Field Experiences

Elementary Practicum

Fall 2026 Elementary Practicum applications are now open and will close April 1, 2026.

 

Apply Here - ELEM 494 Fall 2026

Apply Here - ELEF 495 Fall 2026

 

Elementary Practicum Policies and Procedures

Elementary Practicum Application Deadlines

  • Fall: Applications open February 15th and close April 1st (Appeals for late applications will be considered on a case-by-case basis until April 27th)
  • Winter: Applications open August 15th and close October 1st (Appeals for late applications will be considered on a case-by-case basis until October 27th)
  • Spring: Applications open November 18th and close January 1st (Appeals for late applications will be considered on a case-by-case basis until January 23th)

Application Checklist

  1. Review our placement processes and policy carefully. Failure to adhere to our policies may put your placement in jeopardy.
  2. Work with your advisor and review the information below to identify which courses you need to take - and what quarters you need to take them.
  3. Choose your placement preferences.
  4. Meet with Career Services to prepare your resume for submission with your application using this template preferred by our partner K-12 principals and human resource directors.
  5. Submit your application.

Elementary Education Practicum Grade Level Options:

Candidates for the Elementary Education endorsement will be placed in an elementary school for their practica and student teaching. Washington State's Elementary Education endorsement is a K-8 endorsement, and CWU must ensure that candidates demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and cultural responsiveness for the particular certificate and endorsement area they are seeking (WAC 181-78A-220). Candidates must demonstrate competency through both their elementary methods coursework in each subject, and their fieldwork, as required by law. Therefore, Central will only provide field placements for candidates seeking an elementary education endorsement in elementary schools, not middle schools. 

Districts sometimes hire K-8 Elementary Education endorsed candidates for middle school teaching assignments in specific subject areas, so that employment pathway may be available to candidates once they are recommended to OSPI for certification.

Elementary Education Practicum Regional Options:

The elementary education practicum courses are taught at one of the CWU Centers or Main Campus, and therefore, options for placements are limited to districts near the centers where Central has elementary field faculty:  CWU Ellensburg, CWU Des Moines, CWU Pierce College, CWU Wenatchee, or CWU Yakima.

On applications for field placements, teacher candidates will have the opportunity to share preferences within the regions that Central serves. Applications will ask for three preferred locations by region and school district and candidates may select the same region for all preferences if different districts are requested. As more regions provide student teaching supervision, placements for this field experiences are in a greater number of regions around the state.

Districts are not required to host student interns, and universities are required to provide faculty supervision in any district in which they place candidates. Therefore, a placement in your content area may not be geographically convenient to you. Candidates sometimes need to travel up to one hour from their home campus for their practicum field placement. The placement team works diligently to obtain preferred placements, but it cannot be guaranteed. New applications for each field course that you wish to enroll in are required, including the EFC 480 application for student teaching.

Lab and Practicum Progression

The Office of Field Experiences partners with the Education, Development, Teaching and Learning Department to manage placements for lab and practicum courses. We have created a multi-quarter placement progression that allows teacher candidates to be mentored by a variety of teachers throughout their education experience.

Elementary Education students will apply for three total placements with the Office of Field Experiences. If you relocate to a new location during your program, you will need to submit a new placement request with a note to cancel your previous request. If you are unsure when to apply for a placement, please contact us at placements@cwu.edu. 

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