Reflecting decades of research documenting the essential role families play in the education of children, the standards published both by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and Division for Early Childhood of the Council for Exceptional Children (DEC) include a focus on the importance of the relationship with the…

Our study is focused on the field-experience of a unique ideological group. The prospective teachers are community activists who are dedicated to meeting the social needs of communities through education, mainly in the periphery and in weakened populations. Their vision is to become "community teachers." We focused on a new mentoring…

The personal perspectives of a teacher can support or hinder successful outcomes for students with disabilities. With the increasing prevalence of diverse and inclusive P-12 classrooms, the attitude of the general education teacher is of great importance. Consequently, it is imperative that teacher preparation programs work with community partners…

The need for sophisticated and highly skilled educators in urban schools is painfully obvious, even to the most casual observer. National and local test data demonstrate that students in urban schools are generally not achieving at the same levels as are their suburban and more affluent peers. Teacher educators in urban areas struggle with how to…

The benefits of family involvement in the education of children with disabilities are well documented. Few teacher education programs, however, implement specific strategies for encouraging interactions between families and those preparing to be teachers. The University of South Florida St. Petersburg and the local membership of a professional…

Preservice teachers spend significant time in schools, observing, tutoring children, and learning to teach. On-site field experiences introduce aspiring teachers to life in schools, and are especially important for teachers who take their first teaching positions in urban schools. However, most preservice teachers spend little time in the…

A cooperative program of teacher education involving a university, public schools, and the community is built on formal agreements for joint responsibility in teacher training and depends upon clear communication among all participants. In this paper, the structure, areas of responsibility, and lines of communication are described for five…

A cooperative venture between the University of West Florida and the Okaloosa County (Florida) school district addressed the concerns of two rural communities over changing school and community characteristics and the need for basic skills instruction for elementary and secondary school students. To meet and expand upon objectives of Teacher Corps…

Several well-established efforts to form closer links between teacher education programs and community understanding are described. Such efforts are usually based on one of two approaches: building awareness of communities and their cultures into conventional college courses; or placing students in nonschool community settings. (PP)

The teacher education program at Western Montana College helps preservice teachers understand how the local context of the rural school and its community impacts student learning and the teacher's role. Coursework and multiple field experiences help preservice teachers identify their own cultural background and give them experience in teaching…

According to an evaluation symposium, the David Thompson University Centre (University of Victoria) pilot program in rural education, which includes a 14-week early field experience designed to help education students understand the relationship between rural communities and their schools, is "substantial and outstanding." Faculty,…

"Partners Transforming Education: School-University-Community" is a process model being implemented by the College of Education and Human Services of Wright State University (Ohio) to plan and articulate the simultaneous renewal of the education of educators and the prekindergarten-grade 12 (PreK-12) sector. The model has involved over…

The Center of Excellence for Rural Special Education at Clemson University (South Carolina) has developed a field-based undergraduate preservice teacher training program. During the fall and spring semesters of their senior year, preservice teachers are matched with a mentor special education teacher for 2 weeks in a rural school district of the…

The Career Opportunities Program (COP) provides individuals from low income communities an opportunity to acquire work and academic experiences that would help them qualify for a better career in education or a related field. Since 1970, 348 persons have been successfully admitted in the University-based program. At reporting time, 131 (38…