Teacher Candidates
All undergraduate and graduate candidates completing majors in Elementary, Special, and Secondary Education can find information about all requirements, expectations and mandated evaluation forms here. The Clinical Placement Handbook has all of the forms, policies, and information you need for yourself, your cooperating teacher, and your clinical supervisor. We strongly recommend you read and refer to the Handbook regularly:
Key Terminology pg.15
What follows are some key highlights.
- Applications for Clinical Placement
- Evaluations
- Time Logs
- Placement Clearance Requirements
- Praxis Information
- Professional Standards and Accreditation
Updated: Praxis II Guidelines
Passing PRAXIS II scores* must be submitted according to the following deadlines in order for candidates to be eligible for a Clinical Practice placement. Official Praxis Scores must be received from Educational Testing Service (ETS). Any test scores sent directly to Seton Hall from a party other than ETS will not be accepted and will delay placements. To report your scores to Seton Hall University through ETS, use institutional code: RA2811.
Class of 2026: Submit passing scores by February 15, 2025 (Clinical Practice application deadline) for eligibility upon applying. Teacher candidates from all programs must submit passing scores by May 1, 2025 to be eligible to begin Clinical Practice 1 in Fall 2025. If the May 1 deadline is not met, the deadline schedule below will apply.
Class of 2027 and after: Teacher candidates from all programs must submit passing scores by February 15 to be eligible to enter Clinical Practice 1 in the subsequent fall semester, or by September 1 to be eligible to enter Clinical Practice 1 in the subsequent spring semester.
*A passing Praxis II score means the exam, or exams, for the instructional certificate the candidate is pursuing. For Secondary Education majors, this is the appropriate Praxis Subject Test for your content area. For Elementary and Special Education majors, this means all four sections of the Elementary School Teacher K–6 exam.
Applications For Clinical Placement
View the eligibility requirements for Clinical Experience and Clinical Practice placements in the Registration and Placement Requirements section of the Clinical Placement Handbook.
An email with a link to the correct application will be sent prior to deadlines.
Teacher candidates must apply for clinical experience the semester prior to the semester for which the placement is being requested. A fall semester placement has an application deadline of March 1 of the prior spring semester. A spring semester placement has an application deadline of October 1 of the prior fall semester.
With the NJDOE two-semester clinical practice requirement, most teacher candidates will be on a Fall/Spring semester rotation. Applications for a fall clinical practice placement are due by February 15 of the prior Spring semester. For those few exceptions on a Spring/Fall clinical practice rotation, applications are due by September 15 of the prior Fall semester.
Evaluations
Clinical Experience and Clinical Practice candidates are evaluated using the Observation and Conference (O&C) Report.
Clinical Practice 2 candidates are evaluated by their clinical supervisors using both the Observation and Conference Report and the Clinical Competency Inventory (CCI).
Both evaluations are submitted using an online form. Copies of the O&C and CCI forms for reference only are provided in Appendix 10, 10A, and 11 of the Clinical Placement Handbook.
Time Logs
Every teacher candidate is required to log their time in the classroom to submit to the Office of Fieldwork & Certification. Cooperating teachers verify the logged time. The teacher candidate is responsible for entering all required hours on time so that they can be approved prior to the provided deadlines.
Candidates in Clinical Experience and Clinical Practice 1 placements log their hours using the Watermark (Student Learning & Licensure) application, which can be accessed via the Canvas course page under Assignments. Instructions are also provided in the Canvas Assignment.
Candidates in Clinical Practice 2 track their time using a PDF timesheet. Please download the PDF here and carefully review the instructions at the top of the page: Clinical Practice 2 Timesheet.
Placement Clearance Requirements
Substitute Credential
- General Information and Steps
- NJEdCert Substitute Credential Application Process Guide
- NJDOE Substitute Credential Information
Fingerprinting and Background Check
In order to get fingerprinted or have a criminal history check done, you need to go to the New Jersey Department of Education / Office of Student Protection site for fingerprinting and criminal history checks. Most of our partner districts require pre-clinical interns and clinical interns to pass the NJ criminal history check before beginning a placement in a district or school.
Learn more here and follow the directions carefully. The instructions are provided in two formats below:
Health Screenings
Praxis Information
Find Praxis II requirements and resources here.
Professional Standards and Accreditation
New Jersey Student Learning Standards
Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP)