* SpEd Early Intervention

Inspire the Next Generation of Special Education EI/ECSE Educators

Become a Cooperating Professional with the University of Oregon

To provide licensure candidates with meaningful exposure to Pre-K and school-based intervention practices, the College of Education places approximately fifteen EI/ECSE teacher candidates with experienced Early Intervention professionals each year. We deeply value the wealth of classroom experience and pedagogical expertise our Cooperating Professionals bring to this partnership.

Depending on the teaching assignment, mentors may host multiple 10-week terms or across the year.

10-Week Term Candidate Onsite HoursOutlineLicensure task support stipend
Introductory Supervised EI Practicum I (Sept-Dec)12 hrs/week/10-weeks per term for a minimum of 120 hours.• Mentor helps candidate develop relationships with the site and students, become familiar with instructional routines and resources, practice student engagement activities, and demonstrate skills necessary to assume the role of a full-time interventionist in an EI/ECSE setting.
• When possible, candidates remain in the same setting both terms to help provide stability to children and families served by the site; practice core competency areas with a greater level of independence and responsibility; and complete first formal teaching sample.
• To qualify for student teaching practicum, candidates must successfully complete Practicums I and II, passed their first teaching sample, and be in good standing at the University of Oregon. 		Yes
Introductory Supervised EI Practicum II (Jan-Mar)12 hrs/week/10-weeks per term for a minimum of 120 hours. Yes
EI Specific Experience
120 hours during the year (e.g., shadowing home visits or evaluations for 0–3-year-olds). These hours can be spread flexibly—about 4 hours per week.
EI/ECSE Student Teaching Supervised (April-Jun)36 hrs/ week/11 weeks, a minimum of 360 hours.• Cooperating professional creates a co-teaching model of shared planning, organizing, delivery, and assessment of instruction to support classroom and individual student learning needs. This should include creating IFSPs which guide services for a child and their family.
• Candidate is required to fully participate in their field placement Monday through Friday and assume as many of the responsibilities of their cooperating professional as are feasible.
• The cooperating professional, university supervisor, and candidate meet regularly during the term to discuss progress, their teaching sample, issues, and evaluations.
• Candidate is expected to demonstrate teaching objectives identified by TSPC and to independently complete their second teaching sample demonstrating their work towards program competencies.
Yes
  • Supervision: the candidates assigned University supervisor assists in managing the practicum student teacher experience and ensure the candidate is completing University and licensure requirements.­
  • The UO provides a stipend to cooperating professionals, through their district, in terms where licensure evaluation and assessment tasks are required  (pre-tax stipend 2025/26: *$178, **$335). Check with your HR Office to determine how and when these benefits are dispersed. Stipends are subject to regular tax deductions.

Benefits of Serving as a Mentor:

Serving as a Cooperating Professional offers a rewarding opportunity to support the development of future educators while strengthening your own professional practice. Mentors benefit in several key ways:

💡 Engaged Support: candidates begin as engaged and attentive assistants—an extra set of hands, eyes, and ears. Over time, they transition into co-planers, instructional, organizational, and assessment assistance.

🛠️ University Supervisor Guidance: A UO supervisor works closely with both you and your candidate to support the practicum experience and guide completion of licensure requirements.

🔁 Access to UO Faculty & Resources: Mentors can connect with professional development opportunities, earn PDUs, and receive a stipend. District employees also qualify for a reduced tuition voucher at the University of Oregon.

🏫 Recruitment & Retention: Hosting a licensure candidate helps connect your school or agency with the UO’s teacher preparation pipeline, supporting long-term staffing and professional growth.

Cooperating Professional Training

As a mentor, you are part of a supportive community committed to preparing the next generation of SpEd Early Interventionist. We work closely with your district / site to provide orientation and ongoing resources to help you succeed in your role.Before each term begins, the SpEd EI Clinical Coordinator will invite you to an online training session. This meeting is designed to introduce you to our team and the tools, tips, and tasks that support candidate evaluation and assessment throughout the practicum experience.

Other Oregon Training Resources

TSPC Cooperating Professional Minimum Approval Criteria (OAR 584-400-0145)

  1. Hold a qualified TSPC license.
  2. Have at last 2 years experience serving young children with disabilities.
  3. Have a relevant state teaching license (e.g. SpEd EI, Early Childhood Special education).
  4. Be part of the UO COE instructional team, including the Clinical Placement Coordinator and University Supervisor to support successful development of a student teacher. This includes online cooperating teacher trainings.

Join our Instructional Team! To become a new or returning cooperating professional, sign up through your district or EI/ECSE program process.

Pre-Service Practicum Overview

Field experience placements for EI/ECSE candidates include a variety of settings such as home- and community-based Early Intervention programs, community preschools, and Head Start programs. These placements provide opportunities to work with families and young children—from birth through age eight—who have identified disabilities, developmental delays, or are considered “at risk.”

