Educational Support Field Placement FAQs This page has essential information about field placement requirements, procedures, and options for students enrolled in Professional and Part-Time Learning’s Business programs. Please review these FAQs for details about placement documentation, registration processes, eligibility criteria, and other essential information to help you successfully prepare for your placement experience. For detailed information about Paperwork Submission Deadlines and the Field Placement Process, click here. If you have additional questions, please contact us here. Am I eligible for field placement? You are eligible to apply for field placement if you have the following: Successful completion of ALL required prerequisite(s) by the placement course start date. Achieved a minimum Program GPA of 2.0. Completed and approved placement paperwork by the posted deadline. Note: You will be advised via email (sent to your DCMAIL.ca email address) and removed from the placement course if you have not met the above minimum criteria. When do I apply for placement? All students wishing to apply for a field placement, must complete the placement request form. Placement requests are open approximately six weeks before the paperwork deadline, allowing students to begin submitting paperwork early. Some requirements may take longer to receive than anticipated. Students are strongly encouraged to begin collecting these requirements the semester before the placement is to begin. What documents are required for my field placement? The following are the documents required for field placements in the Educational Support program: Educational Support Field Placement Host Application Form (available only during the posted application timeframe) Entry Immunization Form Criminal Reference Check with Vulnerable Sector Screening Intermediate First Aid & Level C CPR Certification (formerly called Standard First Aid & Level C CPR) Student Declaration of Understanding Informed Consent for the Release of Personal Information Online Training Module Completion Certificates (accessed via PPL’s Paperwork Modules): Workplace Hazardous Materials Information (WHMIS) Module Completion Certificate Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities (AODA) Module Completion Certificate Workplace Violence and Harassment Prevention Module Completion Certificate Worker Health and Safety Awareness in 4 Steps Module Completion Certificate Note: All placement paperwork must be uploaded to Synergy Gateway prior to the posted deadline. Where do I upload my placement documents? Students will upload their documents to Verified by Synergy Gateway. Where can I access the four Health & Safety training certificates? Students can access the Worker Health & Safety Awareness in 4 Steps, WHMIS, AODA and Workplace Violence and Harassment Prevention trainings via the DC Connect Paperwork modules. Students who have already completed these certificates for previous placements within their program are not required to complete the trainings again. Trainings from other sources are not accepted. How do I gain access to Synergy? Once the student completes the placement request form, the placement officer will complete an eligibility audit, and if eligible, will add the student to Synergy Gateway. Sy官方 Gateway will send login instructions to the student’s DCMail account. Can I do my placement in person or remotely? Placements in this program must be completed in person. How do I register? Web registration is not available for field placement courses. Students will be registered by the placement officer once the placement request has been submitted and the eligibility audit has been completed. The tuition fee will be added to your student account for payment before the course start date. If applicable, final grades from prerequisite courses from the previous semester must also be posted. How many hours must I complete for placement? ES Field Placement, Level 1 - 120 hours ES Field Placement, Level 2 - 120 hours ES Field Placement, Level 3 - 120 hours How many hours can I do per week? Students will arrange a mutually suitable schedule with the host agency/supervisor. When arranging their schedule, students must ensure they meet the required number of placement hours by the end date of the course. Am I required to find my own placement? Students outside of Durham Region should first contact the school board in their area to determine the process for obtaining placements in their area. Please do not contact the individual school directly unless advised by your area's school board. Durham Region School Board Application Process - Public and Catholic Schools: Students are not permitted to contact individual schools OR the school board office. Students are required to complete the application form and submit it by the paperwork deadline. The school board will provide the placement location, and the placement officer will then advise the student when they have been cleared to begin. I work full time. How can I do a placement also? Students may find it necessary to make personal adjustments to work and/or family schedules in order to complete the field placement. Options to be considered are: leaves of absence, use of vacation time, extended work hours to free up hours for placement, etc. We recognize that such arrangements require a great deal of time and effort on the students (and their families) and applaud their commitment to the achievement of their goals. Can I do my placement in another province? Field placements in this program must be completed within the Province of Ontario. What credentials does my agency supervisor need to have? Students must be supervised by someone with the educational qualifications of a Certified Educational Support/Assistant or an Ontario Certified Teacher (OCT). May I do my placement where I work? Doing your placement where you work is a conflict of interest and is not permitted. However, students may have opportunities within their workplace to complete a placement in another department, under a different supervisor. Please contact the field placement officer for more information and whether this option applies to you. May I do my placement where a relative is employed? Students are not permitted to complete a placement experience where they have a relative or familial relationship with anyone with supervisory responsibility at the agency. This would be considered a conflict of interest. My agency host wants to pay me, is this allowed? Field placements are unpaid learning opportunities, and therefore, students are not permitted to accept payment for the field placement experience. May I do my placements at the same setting? There are specific age groups that must be completed within each level. It is not possible to do all placements in the same school. Over the course of the three practicums, students will gain experience in various classroom settings as noted below: ES Practicum I - Elementary school ES Practicum II - High school ES Practicum III - Specialized classroom with students with exceptionalities NOTE: Practicum Level 3 can be completed in either the elementary or secondary school level and therefore can be completed in a school previously attended in placement 1 or 2, provided the classroom program is geared to students with exceptionalities. Can I call or email for placement status updates? We encourage students to check DC Connect and your DCMAIL.ca account daily for updates and any important communication. Depending on your program and the type of agency you are to be placed with, securing and confirming a placement can take time. You will be contacted as soon as your agency has been confirmed and approved. May I begin my placement before the course begins? No. Students must ensure that they have been officially cleared prior to beginning their hours at the host agency. Clearance will not occur prior to the start date for the placement course. How will I know when I can begin my hours? Each student will receive official clearance via email to their DCMAIL.ca account only advising them of placement details and official clearance date. Students cannot start placement before official clearance is received. Am I able to challenge my field placements? All three placement levels in this program are eligible for PLAR. Please contact the PPL Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR) coordinator for eligibility requirements and how to apply here: pplplar@durhamcollege.ca What is the withdrawal policy for field placements? Please view the PPL Withdrawals & Refunds Page for details. Once registered, withdrawals are subject to a minimum $30 admin fee.
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