Observation Students, Practicum Students, Student Teachers and Interns 4-91

School Board of the City of Virginia Beach
Policy 4-91

PERSONNEL

Observation Students, Practicum Students, Student Teachers, and Interns

1. Purpose

   To outline procedures for the placement of field-experience (observation) students, practicum students, student teachers, and interns.

2. Memorandum of Agreement Requirement

   An approved and active Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between the requesting entity and the Department of Human Resources is required before any student can be placed as a student teacher, practicum student, or intern within the School Division. The MOA shall ensure compliance with placement standards.

3. Application and Placement
   1. Observation Students

      Field-experience students who are observing in classrooms or who are assigned to other work sites to observe for short periods of time, shall be placed in accordance with procedures established with the institution of higher education and the Department of Human Resources.

   2. Practicum Students and Interns – Non-instructional

      Practicum students and interns seeking placement in technical positions that are not directly related to the instructional program, shall be placed in accordance with procedures established with the educational institution and the Department of Human Resources.

   3. Practicum Students, Student Teachers, and Interns – Instructional
      1. Universities submit requests for student teachers and internship placements in the School Division directly to the Department of Human Resources. Intern placements include administrative, psychologist, school counselors, social workers, and speech language pathologist. Direct requests from students are not accepted.
      2. Application(s) for placement(s) shall be denied when the Chief Human Resources Officer or the designee judges them to conflict with the best interests of the School Division.
      3. School Division employees who are fully endorsed in the areas of the current assignments and are seeking advanced degrees in those endorsement areas, may be observed by the college or university supervisors with the permission of the principal or program manager.
4. Supervision of Practicum Students, Student Teachers, and Interns
   1. School Division employees who serve as supervisors or cooperating teachers of practicum students, student teachers, or instructional interns shall meet the following minimum requirements:
      1. Recommendation of the principal or director.
      2. Willingness to serve as a role model and mentor.
      3. Have a license/endorsement in the teaching assignment for practicum students, student teachers, and instructional interns (school counselors, psychologist, speech and language pathologist, etc.) or an administrative endorsement for administrative interns (must have a Collegiate Professional or Post Graduate Professional ten (10) year renewable teaching license.
      4. Minimum of three (3) years of teaching/administrative experience as appropriate to student supervision assignment.
      5. Minimum of one (1) year in the current teaching/administrative assignment.
   2. School Division employees who serve as supervisors for non-instructional interns shall meet the following minimum requirements:
      1. Recommendation of the director.
      2. Willingness to serve as a role model and mentor.
      3. Minimum of three (3) years of experience as appropriate to the student supervision assignment.
   3. Honorariums from universities may be accepted in accordance with the following provisions:
      1. Non-administrative supervisors and cooperating teachers may accept honorariums for personal use.
      2. If the supervision of a practicum student, student teacher, or intern is divided among staff members, the honorarium shall be divided accordingly.
      3. Administrative employees may not accept honorariums for personal use but shall have them made payable to Virginia Beach City Public Schools and credited to appropriate school or department codes to use in improving educational programs (e.g. in-service activities, consultants, materials, supplies, field trips, student activities, etc.).
5. Evaluation of Practicum Students, Student Teachers, and Interns Instructional

   Practicum students, student teachers, and interns shall be evaluated jointly by the university site supervisor and the School Division cooperating teacher/administrator.

6. Non-Instructional

   Practicum students, and interns shall be evaluated jointly by the university/technical school site supervisor and the cooperating School Division employee.

7. Tuberculin Test

   Each assigned practicum student, student teacher, and intern shall meet state requirements regarding tuberculin tests.

8. Background Check Required

   All practicum students, student teachers, and interns must have completed a background check through the university program prior to being assigned to a classroom or office in the School Division.

   If the school or university does not provide a background check process the student must provide personal descriptive information to the school division to obtain criminal history record information for the purpose of screening for placement in a classroom or work area in the School Division. The cost of the screening will be the responsibility of the student/intern.

Legal Reference

Code of Virginia § 19.2-389, as amended. Dissemination of criminal history record information

Code of Virginia § 19.2-390.1, as amended. Sex Offender and Crimes Against Minors Registry; maintenance; access

Code of Virginia § 22.1-296.1, as amended. Data on convictions for certain crimes and child abuse and neglect required, penalty

Code of Virginia § 22.1-296.2, as amended. Fingerprinting required; reciprocity permitted

Code of Virginia § 22.1-296.4, as amended. Child abuse and neglect data required

Code of Virginia § 23.1-607, as amended. Compensation of Cooperating Teachers

Code of Virginia § 22.1-300, as amended. Tuberculosis Certificate

Related Links

School Board Policy 4-10
School Board Regulation 4-91.1

Adopted by School Board: July 13, 1993 (Effective August 14, 1993)
Amended by School Board: October 23, 2018
Amended by School Board: September 12, 2023
Amended by School Board: September 9, 2025