Policy 1.21      Field Experiences

 All teacher education majors at Kean University are required to successfully complete an Introductory (sophomore) field and Preprofessional (junior) field experience as well as a full semester of Professional Internship/student teaching. These field experience settings are selected so that cultural diversity and the education of exceptional populations are addressed.                      

School of Education Administrative Council Action
Revised 5/12/01 Approved by Field Advisory Committee

Approved by Administrative Council 1/16/02

 Policy 1.22      Admission to Preprofessional Experience

To be eligible to register for the Preprofessional Experience the student must be formally accepted into the appropriate education program, have achieved a minimum of 60 credits, and have at least a 2.75 cumulative grade point average from all institutions attended and at Kean University.

Student must make formal application to the Teaching Performance Center (TPC) Willis 110. Applications for the following summer and fall terms are due February 1. Applications for the following spring term are due April 15. Transfer students and special cases applying for spring placement must complete and submit applications by September 15.  Students who are not eligible or those who do not apply by the required time may not be accepted for enrollment until the next semester.

 Preprofessional Field Application Instructions and Preprofessional Junior Field Guidelines, 2000. P. 8Revised 5/12/01 Approved by Field Advisory Committee
            Approved by Administrative Council 1/16/02

  Policy 1.23      Placement for Preprofessional Experience

 1.   Internship placements are made through a cooperative and mutual arrangement with P-12 schools and agencies.  These arrangements are initiated and completed by the Teaching Performance Center in accordance with departments within the College of Education where agreements with selected P-12 schools and agencies exist.

2.   Preprofessional experience students will be assigned to schools in towns other than where they reside, where they went to school, where their children attend, or where they have relatives employed in the schools. Exceptions may be made for students living in special needs districts or professional development school districts.  Placements in districts with diverse populations are encouraged.

 3.   If there are special considerations requested in placements, they are to be made in writing to the Assistant Director of the Teaching Performance Center with a copy to the program coordinator at the time the application is submitted.  Requests for placement by students will be considered only where there is evidence of extenuating circumstances.

 4.   Each student will be provided two opportunities to interview for a preprofessional placement.  If both interviews result in non-acceptance, the student will be evaluated by a Fieldwork Review Committee convened by the Teaching Performance Center to determine his/her suitability for classroom placement.  The committee membership will consist of the student’s designated program coordinator or faculty advisor and representatives from the Teaching Performance Center and the appropriate department within the College of Education.

 5.   Placements in Professional Development Schools are a priority for the College of  Education.

                                                PreProfessional Internship Application Instructions and A Guide for Professional Laboratory Experiences:
PreProfessional Field Experience Handbook II, 2001. pp 12-13

Revised 5/12/01 Approved by Field Advisory Committee

Approved the Administrative Council 4/2/02

 Policy 1.24      Preprofessional Experience Waivers 

No Preprofessional  experience will be waived after May 23, 1991. All students must complete a Preprofessional field experience. Students who are teaching under contract may be supervised in their own classroom, but they must register for the preprofessional/junior field experience. This also includes students who have successfully completed preprofessional experiences at a university in a foreign country.  

                                                School of Education Administrative Council Action, 1991.

            Revised 5/12/01 Approved by Field Advisory Committee

                                                Approved by Administrative Council 1/16/02

 Policy 1.25      Admission to Professional Internship

 Admission requirements for professional interns seeking teacher certification have been established by the College of Education to meet New Jersey Department of Education requirements as well as those of Kean University.  The following are prerequisites to the internship program:

 l.    Undergraduate Students

 a.   Formal acceptance into a program within the College of Education.  

b.   A minimum of 95 credit/semester hours completed.     

c.   Cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.75 or above from all institutions attended and at Kean University. 

d.   A student is required to have negative test results for the Mantoux Tuberculin Test before s/he enters the assigned school for the Professional Intern/Student Teaching Field Experience.  The results must be no more than six months old and be submitted to the school nurse on the first day of the experience. A student with a positive reaction to the Mantoux must  comply with the State’s follow-up procedures (including chest x-ray and medical evaluation) by submitting a physician report.  

e.   Successful completion of Introductory (sophomore) Field Experience and the Preprofessional Field Experience. 

f.    Specific program requirements including prerequisite courses as determined by the department in which accepted.  Individual department and/or program requirements may supersede the above stated eligibility requirements, particularly grade point average.  Please check with program coordinator.  

g.   Courses in educational professional sequence and  the academic major must be a C or better.  No grades below C or INCOMPLETE are acceptable. 

