Frequently asked questions

Please keep in frequent communication with your academic advisor to plan your program completion. Student teaching occurs during the final semester of study. All course, program, and testing requirements must be successfully completed before candidates are eligible for student teaching. 

Candidates will receive an email with an electronic application to complete during week 11 of the semester.  Candidates should apply through this application two semesters prior to their student teaching experience. All candidates must complete the application and agree to comply with the terms stated in the application in order to be placed for student teaching. All course, program, and testing requirements must be successfully completed prior to student teaching. 

Candidates are expected to have all course, program, and testing requirements successfully completed prior to student teaching. Permission may be granted under extenuating circumstances by the Dean.  These exceptions are rare.

Candidates who have received citations or charges are required to disclose this information even if they think the charges were dismissed. This information is often reported on the online national criminal background check candidates are required to complete prior to participating in a field experience. Candidates are expected to report citations and charges consistently when completing the forms as required throughout the program of study.

In the event the background check discloses criminal activity or information that you have failed to report, you will be required to meet with the Office of Field Experience to discuss the discrepancy. The result of this discussion may or may not alter or terminate your participation in a field experience or student teaching assignment, depending on the activity.

Criminal Background Check (CBC) Policy

Effective Spring 2019
All teacher candidates must complete the designated national criminal background check process upon admission to the School of Education, Professional & Continuing Education. In compliance with WI PI 34.0182(2), all license preparation programs with admissions processes have incorporated a CBC as part of the admissions requirement.  CBCs performed for another institution or agency cannot be accepted, including those for graduate programs leading to certification.

All CBCs ordered by EPC will be good for five years (for EPC purposes) for every EPC undergraduate and graduate student.   Any CBCs done prior to 1/28/19 are still subject to expiration policies (CBC is good for two years for field experiences and within one year for student teaching).  Additional CBCs may also be required by specific placement sites and programs (i.e. EC-MC requires a CBC by Department of Children and Families prior to beginning the ECE Block placements).  

Any teacher candidate who completed a CBC as part of a pre-admission field experience will still need to complete a CBC at the time of admission.

For those admitted prior to Spring semester 2019, a CBC is required prior to entering the schools for their first clinical field experience or any other school experience at the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse.  Prior to student teaching, teacher candidates must complete a second designated national CBC if more than one year has passed since their last CBC.

Any teacher candidate previously admitted to a teacher certification program at UWL prior to Spring 2019, who has a current CBC on file through admission or a field experience, and is adding another certification or is changing programs (i.e. new admission), does not need a new CBC unless their old one has expired or is required by the placement site or program. 

Teacher candidates will be notified by email if they are required to complete or update a background check and are responsible for all costs associated with the criminal background checks.  It is the teacher candidate’s responsibility to follow the instructions and complete the process by the dates specified.

Teacher candidates who have had an international address in the last seven years need to contact their designated field experience coordinator prior to initiating the online criminal background check.

Policies and procedures must be followed for teacher candidates to receive a placement.  Prior to student teaching, teacher candidates must complete a second designated national criminal background check if more than one year has passed since their last criminal background check.  

Procedures for the Criminal Background Check                        
Criminal background check policies and procedures will be shared with teacher candidates upon admission to EPC, or prior to any field experience (for those admitted prior to Spring 2019), and will also be available on the Office of Field Experience website.

If a teacher candidate has not yet completed a criminal background check (or needs it updated), the Office of Field Experience will email the criminal background check instructions to those teacher candidates needing a CBC.  Any new or updated CBC completed after 1/28/19 is now usable (for EPC purposes) for five years, so teacher candidates will only be notified if their CBC was last completed prior to that date.  The Office of Field Experience will record the CBCs conducted each semester.

Candidates are required to notify the Office of Field Experience as soon as possible, but no later than the next day they are expected to attend the student teaching or intern placement, when they have received any new charges or citations, or are being investigated by any governmental agency for any act or offense. Failure to do so may result in termination from participation in field experience or student teaching placements.

Candidates will be registered for student teaching/ internship and seminar courses by the School of Education. Candidates need to ensure they have no holds on their accounts in order to be registered for the student teaching semester(s).

