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Internships

Criteria

To be considered for the Teaching Internship, students must meet the following criteria:

  • Admission to the Teacher Education Program, completion of a minimum of 100 semester hours, a minimum of 12 semester hours in residence at UAFS, demonstrated progress in all professional education courses, and no more than six (6) semester hours left in the area of specialization and general education after the semester before the internship.
  • Submission of Internship Application and Candidate Internship Commitment Contract (both forms located in LiveText) by Oct. 1 if the request is for the spring semester of the succeeding academic year or March 1 if the request is for the fall semester same of the year.
  • Candidates must pass all components of the Praxis II exams, including Principles of Learning and Teaching (PLT) and any discipline-specific pedagogy tests for admission into the Teaching Internship. Candidates should consult with their advisor for information as to how to access study materials.
    • Sept. 30 is the last date the required Praxis tests can be taken and passed to ensure passing scores are received in the School of Education for the spring internship.
    • March 30 is the last date the required Praxis tests can be taken and passed to ensure passing scores are received in the School of Education for the fall internship.
    • The dates listed above ensure receipt of scores for timely approval of the application and permission to enroll in classes. Candidates may not report for their first day of duty at their P-12 school internship placements without proof of passing scores on all required Praxis II Subject Area content and PLT/Pedagogy exam(s).
    • Candidates who are unable to pass all portions of the PRAXIS II test are not eligible for licensure in Arkansas and will not be allowed to intern. When this happens, candidates are not eligible for a degree in education from UAFS regardless of meeting all other requirements and those candidates would be encouraged to transfer into another degree program.
  • A minimum cumulative GPA of 2.75 and a minimum GPA of 2.75 in the area of specialization. Candidates that do not meet the required 2.75 GPA cannot proceed into the internship.
  • Education majors must have no grade below a C in any course in their degree. You will find the policy on repeating courses within the UAFS Student Handbook.
  • Successful completion of all unit assessments at the Target level.
  • Complete an interview with the Coordinator of Field Experiences to review past placement sites, progress in a program of study, status in the program, and Teaching Internship options to ensure accordance with UAFS Program Requirements and the Arkansas Department of Education Policies Governing Programs For Educator Licensure. Additionally, the interview will provide an opportunity to review professional attitude and disposition requirements before the Internship. Candidates are expected to demonstrate a professional attitude and interest related to the School of Education’s stated dispositions. Candidates must have resolved the nature of all reports of negative behaviors or dispositions. Candidates must have a Proficient level of proficiency or above in each disposition to intern.
  • Candidates must have a satisfactory disciplinary record with the university.
  • Candidates on a Plan of Action cannot proceed into the internship.
  • Satisfactory Arkansas FBI background check and Arkansas Child Maltreatment background check (Arkansas Department of Education requirements)
  • As educators it is expected that all teacher candidates are proficient in the English language. If UAFS faculty or public school personnel recognize deficient English usage, a candidate may be removed from the internship and/or referred to his or her advisor to help the candidate overcome the English language deficiency. Candidates will be placed on a Plan of Action which may require them to attend credit courses, non-credit courses, or free tutoring sessions at the Gordon Kelley Academic Success Center. This individual prescription will be focused on specific outcomes that must be demonstrated before completion of the internship. At this point the candidate will have passed the required coursework in language arts. This assessment should not be regarded as an exclusionary requirement. The purpose is simply to see that aspiring teachers are prepared to be successful.

NOTE: All professional education courses other than the senior seminar must be completed before beginning the teaching internship. All secondary education students must have also completed all pedagogy courses in their major before beginning the internship. Candidates may take one three-hour course during the internship semester, as long as the course meeting time does not conflict with required Internship duties. Requests to take more than three credit hours must be approved by the TCSC (Teacher Credential and Standards Committee).

Requirements for admission may change over time to reflect changes made in Arkansas Department of Education licensure requirements and UAFS School of Education policies. Candidates must meet admission requirements current at the time of their final application for admission to the internship experience.