Overview
Preparing teachers to be successful and effective is a shared responsibility of educator preparation providers (EPPs) and districts. Fieldwork candidates and student teachers are assets in school buildings across the state, supporting teachers, students, and district efforts while honing their own professional practice. Supporting student teaching and other fieldwork experiences for teachers in training is vital to ensuring the state’s pipeline of highly qualified, certified teachers now and into the future. A growing number of districts and teacher preparation programs have formed strong, mutually beneficial partnerships to produce teacher candidates who better meet district needs. Such partnerships can create a seamless experience where new teachers grow, thrive, and advance student achievement. A critical point of intersection between districts and teacher preparation programs is the strategic placement of teacher candidates. A thoughtful placement with an effective mentor can help ensure a positive learning experience for the teacher candidate. To help districts and teacher preparation programs with the placement of teacher candidates, the Hub for Supporting & Sustaining Meaningful Clinical Fieldwork and Student Teaching Experiences was created by EPP, district, and state leaders. The tools and resources in the Hub provide templates, samples practices and contact information to support EPPs and districts in making the best placements.| TOOL | WHO? | WHEN? | FOR WHAT PURPOSE? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Questions districts may use with their faculty to gauge interest | District Facilitators | At the beginning of the year | Questions districts may use with their faculty to gauge interest in being a mentor/cooperating teacher or facilitating clinical experiences. |
| Student teacher interview questions | Cooperating Teachers | Prior to accepting a student teacher | In preparing to accept a student teacher, the cooperating teacher may want to conduct an interview. These interview questions are designed to help the cooperating teachers get a sense of the teacher candidate’s background and determine if it is a good match. |
| Clinic field experience | EPPs and district partners | Preparing for clinical fieldwork experiences | This is a list of suggested ways that a teacher candidate can participate in a clinic experience. Districts may want to consider their needs and how a teacher candidate can apply their learning through a fieldwork placement. |
| Template for field experiences (not student teaching) | EPP and teacher candidate | Preparing for a fieldwork experience | Instructors/professors complete this form to share with the district/district facilitator to provide context for the intended experience. |
| Building EPP/district partnerships to ensure quality fieldwork experiences (not student teaching) | EPP and partner district Person responsible for placing teacher candidates | Annually in planning for fieldwork experiences | Allows EPPs and partner districts to plan for clinical fieldwork experiences that may be mutually beneficial and ensuring that teacher candidates meet district needs. |
| Checklist of District Requirements for Clinical and Field Placements | Districts | Annually in preparing for clinical fieldwork placements | Districts complete this form and submit it to EPPs at the beginning of the semester. It will help with making placements. |
| District Contact List for Placing Teacher Candidates | EPPs | Prior to placing teacher candidates | This list provides the names and emails of those individuals responsible for placing teacher candidates. Knowing who to contact in a district to arrange clinical fieldwork experience and student teaching assignments can help ensure that candidates are properly placed. |
| Contact List for EPP Clinical Fieldwork/Student Teaching Placements | Districts | Prior to placing teacher candidates | This list provides the contact information for the individual responsible for making teacher candidate placements. Knowing who to contact at an EPP can help better facilitate teacher candidate placements. Districts may have needs that align with teacher candidate fieldwork assignments. The EPP and district can work together to make these placements. |
| Developing Quality Fieldwork Experiences for Teacher Candidates: A Planning Guide for Educator Preparation Programs and District Partners | EPPs/Districts | Planning clinical fieldwork experiences | The guidance document is designed to assist EPPs and districts partnering in the preparation of teacher candidates in developing a common vocabulary and an informed method of planning clinical experiences that are aligned, carefully sequenced, and grounded in evidence-based practices, including defining the roles and responsibilities of those most involved in developing the next generation of teachers. |