The Field Placement Tools allow you to create repositories of information related to field placement activities in your organization. This information can include site locations and details where individuals are completing fieldwork requirements, staff names and credentials associated with those sites, as well as details about the individual placements.
Additionally, you have access to reports that display information on individual placements, summarize program-wide placement information, and display placement assignments for university supervisors.
Field Placement Database Administration
Getting Started
From the TS Coordinator page, click the Database Administration link. The system navigates to the database administration screen.
To start a new database:
- Type the new database name.
- From the pull-down menu, select a starting template for your database.
- (Optional) Add a description.
- Click Create Database.
To edit an existing database that you have created or have been given administrative access to, click Edit.
To change the name of a database, click Rename.
To remove a database, click Delete. If the database is not in use, a pop-up loads and requests confirmation of your action. The deletion of a database is permanent and irreversible. If a database has records associated with it, you cannot delete it from the database administration screen.
Permissions
From the Permissions area, you are allowed to grant permission to other TS Coordinators to manage the different areas of the field placement database.
| Permissions | Definition |
|---|---|
| Database Administration | Provides the manager with access to the database setup, including the management of permissions, the definitions of custom terminology, select and customize the fields to include and establish connections between placements and academic programs and courses. |
| Field Placement Management | Allows the manager to add or edit data for the site, staff, district, and supervisor records in database and to connect individuals with the appropriate site and staff. |
| Generate Reports | Enables the manager to run stock reports on information collected in the database. |
To add other TS Coordinators in your organization as managers for the database, from the Permissions tab, click Assign New Managers.
To locate the individual you need to add, use the Member Locator. You can search for an individual by first, last or full name. Select the individual(s) you want to add and click Save and Close.
Select your choices to add or remove field placement management permissions. Click Save & Continue.
(Optional) If you need to remove an individual from the list of database managers, click Unassign, located under the individual’s name in the table. To confirm the action, click OK.
Terminology
From the Terminology area, you are able to define the custom terminology that appears in the field placement database, records, and reports.
| Default Terms | Definition | Alternate Terms |
|---|---|---|
| Academic Program | Term used to describe the type of program, department or other area of your organization with which the field placements in this database are to be associated. By default, it is assumed that placements occur within the context of Academic Programs. | You can use an alternative term, such as Discipline, Department, or School. |
| Category | Term used to describe the categorization for the supervisor. | This can also be referred to as Type of Employee, Type, etc. |
| Field Placement | General term used to describe the type of information being organized in the database. | Some programs or departments can refer to this as Field Experience, Clinical Practice, etc. |
| Person | Term used to describe the type of individual who is performing the field work. | Alternatives can include Student, Candidate, Intern, etc. |
| Placement | Generic term used to describe the experience an individual receive in the field. In the system, you are able to create placements associated with programs and courses, assign them each a distinct name (e.g., Reading Lab or Hospital Rotation) and define the detailed information collected about each placement. | |
| Site | Term used to describe the place at which the placements or experiences occur. | This can also be referred to as Cooperating Schools, Cooperating Sites, Clinical Sites, etc. |
| Specialization | Term used to describe the topic, subject matter, or area of specialty for which the placements or experiences are done. | This can also be referred to as Unit, Specialty, etc. |
| Staff | Term used to describe the employees, | These can be Cooperating |
| Supervisor | Term used to describe the individual at your institution who works with the people being placed. | These can be Advisor, University Supervisor, etc. |
To change a term, click the appropriate drop-down menu and select the term(s) of your choice. After you’ve finished making your selections, click Save & Continue.
To update the terms that appear in your organization’s database, return to the Terminology tab, at any time. Please note any changes made to an active database can disorient users.
If you need to include additional terms that are commonly used by your organization, please contact our Support Team by clicking Submit A Request (subject: Field Placement Terms).
