FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

WHO SHOULD ENROLL IN FIELD EXPERIENCES
All students (AKA teacher candidates) registered for or enrolled in College of Education courses that require completion of a field experience component. This includes all teacher preparation courses.

HOW TO ENROLL IN FIELD EXPERIENCES
During Early Registration each quarter, pre-teacher and teacher candidates are required to complete the Application for Field & Clinical Experiences. A link to the application is sent to each pre-teacher and teacher candidate enrolled in TaskStream. The link opens the web-based application form which when completed and submitted by the pre-teacher or teacher candidate provides placement information to the Office of Certification and Professional Experiences (OCPE). The OCPE uses the submitted information to make the appropriate field and clinical experience placements within educational settings and to track the diversity of the placements.  Notifications are sent periodically through the TaskStream Message Center (email) to remind candidates to complete the application. The application is open for completion until the conclusion of the second full week of each quarter.

PROTOCOL FOR PLACEMENT
The Office of Certification and Professional Experiences (OCPE) places candidates in schools using these criteria:

• Student Teaching/Internships take priority, practicum are next, then senior level courses, to pre-teacher candidates enrolled in EDCI 125 being the final ones placed

• the diversity of the placement - the OCPE attempts to place each candidate in situations that will provide rich and varied learning and instructional experiences

• the candidate's proposed area of certification

• the proximity to the candidate's requested district

• the candidate's special needs, if stated - NOTE: it is unlikely that the OCPE will honor these in Level 1 experiences

NOTE: Due to having course-specific requirements, some course instructors place the candidates enrolled in their course and provide the OCPE with a list of candidates and the placement for input of that data within the OFCE database.

HOW YOU WILL BE NOTIFIED REGARDING YOUR PLACEMENT
As the OCPE places candidates in course-based field experiences (Level 1) they are notified via spreadsheets attached in email messages sent through the TaskStream Message Notification Center. Typically, the OCPE begins sending these notifications during the second full week of classes and continues sending them until the last EDCI 125 student is placed.

WHAT YOU WILL DO DURING YOUR FIELD EXPERIENCES
The OCPE does not mandate any specific experiences for Level 1 courses except the following:

1) number of hours required, 2) they be aligned to course outcomes, 3) they be effectively assessed.

Typically, faculty determine the field-based assignments (aligned with course outcomes) for the course they are instructing.
EX. -completing a specific number of guided observations, reviewing a school improvement plan, assisting instruction in a specified learning environment, etc.

Many faculty use observation forms specific to the course content such as during the Classroom Management course candidates may be required to observe specific classroom management techniques and reflect upon the particular strategies' impact on instruction.

WHAT DOES "ASSIGNED BY INSTRUCTOR" MEAN?

The instructor will have specific assignments that will serve as your field placement component and/or request that you visit a particular school.

HOW SHOULD I DRESS WHEN I VISIT A SCHOOL?

You should dress as would be expected of a professional educator. The Lincoln Parish School District has a Dress Code Policy for Administrators and Teachers (see attachment in the Documents and Forms section). Please use the guidelines within that document as a standard for your attire.