Placements for all field experiences in the PreK-9 program are made by the Clinical Coordinator in the Office of Clinical and Field Experience. Placements are made in order to meet certification requirements for the State of Maryland.

Assistantship

1. The Clinical Coordinator, with input from university instructors, tentatively assigns each Assistantship pair to a school placement for the field experience.
   1. EARLY CHILDHOOD/ELEM majors are placed for their Teacher Assistantship in intermediate grades (4, 5). Extended field experiences during Internship I and II are provided in Pre-K/K and primary grades (1, 2, or 3).
   2. ELEM and ELEM/MIDDLE majors are typically placed in primary grades for the Teacher Assistantship.
2. Partnerships: Candidates are paired for the Teacher Assistantship to develop confidence and skills in planning and reflection on teaching.
3. Scheduling
   1. The placement is for a three week period or a total of 15 days.
   2. The dates of the three-week experience vary but usually fall in the latter half of the Block I semester so that the candidates can apply their knowledge from classes.

Internship I

1. The Clinical Coordinator, in collaboration with university, district and school representatives, tentatively assigns the candidate a suitable PDS placement for internship.  Factors to be considered are the grade level needed by the students, available mentor teachers, and PDS needs and availability.  The candidate provides information about personal circumstances that might impact the placement, but no guarantee can be made that the information will influence the internship placement.  Candidates will be notified individually of his or her assignment prior to the Internship II semester.
   1. EARLY CHILDHOOD/ELEM majors are placed in Pre-K/K, in primary grades (1, 2, or 3), and intermediate grades (4, 5 ).  Candidates with an early childhood specialization must complete a PreK or K placement in Internship I or II for early childhood certification.
   2. ELEM majors are placed at grades 1, - 5, depending on the candidate preference and placement availability. 
   3. ELEM/MIDDLE majors may be placed at the intermediate grades (4,5) or middle grades (6-8) for Internship I, depending on candidate preference and placement availability.
2. All preliminary contacts of the schools and the mentor teachers are made by the Clinical Coordinator in the Office of Clinical and Field Experiences. Any requests for placement changes must be submitted in writing to the Clinical Coordinator.
3. Candidates wishing to secure an Internship I field experience placement in Frederick or Washington County must submit an application to the Office of Clinical and Field Experience the semester prior to the Internship. Information about the process and the application are in this handbook.
4. Candidates must follow their placement county’s policies on fingerprinting and TB tests. Some counties require additional fingerprinting/background checks or TB tests beyond the program and Phase requirements. Candidates should check with the Office of Clinical and Field Experience and their PDS site coordinator regarding any additional requirements.

Internship II

1. The Clinical Coordinator, with university, district and school representatives, tentatively assigns the candidate a suitable PDS placement for internship.  Factors to be considered are the grade level needed by the students, available mentor teachers, and PDS needs and availability.  The candidate provides information about personal circumstances that might impact the placement, but no guarantee can be made that the information will influence the internship placement.  Candidates will be notified individually of his or her assignment prior to the Internship II semester.
2. Each candidate will continue his/her second internship within the same Professional Development School (PDS) as his/her first internship, if possible, in order to provide continuity of placement. If this is not possible, the intern will be placed in another appropriate Professional Development School in order to meet certification requirements or to gain additional experiences with diverse students.   If no PDS opening is available to meet an intern’s requirements, other suitable placements will be considered.
   1. EARLY CHILDHOOD/ELEM majors are placed in Pre-K/K, in primary grades (1, 2, or 3), and intermediate grades (4, 5 ).  Candidates with an early childhood specialization must complete a PreK or K placement in Internship I or II for early childhood certification.
   2. ELEM majors are placed at grades 1, - 5, depending on the candidate preference and placement availability. 
   3. ELEM/MIDDLE majors may be placed at the intermediate grades (4,5) or middle grades (6-8) for Internship II, depending on candidate preference and placement availability.
3. All preliminary contacts of the schools and the mentor teachers are made by the Clinical Coordinator in the Office of Clinical and Field Experiences. Any requests for placement changes must be submitted in writing to the Clinical Coordinator.
4. Candidates wishing to secure an Internship II field experience placement in Frederick or Washington County must submit an application to the Office of Clinical and Field Experience the semester prior to the Internship. Information about the process and the application are in this handbook.
5. Candidates must follow their placement county’s policies on fingerprinting and TB tests. Some counties require additional fingerprinting/background checks or TB tests beyond the program and Phase requirements. Candidates should check with the Office of Clinical and Field Experience and their PDS site coordinator regarding any additional requirements.

Relationships

Candidates will not be placed for a field experience in a classroom with a family member (children, parent, sibling, spouse, aunt/uncle, cousins, etc). Placement in a school where a family member is a faculty or staff member will be avoided, when possible. Candidates will be asked to disclose any family relationships in partner school districts on the Assistantship information form. Any relationship conflicts will be cross checked during Internship I and II placement procedures, but it is the responsibility of the intern to alert the Office of Clinical and Field Experience of a conflict. The PreK-9 program coordinator and the Clinical Coordinator will determine appropriate next steps for a change in field experience if a conflict is identified.