Program Overview

At Bellefonte Area School District, we believe in investing in the future of public education. We enthusiastically partner with accredited colleges and universities to offer robust field experiences, internships, and student teaching opportunities. Aspiring educators placed in our district work closely with our exceptional faculty and staff, gaining the practical experience, mentorship, and guidance needed to excel in their future classrooms.

Placement Requests & Guidelines

All student teacher, intern, practicum, and field experience placement requests must be submitted directly by the university supervisor or placement coordinator using our official request form. If arrangements with a district staff member have already been made, the university coordinator must still complete the form and note the pre-arranged placement details.

Placement requests are reviewed and processed on a rolling basis throughout the year. While applications are accepted anytime, early submission is strongly encouraged to ensure mentor availability and district capacity.

Placement Process Step-by-Step

1. Submit Request Here: The university coordinator submits the placement request via the official request form. (If pre-arranged, note the staff member's name on the form.)

2. Principal Review: The request is routed to the building principal for initial review and mentor teacher availability check. Once matched, the district will contact the university coordinator to confirm the placement.

3. Submit Clearances: Upon receiving match confirmation from the district, the university coordinator emails the candidate's required clearances to studentteaching@basd.net.

4. Board Agenda: Verified candidates are placed on the upcoming monthly Board Meeting agenda. Coordinators can monitor the agenda and safely assume approval unless notified otherwise.

5. Final Onboarding: The coordinator contacts the principal and cooperating teacher to confirm start dates, daily schedules, and building access.

Affiliation Agreement

Our district requires an active affiliation agreement with all sending institutions. If your university is listed under our active partner institutions below, an agreement is already on file. If your institution is not listed, the university placement coordinator must contact the Executive Assistant to the Superintendent(see contact information below) to establish an agreement prior to submitting placement requests. Please note that new agreements require Board approval and may take several months to finalize.

Placement requests are only accepted from our currently active partner institutions listed below:

The Pennsylvania State University (College of Education)

• Approved Programs: Pre-service field experience (CI 495A/B/C) and student teaching (CI 495D/F/E) across Elementary (PreK-4), Middle Level (4-8), and Secondary Education (7-12) certification tracks.

Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania

• Approved Programs: Field study, internship, practicum, and student teaching across Early Childhood Education (PK-4), Middle Level (4-8), Secondary Education (7-12), Special Education (PK-8 / PK-12), Music Education (K-12), Speech-Language Pathology (MS), Reading Specialist, School Counseling (PK-12), Principal Certification (PK-12), and Teacher Intern programs.

Short-Term Field Observations (5–10 Hours)

Undergraduate or introductory course candidates needing brief, short-term field observations (5 to 10 hours) do not need to submit the formal placement form or affiliation agreements. Please reach out directly to the applicable building principal to make arrangements.

Required Clearances & Documentation

Please note: Clearances should NOT be submitted with the initial placement request. Once a placement match is officially confirmed, the university coordinator must email the following required clearances directly to studentteaching@basd.net. Clearances must be received and verified prior to placing the candidate on the Board agenda for approval.

• Act 34: Pennsylvania State Police Criminal Record Check

• Act 151: Pennsylvania Child Abuse History Clearance

• Act 114: FBI Criminal History Background Check (Fingerprinting)

• Act 24: Arrest/Conviction Report and Certification Form

• TB Test: Proof of a negative Tuberculosis test (usually required to be less than 3 months old).

Board Approval & Placement Onboarding

All student teacher and intern placements require final approval by the Bellefonte Area School District Board of Directors in accordance with district oversight and background screening standards (Policy 307: Student Teachers/Interns and Policy 916: School Volunteers). University coordinators should ensure candidates are listed on the monthly Board Meeting agenda and can assume candidates are board-approved unless notified otherwise.

Once a candidate is officially board-approved, the university coordinator or supervisor must reach out directly to the assigned building principal and cooperating teacher to:

• Facilitate initial introductions.

• Confirm the student's start date and daily schedule.

• Ensure the building initiates any necessary IT access or system setup for the student teacher.

For questions regarding student teaching, internship, and field experience placements, please contact:

• Stephanie Ironside, Executive Assistant to the Superintendent

• Email: sironside@basd.net

• Phone: 814-355-4814 ext. 3005