Internship Requirements - Educational Administration

The internship, or clinical/field experience, is possibly the most important aspect of the preparation of school principals. An increasing body of research shows that it is during the field experience that the prospective principal develops the model of the type of administrator he or she will become. While PUC provides field experience modules throughout the coursework in the program, it is only through the formal internship that the candidate has the unique opportunity to develop the key skills needed for leadership. The prospective principal works with one or more mentors to practice the skills, knowledge and attitudes developed through the classroom portion of the administrative credentialing program. In addition, the intern is exposed to practical aspects of administration, which cannot be taught in a theoretical setting.

The internship represents a cooperative effort between school districts and the university. This section of the manual is designed to make clear the responsibilities of the candidate, the cooperating administrator(s) and the university supervisor.

Purpose of the Internship

The Internship at PUC is a combination of field experience modules completed during the candidate's coursework worth 1 credit hour each, and a 150-hour field experience with a practicing administrator at the end of the program worth 4 credit hours. Supervised, on-the-job field experience (often called "internship") is well accepted as an important part of a professional's training. It is through such experience that professionals practice the skills, knowledge, and attitudes learned in the classroom.The supervisor plays a key role in this practice by providing a model, selecting and structuring the experiences from which the trainee can benefit, and allowing the trainee to build competence in a "safe" apprenticeship environment. Directed selective experience increases the likelihood that mistakes will be kept to a minimum, and that the consequences of mistakes will not be severe. The candidate can begin slowly, can observe and practice, and as he/she becomes more confident and competent, can tackle increasingly complex and difficult situations.

One purpose of the internship is to provide the candidate with the opportunity to gain experience in applying the theories, procedures and skills learned in the classroom to real situations. An equally important second purpose, however, is to provide the candidate with an opportunity to place these in the context of the school, and to add the information and develop the skills which are not included in formal university classroom instruction. Just as the student teacher learns from the master teacher a great deal about the social norms of teaching, so the candidate learns, consciously and unconsciously, the behavior and deportment expected of an administrator. Thus, the supervisor is doing more than selecting and structuring the candidate's experience; he or she, along with other administrators in the building, is serving as a model for the candidate to emulate.

A final purpose of the internship is to be a final screening device for licensure. In order to be eligible for a principal's license, the candidate must receive a passing grade for the internship. The candidate who has done well in the university classroom, and who understands the theories of school administration, must be able to apply appropriately those theories in actual school situations. The cooperating administrator and the university supervisor will discuss whether the candidate has satisfactorily demonstrated the attitudes and abilities, which qualify him/her for entry into the profession. The final decision will reside with the university supervisor.In summary, the internship experience provides:

For the candidate

• fulfillment of a requirement in the principal's licensure program
• an opportunity to experience the role of a principal and decide if he/she wishes to pursue the principalship as a career
• an opportunity to discover his/her own strengths and weaknesses and a chance to work on the weaknesses
• an opportunity to assume increasing responsibility and gain confidence in administrative tasks

• a chance to "pass the torch," sharing experience and expertise with the next generation of school leaders and to have real influence on their learning
• additional assistance from a person with fresh ideas and enthusiasm and background from recent academic coursework

• an opportunity for the university supervisor to observe the candidate in actual practice before making a decision to endorse him/her for a principal's license
• an opportunity to have close contact with the "real world" of school administration

Schedule of Field Experiences

Table 1: Schedule of Field Experiences

Final Internship Experience

The culminating field experience is a 4-hour course titled EDFA 695, Internship in Education, and is completed during the spring semester of the candidate’s final year.

Components of EDFA 695
Fall prior to the final internship experience

• Candidate meets with university advisor to discuss requirements and mechanics
• Candidate completes Candidate Self-Assessment Form
• Candidate meets with the university advisor to discuss the form and to create the Internship Goal Form
• Candidate identifies and gains permission to work with a practicing principal.
• University personnel meet with cooperating principals to discuss mechanics of program
• Candidate meets with cooperating principal and discusses the Self-assessment Form and the Goal Form, agreeing on activities that will best address the candidate needs identified in the forms
• Candidate registers for EDFA 695, Internship in Education, which is the title of the internship course offered in the spring.

Complete Candidate Reflection Journal The candidate must complete a reflection journal, which is a collection of key questions that the intern answers as he/she participates in field experiences. The guiding questions for the journal are listed here.

Activity Log The candidate must complete an activity log of all work completed during the internship.  The form is shown here.  The candidate must complete 10 hours of work per week.  The activities will be selected during a weekly meeting between the cooperating principal and the candidate. The activities should reflect the items identified on the self-assessment and the goal forms.

Final Grade At the conclusion of the experience the cooperating principal will complete the final evaluation form and submit it to the university supervisor.  Upon approval, the university supervisor will sign the final form and submit the final grade for the course. (See Internship Evaluation Form)

Take the SLLA The candidate is advised to take the School Leaders Licensure Assessment (SLLA) exam upon reaching the end of his or her program. Registration materials are available in the Graduate Studies office.  The candidate is responsible for registering and for payment of fees for the exam.  The university advisor can discuss the exam more fully with the candidate.