2.   Post Baccalaureate/Certification Students: (must be matriculated) 

a.   Successful completion of respective Introductory (sophomore) Field course and Preprofessional Field course. 

b.   Completion of EDUC 3000 and EDUC 3400/01/03 where required. 

c.   Cumulative GPA of 2.75 or above.

d.   Grades in education major of C or better; a minimum of B- in each IEL course is required for Elementary Education program. 

e.   A student is required to have negative test results for the Mantoux Tuberculin Test before s/he enters the assigned school for Professional Intern/Student Teaching Field Experience.  The results must be no more than six months old and be submitted to the school nurse on the first day of the experience.  A person with a positive reaction to the Mantoux must comply with the State’s follow up procedures (including chest x-ray and medical evaluation) by submitting a physician report. 

f.    Specific program requirements including prerequisite courses as determined by the department in which accepted.  Department and/or program requirements may supersede above eligibility requirements.  Please check with program coordinator.

                                                                                 A Guide for Professional Laboratory Experiences, 2001 p.8-9

            Revised 5/12/01 Approved by Field Advisory Committee

                                                Approved by Administrative Council 1/16/02

 Policy 1.26 Placement for Professional Internship 

1.   Internship placements are made through a cooperative and mutual arrangement with P-12 schools and agencies.  These arrangements are initiated and completed by the Teaching Performance Center in accordance with departments within the College of Education where agreements with selected P-12 schools and agencies exist.  

2.   Professional interns will be assigned to schools in towns other than where they reside, where they went to school, where their children attend, or where they have relatives employed in the schools. Exceptions may be made for students living in special needs districts or professional development school districts.  Students may select from an approved listing of placements.  Placements in districts with diverse populations are encouraged. 

      If there are special considerations requested in placements, they are to be made in writing to the Assistant Director of the Teaching Performance Center with a copy to the program coordinator at the time the application is submitted.  Requests for placements by students will be considered only where there is evidence of extenuating circumstances. 

4.   Each student will be provided two opportunities to interview for an internship placement.  If both interviews result in non-acceptance, the student will be evaluated by a Fieldwork Review Committee convened by the Teaching Performance Center to determine his/her suitability for classroom placement.  The committee membership will consist of the student’s designated program coordinator or faculty advisor and representatives from the Teaching Performance Center and the appropriate department within the College of Education. 

5.   Placements in Professional Development Schools are a priority for the College of  Education. 

                                                Professional Internship Application Instructions and A Guide for Professional Laboratory Experiences:

 Professional Internship Handbook III, 2001. pp 12-13

Revised 5/12/01 Approved by Field Advisory Committee

                                                Approved by Administrative Council 4/2/02

 Policy 1.27 Selection of Professional Internship/Student Teaching Sites

 A listing of Professional Internship (Student Teaching)  sites as approved by the program faculty and school districts is made available for students as part of the application packet. Students must select a regional assignment from the approved list.

                                                            Revised 5/12/01 Approved by Field Advisory Committee

                                                           Approved by Administrative Council 2/4/02

 Policy 1.28      Professional Internship Schedule

 The professional internship is the third and final stage in the teacher preparation sequence and a full-time experience; a stage that requires a student to spend an entire semester – everyday, all day – in an assigned school or agency.  Interns will follow the same schedule as the cooperating teacher including appropriate professional activities.

A Guide for Professional Laboratory Experiences – Professional Internship Handbook III 2001

Revised 10/3/01 Approved by Field Advisory Committee

                                    Approved by Administrative Council 2/4/02

 Policy 1.29      Employment and Outside Activities During the Professional Internship

 It is expected that the Professional Intern will not participate in any employment, activity, or university functions which interfere with the responsibilities and requirements of the professional experience.

   A Guide for Professional Laboratory Experiences, pp.24-25.

