The Pre-Practicum

The pre-practicum is 75 hours of structured, focused experiences with a practitioner (principal, superintendent, special education director) who is certified in the field in which the student is seeking certification. The purpose of the pre-practicum is to link theory and practice and to give the student insight into the skills needed to be a successful administrator.

The major activity of a pre-practicum for the student involves shadowing the practitioner and then engaging in a reflective dialogue about what was observed. The conversation about the event is as if not more important than the observation of the event. It is very important that the student work with a practitioner who wants to talk about what was observed in order to help the student gain insight and understanding into what occurred, why, what choices were made about the specific skills which were used and what the beliefs were that underlined the behavior. From that discussion will come the deeper understanding of the skills required for effective leadership.

The student will also keep a reflective journal about the pre-practicum. The journal will encourage further reflection about the student's experiences. A journal entry should describe the specific experience, what was learned from it and how that learning would influence the student's future behavior as an administrator. Each entry should also indicate the amount of time the student spent on the activity. The journal should demonstrate insight and understanding of the complexities of successful administration and should document that the student spent the minimum hours (75) in the field required for certification.

The student is also expected to gather supporting artifacts during the pre-practicum. For example, if the student is observing a faculty meeting the agenda for the meeting becomes an artifact. If there are notes or a response memo sent out after the meeting that also becomes an artifact.

These artifacts are attached to the reflective journal and become part of the journal, which is passed in to me at the completion of the pre-practicum. The journal is the basis for a student receiving credit for the course.

While most of the field experience can be done in one school, it is also important that the student see how different administrators practice the same job. Students will be expected to shadow at least two different practitioners during the field experience. This is also the time to learn how other aspects of education affect the practitioners role. Students will be expected to observe school committee meetings, PTA and/or School Improvement council meetings, administrative council meetings, etc. as part of this experience.

Students must sign up for the pre-practicum in the practicum office on the first floor of Campion hall and register for the one credit course. A pre-practicum experience is required before one takes the full practicum.

Examples of shadowing experiences

• Administrator - parent conference
• Administrator - student conference
• Faculty meeting
• Department meeting
• IEP meeting
• Grade level teacher meeting
• Staff development activities
• Budget meetings
• Team meetings
• Teacher observation and follow up conference
• Curriculum workshop
• Joint administrators meetings
• Review and/or respond to correspondence
• Tour of classrooms
• Review or write newsletters
• Informal conversations with staff
• Teacher / Student conversation
• Teacher / Parent conference
• Meetings or conversations with support staff
• Administrative council meeting
• Central office staff meeting*
• Individual meeting with Central office staff/principal*
• School committee chair meeting*
• School committee preparation meeting*
• Superintendent ñ staff meeting*
• Superintendent tour of building*
• Preparation of school committee agenda and support materials*
• Collective bargaining session*
• Union president meeting*
• Community meeting
• Board of Aldermen /mayor meeting
• Selectmen meeting/town meeting
• Review of phone messages
• Review of calendar
• School committee meeting
• PTA meeting
• School Improvement Council meeting
• Facilities meetings
• Preparation of student master schedules*  

* May be more applicable for Superintendent Certification

The Practicum

The practicum is similar to the pre practicum experience with two major exceptions. First this field experience is a minimum of 150 hours. While the state requires 150, students are encouraged to go beyond that to gain valuable insight into what it means to be an effective administrator. Second, in addition to further " shadowing" the student is expected to undertake a major project in which the student assumes the administrative role for which h/she is seeking certification. The practitioner agrees to be the mentor for the student during this leadership project.

A leadership project can take many forms. It must include working with other adults to bring about a change. It must allow the student to play the role of the administrator in bringing about this change. What kind of planning is necessary? What kind of communication is necessary? What level of staff ownership is necessary and how does one attain that ownership? How does one measure success? How does manage conflict? What kind of decision making processes need to be in place and how are they communicated? How is responsibility delegated? What are your beliefs and how do they affect your behavior and the behavior you expect of others? What did you learn about yourself? About how schools or school systems operate? How will this change your leadership style? These are some of the questions you need to reflect on as you go through this leadership project. These are some of the issues you will discuss with your mentor/practitioner.

Examples of leadership projects

• Major curriculum revision
• Staff development activities
• Curriculum framework alignment
• |Materials selection process
• Use of technology to influence instruction
• Creation of grade level outcomes
• Analyze assessment results and develop plan of action
• Explore alternative assessment
• Create study groups
• Facilitate collegial environment
• Review/revise pre referral process
• Review/revise IEP process
• Facilitate the process of inclusion
• Increase communication between grade level/departments
• Revise student/faculty handbook
• Develop a student mentoring program
• Develop an after school program
• Create a different master schedule
• Explore instructional techniques
• Prepare a major report for the school committee*
• Revise the budget process*
• Analyze system s test results and make recommendations*
• Work with principals to implement a system wide goal*
• System wide curriculum review project*
• System wide staff development program*
• Develop a personnel handbook*

* May be more applicable for Superintendent Certification

Students must register for the practicum course. Students will submit a reflective journal which documents a minimum of 150 field hours and arrange for three field visits during the practicum. Students must also take the practicum seminar while doing the field work. Students are expected to arrange for their own field placement but may call upon the instructor for assistance if necessary.

The pre practicum and the practicum should allow the student to study the culture of the school/system. What values and norms underlie the culture? What changes in culture would the student desire and how would the student bring about those changes? The study of culture and change should be a focus of the reflective journal.

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