Placements are typically completed by week 12 of the semester prior to the candidate's student teaching experience.  Occasionally placements may change due to unforeseen circumstances. Candidates will be notified of confirmed placements via your UWL email by the Office of Field Experience.

Candidates are generally placed in schools within a 50-mile radius of La Crosse. Candidates are asked to provide specific information, preferences, and special considerations on the application, which are considered when arranging placements with schools requesting student teachers that particular semester.  Candidates are NOT permitted to arrange their own placements in any way - to do so is a direct violation of SoE policy and could result in dismissal from the program.

Out of Area Student Teaching Placements 

Out of Area placements have additional requirements and follow a separate placement process:

Exemplary  teacher candidates may apply for out-of-area experiences including the UW System Institute for Urban Education (IUE), internships through the Wisconsin Improvement Program (WIP), Educators Abroad, Milwaukee Immersion Experience, Arizona Student Teaching, or Colorado Student Teaching. Applications for these programs are part of the student teaching application.  Candidates should indicate their interest in any of these programs when submitting their electronic application. These are all selective / competitive programs, and applicants will be carefully screened and reviewed before being approved. 

REQUIREMENTS: 

• 3.0 cumulative GPA
• Current Resume
• References from School of Education faculty
• Completion of application specific to ST program of choice (applicants must select one)
• Signed agreements with the Office of Field Experience and specific ST program (IUE, WIP, EA, Milwaukee Immersion, Arizona, Colorado)
• Participation in edTPA Support Days, seminar, and other meetings 

Out of Area Student Teaching Programs:

UW System Institute for Urban Education (IUE) 

• Placements are for a full semester in an urban setting in the Milwaukee area – Milwaukee Public Schools, Waukesha, West Allis, and Racine
• UWL candidates complete the UWL student teaching application and selection process for the Milwaukee candidate pool
• Placements are culturally diverse, urban teaching experience with evening seminars twice each month
• Participants are responsible for additional housing and travel costs
• Guest participants pay additional program fee of $850 for seminar, supervision, and other costs
• Candidates must complete a TB (PPD test) and criminal background check through UWM, and COVID-19 vaccination is required
• Limited internships are available in some districts; candidates indicate interest on the student teaching application.  If an internship is not secured, a student teaching placement will be provided in the Milwaukee area
• WIP interns pay a $200 course fee, and then are paid a $4500 stipend with $500 professional development funds
• Interns must hold intern licenses issued by DPI after receiving an offer from a school or district, and interns pay the $75 intern license application fee

WIP-Wisconsin Improvement Program (full semester internship) 

• Full semester, one placement and sites vary each semester
• Teacher candidates complete the UWL student teaching application and selection process for the internship pool
• Selected candidates may apply for competitive internships throughout the state, and districts often require a resume, three letters of recommendation, and a cover letter
• Candidates often need to relocate for the semester
• WIP interns pay a $200 course fee, and then are paid a $4500 stipend with $500 professional development funds
• Interns must hold intern licenses issued by DPI after receiving an offer from a school or district, and interns pay the $75 intern license application fee

Educators Abroad (10-week placement during the second half of the semester) 

• Teacher candidates complete 10-11 weeks of the student teaching semester abroad
• Placements made in English-speaking schools, following successful completion of first placement stateside
• Countries and locations vary depending on placement availability, calendars, and other conditions
• UWL candidates complete UWL student teaching application and selection process for the Educators Abroad candidate pool
• Selected participants complete additional applications for Study Abroad and Educators Abroad
• Selected participants submit required documentation including resume, autobiography, contact information for three references, passport, and the $800 placement fee
• Educators Abroad Student Teaching Program fee – approximately $4600
• Additional participant costs for travel, passport, visa, meals, accommodations, insurance, and personal expenses
• Participants are responsible for additional costs and cancellation fees

Spanish Immersion in Milwaukee Schools (nine-week placement during the second half of the semester) 

• Teacher candidates complete the last nine weeks of the semester in Milwaukee, following successful completion of first placement
• UWL candidates complete UWL student teaching application and selection process for the Spanish Immersion Experience candidate pool
• Primarily for EC-A and MC-EA teacher candidates seeking certification in Spanish
• Piloted placements at Notre Dame School of Milwaukee
• Participants are responsible for additional housing and travel costs

Arizona-Fowler School District (nine-week placement during the second half of the semester-usually fall) 

• Teacher candidates complete the last nine weeks of the student teaching semester with Fowler Elementary School District in Phoenix, following successful completion of first placement
• Placements made in elementary or middle school, depending upon certification needs of teacher candidate
• UWL candidates complete UWL student teaching application and selection process for the Arizona Student Teaching candidate pool
• Participants are responsible for additional housing and travel costs

Colorado-Littleton Public Schools (nine-week placement during the second half of the semester-usually fall) 

• Teacher candidates complete the last nine weeks of the student teaching semester with Littleton Public Schools, following successful completion of first placement
• Placements made in elementary, middle, or high school, depending upon certification needs of teacher candidate
• UWL candidates complete UWL student teaching application and selection process for the Colorado Student Teaching candidate pool
• Participants are responsible for additional housing and travel costs

Hardship Placement Policy for Student Teachers 

[Adopted by the SoE Teacher Education Council (March 24, 2000)] 

The Office of Field Experience at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse maintains firm criteria for student teaching placements. Local placements allow teacher candidates to access the support of faculty as well as campus and community resources during this professional semester. Local placements are made within a 50- mile radius of the university. A teacher candidate may request consideration for a special placement to accommodate an unusual hardship. In the interest of protecting the rights and responsibilities of teacher candidates, the OFE considers the teacher candidate's ability to manage the rigor of the professional teaching semester while coping with the hardship. Placements are rarely made outside of the 50-mile radius due to: 

• Increased difficulties with other teacher education institutions that place TCs in their area;
• Costs for supervision;
• Concerns regarding optimal faculty support for the teacher candidate;
• Challenges in maintaining UWL program integrity and teacher education standards.

Criteria 

Placements outside UWL's 50-mile radius area are considered if the request meets the following criteria: 

• if, within the semester (or summer) immediately before student teaching, there are special needs of the immediate family.
• spouse or domestic partner relocation.
• the university cannot identify an acceptable placement for state licensing.

Fees 

Students who receive approval for hardship placements are charged an administrative fee to compensate for added expenses associated with a hardship placement. Currently, this flat fee is billed on the tuition statement for the student teaching semester. Please contact the Office of Field Experience for the current fee rate. 

Procedures 

A teacher candidate must submit an official request as soon as the hardship is identified to allow sufficient time for processing the request, obtaining committee approval, and locating and arranging placement. 

• Write a formal letter of request for a hardship placement, including a rationale, and submit by email to the Office of Field Experience at soefieldexp@uwlax.edu.
• Include appropriate documentation (letters, bills, a call from a doctor, phone numbers) with the request.

Decisions 

Decisions are made by the teacher candidate's faculty advisor, program director, the Office of Field Experience, and the School of Education Dean. Please be advised that financial difficulties are not considered hardship situations. 

Teacher candidates will be notified in writing of the decision. If the request is approved, the Office of Field Experience will meet with the teacher candidate to discuss potential placement locations. The Office of Field Experience will work to confirm placements under the standard timeline. 

Please indicate your preferences on the application so that requests may be considered. Candidates are not allowed to arrange their own placements in any way, and policies prohibit candidates from contacting schools, principals, or teachers in an effort to obtain a placement. All placement contacts must be made through the Office of Field Experience.  Ignoring this policy could result in dismissal from the School of Education.

Candidates are responsible for providing their own transportation to and from schools. The Office of Field Experience will strive to facilitate carpooling for those candidates who do not have transportation. Limited placements may be possible within walking distance or on the bus line.

Student teaching is considered a full-time commitment and the top priority for the semester. Due to the rigor and intensity of the student teaching experience, it is expected that student teachers limit other employment and extracurricular activities for successful completion of student teaching expectations and responsibilities. Part-time employment and other extracurricular activities (see definition below) are not permitted to interfere with the placement site calendar or evening student teaching seminars. Participation in collegiate sports is generally not possible during student teaching and requires written permission by the field experience coordinator prior to the student teaching semester. Based on state statute, student teachers may not miss any school day/school time to participate in extracurricular activities and must follow contracted teacher hours (not student hours) for assigned placement district.

"Extracurricular activities" may include (but are not limited to): volunteer positions, tutoring, before and after school programs, employment/part time jobs, nanny/childcare duties, coaching (assistant only), club/intramural sports, campus clubs and organizations, and collegiate sports (generally not approved).

