K-12 Internships

Non-Hired Student Teachers

• Student teachers seeking certification in grades K-12 must student teach in both the lower and upper grade levels.

• The internship must be split equally between an elementary and secondary placement (note: a grade 6 placement will satisfy both of these requirements).

• Non-hired student teachers will have two placements – one in a K-6 classroom and another in a 6-12 classroom.

• Most non-hired student teachers will be placed in an elementary and middle or high school to meet the K-12 certification requirement (i.e., unless the intern has a grade 6 placement, which will satisfy both the elementary and secondary certification requirement).

Hired Student Teachers

• K-12 student teachers must split their 15 week internship in half so that an equal, or as close to equal, amount of time is spent in a K-6 classroom and a 6-12 classroom (i.e., roughly 262 hours in each setting).  If a student teacher is hired in grade 6, this will satisfy both the elementary and secondary requirement for K-12 certification.

• Hired student teachers seeking certification in grades K-12 are responsible for making arrangements with their principal to meet their internship certification requirement.

• Arrangements must be made that specify how the intern will split his/her time at two locations/classrooms and the name of the cooperating teacher.

• Once arrangements have been made, a letter must be provided to the Office of Clinical Experiences detailing how the certification requirement will be satisfied. Please contact Dianne Hedgepeth at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for more information.

• Note: Hired student teachers must teach within their specific area of certification, all day, every day for the entire 15 week internship (i.e., from “bus duty to bus duty”).