COE Teacher Preparation Programs Field Policy*
*The COE and UH Mānoa policies are subject to change. Please be sure to keep abreast of any updates.
UH Mānoa Campus Status
The University of Hawai’i at Mānoa (UH Mānoa) will continue to remain vigilant and committed to the health and well-being of members of our community. We follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and State of Hawai‘i guidelines. Information can be found at the UH Mānoa COVID-19 Guidelines. Please adhere to these health guidelines.
College of Education
Our COE teacher preparation programs are designated as hybrid programs by UH Mānoa. Per UH Mānoa requirements: “Students enrolled in hybrid programs are required to submit Health Clearances and will be assessed mandatory student fees, in accordance with Hawaiʻi Administrative Rule 11-157 and EP 6.208 Mandatory Student Fees, during terms when the student is enrolled in courses with hybrid or in-person components” (UH Mānoa Program Definition and Requirements). Please see the UH Mānoa Health Clearance Requirements for details.
We encourage our COE community to follow the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendations and strongly encourage individuals to be up-to-date with COVID-19 immunizations; however, until further notice the COE is not requiring candidates in field or clinical placements to provide evidence of COVID-19 vaccination or to submit a request for medical/religious accommodation.
Some field or clinical settings where field requirements are completed may have specific guidelines (e.g., provide evidence of COVID-19 vaccination or submit a request for medical/religious accommodation) for UH Mānoa candidates and faculty providing field supervision at their site. Therefore, in order to participate with our partner institutions, individuals will need to adhere to the guidelines that they have specified. The COE requires candidates in field or clinical placements to follow all partner institution COVID-19 policies, and the University of Hawai‘i COVID-19 Guidelines . Candidates and field supervisors should find out about the specific guidelines at their school site and follow those guidelines as well.
Requirements for Candidates in All Field Courses
Each program Chair, in collaboration with program faculty and schools, will decide upon requirements for candidates in field experience courses including student teaching or internship. Candidates will be given a syllabus reflecting the requirements for their field course. If the program requires, candidates will be expected to complete their field experience face-to-face in a Hawai‘i public, charter, or private school with their mentor teacher and PK-12 students. Candidates must follow all school guidelines and UH Mānoa COVID-19 Guidelines. These may include:
- If testing positive for COVID-19, isolate for 5 days; Return to work or classes if you have been fever-free for 24 hours; Wear a mask for an additional 5 days around others.
- If you have symptoms that could be COVID-19, isolate until you are able to confirm a negative test; If you have a fever, remain home until you are fever-free for 24 hours.
- You may come to campus if you have been exposed to an individual(s) with COVID-19; Wear a mask when coming to campus for 10 days following your last close contact with an individual who tests positive for COVID-19; Get tested 5 days following your last close contact.
- Wash hands frequently and/or use hand sanitizer.
In-person observations of teaching performance will be conducted by University Supervisors; in-person observations may be supplemented by virtual observations at the discretion of the program Chair. In addition to supervisor observations of teaching, candidates may be required to provide videos of their teaching and/or participate in synchronous virtual demonstrations of their teaching. Candidates may be assigned to engage with technologies such as Zoom, Teaching Channel, Atlas, and/or GoReact as part of their field experience course or student teaching/internship requirement.
Requirements for Candidates in Student Teaching/Internship Courses
For the spring 2025 semester and thereafter, all candidates shall complete their supervised clinical experience in student teaching or internship in a Hawai‘i public, charter, or private school at the appropriate grade level(s) and in the subject(s) for which they are seeking licensure. Candidates must be prepared to travel to the UH Mānoa campus or a practicum field site as required. All candidates will be provided with a syllabus that specifies field requirements, and the UH supervisor will clarify expectations. The UH supervisor will discuss with both the candidate and appropriate school personnel (e.g., mentor teacher, principal) program requirements and expectations of the candidate as specified on the field syllabus. School personnel are encouraged to contact their COE liaisons with questions and concerns.
Candidates who are student teaching will be assigned a mentor teacher as appropriate in a P-12 classroom setting with whom they will work, as is standard practice. The student teaching requirements and placement for each candidate will be approved by the program Chair in consultation with program faculty. Candidates will be expected to fulfill requirements by working face-to-face (in-person) in schools with their mentor teachers and P-12 students, following all Hawai‘i public, charter, or private school guidelines and UH Mānoa requirements. Teacher candidates completing student teaching will follow the work expectations of their mentor teacher and the UH supervisor, to include face-to-face instruction of P-12 students.
For candidates who are emergency hires or working at schools (on-the job, OJT), the requirements of that position may or may not fulfill the requirements of the field course; therefore, the appropriateness of a COE field placement must be verified and approved by COE program faculty (e.g., program Chair, Field Coordinator). OJT candidates must complete an internship in a Hawai‘i public, charter, or private school at the appropriate grade level(s) and in the subject(s) for which they are seeking licensure. OJT candidates will be performing the expectations for their hired position, as determined by the school principal. In addition, the candidate is responsible to meet all COE program requirements, which include both course and field requirements.
Any exceptions to the above policy must be approved by the program Chair in consultation with the Interim Associate Dean.
