Part II. Where Will I Be Placed?

In the context of student teaching, while a variety of issues influence the school and teacher assignment process and we cannot guarantee any individual student teacher placement, understanding your specific interests and personal professional needs will help us to better match students, schools, and cooperating teachers. A further understanding of the student teacher application and placement process, described below, will help you in this effort.

Indicating Preferences: What Your Choices Mean

As you indicate preferences, please be aware that a set of important College goals will help influence assignments. We cannot guarantee you placement in a specific school or region.

Regional Preferences: Early Childhood Education and Secondary Education

Beginning with placements for Spring 2013, the College will provide Early Childhood Education and Secondary Education applicants with a list of regional areas from which an applicant may indicate a first and second preference for placement. Applicants in these programs must select at least one region from the Philadelphia list. Individual schools and districts will no longer be listed.

Grade-Level Preferences: Middle Grades

For Fall 2013 placements, Middle Grades applicants will be placed in a Philadelphia district or charter school. No regional preference applies for the Middle Grades program. Instead, applicants will indicate both grade level and subject area preference.

Additional Considerations for Placements (All Programs)

On your application for student teaching, you may be asked to indicate your interest in participating in some alternative placement opportunities such as a placement at a charter school with extended hours or a cooperative placement with another student teacher. Indicating your interest in participating in these opportunities does not guarantee you will be placed in these schools, but assists us in determining the best placement for your needs and interests.

Placing Student Teachers

Schools and districts play an active role in the determining which students are assigned to which schools. Based on your input and the College priorities, the Field Placements Coordinator in the College makes a formal request to the individual school districts. The district, based on its own criteria, then determines whether or not to pursue the request at the school level. The principal, based on his/her own criteria and the ability to meet the request (e.g. availability of a master teacher who meets the requirements of the Pennsylvania Department of Education), works with individual teachers at the school to determine which candidates, if any, will be selected to student teach at the school and with which teachers.

Students seeking a placement outside the School District of Philadelphia should understand that, by agreement with the districts, the College sends ALL such applications to the district offices only. You may not contact schools on your own initiative. You must follow the application procedures established between the College of Education and the surrounding districts.

It is also important to note that some school districts are requested by far more potential student teachers, both here at Temple and from the nearly 20 other teacher preparation programs in the region, than they can accommodate.

Timeline for Notification

Schools and districts vary in the amount of time they take to consider individual student teacher applications and respond to our placement requests. While the College is working to ensure prompt responses and will be in regular contact during the placement process, responses, both acceptances and denials, often take more time than anticipated.

College-recommended student teacher placements are considered tentative until final confirmation by the school site and a specific cooperating teacher is named. Students with particularly complicated situations or specific needs or concerns also have opportunities to discuss their placements within specific time limits; however, students may not arrange for a placement on their own.

You will be notified via e-mail as soon as we confirm that you are eligible to student teach and we have confirmation of your placement.

Please note that even if we get an approved placement for you and notify you of this placement, this placement is contingent upon an academic review conducted by the College of Education advising unit.

What if I'm Not Happy With My Placement?

Requesting a change in school placement AFTER we have sent your application to a school on your behalf is strongly discouraged. Make your choices carefully and provide as much information as you can.

If you have extraordinary circumstances and need to request a student teaching placement outside our usual network of schools, please consult with Field Placement Coordinator, Bernie McGee, immediately and before completing this application.

To ensure timely and appropriate placements, students should regularly check Temple e-mail and quickly respond to any requests from the Office of Student Teaching. Before you complete the application, if you have questions, please contact:

And please remember, Temple University cannot guarantee you a student teaching placement in a school district of your choice.

Ready to Continue?