Current policy efforts that seek to improve learning in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) emphasize the importance of helping all students acquire concepts and tools from computer science that help them analyze and develop solutions to everyday problems. These goals have been generally described in the literature under the…

Teacher preparation programs (TPP) rely on school-based mentor teachers and university mentors to assist their teacher candidates with bridging the information presented in courses to the "real world" of teaching. Given the important role that the clinical components of teacher preparation provide in terms of candidate development, the…

Recent reports call for a structural transformation of teacher preparation programs with increased attention to quality field-based learning experiences for pre-service teachers. Ideally, this occurs in the context of robust university-school partnerships. The challenges lie in identifying such school sites and building meaningful, reciprocal…

The International Reading Association (2003) has recently established new guidelines for graduate students enrolled in reading and literacy programs. These guidelines require graduate students to maintain direct contact with students during their coursework for advanced degrees. Field experiences support best practices in bridging the gap between…

In this article, we share how a professional development school (PDS) partnership between several elementary school sites within a district and an institution of higher education prepares special education teacher candidates. The following challenges are identified for PDS stakeholders: recruiting qualified special education mentor teachers,…

This article describes how St. Cloud State University solved a number of its growth problems, related to increased teacher education program enrollment, by utilizing a district/university partnership model that springs from an active field experience program. (IAH)

This paper describes a university-school collaboration that resulted in the creation and implementation of a field-based teacher education program. Key features of this program included immersion in the field, integrated curriculum, supported reflection, and technology integration. After describing the development and implementation of the…

The training complex is conceived as a new kind of mechanism within which teachers will be trained with the assistance of protocol and training materials. It is to be operated by a consortium of universities, schools, and other agencies. Each training complex would be the core of an Educational Service District, which would be responsible for…

Noting that both the college and the collaborating schools gain from early field placement (prior to student teaching) in education programs, this paper presents a prototype for early placement practicums based on 10 years experience in providing practicums for reading methods courses for Medgar Evers College, City University of New York…

This paper reports on a collaboration between Eastern Michigan University (EMU) College of Education and Farmington High School (FHS), EMU's first consociate school, i.e., a school site that has developed an exceptionally strong working relationship with a college of education. Leaders of both institutions identified a number of creative ways they…

The purpose of this article is to examine a variety of collaborative relationships among college students, college faculty and cooperating professionals working together in teacher preparation programs offered by the Department of Special Education at Fitchburg State College, Fitchburg, Massachusetts. The rationale, models of implementation,…

The roles of clinical professors in the professional development school component of the preservice program at Indiana State University are described in terms of four strategies: building infrastructure, establishing trust, implementation, and evaluation. Early undergraduate field experiences are the focus of the discussion. (IAH)

Collaboration for the Improvement of Teacher Education (CITE) is designed to bring university and school personnel together to create, implement, and then assess structured pre-student teaching field experiences to accompany a newly implemented core teacher education program. The program is grounded in research and theory about the nature and…

The need for early field experiences in teacher education is based on four specific needs: (1) the student need to know if he or she likes teaching; (2) the university need to know if the student shows promise of becoming a good teacher; (3) the student need to practice before assuming major classroom responsibilities; and (4) the teacher…

The development of a field-based teacher education program is described. Following a brief outline of the current status of the program and obligations to be met by the prospective teachers involved, the problems faced by the program implementors are discussed. The major problems were originally organizational and administrative. In the course of…