Qualities and Characteristics of Teacher Candidates and Field Experience Settings

1. Qualities and Characteristics of Teacher Candidates and Field Experience Settings Professional Development Seminar Monarch Center Carol M. Pate, Ed.D. Chestnut hill College Philadelphia, PA

2. General Frameworks – National Overview • Special Education Certification and Licensure • Unique by State Requirements • Different age levels and disability categories • Initial and advanced levels of certification • Add-on endorsements/specialty areas • Teachers /supervisors/leaders/directors • Increase in Alternative Licensure /Alternative Certification Programs • Florida – BA/BS plus passing Praxis Scores • Teach for America negotiations • Teaching Fellows • ABE – PA; BA/BS + Praxis; + Internship for one year

3. Characteristics: Population of Teacher Candidates • Traditional • Undergraduate 18-23 full-time student • May or may not work to support college • Population fairly homogenous; little/some experience with diverse cultures • Non-Traditional • Undergraduate adult students completing evening accelerated programs (22 years old /older) • Usually working as teacher assistants or other paraprofessional roles • More diverse backgrounds • Could be lead teacher in private religious-supported schools • Working at current job; arranging time for field experience; arranging for leave or quitting job when clinical practice time is required • Graduate Students – Initial Certification • Second Career Candidates • Special Teaching Programs: Teach for America; Teaching Fellows (alternative or Intern programs) • TFA not high retention in teaching field

4. Characteristics :Population of Teacher Candidates continued • Graduate Students – Initial Certification • Second Career Candidates • Working at current job; arranges time to complete field experiences and clinical/student teaching (may take leave of absence or quit position) • Increase in number of males as teacher candidates • Mothers returning to school after raising children • Graduate Students – Advanced Preparation • Teachers adding a second/third certification • ECE/Elementary adding Special Education • Secondary English/Social Studies adding Special Education

5. Characteristics :Population of Teacher Candidates continued • Graduate Students – Advanced Preparation • Teachers adding a second/third certification • Special Education Teachers adding supervision • Teachers adding age range (Prek-8 to 7-12) • Teachers adding endorsements • Autism

6. Challenges: Teacher Candidate Population • Traditional Students (18-23 yrs old) • Little diverse experiences during formative years • Need significant scaffolding/support for developing professional dispositions during field experiences (high maintenance) • Need significant exposure to diverse P-12 settings to meet field experience competencies • For some candidates who work; programs completed in more than four years

7. Challenges: Teacher Candidate Population • Undergraduate Adult Candidates • Work to support family increases time needed to complete program • Positions in ECE /child care settings hampers ability to obtain broader experience (to K-3 classroom settings) • Adult learners with experience not as flexible to learn from younger certified teachers • Candidates not as flexible to participate in extended field experiences due to family commitments

8. Challenges: Teacher Candidate Population • Graduate Teacher Candidates – Initial Levels • Same challenges as undergraduate adult candidates • Family considerations for field placements • Current position may not provide diversity experiences • Difficulties adjusting to less-experienced cooperating teacher • TFA/PTF placements – most difficult placements; need significant mentoring/on-going support and IHE supervision throughout program.

9. Challenges: Teacher Candidate Population • Graduate Level Teacher – Advanced Field Placements • Current position not conducive to advanced requirements • Endorsement area addition – no readily accessible field experience in school of current assignment • Adding special education: same as above; or time with students not in large enough blocks to assess competencies • Diverse teaching practices: co-teaching/resource room/home-bound not well developed in school

10. Qualities and Characteristics of Field Experience Settings • Geographical and Demographic Location of Primary Teacher Preparation Programs • Large Urban Teacher Preparation Programs • Large Suburban/Rural Teacher Preparation Programs • Mid-Sized to Small Urban Teacher Preparation Programs • Mid-Sized to Small Suburban/Rural Teacher Preparation Programs • All-sized Teacher Preparation Programs Serving More Specific Populations; i.e., native Americans; Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islanders, Alaska Natives

11. Challenges : Field Experience Settings • Challenges for Field Experiences • Large Urban Teacher Preparation Programs • Little contact/experience with suburban/rural communities • Teachers primarily from outside urban communities during their formative years • P-12 Schools – difficult environments to place teacher candidates; especially middle and secondary levels • Large Suburban/Rural Teacher Preparation Programs • Little contact/experience with urban schools • Little contact with P-12 students who are from diverse backgrounds • Some ethic groups settle in suburban/rural areas

12. Challenges: Field Experience Settings • Mid-Sized to Small Programs • Competition for field experience placements • Same challenges as larger programs • All Programs Serving Specific Populations • Similar challenges as other programs

13. Qualities and Characteristics: Early Childhood FE • Early Childhood Special Education • Need opportunities to experience young children with disabilities in a variety of settings that are accredited by state licensure/national accreditation organizations: • Home-based • Day Care – Private/public funding • Head Start • K-3 Programs (private/public/parochial) • Special Settings: Easter Seals • Infant-toddler programs • Settings that also serve ESL populations • Settings that significantly involve the family in the education planning

