FAST TRAIN Students,


Now that fall registration is underway and many of you are starting to plan your future coursework, I wanted to send out a quick reminder about the changes to clinical experience that will be put into effect for the 2015-2016 calendar year and beyond, particularly with respect to the On-the-Job (OTJ) Internship.

How is the On-the-Job Internship Changing?
As a result of new requirements from the Virginia Department of Education, the OTJ Internship is changing so that it will be a culminating experience that will be documented on students' transcripts.   Beginning in the 2015-2016 academic year, students will be required to register for a 6 credit EDCI 790 course in either the fall or the spring of the internship year.  The associated course will mirror the 6 credit student teaching course in many respects.   Students will be required to keep a log of teaching hours and submit other evaluative materials such as video clips, evaluations, and reflections on their teaching.  The OTJ Internship will also have a similar application process to student teaching.  In order to be eligible, students must have completed all licensure courses with passing grades, must have successfully completed all endorsement coursework, and must have passed all licensure testing PRIOR TO their internship experience.  All passing grades and scores must be in the Mason system (i.e. Banner and/or PatriotWeb) by the application deadline of August 1st of the internship year in order for the OTJ Internship to be approved by FAST TRAIN.  Students who do not meet these requirements will not be eligible.

Does This Mean I Must Register for 6 Credits to Complete Clinical Experience in the Future?
Beginning in 2015 and beyond, both student teaching and the On-the-Job Internship will be 6 credit experiences.  For ESL students completing an On-the-Job Internship who have previous full-time teaching experience as an ESL teacher in an accredited school, there will be an opportunity to waive 3 credits of the associated 6-credit EDCI 790 course.  The waiver option applies to ESL students only and is based on the rationale that ESL students typically must do placements at two different schools in order to meet experience in both primary and secondary settings required for a K-12 license.  If a student has a year of successful ESL teaching experience in an accredited school, he or she may choose to essentially waive one of the placements and the corresponding 3 credits.  In order to be eligible for the waiver, ESL students must have completed the teaching experience while enrolled in the FAST TRAIN program and must complete a waiver application which includes submitting a copy of a successful cumulative evaluation from their previous teaching experience.

Please note that the waiver this does not eliminate 3 credits completely – it simply waives students from 3 credits of the EDCI 790 course associated with the internship.  Qualifying students who wish to utilize the waiver option, will enroll in a 3 credit EDCI 790 course AND must take an additional 3 elective credits to meet the new degree requirements of 36 total credit hours.

Where Can I Find More Information About the On-the-Job Internship?
I have attached the On-the-Job Internship Manual for each program which will apply to students who will be completing the experience in the 2015-2016 academic year and beyond.  More information about the OTJ Internship can also be found on the FAST TRAIN website at: http://fasttrain.gmu.edu/licensure/internship.

Is Student Teaching Changing?
Student teaching will remain a 6 credit experience.   The only change to student teaching is with respect to the requirements due by the application deadline.  As always, students must be complete with all licensure courses by the end of the semester prior to the student teaching experience.  Please note that beginning this fall, students who wish to student teach must be complete with all endorsement coursework and licensure testing with passing scores and grades in the Mason system by the respective application deadline in order to be eligible to student teach in the following semester.  The application deadline is September 15th for students who wish to student teach in the spring and February 15th for students who wish to student teach in the fall.

Where Can I Find More Information About Student Teaching?
I have attached the Student Teaching Manual for your review.  More information about student teaching can be found at: http://fasttrain.gmu.edu/licensure/student-teaching.

Please let me know if you have any questions concerning these changes or about clinical experience in general.  I hope you all enjoy the rest of your summer break and I look forward to working with you in the fall.

Kind regards,


Jill Macioch
Fieldwork Coordinator
Division of Advanced Professional Teacher Development & International Education
College of Education and Human Development
George Mason University
4400 University Dr, MS 1E8
Fairfax, VA 22030
Office: 1-703-993-2888<tel:1-703-993-2888>
Fax: 1-703-993-5771<tel:1-703-993-5771>
http://fasttrain.gmu.edu