This is a summative report on a four-year, field-based teacher education course. The goal of this program was to bring into the schools persons from low-income areas who normally would not consider teaching as a career and, through them, to better the education of children from economically disadvantaged families. The trainees first received training as teacher aides, then as teacher assistants, and finally as teacher associates. If they completed the four years of the program, they would receive regular initial certification in elementary education. They could complete any one step and be potentially employable and certified to work in the schools at that position. The mean age of the trainees was approximately 26 years. The program provided a community, field-based model of teacher education in which the trainees had four years of experience in the inner-city classrooms. This was a consortium approach and involved the Department of Educational and Cultural Services of the State of Maine, the Lewiston Public Schools, the University of Maine at Farmington, and the Educational Development Center. In this final report recommendations are presented concerning the philosophy and goals, governance, curriculum and instruction, participants, and research and evaluation of future field-based programs. (JD)