Pre-Field Experience Check List

Field Experience Required Preparation Academic Year Pre-Fall Fall Term Winter Term Spring Term
Overview Check List ESOL September Experience Field Observation Clinical Student Practicum Clinical Student Teaching

Prior to the start of each new field placement you will have a placement orientation with your Practicum Placement Coordinator.  This will cover administrative policies, rules, standards, schedules and practices of the site as well as review of privacy and reporting responsibilities.

1. TSPC Background Clearance Requirements

Oregon law (ORS 181A.195) requires all UOTeach pre-service candidates undergo a Federal Bureau of Investigation and Oregon State Police criminal history background fingerprint check.

Full clearance and the purchase of a COE Professional Practicing ID Badge is required prior to starting your September field experience.

Regulations:

  • Under FBI rules, fingerprinting is restricted to the specific institute for which they are taken and specifically prohibit sharing of this information between institutions, in this case the University of Oregon College of Education. UO Educational Foundations graduates are required by TSPC to complete a new clearance check for the practicum level clearance.
  • Exception: Current Oregon licensed teachers are not required to conduct a new clearance but must upload verification to the COE Google doc.
  • See step-by-step guide on the UOTeach Current Student Blog under “Clinical Practice Application” or http://www.oregon.gov/tspc/pages/Fingerprinting.aspx
  • In order to have your COE Practicing Professional Badge by the start of September Experience, all TSPC clearance applications should be started no later than July 13.

Follow TSPC Fingerprint Clearance Registration Steps on Practicing Professional Clearance:

  1. Create a TSPC Clinical Practices Account – https://apps.oregon.gov/TSPC/eLicense
  2. TSPC Public Educator Searc– https://apps.oregon.gov/TSPC/eLicense/Search/PublicSearch
  3. COE Authorization Document Upload – https://goo.gl/DuHCcd
  4. Go to EMU Card Office to purchase your new Practicing Professional card

Trouble-shooting:

Students must clear the background check before beginning their field experience. If you are running into issues, please contact the Oregon TSPC by email contact.tspc@oregon.gov or phone 503-378-3586.

2. Register for TK20 Licensure Management System

All licensure students majoring in College of Education programs have access to a Tk20 account. Tk20 is a data management system that provides students, faculty, and staff with tools to manage field placement, evaluations, and other program-specific requirements. You will be working in the following areas:

  1. The Document Locker Portfolio is a place for you to upload evidence of trainings, in program ORELA testing, and keep various other docs.
  2. Practicum Placement Field Placement Binder: PGA, lesson plan rubrics, observation rubrics
  3. Student Teaching Field Placement Binder: PGA, lesson plan rubrics, observation rubrics, work sample
  4. edTPA Portfolio: assessment and video upload

Website: Log in using your DuckID: https://tk20.uoregon.edu/

TK20 QUESTIONS should be sent to:  Tk20 ticket system: tk20@uoregon.edu or  541-719-8250

3. ORELA Civil Rights Test Requirement

Oregon TSPC OAR 584-017-1028 (4)(a) requires passage of the “Protecting Student and Civil Rights in the Educational Environment” test (aka the Civil Rights test) prior to placement in any clinical (student practicum / teaching or internship experiences) where teacher performance assessments are required.

ALL UOTeach candidates must pass the required test by December 15 or prior to Practicum, to be allowed to begin the Practicum. Study material examples are available on the Current Student Blog.

4. Field Placement Orientation:

Prior to the start of each new field placement you will have a placement orientation with your Practicum Placement Coordinator.  This will cover administrative policies, rules, standards, schedules and practices of the site as well as review of privacy and reporting responsibilities.

5. FERPA & Mandatory Reporting (also see FERPA)

As a teacher candidate, you will be working in the field with students, parents, and other professionals. You may encounter situations that could involve you in legal actions in which you might be liable for damages, or you may sustain an injury or damage to your personal property.

  • As a practicum teacher, you are not a district employee and not covered by district liability insurance for any purpose including, but not limited to, compensation for services, employee welfare and pension benefits, fringe benefits of employment, or workers’ compensation insurance.
  • Oregon Tort Claims Act (ORS 30.260-30.300) permits the Institution to accept responsibility only for acts of its officers, employees and agents. Teacher candidates do not qualify. The Institution is prohibited from accepting liability for acts, omissions, and conducts of teacher candidates, and is prohibited from providing coverage with state accident insurance, liability insurance, or worker’s compensation insurance. Teacher candidate are responsible for having their own individual medical and accidental insurance.
  • The University of Oregon Department of Risk Management broadly encompasses field placement as part university liability. As such obtaining liability insurance during field placement is not required. You are however advised obtain health and accident insurance (for yourself).
  • Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) Schools are committed to protecting the privacy of all students. As a teacher candidate you are expected to help the schools and school districts you work in maintain best practices in the use and management of information about students.
  • FERPA prohibits the disclosure of a student’s “protected information” to a third party. This disclosure is prohibited whether it is made by hand delivery, verbally, fax, mail, or electronic transmission.

Oregon Mandatory Reporting – By law, teachers candidates are mandatory reporters must report suspected abuse or neglect of a child to DHS regardless of whether or not the knowledge of the abuse was gained in the reporter’s official capacity. In other words, the mandatory reporting of abuse or neglect of children is a 24-hour obligation.  To report suspected abuse call: 1-855-503-SAFE (7233).

 

University of Oregon Risk Management:

Please refer to UO Risk Mgmt for information regarding UO policy and resources  https://safety.uoregon.edu/risk-management-and-insurance

Other resources: