Field Experience Placements

School of Education (SoE) Field Experience Placement Application Requirements

Before applying for a SoE field placement as a component of EDUC 320 (Pre-Student Teaching - Undergraduate), or EDUC 412 or 410 (Student Teaching - Undergraduate), or EDUC 540 (Student Teaching - Graduate), please print out and review the requirements and timeline.

1. It is the responsibility of the student to apply for the appropriate field experience by the deadlines listed below. Some school districts also need to review a candidate's introductory letter, transcripts, and arrange an interview before approval of a field experience placement.

   Placement Term:	Fall Quarter Placement	Winter Quarter Placement	Spring Quarter Placement
   Application DEADLINE for U.S. School Placement	February 15	May 1	September 30
   Application DEADLINE for International School Placement	January 1	April 1	N/A

   
   
2. Eligibility requirements for a field placement include: a) overall 3.0 GPA with the grade of "B" or better in all core education courses taken to date -- grades of "B-" and below are not considered successful in terms of meeting field placement eligibility requirements b) a 3.0 GPA average in the content courses taken to date required for teacher certification in a candidate's primary area of certification, and c) successful Praxis I scores using Pennsylvania (PA) standards of success on the Praxis Exams.  NOTE: Appropriate Praxis II Exam(s) are required to obtain a PA Instructional I Teaching Certificate, but not required to participate in the required field experiences.  
   
3. Candidates seeking placement in PA schools must obtain: a) the PA Access To Criminal History (PATCH), the PA Child Abuse History Clearance and the Federal (FBI) Criminal History Report clearances.  Some PA school districts also require a TB check.  Candidates seeking field placements outside of PA will need to check with the appropriate state department of education and/or school district in which placement is sought regarding any needed state or federal clearances.
   
4. An Introductory Letter and Resume following the guidelines that are posted in the Forms section. The Introductory Letter requirements are reviewed and the letter drafted as a component of EDUC 320 for undergraduate and EDUC 520 for graduate candidates. (Undergraduate candidates are required to submit a revised Introductory Letter and Resume when applying for EDUC 410 or 412: Student Teaching.)
   
5. Online candidates that are not in the Philadelphia area are responsible for providing the contact information of the desired school district to the SoE's Field Placement office. Candidate's are not permitted to attempt to arrange a field placement with a school or school district on their own!  It is the responsibility of the Schoolof Education to make a formal professional placement request on a candidate's behalf.
   
6. Per University policy, official correspondence regarding a candidate's academic studies must occur via the candidate's Drexel University email account.
   
7. Candidate's taking on-campus course work also may request a particular school or location for their field placements. The SoE will make every effort to accommodate all requests, however the SoE makes the final decision if placement is appropriate. The SoE must take in consideration several variables including proximity of the school to Drexel for students taking on-campus courses during their Pre-Student Teaching field experience (EDUC 320), availability of a qualified Cooperating Teacher at the school, etc.
8. All Field Experience candidates must obtain one letter of recommendation from a faculty member of the School of Education for their first Field Experience conducted through Drexel. Undergraduates must obtain a second letter, which may come from a non-SoE professor, attesting to the candidate's academic ability.
9. Undergraduates are reminded that taking additional courses while Student Teaching (EDUC 410 or EDUC 412) is NOT encouraged or permitted without the expressed approval of the SoE's Office of Field Placements.  With approval, an undergraduate may take a maximum of one course in while student teaching providing the course meets in the evening and does not conflict with the Seminar portion of the student teaching course.  Students seeking approval should draft a request letter and submit it with their field experience placement application.

THE APPLICATION TIMELINE

SoE Academic Advisors automatically receive each field placement application and review the application for eligibility working with the Field Experiences Placement Office. Eligibility requirements for each placement are:

Pre-Student Teaching (EDUC 320: Professional Studies in Instruction).  A candidate must be formally admitted to the SoE's Teacher Certification Program before being permitted to register for EDUC 320.  Review for formal acceptance generally occurs when the candidate has completed 90 credits.

• Required passing score according to PA standards on Praxis I Exams.
  