Revised 11/28/01  Approved by Field Advisory Committee

                                    Approved by Administrative Council 2/4/02

 Policy 1.30      Repeating a Field Experience Course ( Preprofessional or Internship)

 Application to repeat one field experience course  (preprofessional or internship) may be made within a two-year period upon receipt of a grade of unsatisfactory.  A student will have one opportunity total to repeat either the preprofessional or professional internship experience. A student who graduates from the undergraduate program without certification and returns to the post baccalaureate program is also governed by this policy.  A field experience course may be repeated, only once, provided the student meets all recommended interventions.

 Rev. 12/08/04 Field Advisory Committee
Approved by Administrative Council 2/7/05

Policy 1.31      Job Action at Site of Field Experience Placement

 In the event that the school or district to which the university student is assigned is subject to any serious conflict or dispute between the teachers’ association and the Board of Education, the field experience student will occupy a position of neutrality, which means: 

1.  The situation that affects the field experience is to be reported to the university supervisor/clinical instructor or faculty and the Teaching Performance Center, 110 Willis Hall,  (908) 737-4185. 

2.  The field experience student is not to cross a picket line or participate in a job action. 

                                                            A Guide for Professional Laboratory Experiences, 2001

            Revised 5/12/01 Approved by Field Advisory Committee

                                                            Approved by Administrative Council 2/4/02

 Policy 1.32 Field Experience Requirement 

All undergraduate and post-baccalaureate teacher education candidates seeking an initial certification at Kean University are required to successfully complete at least one preprofessional field experience at Kean as well as a full semester of professional internship. 

                                                A Guide for Professional Laboratory Experiences, 2001

                                    Revised 5/12/01 Approved by Field Advisory Committee

                                                Approved by Administrative Council 2/4/02

 Policy 1.33 Removal from Field Experience Placement 

Removal from a field experience placement may be initiated by the cooperating teacher, university supervisor/clinical instructor, principal or the student.  Conditions for a future placement are delineated in Policy 1.30. 

If removal is the result of unethical conduct, criminal activity or extreme incompetence in performing the requirements of the experience, the student may be denied a second opportunity. 

                                                            Revised 11/28/01  Approved by Field Advisory Committee

                                                            Approved by Administrative Council 2/4/02

 Policy 1.34  Visiting Professional Interns 

The College of Education only accepts visiting professional interns from other NCATE approved institutions for guest placements during the final semester of the Professional Internship. 

The following criteria must be in place for acceptance. A student must: 

Have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.75 from an accredited NCATE institution

Submit a letter of support from his/her academic department

Be interviewed by the Director of the Teaching Performance Center

Submit a completed application for Visiting Professional Internship (available at TPC/ Willis 110)

Complete a TPC field placement application  (available at TPC/ Willis 110)

Register for professional internship at the sending institution.

Make payment of fees to Kean University for supervision, cooperating teacher and supervisor travel cost before August 15 for Fall semester placement or December 15 for Spring semester placement. 

                                                Revised 11/28/01  Approved by Field Advisory Committee

                                                Approved by Administrative Council 2/4/02

 Policy 1.35  Course Enrollment during Professional Internship                                     

A student enrolled in the Professional Internship may register for only one additional course for the semester in which the Professional Internship is performed. 

                                                Revised 11/28/01  Approved by Field Advisory Committee

                                                Approved by Administrative Council 2/4/02

 Policy 1.36   Supervision of a Preprofessional Field Experience or Professional Internship Student placed for a Second Semester 

A student who is repeating a field experience sequence will be assigned a Kean University residential faculty member or clinical instructor as his/her supervisor for that field experience semester. 

A Guide for Professional Laboratory Experiences – Professional Internship Handbook III 2001

Rev. 11/28/01 Field Advisory Committee

                                                Approved by Administrative Council 2/4/02

Rev. 12/08/04 Field Advisory Committee
            Approved by Administrative Council 2/7/05

Policy 1.37   Criminal History Background Check 

The College of Education of Kean University requires that each student who is enrolled in a field experience course and who will participate in a field placement at a school or agency, affirm and/or certify that he/she does not have a criminal history or conviction pending that will disqualify him/her from certification as an educator or administrator in the public schools and agencies of New Jersey.  

Adopted by Field Advisory Committee 12/08/04
Approved by Administrative Council 2/7/05