Field Experience and Clinical Practice
Field experiences and clinical practice are integral program components. They provide the opportunities for candidates to apply their knowledge, skill, and dispositions in a variety of settings appropriate to the content and level of their program of study. Designed to integrate with coursework and to be developmentally sequenced for the candidates, these experiences help candidates develop the competence necessary to begin their careers. Clinical practice is the culminating experience for teacher candidates in the undergraduate and graduate initial teacher education programs.
Faculty, staff, and administration in the School of Education, Health, and Human Performance work with our PK-12 partner schools to integrate resources and expertise and support candidate's learning in field experiences and clinical practice. Our goal is to design, implement and evaluate field experiences and clinical practice so the teacher candidates develop and demonstrate the knowledge, skills and dispositions necessary to help all students learn. Personnel in the schools and the School of Education, Health, and Human Performance jointly determine placements.
Field Experiences allow candidates to apply and reflect on their content, professional, pedagogical knowledge, skills and dispositions with students, peers and professionals. Teacher candidates work collaboratively with other candidates, School of Education, Health, and Human Performance faculty and staff, and school-based personnel to critique and reflect on practice and effects on student learning with the goal of improving practice. Field experiences and clinical practice facilitate candidates' exploration of their knowledge, skills, and dispositions related to all students.
A student must be admitted to the Teacher Education Program one full semester prior to clinical practice.
It is the policy of the School of Education, Health, and Human Performance that assignments for field experience and clinical practice placements are made within the Tri-County area. If an appropriate placement is not available within the Tri-County area, the School of Education, Health, and Human Performance reserves the right to place the student in the closest appropriate placement.
NOTE: Required application form, results of the S.C. standardized test and required recommendation forms must be sent to the director, certification and clinical practice.
After these materials are reviewed, the student will be notified of any additional requirements necessary for admission. Admission to a program does not guarantee admission to clinical practice or certification.
Taking additional coursework during the clinical practice semester is discouraged.
Certification to teach is granted by the South Carolina State Department of Education. To receive a certificate, a student must complete an approved degree program and be recommended by the School of Education, Health, and Human Performance.
The following requirements must be met before the School of Education, Health, and Human Performance recommends a student for certification:
- successful completion of clinical practice
- a passing score on the Praxis Series: National Teacher Examination (professional knowledge and specialty area) or the state-sponsored exam for German and Latin
- successful completion of all requirements and activities as described by the faculty at the College of Charleston
- demonstration of professional and ethical behaviors considered necessary for successful teaching.
NOTE: Completion of approved programs does not automatically ensure certification recommendation by the department and School of Education, Health, and Human Performance. Although completion of the approved program of study will usually result in recommendation, it may in fact be withheld as the result of failure to satisfactorily complete the requirements.
Recommendations may be withheld if a student does not adhere to the activities as describe by the faculty review committee, for example, by
- substandard performance during clinical practice, or
- failure to pass the area exams (Praxis Series), or
- failure to change behaviors which are considered to be impediments to successful teaching.
