Field Experience Requirements (Field Hours, Practicum & Student Teaching)
NLU requires all candidates in programs that include time spent in an Illinois school to have an Illinois State Police Criminal background fingerprint check, and a Certificate of Completion with the Department of Children and Family Services Mandated Reporter Training. Office of Field Experience (OFE) Acknowledgment Form, and complete the Field Experience Application. NLU collects all documents, but students are responsible for submitting to schools or districts considering placement. Students should carry the originals when visiting schools.
Listed below are details about these requirements:
- Criminal background checks must be completed by the due dates required for your program. Please use the NLU UCIA Criminal Background Check (CBC). Locations and fingerprinting times are posted on the Accurate Biometrics website. Candidates are responsible for all fees and the results must be sent to the students’ email or home address. NOTE: Some school districts may require their own background check prior to student teaching. If you are an employee of a school district, you may give evidence of your employment CBC if it is current. Chicago Public Schools has one process for field experience applications and another for student teaching applications.
- A candidate may not be placed in any school if the background check determines that he or she has been convicted of criminal behavior that, by law, automatically prohibits him or her from attaining Illinois licensure. The offenses that automatically prohibit licensure include first degree murder, any Class X felony, juvenile pimping, soliciting a juvenile prostitute, exploitation of a child, obscenity, child pornography, criminal sexual assault, aggravated sexual criminal assault, criminal sexual abuse, aggravated criminal sexual abuse, some offenses set forth in the Cannabis Control Act, and some crimes defined in the Illinois Controlled Substances Act.
- In the event that no district will accept a student because of his or her criminal history, Academic Advisors will assist the student in choosing an alternative course of study. There is no guarantee that courses will be transferable between programs and no financial reimbursement will be given.
- In some cases, a school district may require record of an additional physical examination by a licensed physician or evidence of health insurance. The teacher candidate will be responsible for providing this documentation.
Student teaching field placements are linked with practicum hours for two consecutive quarters (fall/winter or winter/spring). All candidates for initial teacher licensure must successfully complete a student teaching experience of a minimum of 10 weeks in the classroom at an assigned school.