Field Experiences
Student Teaching (EFC 480)
Appeals for late applications will be considered on a case-by-case basis until February 23, 2026. Late field application appeals will be denied when student teaching academic pre-requisites are not currently being met at the time of the appeal. If you wish to submit an appeal to have a late application considered, please see your staff academic advisor to discuss your reasons for this request and to receive the appeal link. Even if your late application appeal is accepted by the Office of Field Experiences, our partner districts' Human Resource departments have their own placement deadlines and often will not host students when we make late placement requests. In that case, you will need to submit a field placement application for a future quarter.
Winter 2027 applications will open on March 15, 2026 and will close May 1, 2026.
Application Deadlines
- Fall Quarter: Applications open December 8th and close January 15th (Appeals for late applications will be considered on a case-by-case basis until Feb 23rd)
- Winter Quarter: Applications open March 15th and close May 1st (Appeals for late applications will be considered on a case-by-case basis until June 5th)
- Spring Quarter: Applications open August 15th and close October 1st (Appeals for late applications will be considered on a case-by-case basis until November 5th)
Application Checklist
- Review our placement processes and policy carefully. Failure to adhere to our policy could put your placement in jeopardy.
- Make sure your schedule will allow you to be available full time during the entire Student Teaching quarter. We strongly recommend that you do not work while student teaching.
- Prepare your resume and teaching statement for submission with your application.
- Choose your placement preferences.
- Submit your application.
TeachSTEM students: If you are in a year-long placement, the application will ask you to enter information about your existing mentor teacher. If you need a new mentor teacher, the application will guide you to submit the information that we need to seek a new placement for you.
Course Description
Student Teaching is a by-permission-only course which must be completed full-time over the course of one quarter. The course is based around a full time placement with a mentor teacher. The mentor is endorsed in the same or a similar subject as the student teacher is pursuing.
The Student Teaching field placement is accompanied by biweekly field supervisor-led seminars. The date, time, and location will be designated by the university field supervisor. Learn more at the Student Teaching Course Overview.
Credits: 16
Repeatable for Credit: No
Grading Basis: S/U
Academic Pre-Requisites which must be met AT THE TIME OF APPLICATION to student teaching:
- Full admission to the Teacher Certification Program
- Currently meeting all graduation GPA requirements of each Endorsement and Certification major Each degree has a required GPA for graduation listed in the candidate's Academic Requirement Report
- Course grade requirements for Endorsement and Certification majors must be met with no classes requiring retakes. For most Endorsement majors, that requirement is a C or higher
- No Incomplete grades in Endorsement and Certification majors
- On track to complete the requirements for general education, Endorsement and Certification majors in the quarter in which the candidate completes student teaching
Legal Clearance Pre-Requisites which must be met by the deadline communicated to you after application by the Teacher Certification Office:
- Purchase of student intern/practicum professional liability insurance
- Current WSP/FBI fingerprint clearance through OSPI (book your fingerprinting appointment)
- Submission of proof of registration of WEST-E or NES exam for a test date that will occur prior to the first day of the Student Teaching experience. Email confirmation of scheduled date to teachercertification@cwu.edu.
- Create an e-cert account with OSPI. Complete the Pre-Residency Clearance Application the next day. Tutorial videos can be found on the Teacher Certification Student Resources webpage.
*Failure to meet the academic pre-requisites for student teaching at the time of application or failure to complete the legal clearance requirements for student teaching within the communicated deadlines will cause your student teaching application to be denied. Denied applications can be appealed to the Department Chairs Appeals Committee.
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