No, candidates generally benefit most from being placed in a neutral setting and the policy is to place candidates in settings where they are free to learn and do not have any additional advantage or disadvantage that may come from connections to family members.

The Office of Field Experience is required to provide neutral settings and diverse learning experiences for all teacher candidates. Candidates will generally be placed in a different school than the ones they attended or were employed.

The Department of Public Instruction (DPI) stipulates that all student teachers and interns must student teach or intern full days for a full semester according to the placement school calendar  in order to be certified in Wisconsin. Candidates are expected to follow the same schedule and calendar as the cooperating teacher they are placed with, including all in service days at the beginning of the semester and any other meetings. Teacher candidates are also encouraged to meet their cooperating teachers before the semester and assist with room set-up and preparation prior to the semester.

As soon as you receive your placement, please access the school calendar on the district website and make note of all important dates. Your next step is to contact your cooperating teacher with your introductory letter, and inquire about inservice dates and a time to meet prior to the student teaching experience.

No, the university calendar does not coincide with host school calendars, and teacher candidates/interns are required to complete the semester of the host school. School calendars vary, although the fall semester usually ends the third week of January and spring semester usually ends in early to mid-June, depending on school vacations, snow days, and other factors. Degrees are not awarded during the University commencement ceremony.

Rebecah Neitzel | Field Experience Administrative Assistant |
274 Morris Hall | 608.785.8126 | soefieldexp@uwlax.edu 

Cindy Duley | Field Experience Coordinator 
263 Morris Hall | 608.785.8736 | cduley@uwlax.edu

Please keep in frequent communication with your advisor to determine the best time to apply for each of your pre-student teaching field experiences. All field course prerequisites must be met before you are eligible for any field experience, and many are taken concurrently with courses that carry their own pre-requisites.  Field II experience should be taken the semester prior to Student Teaching.  Field I experience is typically taken one to two semesters prior to Field II experience. 

Early in the semester, you will receive information on pre-student teaching field experiences, including a link to the pre-student teaching electronic application by email. You must complete the electronic application, complete appropriate course/program pre-requisites, and be in good standing in order to be eligible for pre-student teaching field experiences. 

Once your application has been submitted, your eligibility and enrollment will be confirmed by the Office of Field Experience.  Registration for your pre-student teaching field experience and any concurrent methods courses will be completed for you.  You will need to register for your remaining (non-field) classes in WINGS.

You will be automatically registered for your pre-student teaching field experience course if you have completed the pre-student teaching Field Experience Application survey and have been found to be eligible to be enrolled. Your registration for your pre-student teaching field experience and any concurrent methods courses will be completed for you. You will need to register for your remaining classes in WINGS. 

Please be sure that there are no holds on your account in order to be registered for your field experience.

Pre-student teaching field experience placements are generally made by the end of the semester prior to your pre-student teaching field experience semester. Placements are subject to change if necessary.  Some programs like PETE/SHE/PASHE have different timing.

You should plan to reserve a minimum of 3 mornings or 3 afternoons throughout the semester for participation in your pre-student teaching field experience. Specific times and days depend on the program and school site.  Your pre-student teaching field experience instructor will share specific information with you.  You should also meet with your advisor, who will be able to share more details about the time requirements for your program.

Please notify the Office of Field Experience (soefieldexp@uwlax.edu) as soon as possible with any schedule changes. The Field Office will be in contact with you if necessary to make adjustments.

Placement locations vary by program, pre-student teaching field experience level, and availability. Teacher candidates are generally placed in schools within a 50-mile radius of La Crosse. You will be asked to provide specific information and special considerations on the electronic application, including access to transportation.  This information is used in making placements.

Please indicate your preferences on the electronic application and requests will be considered, although not guaranteed. Teacher candidates may not arrange their own placements, or contact schools, principals, or teachers in an effort to obtain a placement.

You are responsible for providing your own means of transportation to and from schools. The Office of Field Experience will strive to facilitate carpooling for those teacher candidates who do not have transportation. Limited placements may be possible within walking distance or on the bus line.

