College of Education
"Enhanching the Future Through Educator Preparation"

Office of NCATE Liaison Dr. Karen Smith , NCATE Coordinator
University Supervisors for 2002-2003 Enhancing the Future through Educator Preparation

Sam Houston Center for Professional Development and Educational Partnerships (SHCPDEP) includes the university, the Region IV and Region VI Education Service Centers, and 33 public school districts. Through collaborative programs, over 650 candidates are recommended annually for a wide variety of educator certificates. From initial teacher certification to professional superintendent certification, programs are as diverse as the needs of the public schools.

By our commitment to SHCPDEP, the College of Education meets NCATE Standard 3:
Field Experiences and Clinical Practice. The unit and its school partners design, implement, and evaluate field experiences and clinical practice so that teacher candidates and other school personnel develop and demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and dispositions necessary to help all students learn.

This Standard includes the following areas:

Collaboration Between Unit and School Partners

Target:
The school and unit share and integrate resources and expertise to support candidates' learning in field experiences and clinical practice. Both unit and school-based faculty are involved in designing, implementing, and evaluating the unit's conceptual framework(s) and the school program; they each participate in the unit's and the school partners' professional development activities and instructional programs for candidates and for children. The unit and its school partners jointly determine the specific placements of student teachers and interns for other professional roles to maximize other professional roles to maximize the learning experience for candidates and P-12 students.

Design, Implementation, and Evaluation of Field Experiences and Clinical Practice

Target:
Field experiences allow candidates to apply and reflect on their content, professional, and pedagogical knowledge, skills, and dispositions in a variety of settings with students and adults. Both field experiences and clinical practice extend the unit's conceptual framework(s) into practice through modeling by clinical faculty and well-designed opportunities to learn through doing. During clinical practice, candidate learning is integrated into the school program and into teaching practice. Candidates observe and are observed by others. They interact with teachers, college or university supervisors, and other interns about their practice regularly and continually. They reflect on and can justify their own practice, etc., etc. (See www.ncate.org)

Candidates' Development and Demonstration of Knowledge, Skills, and Dispositions to Help all Students Learn

Target:
Candidates demonstrate mastery of content areas and pedagogical and professional knowledge before admission to and during clinical practice. Assessments used in clinical practice indicate that candidates meet professional, state, and institutional standards and have a positive effect on student learning. Multiple assessments are used by candidates and clinical faculty to determine areas that need improvement and to develop a plan for improvement. Candidates work collaboratively with other candidates and clinical faculty to critique and reflect on each others' practice and their effects on student learning with the goal of improving practice. Field experiences and clinical practice facilitate candidates' exploration of their knowledge, skills, and dispositions related to all students. Candidates develop and demonstrate proficiencies that support learning by all students as shown in their work with students with exceptionalities and those from diverse ethnic, racial, gender, and socioeconomic groups in classrooms and schools.

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