Field Placement: Practicum
Introduction
Students in teacher preparation programs will find important information on this page related to the Practicum experience. The Pennsylvania Department of Education refers to the Practicum stage in teacher preparation as Stage 3. Practicum is a pre-student teaching experience. Practicum students are placed in local schools by the Field Placement Office for a single day per week. Placements will align with each student’s certification program. Students will work directly with an experienced mentor teacher in the field and will be supported and evaluated by a University faculty supervisor. Students will be required to complete a series of structured assignments designed to build their pre-service instructional skill set and professional dispositions. Practicum students and their supervisors will use the University’s Learning Management System to track and record student progress. Students must earn a B or better in Practicum in order to advance to the next stage in the field experience progression.
The Field Placement Office retains sole authority for identifying and determining student placements.
Eligibility Requirements
The eligibility requirements for Practicum are detailed in the Undergraduate and Graduate catalog. Candidates are referred to these documents for details.
Clearance Requirements & Practicum Application
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's School Code requires that students in teacher preparation programs have current background checks. Candidates for Practicum must have current clearances on file with American DataBank before entering a school building. Visit the link below for information on required clearances and the registration process.
Practicum Applications
Student candidates for Practicum must submit a completed application for placement to the Field Placement Office in accordance with established guidelines and due dates.
- Applications for graduate practicum will be forwarded to candidates by the Field Placement Office
- Undergraduate Practicum Application
- Undergraduate Telescoped Practicum Application
Professional Conduct
The Holy Family University student is expected to conduct themself in a proper and professional manner whenever visiting a school site and/or interacting with school personnel, students, family members and/or community members. Failure to meet this requirement will subject the student to University intervention up to and including the possibility of removal from the teacher preparation program. For more information on Commonwealth requirements click below.
Program Outcomes & Field Experience Competencies
School of Education (SOE) programs have specific learning outcomes embedded in their course work. Additionally, the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) has published competencies that are designed to inform the development of teacher preparation programs and the evaluation of students engaged in clinical experiences in the field. The competencies are organized under seven headings that parallel and extend the domains in Charlotte Danielson's framework for enhancing professional practice. Click below to view the SOE program outcomes and the PDE competencies for the Practicum stage (Stage 3).