The Early Adolescent Block Program is offered by St. Cloud State University (Minnesota) to prepare prospective teachers for successful teaching in middle level schools. The program is a response to a Minnesota law which requires elementary or secondary school teachers wishing to teach middle school to take an additional number of courses geared…

This article chronicles the efforts of one college faculty and their school partners to respond to the contemporary challenges faced by teacher education. It depicts the authors' journey through the planning and implementation of an innovative initial certification master's of arts in teaching (MAT) program in elementary education in the…