Practicum Requirements and Information

Practicum Placement Information

  • The Office of Clinical Studies coordinates all fieldwork or clinical placements. Candidates are not allowed to make or coordinate their own placements by contacting districts, schools, school principals or teachers.
  • A representative from the Office of Clinical Studies is assigned to a specific areas for placement. The Office of Clinical Studies places candidates in and out of the state of Delaware. Please note, out of state placements may require special requirements.
  • For additional information, please read our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Practicum Clearance Requirements

To be eligible for placement in a K-12 setting, all new candidates applying for Practicum I, must obtain and provide at the time of application in Watermark – Student Learning and Licensure (SL&L) the following clearance items:

  • a new Federal and State of Delaware Criminal Background Check. The CBC must be delivered in its originally sealed envelope labeled To be opened by Wilmington University from the DE State Bureau of Identification. Candidates may deliver the sealed envelope to any one of the three locations - Dover (Building B), Georgetown or New Castle (Peoples Building). Candidates will receive a receipt notification of delivery. See locations and appointment times
  • a new TB / PPD (Tuberculosis Test) from a medical provider/physician’s office must be completed and uploaded into Watermark – SL&L during the application process. Download the PPD/TB form.
  • a new Child Protection Registry Form (CPR) must be completed, signed and uploaded into Watermark – SL&L during the application process. Download the CPR form.
  • Please note that the CBC, PPD/TB CPR hold firm for all three Practica. Candidates will NOT need to renew the CBC, CPR, or PPD/TB until application for Student Teaching / Teaching Internship.
  • For additional information regarding clearances and how to submit them, Download the Clinical Procedures Manual.

Practicum Placement Application

  • To obtain a placement, candidates provide notification by completing the Practicum Placement Application in Watermark – SL&L. This process is not registration. Candidates are completing the application to inform the Office of Clinical Studies their need for a placement in an appropriate K-12 setting aligned to candidates program of study. Candidates must have activated your account in Watermark – SL&L to have access to the application.
  • This application is completed one semester in advance of the actual registration for the course itself.
    • Candidates wishing to register for a Practicum course in Fall (September), MUST complete the Practicum Placement Application in Watermark – SL&L by February 1st.
    • Candidates wishing to register for a Practicum course in Spring (January), MUST complete the Practicum Placement Application in Watermark – SL&L by August 1st.
  • Two months prior to the listed deadlines, the Practicum Placement Application will be opened for the semester in which a candidate will register.
  • Candidates MUST upload the CPR and TB forms at the time of application. The CBC must be delivered to one of three locations during the application timeframe. Incomplete applications will not be processed, which will lead to either a delay in placement or no placement awarded.

Practicum Course Registration

  • Students register and make payment arrangements for Practica during the regular college registration period. No candidate may begin a clinical placement without proof of registration and a Wilmington University photo ID. This is an important legal and liability issue.
  • Registration for Practicum I is based on application completion and submission. Program Chair approval is required for registration into Practicum I.
  • Registration for Practicum I will be denied until candidates complete the application and submit all clearance items.
  • Practicum registration follows the Universities open registration timeframe.

Practicum Descriptions

All Practica are semester based class sections that meet 2 hours each week within the 15 week structure. Information about each Practica is as follows:

Practicum I - Practicum I is a structured, field-based, semester-long exploratory clinical course that requires at least 60 hours of supervised classroom experience in an approved setting. Fieldwork is monitored by Wilmington University Practicum advisors and mentor teachers. Placement priority is given to settings that serve culturally, linguistically, and socioeconomically diverse student populations. Fieldwork is supported by 30 hours of Practicum seminar sessions. Seminars are conducted at the University sites by faculty of the College of Education. Practicum I introduces the teacher candidate to essential content and pedagogical knowledge related to the components of professional practice, Charlotte Danielson’s Enhancing Professional Practice: A Framework for Teaching and DTGSS (Delaware Teacher Growth Support System). Practicum I provides the teacher candidate with opportunities to observe, describe, interpret, and understand all aspects of professional practice and to reflect on the personal and professional attributes required for success in teaching. Candidates in Practicum I focus on the development and characteristics of learners, individual learning differences, dispositions expected of professionals within the education field, learning environments and social interaction.

Practicum II - Practicum II is a structured, field-based, semester-long exploratory clinical course that requires at least 60 hours of supervised classroom experience in an approved setting. Fieldwork is monitored by Wilmington University Practicum advisors and mentor teachers. Placement priority is given to settings that serve culturally, linguistically, and socioeconomically diverse student populations. Fieldwork is supported by 30 hours of Practicum seminar sessions. Practicum II requires the teacher candidate to implement, analyze and reflect on all aspects of professional practice in direct relation to current research, current professional standards and the Delaware Teacher Growth Support System. Candidates will learn to explore decision-making processes through the application of knowledge and skills gained in the prerequisite courses. Candidates are provided opportunities to reflect on their performance in teaching content lessons to K-12 students with disabilities. Candidates will plan, prepare and teach two lessons within an approved classroom setting, as well as working with individual students.

Practicum III - Practicum III is a structured, field-based, semester-long exploratory clinical course that requires at least 60 hours of supervised classroom experience in an approved setting. Fieldwork is monitored by Wilmington University Practicum advisors and mentor teachers. Placement priority is given to settings that serve culturally, linguistically, and socioeconomically diverse student populations. MSE Practicum III placements are in inclusive learning environments serving students with identified / diagnosed learning needs. Fieldwork is supported by 30 hours of Practicum seminar sessions. Practicum III is an extension of Practicum II in which the teacher candidate refines and enhances the implementation, analysis and reflection on all aspects of professional practice in direct relation to current research, current professional standards and the Delaware Teacher Growth Support System. Candidates enhance instructional strategies, learning activities, classroom management skills and lesson planning through the application of knowledge and skills gained in the prerequisite courses. Candidates are provided opportunities to reflect on their performance in teaching content lessons to K-12 students with disabilities. Candidates will plan, prepare and teach two lessons from full units within an approved classroom setting, as well as working with individual students.