Please be sure to enter your work hour information in the electronic application. While the Office of Field Experience will endeavor to accommodate your needs, accommodations cannot be guaranteed. Pre-student teaching field experiences and student teaching are one of the most important parts of your journey to becoming a teacher. These experiences prepare you for your future role as an educator. As such, these experiences are expected to be prioritized.

No, you may not be placed in the same school as your children or other family members. You must disclose these potential conflicts of interest on your electronic pre-student teaching field experience application.

No, this is considered to be a conflict of interest for both the school as well as the teacher candidate. You will be placed in a different school than those from which you graduated, attended, or have been employed.

If you have received citations or charges, you are required to disclose this information on the required forms at the end of the electronic application, even if the charges  were dismissed. Previous citations and charges do not automatically exclude you from participating in pre-student teaching field experiences. As this information often shows up on the online national criminal background check, we encourage you to be forthcoming about any potential findings.

In the event the background check discloses criminal activity or information that you have failed to report, you will be required to meet with the Office of Field Experience to discuss the discrepancy. The result of this discussion may or may not alter or terminate your participation in a field experience or student teaching assignment, depending on the activity.

Criminal Background Check (CBC) Policy

Effective Spring 2019
All teacher candidates must complete the designated national criminal background check process upon admission to the School of Education, Professional & Continuing Education. In compliance with WI PI 34.0182(2), all license preparation programs with admissions processes have incorporated a CBC as part of the admissions requirement.  CBCs performed for another institution or agency cannot be accepted, including those for graduate programs leading to certification.

All CBCs ordered by EPC will be good for five years (for EPC purposes) for every EPC undergraduate and graduate student.   Any CBCs done prior to 1/28/19 are still subject to expiration policies (CBC is good for two years for field experiences and within one year for student teaching).  Additional CBCs may also be required by specific placement sites and programs (i.e. EC-MC requires a CBC by Department of Children and Families prior to beginning the ECE Block placements).  

Any teacher candidate who completed a CBC as part of a pre-admission field experience will still need to complete a CBC at the time of admission.

For those admitted prior to Spring semester 2019, a CBC is required prior to entering the schools for their first clinical field experience or any other school experience at the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse.  Prior to student teaching, teacher candidates must complete a second designated national CBC if more than one year has passed since their last CBC.

Any teacher candidate previously admitted to a teacher certification program at UWL prior to Spring 2019, who has a current CBC on file through admission or a field experience, and is adding another certification or is changing programs (i.e. new admission), does not need a new CBC unless their old one has expired or is required by the placement site or program. 

Teacher candidates will be notified by email if they are required to complete or update a background check and are responsible for all costs associated with the criminal background checks.  It is the teacher candidate’s responsibility to follow the instructions and complete the process by the dates specified.

Teacher candidates who have had an international address in the last seven years need to contact their designated field experience coordinator prior to initiating the online criminal background check.

Policies and procedures must be followed for teacher candidates to receive a placement.  Prior to student teaching, teacher candidates must complete a second designated national criminal background check if more than one year has passed since their last criminal background check.  

Procedures for the Criminal Background Check                          
Criminal background check policies and procedures will be shared with teacher candidates upon admission to EPC, or prior to any field experience (for those admitted prior to Spring 2019), and will also be available on the Office of Field Experience website.

If a teacher candidate has not yet completed a criminal background check (or needs it updated), the Office of Field Experience will email the criminal background check instructions to those teacher candidates needing a CBC.  Any new or updated CBC completed after 1/28/19 is now usable (for EPC purposes) for five years, so teacher candidates will only be notified if their CBC was last completed prior to that date.  The Office of Field Experience will record the CBCs conducted each semester.

Yes. Criminal background records cannot be shared between agencies, or even between school districts. The Office of Field Experience is required to keep each teacher candidate’s records on file.

If you have received any new charges or citations, or are being investigated by any governmental agency for any act or offense, you are required to notify the Office of Field Experience as soon as possible, but no later than the next day that you are expected to be at your school site. Failure to do so may result in removal from your pre-student teaching field experience placement.

ECE and EME
     Field Experience Coordinator: Katie Rutenbar

AWLME, PASHE, STEP, Internships and Out of Area
     Field Experience Coordinator: Cindy Duley

Office of Field Experience
260 Morris Hall
email: soefieldexp@uwlax.edu