If you have an unresolved issue with the Registrar's office, Bursar's office, Financial Aid, or any other office that is preventing you from registering - please notify our office; we are willing to work with you on this.

Arranged practicum assignment information will be posted on TK20 - though you must be registered in order for this to happen. It is your responsibility to make contact with your assigned Clinical Faculty member before the start of the term to arrange your classroom observation schedule. CALL THE SCHOOL IMMEDIATELY! NEVER WAIT UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE! Under no circumstances should you "just show up" without calling your assigned teacher first. Our office has no control over when assignments will be confirmed; this depends on when we hear from our districts or school sites. Placements may come in early, but do not expect them until at least the week before the term starts.

PAPERWORK / GRADES: Paperwork and forms that pertain to documenting your practicum experience will be available to you via TK20.  You are required to download the appropriate paperwork and forms and deliver items accordingly to your assigned Clinical Faculty member(s).

As you complete your practicum experiences, be sure that monthly attendance calendars are saved correctly within the artifact on TK20, AND attached to the appropriate electronic Field Experience Binder (on Tk20). Calendars should be completed by the first week of the month for the previous month's attendance. For Phase II (ED 614 & ED 616) you will need to schedule with both your Clinical Faculty member and Supervisor a formal observation of a lesson (planned and taught by you) - documentation of these lesson assessments are required to be saved on Tk20 (by your Clinical Faculty and Supervisor). During student teaching, your Clinical Faculty will need to document your growth during lead teaching via Practicum Assessments (two of these assessments during student teaching). End of Term Assessments will also help to verify your grade for your practicum experiences - saved on TK20 by your Supervisor, after discussion of the criteria with you and your Clinical Faculty.

CONCERN CONFERENCE/EDUCATIONAL PLAN:

A Concern Conference is a meeting scheduled to discuss specific concerns during your program in an effort to develop objectives (EDUCATIONAL PLAN) that will help to facilitate resolution of these issues. During any portion of your program, you (the student) have the right to request that a Concern Conference be held. We suggest that you document your concerns in writing prior to the conference taking place. Also, if there appears to be a concern with adhering to protocol, or an issue with your performance in your assigned field practicum the Office of Professional Field Experiences has the right to call for scheduling of a Concern Conference in an effort to resolve these issues to facilitate successful completion of your program. If students fail to meet or resolve any stated objectives, this can result in not being approved for Student Teaching or Graduation.

REMEMBER ...

• Check your WSU e-mail account often for frequent communication regarding information that may be sent to you by your Program Advisor or the Office of Professional Field Experiences.
• You must register for education practicum courses under the appropriate section for your specific major.
• Download practicum paperwork and information from TK20 for each practicum registration and assignment.

Phase I: Students who have completed initial Phase I education courses (ED 221, 223, 301, 303, EDS 333) during your undergraduate coursework will start the graduate level licensure program with ED 614 practicum (Phase II part 1).

There will be non-traditional students who have completed their undergraduate program at another university, or changing careers to become educators in our public school system. To accommodate these students, Phase I course work is offered at the graduate level though only during Summer A term. This Phase I field practicum at the graduate level (ED 612) will be arranged during summer school class sessions (June to July), or in an area year-round school (July to August). These students may be permitted to complete ED 612 - Phase I - prior to being officially accepted into the program.

Phase II: Phase II of the Graduate Licensure Program consists of ED 614 (Phase II, part 1), and ED 616 (Phase II, part 2). Co-requisite courses generally include classroom management, content pedagogy and methods courses. You will be required to plan and teach while in the field. Formal lesson assessments will be completed by your assigned Clinical Faculty member and University Supervisor.

Phase III / Student Teaching: The appropriate Student Teaching course registration are as follows for each individual program:

• ED 641 for Middle Childhood (grades 4-9),

• ED 651 for Adolescent / Young Adult (grades 7-12) - register for specific sections according to your content area, and

• ED 661 for Multi Age (K-12) Modern Language and Art - register for specific sections according to your content area.

During Student Teaching your assigned University Supervisor will complete formal lesson assessments, and your assigned Clinical Faculty will provide feedback via practicum assessments detailing your growth. A collaborative mid-term assessment is required so that you may be made aware of problem areas or criteria needing improvement, along with a collaborative final assessment is also being part of the documentation for your final grade. Specialized Professional Association (SPA) content assessments are included as addendums to the mid-term and final assessments.

Your Student Teaching / Internship registration also include seminar sessions every other week with your Program Advisor or representative. Expect details regarding seminar from your program representative during your internship quarter.

STARTING GRADUATE PROGRAM IN THE FALL (or SUMMER): Middle Childhood students actually being Graduate Licensure program coursework during Summer B. Fall quarter's ED 614 (Phase II, part 1) practicum assignment runs through the entire first semester. You are required to begin your Fall quarter ED 614 practicum with your assigned district's teachers' first day of school, attending your assigned classroom all day, every day up until Wright State University's first day of classes. Beginning with the start of Wright State University's fall term your practicum schedule will change - attending this same assigned classroom a minimum of 3 days/week, around your Wright State University course schedule during the 11 weeks of WSU's fall term. After Fall quarter's final's week, you attendance requirement resumes to all day, every day up until the district's winter holiday break. During this timeframe you are required to complete three weeks of lead teaching - inclusive of lesson planning, preparation of materials, classroom management, etc. - which is applied to the State Department's new requirements for student teaching.

ED 616 (Phase II, part 2) takes place during Winter quarter. Some Graduate Licensure Teacher Candidates will have a new school setting for your second semester practicum assignment, others will have the opportunity to remain in the same school site for the entire academic year. Attendance begins when school resumes after the winter holiday break. During Wright State University's Winter quarter you will attend your assigned classroom a minimum of 3 days/week, around your Wright State University course schedule.

WSU's Spring break week beings the timeframe of your actual Student Teaching / Internship, attending all day, every day up until your teacher(s)' last day of school. Plan your spring break vacation/holiday during your assigned school district's spring break, not Wright State University's!

STARTING GRADUATE PROGRAM IN THE WINTER: If you choose to start the Graduate Licensure program Winter quarter after the holiday break, ED 614 (Phase II, part 1) practicum assignment will occur during Winter quarter. Winter quarter ED 614 practicum begins when your assigned district resumes session after their holiday break, the beginning of January. You are required to attend your assigned classroom a minimum of 3 full days/week, around your Wright State University course schedule. During this Winter quarter you are required to complete five full days of lead teaching - inclusive of lesson planning, preparation of materials, classroom management, etc.

ED 616 (Phase II, part 2) takes place during WSU's Spring quarter. Some Graduate Licensure Teacher Candidates will have a new school setting for this Phase II, part 2 practicum assignment, others will have the opportunity to remain in the same school site through the entire year of the Graduate Licensure Program. During Wright State University's Spring quarter you are required to attend your assigned classroom a minimum of 3 full days/week, around your Wright State University course schedule.

The following Fall quarter will being the timeframe of your actual Student Teaching / Internship. Fall student teaching attendance begins with your assigned school district's Teachers' first day of school (prior to the start of WSU's fall quarter), attending all day, every day. You are encouraged to be involved with your Clinical Faculty member, helping to set up the classroom and prepare for the opening of the new academic year. The last day of Student Teaching during Fall quarter is the Friday of WSU's final's week - though this date may need to be extended to accommodate the State Departments minimum requirement for student teaching, depending on your assigned district's first day of school.