Field Experience

The Special Education graduate teacher preparation programs are theory/research based with a continuum of field to clinical application experiences. This means that the students in Xavier University Special Education programs are constantly being challenged to practice the knowledge from the core and professional courses into application skills within the diverse Tri-State community school settings with professional attitudes that demonstrate ethical/moral practices. The licensure coursework is divided into phases which have been sequenced on the graduate advising forms.

• The sequenced courses have required field and clinical experience hours.
• These application/practice experiences are planned to support the theory/knowledge research based coursework content.
• The field/clinical experiences are assigned to classroom and educational settings where the candidate experiences urban and suburban/rural school districts. Within these placements the candidate gradually acquires field/clinical hours from experiences in resource rooms, self contained classroom and collaborative/integrated teaching situations.
• The field/clinical experience hours have been delegated to specific courses with specific activities integrated into the course assignments.
• There are three (3) general types of field and clinical hour experiences: lab field experiences; required field hour experiences; and, student teaching clinical experience.
• Lab field experience courses do not specify the hour requirements. Candidates are required to complete assignments during the class time and outside of class. These courses require candidate's interactions with specific equipment and assessments materials. Lab field experience courses include the assessment courses, the technology courses, and the instructional materials courses.
• Required field hour experiences that are developmentally integrated into specific courses allow the candidate to be exposed to the various settings, ages, levels, roles and responsibilities of an intervention specialist.
• Each licensure program requires the candidate to complete 16 weeks of student teaching clinical experience. Because the license spans K through 12th grade levels or age 3 to grade 3 level, the student teaching experience is divided into 8 week sessions. For the K -12 license, the candidate completes 8 weeks in a primary/intermediate level and another 8 weeks in a junior high/senior high level. The age 3 to grade 3 license, the candidate completes 8 weeks in a pre-school level and another 8 weeks in a primary level.