Making an impact: A description of a collaborative partnership between a university teacher preparation program and an urban school district

Abstract

This paper will describe an existing partnership between a university teacher preparation program and an urban school district that has a mission to jointly prepare teachers. The paper will begin with a brief overview of the development and evolution of the partnership over the years followed by a discussion of current practices and policies in the partnership that have led to positive outcomes for student learning. Specifically, the authors will describe the educator preparation program with an emphasis on the curriculum and clinical field experiences that comprise the program. The authors will share data regarding the partnership between the university and an urban school district that has had a positive and significant impact on student achievement. The authors will also focus on the final year-long field placement in the program and learn how this along with the other factors in the partnership results in teacher education candidates who are confident and highly sought after by employing school districts.