14. Qualities and Characteristics: Elementary Level FE • Elementary School Settings • Co-teaching models in inclusion classrooms • Resource Room teaching • Classrooms with students who have significant behavioral challenges (including students on the autism spectrum) • Urban/Suburban and Rural settings • Classrooms/programs/schools that support RTI • Transition programs for students needing significant academic/social/behavioral supports as they move to middle school

15. Qualities and Characteristics: Middle Level FE • Middle Level School Settings • Co-teaching models in inclusion classrooms • Resource Room teaching • Classrooms with students who have significant behavioral challenges (including students on the autism spectrum) • Urban/Suburban and Rural settings • Classrooms/programs/schools that support RTI • Transition programs for students needing significant academic/social/behavioral supports as they move to high school • Programs/Classrooms with students who have significant disabilities requiring assistive technology to benefit from education

16. Qualities and Characteristics: High School FE • High School Level School Settings • Co-teaching models in inclusion classrooms • Resource Room teaching • Classrooms with students who have significant behavioral challenges (including students on the autism spectrum) • Urban/Suburban and Rural settings • Classrooms/programs/schools that support RTI • Programs/Classrooms with students who have significant disabilities requiring assistive technology to benefit from education • Transition planning and implementing for work/independent living/post-secondary programs

17. Candidate Considerations • Start with ends in mind (backwards planning) • What specific competencies are current candidates missing from existing field experience(s)? • Exposure • Engagement • Demonstration • Modeling • What specific field experiences may be missing to support the needed competencies?

18. Candidate Considerations • Literacy Practices Social Skills • Communication with Conversational patterns • Parents/Families • Interdisciplinary Teams Transition Planning and • Implementation • Differentiated Teaching Practices • Advocacy for Students/Parents/Families • Professional Development Schools • Legal Aspects of Education • Medical/Rehabilitation Aspects of Special Education

19. Designs to Meet Needs • Collaboration between Unit and School Partners • EC; Elementary; Middle School; High School • Create new partnerships to meet unique needs • Day Care/EC providers allow 4 weeks for candidate to teach in K-3 classroom for clinical placement • IHE to provide professional development in RTI, or co-teaching, or other targeted areas to enhance experience of teacher candidates in schools – especially in middle and secondary schools • Summer institute bringing urban teacher candidates to rural school programs/ and vice-versa • Teacher candidate exchange programs • IHE (Mid-Sized/Small) Adopt a School Program • Design, Implementation, and Evaluation of Field Experiences and Clinical Practice • Expand sites for field experiences; use specific rubric/assessment/observation tools to evaluate sites • Connect site program with diverse needs of teacher candidates • (List of possibilities included below)

20. FE Settings to Meet Partnership Needs • Public, private, and/or parochial or religiously-affiliated schools (both Title 1 and non-Title 1) • Boys/Girls Clubs • After School Programs • Before-School Day-Care Programs • Commercial Learning Centers, e.g. Sylvan, Huntington, Kaplan Test Centers • Tutor Time, ChildTime, Goddard or other licensed preschool settings • Immigration and Naturalization Service English classes • Community college remedial courses • YMCA and YWCA • Jewish Social Services, Catholic Social Services, Lutheran Social Services, or other community-based continuing education opportunities • Summer Camp programs • Private formal tutoring classes with a certified teacher • Virtual schools with a certified teacher • Home School networks with a certified teacher • Summer School Programs • Summer School ESY Programs • Private schools for Student s with Disabilities • Adult Service Agencies (for transition programs) • Community Service Agencies for Families • Education Law Centers

21. Designs to Meet Knowledge, Skills & Disposition Needs • Candidates’ Development and Demonstration of Knowledge, Skills, and Professional Dispositions To Help All Students Learn • Develop assessment rubrics for each unique field experience setting to identify competencies that would support the candidate in the more formal clinical student teaching setting. • Professionalism competencies • Communication with diverse individuals/community members/groups • Specific teaching/skill competencies obtained in setting

22. Designs to Meet Knowledge, Skills & Disposition Needs • Graduate Students : Advanced FE Needs • Systematic inquiry into their own practice as well as that of colleagues in school (action research) • ESY Programs that serve students in endorsement area (students on autism spectrum) • Arrange Saturday tutoring/teaching/other programs for students with disabilities • Advanced case studies analysis – including IEP development • After school programs – RTI Tier I and II services • Videos of teaching practice

23. Designs for Your Program Needs • Identify Unique Needs in terms of • Candidate competency needs • IHE /Geographical Demographics & Current Design • Student Population – Traditional or Non-Traditional • Teacher Candidate Program Level and Specific Area (if applicable) EC; Ele; MS; HS • Graduate Initial or Advanced • NCATE FE Requirements – what standard(s) would you need to consider in your re-design/improvement