This paper describes a school-oriented teacher education program at the Institute of Education, University of Utrecht (Netherlands). The program prepares teachers for the upper level of secondary education in a one-year post-graduate course that follows a four-year subject matter masters program. Because half of the one-year course is school-based, an intensive partnership is required between the university and the school. There is also need for careful consideration of the relationship between theory and practice and close collaboration between teacher educators and cooperating teachers. This collaboration is based on research into the gap between theory and practice, resulting in a structured approach to the student teachers learning processes that encourages reflection on practice. The preservice year is designed to integrate these experiences. The preservice teacher spends 250 hours in the classroom, including a minimum of 120 hours of instruction by the preservice teacher. The year is divided into the following periods: introduction (2 weeks), triad teaching practice (14 weeks), reorientation (10 weeks), individual and independent final teaching (14 weeks), and concluding phase (3 weeks). (Contains 42 references.) (JLS)