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Criteria for Placement of Field Experiences

• The experience supports the integrity of the documentation of, and assessment of, performance.

The district will cooperate with the Director Teacher Education Student Services in the placement of Arkansas Tech University teacher candidates.

The district will have a written agreement with Arkansas Tech University specifying the appropriate responsibilities of each party.

Field sites requiring campus-based supervision must be geographically proximate to Arkansas Tech University to allow for adequate unit-based supervision. Geographically proximate is defined as including an area of service along I-40 from Morrilton to Fort Smith, along Hwy 22 from Dardanelle to Fort Smith and along Hwy 10 from Danville to Fort Smith.

Requests will not be made to schools where a candidate is presently employed or has relatives attending or employed; additionally, placement for secondary education teacher candidates will not be requested where the candidate attended high school unless it has been 8 or more years since graduation.

• The experience supports the discipline specific content and skill knowledge.

The school of placement must be fully accredited by the State Department of Arkansas.

Field sites must provide licensed supervisors. A minimum of three years of teaching experience in the specific subject area, demonstrated supervisory skills including PATHWISE training and a willingness to mentor teacher candidates is preferred.

Field sites must provide a minimum of four (4) academic preparations in the desired area of licensure.

• The field site increases the variety of preservice environments, exposing students to various cultural and philosophical experiences found in different schools.

Teacher candidates will be placed with consideration for previous placements in school districts and in grade levels. Internships will not be requested in schools where candidates have completed the introductory field-based experience. Secondary education teacher candidates will not be placed where they attended high school unless it has been 8 or more years since graduation.

• The placement considers teacher candidates’ hardships in housing and transportation.



• The experience enhances employability upon graduation.

• The placement supports the teacher candidates’ understanding and application of technology in education.
Technology Infrastructure
Computer-assisted Instruction
Distance Learning
Classroom internet access
Use of IT in teaching
Use of Computer-assisted Instruction (CAI)
Can/do construct and implement project based learning lessons in which students use a range of IT
Can/do help students to solve problems, accomplish complex tasks, and use higher order thinking skills in an IT environment
Can/do recognize when students with special needs may benefit significantly by the use of adaptive technology and can work with a specialist to make these facilities available
Can/do teach age-appropriate IT skills and knowledge to K-12 students
Can/do work in a range of IT environments (labs, mini-labs, standalone and networked computers, one-computer classrooms, distance education facilities)
Can/do use word processing to develop lesson plans and materials to support instruction
Can/do use computer graphics to develop lesson plans and materials to support instruction
Can/do use e-mail to communicate with colleagues/students/administration
Can/do use internet (ie World Wide Web) to retrieve appropriate information to support instruction
Can/do use an electronic gradebook


• Request for placement meets external guidelines directing selection of a best placement:

Meets National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education Standards for Clinical and Field-based Experiences

The Unit makes certain that clinical and field-based experiences in the professional education curriculum are designed to prepare teacher candidates to work effectively in specific education roles.

Field-based and clinical experiences are systematically selected to provide opportunities for teacher candidates to observe, plan, and practice in a variety of settings appropriate to the professional roles for which they are being prepared.

Field-based and clinical experiences provide teacher candidates with the skills that allow them to diagnose and solve problems that involve the allocation of the principles and theories from the knowledge bases of their particular professional program.

Field-based and clinical experiences are accompanied by professional supervision and feedback that include attention to instructional plans, characteristics of learners and instructional settings, structured observation of the experiences, and detailed debriefing relative to program goals. The Unit has selected to adapt the PATHWISE Classroom Observation System to guide professional supervision and feedback providing seamless support from aligned courses to field placement, to licensure testing, to first year mentoring, to standard licensure testing. All supervisory roles must be PATHWISE trained.

Teacher candidates participate in field-based and/or clinical experiences with culturally diverse and exceptional populations.

The internship is a direct, substantial, full-day, 12- week experience.

In internship, three-member teams of the unit-based supervisor or liaison, the field-based supervisor or clinical practice instructor, and the teacher candidate have a well-defined plan for supporting a successful experience as the teacher candidate assumes increasing responsibilities in the school setting.

Field-based sites are carefully selected for all field experiences, including partner schools and other cooperating professional internship locations, so that teacher candidates are provided experiences consistent with the goals of the unit’s programs and licensure standards.

The roles and responsibilities of the teacher candidate, supervisors or clinical practice instructors who participate in field-based and clinical experiences are defined in negotiated written agreements.

Meet State Department of Education Requirements for Content-Specific Certification

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