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School Librarian Certificate Program

INF 388R Practicum Requirements

 

Practicum Prerequisites

Prior to enrolling in the SLC Practicum (INF 388R), certificate candidates must meet these prerequisites:

All non-teacher candidates (School Librarian Certificate) must complete 200 clock hours of coursework & training that is standards-based per 19 TAC 228.35(c). With few exceptions, candidates must complete the four required courses before placement in INF 388R (Practicum in School Libraries). 

Successful completion of at least 12 credit hours from required courses, including the four school librarian courses:

  • INF 387 School Library Management I: Literacy and Administration
  • INF 382L Inquiry and Information Seeking in K-12 (Another approved course may be substituted with the permission of the program coordinator, if the course is focused on K-12 inquiry and based on empirical research.)
  • INF 387.06 School Library Management II: Teaching and Learning
  • INF 382G Materials for Children and YA

Practicum Requirements

Candidates seeking the School Librarian Certificate in the state of Texas are not eligible for Practicum waivers.

No summer practicums will be considered. No exceptions.

Each practicum candidate must complete 160 on-site clock hours for the practicum, 80 in a public elementary school library and 80 in a public middle or public high school library. The candidate will work with her/his/their Site Supervisors to develop a specific work schedule with hours indicated for the entire practicum duration. There are specific duties that the Educational Preparation Program will require, as well as those prescribed by the site supervisors. See the School Librarian Certificate Practicum Handbook for details. While the practicum candidate may conduct projects during the practicum hours, the hours cannot be replaced by an off-site project.

Practicum candidates seeking a Texas School Librarian Certificate are required to complete 160 clock hours on site to comply with the Texas State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC) requirements. Practicum candidates who are not Librarians of Record (see below) must work in at least two different school library settings at different levels (80 hours in a public elementary school, and 80 hours in a public middle school or public high school. The practicum is usually completed in one semester. However, for candidates with teaching jobs or other commitments, candidates may choose to complete the practicum in two consecutive semesters (fall and spring, usually in that order) and will conduct their practicum in one site each semester. Summer practicums will not be considered. 

The practicum candidate must be enrolled in the required practicum course with a certified school librarian employed by the iSchool serving as practicum Field Supervisor and certified school librarians serving as the Site Supervisors at the public elementary and secondary school. 

In most cases, the Site Supervisor is the "Librarian of Record" at each approved site library. The Site Supervisor must take the required online Site Supervisor training prior to the arrival of the practicum candidate. The Site Supervisor will oversee the practicum candidate’s experience at their library and complete an Interim and Final Evaluation to assess the Practicum Candidate’s performance for INF 388R. 

The Field Supervisor conducts at least three 45-minute TEA required observations (totaling a minimum of 135 minutes in duration) throughout the practicum, each including a pre- and post-conference with the practicum candidate. In some cases, additional observations will be requested by the Site Supervisor and the Field Supervisor.

Although the practicum candidate may request specific campus locations or Site Supervisors, the final placement decision will be made at the school district level and approved by the iSchool’s School Librarian Certificate Coordinator. Practicum candidates working outside their own school districts may wish to consider acquiring professional liability insurance.

It is also important to note that per 19 TAC 228.35(e)(8)(D), a practicum is successful when the field supervisor and the site supervisor recommend to the Educational Preparation Program that the candidate should be recommended for a standard certificate. If either the field supervisor or site supervisor does not recommend that the candidate should be recommended for a standard certificate, the person who does not recommend the candidate must provide documentation supporting the lack of recommendation to the candidate and either the field supervisor or site supervisor. 19 TAC 228.35(e)(8)(D)

 The requirements for School Librarian standard cert. are found in 19 TAC 239.60.

Librarian of Record (on an Intern or Probationary Certificate)

Practicum candidates seeking Texas School Librarian Certification who are under current contract with a school district as "Librarian of Record" may fulfill the practicum requirement, including all 160 hours, in a year-long TEA internship at their own school library during their regular work hours. The intern will document only those 160 hours that contribute directly to teaching and learning and face-to-face with teachers or students, and up to 20% in library-related professional development. If the candidate is employed in a private school, that school must be accredited by TEA. The practicum candidate must be on an intern certificate or probationary certificate and enrolled in the required practicum course (INF 388R or INF 188T) with a certified school librarian employed by UT Austin, serving as the internship Field Supervisor and a certified school librarian in a nearby public school serving as the mentor. The Field Supervisor will conduct the five 45-minute observations mandated by TEA for all intern and probationary certificate candidates seeking Texas School Librarian Certification. See the scenarios below for specific requirements for intern and probationary certificates.

It is important to note that if a candidate is on a semester-long practicum on an intern or probationary certificate, the expectation is that the candidate will be standard certified at the end of the semester or year. In the case of the intern certificate, that means that they must pass the certification exam for school librarians (150). In both, they must also have a master’s degree conferred and two creditable years of experience for the standard to issue.

The EPP can recommend an additional practicum under a probationary (P) certificate only. The reason is because a candidate is only allowed one intern certificate without a passed exam. They are allowed two Probationary certificate extensions. The reasons for the additional Probationary certificate are referenced in 19 TAC 228.35(e)(8)(C)(ii)(I-II).

The applicable Intern and Probationary certificate requirements for non-teachers are found in:

  • Intern cert 19 TAC 230.36(e)(1-3)
  • Probationary cert 19 TAC 230.37(e)(3) Effective September 1, 2017, to meet the subject matter requirements for issuance of the probationary certificate in a certification class other than classroom teacher, the individual must pass the appropriate content pedagogy examination(s) for that certificate.

Practicum Scenarios

The practicum options for all candidates are further elaborated in the scenarios below:

 

Scenarios for Candidates on an Intern Certificate:

 

Scenarios for Candidates on a Probationary Certificate:

Scenario 1: Non-degree seeking School Librarian Certificate Candidates in practicum over the course of one semester and on a probationary certificate (a rare scenario)
  • Candidate completes 160 clock hour practicum in 1 semester per 19 TAC 228.35(e)(8)(A-B)
  • Candidate must register for INF 388R (Practicum in School Libraries). They do not need to attend Capstone classes, keep an ePorfolio, or present a poster.
  • Candidate is field supervised during the practicum per 19 TAC 228.35(h)(1-3), has a first contact within the first quarter of the assignment and is observed in the first, second, and final third of the semester-long practicum by the field supervisor. For the Probationary cert requirements in TAC reference 19 TAC 228.35(e)(8)(C)(i).

 

For more information about the practicum, see the School Librarian Certificate Practicum Handbook.

TExES Certification Exam

Students seeking certification must pass a “TExES,” Texas Examination of Educator Standards, School Librarian (150) examination mandated by the Texas State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC) prior to making application for a certificate.

Test Dates

For current test dates, visit the Texas Education Agency (TEA).

Program Handbook

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