Placement sites may include classroom-based instruction, home-visiting services, consultation models, or a combination of these approaches. The University of Oregon partners with approved field placement sites through formal affiliation agreements to ensure high-quality mentoring experiences.

Student placements are assigned by the clinical professor based on several factors, including faculty recommendations, the candidate’s interests, work, and prior experience, site availability, and transportation considerations.

A. Clearance: As a prerequisite to entering the field, the UO requires that in addition to satisfactorily meeting all program requirements, SpEd EI candidates must complete the following:

  • Oregon TSPC E-Licensure clearance
  • Oregon DHS mandatory reporting of child abuse
  • Civil Rights and Professional Ethics training (includes FERPA & HIPPA)
  • The Oregon Central Background Registry (CBR)
  • First Aid CPR training

B. Mentor Role & Responsibilities:

As a Cooperating Professional, your responsibilities include:

  • Attend a pre-term Special Education/Early Intervention (SpEd EI) orientation meeting and/or review the UO Canvas training module for Cooperating Professionals.
  • Introduce your assigned candidate to school and learning community policies, procedures, and expectations.
  • Provide a strong example of foundational practices in early intervention, behavioral support, and inclusive strategies for students with diverse learning needs.
  • Help your candidate develop a strengths-based understanding of:
    • Typical and atypical development
    • Infant, toddler, and preschool assessments
    • Family engagement
    • Intervention design, implementation, and evaluation
    • Interdisciplinary and interagency collaboration
    • Hands-on application of instructional strategies
  • Encourage your candidate’s preparation for working with diverse populations and provide exposure to a range of intervention models.
  • Show how to arrange an environment for learning, plan and provide effective instruction and student supports, provide relationship to general education, collaborate, and provide suggestions for how to deal with challenging pupil behaviors.
  • Guide your candidate’s growth by recognizing their interests, experiences, and developing knowledge. Offer proactive coaching to normalize common anxieties and learning curves. Include the university supervisor in communications to ensure wraparound support.
  • Encourage your candidate to participate in on-site and external professional development opportunities—up to 5 hours per term.

C. Observation Activities

  • Create a Welcoming Environment: Provide a supportive and inclusive space where the candidate can observe, shadow, and engage meaningfully with students, families, and staff.
  • Demonstrate and Coach: Model effective practices and offer developmental opportunities that align with early intervention and special education goals.
  • Assign Supportive Responsibilities: Under your supervision, gradually assign instructional tasks that allow the candidate to build confidence and competence in a structured, supportive setting.
  • Maintain Professional Standards: Uphold a professional disposition in accordance with state, university, and site-specific codes of conduct. Clearly instruct the candidates of their role in ensuring the care, custody, and control of minors and other vulnerable populations.

D. Student Teaching Term Activities:

Full-time student teaching practicum requirements are usually best met in an early childhood special education classroom site because student teachers will have time to build enough relationships with children to implement meaningful learning activities. However, depending on the role of the candidate, can also be completed within an itinerant provider role.

  • Provide welcoming environment for candidate to observe, practice, develop, and demonstrate the competencies required for initial licensure.
  • Develop opportunities for candidate to help enhance the overall operation of the program for children and their families.
  • Encourage candidate to proactively take on instructional responsibilities under your supervision.
  • Create environment in which candidate can demonstrate initiative and independence in co-teacher planning, organizing, delivering, and assessing instruction.
  • Encourage self-reflection activities, regularly debrief, and complete middle and end of the term progress evaluations with their supervisor.
  • Serve as role model for maintaining professional disposition in alignment with state, district / agency code of conduct. Discuss the sensitive role of providing care, custody, and control of minors and other vulnerable populations.

E. Licensure Observation & Evaluation Responsibilities:

    • Have weekly meetings with teacher candidate to review children’s progress, give informal feedback, and answer questions.
    • Complete 4 observations of direct implementation of learning activities and written feedback.
    • Attend midterm and final evaluation meetings with University Supervisor and candidate and provide written feedback on the candidate’s development toward Early Intervention requirements.
    • Communicate with the supervisor immediately if there are any concerns.
    • In the event that you are unable to continue in your role as cooperating teacher, let us and your building admin know, so that we can work to find a suitable replacement.

F: Not Approved Field Activities

Licensure candidates not hired by your organization are not employees, as such, they do not discipline students. Even though they take on teaching responsibilities, licensure candidates function like volunteers in the placement site. Disciplinary or corrective issues are to be handled by cooperating professionals, staff, and building administration. If a child breaks a rule, candidates are not to reprimand them. Instead, they should either pull the child aside or alert the appropriate staff member.

UO Special Education Early Intervention Resources

Updated: 10/28/25