Clinical Practice

Student Teaching, Final Internship, Residency

Your final clinical experience could be called student teaching, final internship, or residency. It is your culminating clinical experience, where theory meets practice. Teacher candidates gradually assume complete responsibility for their students and classrooms. Student teaching is a full time, 5 days/week placement for the entire semester. If you are completing a final internship or residency experience, please contact your instructor and advisors for the schedule.

Preparing for your final clinical experience starts approximately 1 year prior to your experience. This is because OCPP facilitates a complex placement process between your program(s) and district partners.

Important Information Regarding Your Final Clinical Experience

Prior to starting the final clinical experience, teacher candidates will:

meet all program requirements prior to the final clinical experience including coursework, licensure exams, district paperwork, minimum GPA for admission and program completion, BCI (due 9/1), etc.
complete the student teaching application. This application should be completed by all teacher candidates completing a final clinical experience to give OCPP important information to inform the placement process. OCPP will email the link to all teacher candidates in the spring semester prior to your final clinical experience.
- The Student Teaching Application includes a FERPA form (required for the student teaching permit process). Please contact ote@etal.uri.edu if you are not able to sign the FERPA form.
follow the school’s calendar during the final clinical experience, not URI’s. Requests to take time from student teaching for family events, URI spring break, or other scheduling conflicts will not be permitted.
attend a mandatory Student Teaching Orientation in the spring prior to student teaching/residency/final internship
have a student teaching permit (requested 3 months prior to final clinical experience once all requirements are submitted).
be registered for the correct seminar, course sections, and the correct number of credits prior to starting the final clinical experience.
Understand your Mandated Reporting legal responsibility.

Important Information Regarding Your Clinical Placement

Placements will be released by instructors in the fall semester.
Some districts require an interview prior to the final clinical experience. The district will contact you directly to schedule this. Please note: having an interview does not indicate an approved placement. Your approved placement will be released to you by your instructor in the fall semester.
Teacher candidates are not permitted to contact districts or teachers regarding potential placements.
Teacher candidates should reach out to their clinical educator immediately.
Notify your instructors, university supervisor, advisor(s), and OCPP immediately if you have any questions or concerns.
We aim to place you within 45 minutes of the Kingston Campus (if you live in Southern RI) or 45 minutes distance from your residence in RI. Placements are subject to district availability and we cannot guarantee that a placement will be available in any given district.

PLEASE NOTE:

All requirements must be submitted to the COEDU Database. This includes BCIs and test score reports. Please upload your score reports, even if you have given URI access to them through ETS.
To find your licensure exam requirements, please review the RIDE certification requirements for your certification area.
Please meet your program’s deadlines. This will make your clearance much easier and less stressful.
If you are not going to meet a deadline: Meet with your faculty advisor right away to come up with a plan for meeting requirements. Teacher candidates cannot move forward with clearance until all requirements are met and submitted.
You are required to bring your RIDE student teaching permit and BCI to your school site every day.
See your faculty or professional advisor with any questions about requirements, deadlines, or extensions.