Select Fields
From the Select Fields area, you are able to determine which data information fields are collected in the database records. The template you first select when you create the database determines the options you have for these fields. Several fields in the database are searchable. Once the database has been populated with information, field placement managers with access to the database can conduct basic or advanced searches. The five (5) main categories of data include Site, Staff, District, Supervisor, and Person.
| Identifier | Definition | Fields |
|---|---|---|
| Red Asterisk Icons | Identifies the minimum requirement for a record. | Site Name, Staff First and Last Name, Course, etc. |
| Grayed-Out Checkboxes | Automatically includes field in the record; you do not need to populate this information. | Site type, Site Description, and Active, etc. |
| Standard Checkboxes | Select any of the remaining fields, as needed. | For Custom Requirement fields, type the custom field name in the appropriate text boxes. |
| Enable Attachment Upload Checkbox | (Optional) Enable this feature for the record areas to attach files. |
From the Select Fields tab, select to include or exclude fields.
To save your selections and/or customizations as you work, click Save Draft.
Each field contains a specific response type: Text, Numeric Text, Email, etc.
Additionally, you can collect data via the Custom Drop-Down Response type. To define the options that appear in the drop-down list, in the Response Type column, click Edit next to Custom Drop-Down.
Enter or copy and paste list options (from Excel or text document) into the text field provided. Be sure to place each option on its own line in the text box. When finished, Click Add Options and Return to Select Fields.
(Optional) To continue to add the options currently entered and remain on this screen, click Add Options.
You will then see your current list of options at the bottom and the ability to modify them if needed.
- (Optional) To change the name of an option, click Rename associated with the option you choose.
- (Optional) To remove an existing option from the list, click Delete associated with the option you choose.
Click Save & Continue when finished.
The fields that you select can be changed at any time (e.g., you can edit which fields to include or exclude even after information has been added to the database).
Associations
From the Associations area, you are able to establish the associations between placements and academic programs and courses.
To add a new Academic Program:
Click Manage Academic Programs and Courses.
Click Create New Academic Program.
In the field provided, type the name of the Academic Program. Click Create Program and Finish and your program will be listed under Academic Programs.
To add a new course:
Click Create New Course.
- Type the Course ID/Block ID.
- Type the Course Name/Block Name.
- (Optional) Enter a Description for the course.
Select to associate the programs that use this course for Field Placement and click Create Course and Finish.
From the main Associations tab, once you have finished, click Done – Back to Associations.
To associate a DRF to your Placement:
If you use Directed Response Folio(s) (DRF) to collect and/or track student work and evaluations related to field placements, you could associate those DRF requirements to those placements. The association of areas within in a DRF to placements in your database enables you to view associated student work that may have been collected, as well as the results of related evaluations, directly from the student placement record.
Click Associate to DRF to the right of the appropriate placement name.
From the pull-down menu, select the DRF Template Category. Click Show Available DRF Templates.
To select your DRF template, click Select this Template.
To opt for areas of association from the DRF, select the checkbox next to the DRF Requirement. When finished, click Associate Selected Areas.
The next screen offers you the option to Preview the Structure, Update Associated Areas, and/or Remove the associated DRF template.
Once you are finished, click Back to Associations Main Page.
To go to the next step, click Save & Continue.
Activation
By default, your database is set to Inactive. To activate your database, click Change Status to Active.
In this step, you also have the ability to communicate placement information to students which makes their placement record accessible to them on the home page of their account.
To intiate placements entries, click Begin Entering Placements.
Field Placement Record Management
Create a New Site Record
To create staff records, you must be a Database creator or you need to be assigned Field Placement Management permissions for that database.
From the menu bar, click the TS Coordinator.
| Sections | Definitions |
|---|---|
| Site General/Contact Info | The site name is the only required field for the record; this allows you to create records quickly. Site records can be edited with more details, if needed. |
| Site Population Demographics | If the database in which you are working includes site population demographics, you can create new demographics for the current year or view, edit, and copy site demographics for other years. |
| Number of Staff | If you are required, you can enter the staff population demographics. |
| Affiliated Staff | Lists the staff that has been affiliated with this site. You can also create a new staff record. |
Click Field Placement Management.
Click Sites, Staff and Districts.
To create a record for a new school, click Create New Site.
