I.  General Policies

            A.  Admission

Admission to the program and to phases are described in the university catalog.  Additional information may be obtained from the Office of Clinical and Field Experience and the Unit Assessment Office.

            B.   Placement of Interns (Procedures)

1.  Information concerning intern placement is shared with the Office of Clinical and Field Experiences so that placements can be effectively coordinated.
2.  State regulations mandate placement in Professional Development Schools (PDS) where such partnerships exist. 
3.  Placements are made to meet certification and program requirements.    Secondary teacher candidates are placed in both middle schools and high schools.
4.  The Placement Director notifies each intern of his/her placement, and each intern makes a pre-practice contact or visit to the mentor teacher. In the fall semester, each intern completes a beginning of the     school year induction experience of four days, some of which occurs before the start of the FSU semester.
5.   Orientation meetings are facilitated through the EDUC 300 (Intern Is) and EDUC 406 (Intern IIs) courses.

C.  Number of Internship Days

      The minimum number of internship days is 100 total days during the particular program.  The pattern of internships generally adheres to the minimum days indicated in the following chart:

Interns are expected to start on the assigned day and end on the assigned last day, unless make-up days are required to meet the mandated requirement.  Interns are to have an experience designed to focus on student achievement, action research, collaboration, and professional growth.  Although state regulations require a minimum of 100 days in the practicum environment, it should be anticipated that the university schedules more than 100 days within the programs and that each candidate is expected to complete all scheduled days.  Because of the complex nature of interns meeting course requirements and scheduling of internship, the intern I experience may require schedules that start before and end after the stated dates in the Placement Office calendar.

D.  Coursework during Internships

      Each program has required coursework scheduled in conjunction with the internships at each stage of the program.  For example, the course taken with the undergraduate Internship II isEDUC 406 – Leadership Seminar.  This course focuses on educational leadership in the classroom including classroom management, technology, content standards, diversity, exceptional students, and leadership in the schools and in the profession, including the completion of a professional portfolio.  Each candidate must plan other coursework carefully so as not to overlap the time required for the internships.  Any exception to unfettered performance of internship duties must be approved by the Program Coordinator, Dr. Rosa, in consultation with assigned mentors, university content coordinators or methods instructors.  Candidates must realize that internship duties and responsibilities must remain primary, and that other activities, work, or participation cannot interfere with or degrade the performance of the internship.

E.  Attendance and Punctuality

      The teacher intern is expected to arrive and depart the assigned school at the same hour that regular members of the teaching staff arrive and depart, unless other arrangements have been made to accommodate university coursework in consultation with Dr. Rosa.  Interns are to put in a full day of activities related to the instructional program.  If not teaching a class, an intern should be observing the mentor teacher, assisting the mentor teacher as needed, working on development of the curriculum or environment, or collaborating with others on professional agendas.  This may include attendance at after-school activities or responsibilities considered to be a routine or integral part of the teacher’s professional duties.

F.  Absence

  When an illness occurs and an absence becomes necessary, the intern must notify the following:              

               1.  Mentor Teacher and Principal – before the start of the school day.

               2.  Office of Clinical and Field Experience (301-687-3087) – before 9:00 a.m.

               3.  University Supervisor – before 9:00 a.m.

      Absences may need to be made up in order for the intern to meet the required number of internship days.

G.  Involvement in Campus Activities and Employment

      In order to obtain the most benefit from the professional semester, the intern is requested to limit all outside activities.  The intern is expected to devote full time to his/her teaching.  The intern is not to participate in demanding extra-curricular events while interning without the consent of the Program Coordinator (Dr. Rosa).  Ideally, outside employment is minimized during the interning semester(s).

H.  Vacations

      The teacher intern follows the university calendar, and is entitled to the same vacation periods reflected in that calendar.  Interns may make special arrangements when differences exist between the university calendar and the intern’s school calendar, with permission from the Program Coordinator (Dr. Rosa), in consultation with the Placement Coordinator, the University Supervisor, and the Mentor Teacher. Written requests are signed by the Program Coordinator, the Mentor Teacher and The University Supervisor and are submitted to the Placement Coordinator.