FAQs

Graduate Internship
Frequently Asked Questions

• What is the application process? 
• What is the school assignment process?
• Will interns need to complete their placement at a school in the Philadelphia School District?
• Can I complete two internships at two schools?
• What are the required clearances and documents needed for work with the School District of Philadelphia?
• Will the School District of Philadelphia cover clearances for interns?
• Who should I contact if I have questions during the Onboarding process?
• Are international students eligible for the graduate internship?

What is the application process?

Students that are interested will have to complete an application to the program. The applications will be reviewed by the district and applicants that are approved for the program will be informed. If a student was not approved, they will receive a notification that will include feedback. Please see the application here.

What is the school assignment process?

Accepted applicants will receive a list of eligible school sites. Students will submit 3 school sites ranked in the application and the Office of Prevention & Intervention may submit one additional site option.  

Lisa Moore, Program Manager with the Office of Prevention & Intervention will introduce applicants to the school counselor or clinical site supervisor for each school. Applicants will set-up Zoom interviews and interview with each site's school team.

Each school team will provide feedback on the applicant, and the Office of Prevention & Intervention will decide if the final assignment will be a match process or another assignment process.

The student will be notified of their site for the upcoming semester. Throughout this process, applicants can begin work on the Onboarding process for clearances and required paperwork with the School District of Philadelphia as this can take between 4-6 weeks.

Will interns need to complete their placement at a school in the Philadelphia School District? 

Graduate students will be placed with an SDP school site. Graduate students who wish to intern with a charter school must coordinate directly with the school for placement.

Eligible graduate students for the OPI Next STEPS program must complete their internships at a designated school site.

Can I complete two internships at two schools?

Graduate students cannot intern for more than 25 hours per week. As well, OPI Next STEPS graduate students cannot submit hours through the attendance log for more than 25 hours per week. In both cases, any time spent over 25 hours would be considered voluntary.

What are the required clearances and documents needed for work with the School District of Philadelphia?

1.  Pennsylvania Criminal History Check

• Apply for your Criminal Record Check online at PATCH, using a credit or debit card for payment.
• Your results are emailed to you; submit those results via your Online Onboarding Form.
• Volunteer clearances will not be accepted
  

2. Child Abuse Clearance

• Apply online for your Child Abuse Clearance through the Child Welfare Portal. Results can take up to 21 days to receive.
• Your results are emailed to you; submit those results via your Online Onboarding Form.
• Volunteer clearances will not be accepted
  

3. FBI Fingerprint Clearance

• Pre-Enroll for your FBI Fingerprint Clearance on the IdentoGO website
• Please select the Department of Education as the agency.
• Click on “Schedule or Manage an Appointment” and enter code 1KG6XN.
• The School District can view your results 48 hours after you are fingerprinted; submit your  results via your Online Onboarding Form.
  

4.  Medical Form & TB Test

• Take the SDP medical form to your doctor or a health clinic to get your physical and TB test completed by a physician. 
• The School District only accepts this form, and it must be completed by a physician.
• Your physical and TB test must be less than one year old, and your TB test can be no more than three months older than your physical.
  

5. Act 168: Sexual Misconduct/Abuse Disclosure Release

•  Act 168 of 2014 requires all pre-hire candidates to complete the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Sexual Misconduct/Abuse Disclosure Release form for any employer(s) that meet specific criteria.
• Once your submissions have been validated and you are asked to schedule an I9/Badge Appointment, you will receive an email with the subject “Pre-Hire Act 168 Submission” from philasd@act168.net.  
• You must complete employer information for Act 168 upon receiving this email in our online system using the link provided. You will need to provide name, addresses, and an email for your current employer and ALL former employer(s) that were school entities and/or where you had direct contact with children.

Will the School District of Philadelphia cover clearances for interns?

Graduate interns will be responsible for the cost of clearances for employment with the School District of Philadelphia.

Who should I contact if I have questions during the Onboarding process?

Please contact Lisa Moore, Program Manager with the Office of Prevention & Intervention as you through the Onboarding process. Lisa will send you information on the required documents and clearances, and can help troubleshoot any delays within the District and provide updates as requested. The best contact email is opiinterns@philasd.org.

A couple of important notes:

• You will receive an email from the Office of Human Resources to apply for the internship and to receive a School District ID and Employee badge. Please check your email regularly and make sure to look in your spam folders for email notifications.
• After applying with the Office of Human Resources, you will receive an email with an invitation to upload your clearances and paperwork. Please make sure to upload all requested documents.
• Once your onboarding is complete, you will need to come to the Central Administration office at 440 N. Broad Street to pick up your Employee ID.
• If you have any questions about this process, please contact Lisa Moore at opiinterns@philasd.org.
• Directions on how to submit hours accrued will be sent separately by the Office of Prevention & Intervention for approved Next STEP graduate interns.

Are international students eligible for the graduate internship?
No, international students are not eligible to complete a graduate internship with an SDP school site.