Enter information about the site. Depending on how the database was setup, the page to create a new site can be divided into several sections:
| Sections | Definitions |
|---|---|
| Site General/Contact Info | The site name is the only required field for the record; this allows you to create records quickly. Site records can be edited with more details, if needed. |
| Site Population Demographics | If the database in which you are working includes site population demographics, you can create new demographics for the current year or view, edit, and copy site demographics for other years. |
| Number of Staff | If you are required, you can enter the staff population demographics. |
| Affiliated Staff | Lists the staff that has been affiliated with this site. You can also create a new staff record. |
Click Save Draft. When you add a site to the database, be sure to frequently save the changes that you make. The information you enter about the site is not automatically saved.
(Optional) If the database has been set up this section to allow attachments, you can upload documents from your computer:
- In the Attachments section, click Add Attachment.
- Drag and drop the file(s) you wish to add or click the Add Files button.
- Click Upload and Close.
To confirm your changes, click Apply Changes.
Create a New Staff Record
To create staff records, you must be a Database creator or you need to be assigned Field Placement Management permissions for that database.
To create a record for a new staff member, click Create New Staff.
Enter information about the individual. Depending on how the database was setup, the page to create a new staff can be divided into several sections:
| Sections | Definitions |
|---|---|
| Staff General/Contact Info | First and last name are required fields. |
| Educational Background | If the database in which you are working includes educational background demographics, you can enter information such as the university name, degree earned, and date the individual began teaching. |
| Credentials | Specify the grade level and subjects in which the individual is certified. |
| Affiliations | This section lists the sites with which the individual has been affiliated. To add a new affiliation, click Affiliate with Site. |
Click Save Draft. When you add a staff member to the database, be sure to frequently save the changes that you make. The information you enter about the site is not automatically saved.
(Optional) If the database has been set up this section to allow attachments, you can upload documents from your computer:
- In the Attachments section, click Add Attachment.
- Drag and drop the file(s) you wish to add or click the Add Files button.
- Click Upload and Close.
To confirm your changes, click Apply Changes.
Create a New District Record
To create district records, you must be a Database creator or you need to be assigned Field Placement Management permissions for that database.
To create a record for a new district, click Create New District.
Enter information about the District. Depending on how the database was setup, the page to create a new district can be divided into several sections:
| Sections | Definitions |
|---|---|
| District Contact Information | District name field is ONLY required. |
| District Requirements | Use these custom fields to track what requirements are needed for individuals to be placed at locations in the district. For example, you need to note if a background check or fingerprints are needed for candidates. |
| Attachments | You can upload files such as contracts to the district record. If you have enabled the option to upload file attachments in the Database Administration > Select Fields area, this option appears. |
Click Save Draft. When you add a district to the database, be sure to frequently save the changes that you make. The information you enter about the site is not automatically saved.
(Optional) If the database has been set up this section to allow attachments, you can upload documents from your computer:
- In the Attachments section, click Add Attachment.
- Drag and drop the file(s) you wish to add or click the Add Files button.
- Click Upload and Close.
To confirm your changes, click Apply Changes.
Create a New Supervisor Record
To create supervisor records, you must be a Database creator or you need to be assigned Field Placement Management permissions for that database.
From Field Placement Management area, click on the Supervisors button.
To create a record for a new supervisor, click Create New Supervisor.
Enter information about the Supervisor. Depending on how the database was setup, the page to create a new supervisor can be divided into several sections:
Click Save Draft. When you add a supervisor to the database, be sure to frequently save the changes that you make. The information you enter about the site is not automatically saved.
(Optional) If the database has been set up this section to allow attachments, you can upload documents from your computer:
- In the Attachments section, click Add Attachment.
- Drag and drop the file(s) you wish to add or click the Add Files button.
- Click Upload and Close.
To confirm your changes, click Apply Changes.
Create a Placement Record
To create placement records, you must be a Database creator or you need to be assigned Field Placement Management permissions for that database.
From the Field Placement Management area, click Placements.
To select a person to place (i.e., to create a new placement record in the database for an individual) begin typing the person’s name. Select the individual, and click Continue.
Select the course and placement information and click Continue.