• Grade B or better in the required core education courses taken (grades of B- and below are not acceptable) at the time the field placement is to begin.
  
• An overall 3.0 Grade Point Average (GPA) at the time field placement is to begin as well as a 3.0 GPA in required content courses taken to date in candidate's primary area of teacher certification.
  
• Official acceptance to Drexel University's Teacher Certification Program.
• Read through the online "Field Experience Orientation" document.
  

Student Teaching (EDUC 410 or EDUC 412: Student Teaching)

• Grade B or better in the required core education courses (grades of B- and below are not acceptable) at the time the field placement is to begin.
  
• An overall 3.0 GPA at the time field placement is to begin as well as a 3.0 GPA in required content courses taken to date in candidate's primary area of teacher certification.
• Read through the online "Field Experience Orientation" document.
  

Graduate Student Teaching & Seminar (EDUC 540: Graduate Student Teaching)

• Required passing score according to PA standards on Praxis I Exams.
  
• Grade B or better in EDUC 520 and EDUC 526 or EDUC 523 (grades of B- and below are not acceptable) at the time the field placement is to begin.
  
• An overall 3.0 Grade Point Average (GPA) at the time field placement is to begin as well as a 3.0 GPA in required content courses taken to date in candidate's primary area of teacher certification.
  
• Official acceptance to Drexel University's Teacher Certification Program.
• Read through the online "Field Experience Orientation" document.
  

1. The appropriate SoE Advisor reviews the candidate's field placement application and forwards it to the SoE's Office of Field Placements. The candidate is contacted if any additional information is required. The SoE's Field Placement Office makes the formal request for a classroom-based field experience to the school and/or school district along forward to them any other required documents needed to make a placement decision, (all clearances, a Drexel transcript, a Resume and the appropriate Introductory Letter).  The SoE also forwards the CooperatingTeacher application and the Role of the Cooperating Teacher for the school/school district's review.
   
2. The school and/or school district shares their decision on the requested placement with the SoE. The candidate will be notified by email that the placement has been confirmed or denied via the candidate's Drexel University e-mail account.  If the requested placement is denied, the SoE will work with the candidate on selecting an alternative placement site to apply.
   
3. Each field experience has a Seminar component for which each candidate must participated. Campus-based students attend a weekly seminar during their field placement in the evening, one night a week.  Online-based students participate in the Seminar as a regular online course.  Only students formally accepted into an online teacher education program may register for an online section of EDUC 320, 410 or 412, and 540.
   
4. All field experience students are observed and evaluated by both a University Supervisor and a Cooperating Teacher.  The Seminar Instructor communicates with both the University Supervisor and the Cooperating teacher to ensure that the goals and objectives for both the field experience and seminar portions of the course are in synch, as well as discuss the development and progress of the field experience student.  With input of the University Supervisor and Cooperating Teacher, the Seminar Instructor has ultimate responsibility for determining and reporting the grade of the field experience course to the University.  

Please contact the SoE' Field Placement Office should you require any clarification or have any questions.

Dr. Sarah Reynolds

Associate Clinical Professor and

Director of Certification Programs and Experiential Learning

(215) 895-1034

stuteach@drexel.edu 

STOP! Before completing the Field Experience Placement Request Form, for which the link is located at the bottom of this page, you should have:

• successfully completed the Praxis I Exams;
  
• a 3.0 cumulative GPA, a 3.0 GPA in all content course work required for teacher certification and the grade of "B" or better in each EDUC course required for teacher certification taken to date;
  
• a Current Resume
  
• composed an Introduction Letter
  
• obtained the appropriate Letter(s) of Recommendation (Undergraduate Form) or Letter of Recommendation (Graduate Form)
• obtained all clearances required of the state and school district in which you would like approval to conduct the SoE field experience(s).
• read through the online "Field Experience Orientation" document by clicking on each tab. The last tab "Certification" includes the Quiz and the Field Placement Request Form.  Once you complete the Quiz, fill out the Field Placement Form and press submit. Send all other requirements listed above to your Graduate Advisor.

Go to the Online Orientation / Field Experience Placement Request Form