Depending on how the database was setup, the page to create a new placement can be divided into several sections:
| Placement | Definition |
|---|---|
| Academic Program | Academic program/department associated with the placement. |
| Course | Course associated with the placement. |
| Site Name | Site where the placement occurred or is occurring. |
| Staff Name | Individual(s), at the site, working with the person being placed. |
| Period | Period during which the placement occurred or is occurring (e.g. semester). |
| Year | Year in which the placement occurred or is occurring. |
| Supervising Faculty | Individual(s), at your organization, working with the person being placed. |
| Status | Placement status (e.g. completed, current, dropped, or removed). |
On the resulting page, you could enter additional information for Site/Staff, Details, and Attachments (if the database manager has enabled this option).
To confirm your changes, click Apply Changes.
Field Placement Reports
To run a report, you must be a Database creator or you need to be assigned Reports permissions for that database.
Report on Field Placement Records
From the Field Placement Management screen, click Reports.
In the Select Report Type area, under Report on Field Placement Records, click Generate Report.
To run a report on an individual, click in the Search by Name field.
- Use the Member Locator to locate the individual(s) for the placement.
- You can search for an individual by first, last or full name via the Member Search. To display results, click Search.
- Alternatively, expand the list on the left and locate your individual (in your learning community) by their organizational area in the hierarchy. To display results, click Search.
- To select an individual, select his or her name in the Search Results center column. The name appears checked in the Selected Member(s) column. Click Save & Close. The individual’s name appears in the Search by Name field.
If you wish to report on multiple individuals, leave the Search by Name field blank.
Select the fields to display in your report (e.g. Program, Course, District, Year, Status, etc.) and click Continue.
(Optional) Use the Show options to further customize the report’s display default settings.
You can select the demographic data to appear as a count (number), a percentage or a count and a percentage.
To view the details for all placements in the report, click Expand All.
- (Optional) To generate a print view of this report, click Print View.
- (Optional) To generate an Excel document for further statistical manipulation, click Export to Excel.
- (Optional) To generate a new report, click New Search.
Generate a Report on One or More Programs
From the Field Placement Management screen, click Reports.
In the Select Report Type area, under Report on One or More Programs, click Generate Report.
To run a report on a specific program(s), you need to define the report parameters.
- Select Academic Program: select the academic programs you wish to include in your report. (Programs that appear on this list are set up by a database administrator.)
- Select Fields to Display: To include enrollment/demographic data on sites, staff, and placements (if applicable).
- Filter by Year: filter the report by a specific academic year.
- Status(es) to Include: filter the report based on the status of the students’ placement.
To generate the results, click Continue.
- (Optional) Use the Show options to further customize the report’s display default settings.
- (Optional) To generate a print view of this report, click Print View.
- (Optional) To generate an Excel document for further statistical manipulation, click Export to Excel.
- (Optional) To generate a new report, click New Search.
Report on University Supervisors
From the Field Placement Management screen, click Reports.
In the Select Report Type area, under Report on University Supervisors, click Generate Report.
Single Supervisor
To run a report on a single Supervisor, click the field to select a supervisor (or the magnifying glass icon).
- Use the search to locate your individual by first, last or full name.
- To display results, click Search Supervisors.
- Click the supervisor name link to auto-populate the single supervisor field.
- To filter your supervisor records, click Show Advanced Search Options.
- Displayed are additional search criteria: Grade/Level Certified, Subject(s) Certified, Category, Site, State/Province, City, District, and Zip/Postal Code.
To proceed, click Continue.
Choose if you wish to filter your results by a specific time frame or include all years. Click Continue.
Use the Show option to customize which fields appear in the results.
- (Optional) To generate a print view of this report, click Print View.
- (Optional) To generate an Excel document for further statistical manipulation, click Export to Excel.
- (Optional) To generate a new report, click New Search.
All Supervisors with Assignments
To run a report for all supervisors with assignments, select the radio button option and click Continue.
Choose if you wish to filter by when the assignment occurred and by specific academic program(s) or include all.
To proceed, click Continue at the bottom of the screen.
Use the Show option to customize which fields appear in the results.
- (Optional) To generate a print view of this report, click Print View.
- (Optional) To generate an Excel document for further statistical manipulation, click Export to Excel.
- (Optional) To generate a new report, click New Search.