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This paper focuses on the evaluation of the clinical component of preservice teacher preparation. In this paper, clinical experience in teacher preparation refers to the "application of academic knowledge to practice" in classrooms, schools, and communities where candidates learn to "contextualize" the curriculum, learning experiences, and other teaching practices for specific individuals and groups of students. The authors describe and provide examples of promising practices for several types of clinical experiences with different purposes and approaches including traditional student teaching, special purpose practicums, internships, and residencies. The discussion in this paper is organized into four sections. The first section addresses variations in clinical experiences related to the application of academic knowledge to practice in classrooms and other settings. The second section is focused on community-based clinical experiences addressing the preparation, recruitment, and retention of teachers for schools serving urban and underserved students. The third section describes statewide initiatives for teacher residencies that address teacher shortages in specific subject areas and schools facing staffing challenges. The final section presents a proposal for a research-based approach for evaluating the clinical component of teacher preparation focused on quality indicators with the highest value in developing teaching efficacy.

A growing body of research shows that having access to teachers of color benefits all students--and can be particularly transformative for students of color. Yet, only 20% of teachers in the U.S. are teachers of color. Moreover, the lack of diversity of the teacher workforce relative to the student population is one of the key drivers of inequity in education, even as states and districts continue to invest in strategies to increase the racial diversity of their workforces. One underutilized strategy for increasing the racial diversity of the teacher workforce is to recruit and prepare those who have experience working in afterschool or out-of-school time (OST) programs to enter the teaching profession. The afterschool/OST staff population is racially and ethnically diverse and has the meaningful experiences, e.g., leading groups of young people, and the commitment to support students and families in local communities across the country. This report examines the experiences of current and former teacher candidates of color with afterschool or OST experience to provide insights into how teacher preparation programs and state policymakers can create the right programmatic experiences and conditions to recruit after-school/OST staff into the teaching profession and prepare them for success. The report specifically focuses on the experiences of candidates in what are considered non-traditional preparation pathways, such as teacher residencies and Grow Your Own programs. These programs tend to attract and retain a more diverse pool of teachers, with deeper connections to local school communities than traditional teacher education pathways.

A number of states are considering policy proposals to update credential or degree requirements for early educators. Practitioners, policy experts, and researchers have expressed concern, however, that well-intentioned policies to raise educator qualifications without sufficient supports may have negative consequences for the adequacy; stability; and racial, ethnic, cultural, and linguistic diversity of the early childhood education (ECE) workforce and may result in a shortage of educators. Early educators enrolled in higher education often encounter challenges paying for school and balancing school, work, and family commitments. Higher education processes and systems are complex and difficult for educators to efficiently navigate. In many states, educator qualifications vary by ECE program and are not based on a coherent career ladder, creating barriers for educators seeking to advance. College students of color and students from low-income households are disproportionately likely to encounter these challenges. Furthermore, many of the programs in which educators enroll do not focus specifically on preparing students for teaching, and many do not require supervised student teaching despite broad acceptance of clinical practice as an element of high-quality teacher preparation. This report offers practitioners and policymakers an opportunity to learn from promising programs that recruit and prepare diverse cohorts of educators to teach in programs serving children birth to age 5 in California--a state that is actively considering investments to develop its ECE workforce. It provides case studies of three distinct approaches to early educator preparation that offer innovative, affordable pathways to preparation for diverse candidates: the Family Child Care Apprenticeship program; the Education/Child Development Program at Skyline College, a traditional community college; and EDvance, a pathway preparation program at San Francisco State University that supports students earning a B.A. in ECE. The report identifies shared features of these approaches and, building on insights from policies enacted at scale in New Jersey that supported similar initiatives, outlines recommendations for policies to better support the ECE workforce and ultimately strengthen early learning systems. [For the research brief, see ED603416.]

Work-based learning provides students an opportunity as aspiring employees to explore careers and to turn theory and simulation into practice by gaining on-the-job experience. The hands-on experience gained from work-based learning opportunities, especially when considered in combination with the attainment and application of employment soft skills, is a critical component of career training and preparation. This paper seeks to define a variety of work-based learning experiences including internships, cooperative work experience, apprenticeship programs, clinical or practicum experience, preceptorships, and other forms of work-based learning, including work study as a financial aid option, all of which are used within the California Community College system. These experiences are defined by providing information about intent and guiding principles, statutes and regulations, funding, and stakeholder roles. A summary of recommendations concludes the report.

Teacher preparation in the field of early childhood education (ECE) has historically included a variety of higher education degree programs, in various child-related disciplines, all of which have generally been considered equally acceptable. And too often, these highly diverse degree programs are assumed to produce equivalent results. In contrast, programs to prepare teachers and administrators to work with older children reflect far greater uniformity and stringency related to specific preparation standards and certification requirements. In recent years, however, rising expectations about the knowledge and skills that early childhood practitioners need in order to work effectively with young children before kindergarten, along with the introduction of new ECE programs and standards, have led many to question whether the current wide array of ECE-related degree programs can be assumed to produce equivalent results. In California, despite progress over the last decade in aligning early childhood education courses at the community college level, there remains great variability among upper-division and graduate degree programs regarding what constitutes an appropriate course of study for teachers and administrators serving young children. To address this issue, the "Early Childhood Higher Education Inventory" was designed to gain a clearer picture of the early childhood-related offerings in a given state's higher education system. The Inventory describes early childhood degree programs offered in the state, focusing on variations in program content, age-group focus, student field-based learning, and faculty characteristics. The Inventory was implemented in California during the 2013-2014 academic year. This Technical Report presents detailed findings collected by implementing the Inventory's mapping, program, and faculty modules. The report also includes a full discussion of the findings, and offers recommendations for policy and practice. Tables are appended. [For the full report, "Teaching the Teachers of Our Youngest Children: The State of Early Childhood Higher Education in California, 2015," see ED574291. For the highlights to the full report, "Teaching the Teachers of Our Youngest Children: The State of Early Childhood Higher Education in California, 2015. Highlights," see ED574292.]

Today, the importance of early care and education (ECE) to children's lifelong learning and to the nation's economic well-being is recognized up to the highest levels of government, and in businesses, schools, and living rooms across the country. This understanding represents a dramatic shift from earlier decades, and carries with it heightened expectations for what teachers of young children should know and be able to do, in light of mounting evidence about inadequate and unequal educational quality, particularly for children of color and those living in low-income families. This report highlights findings from the "Early Childhood Higher Education Inventory" and the changes over the last decade in the extent to which California ECE higher education programs offer course content and experiences associated with effective teacher preparation. This report examines how these institutions of higher education are adapting to emerging research and changes in the California policy environment. [For the full report, "Teaching the Teachers of Our Youngest Children: The State of Early Childhood Higher Education in California, 2015," see ED574291. For the technical report, "The State of Early Childhood Higher Education in California. Technical Report," see ED574293.]

The "Learning Together" longitudinal study focuses on four counties' efforts to expand bachelor's degree opportunities in early care and education (ECE) for adults currently working in the field. The "student cohort model"--in which small groups of ECE students with similar interests and characteristics pursue a bachelor's degree together, and receive targeted support services--emerged in Alameda, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara, and San Francisco Counties, with programs at Antioch University, California State University-East Bay (CSU-East Bay), Mills College, San Francisco State University (SFSU), San Jose State University (SJSU), and the University of La Verne (ULV). With county, First 5, and private foundation support, these six cohort efforts were developed with similar goals: (1) To increase and retain a pool of B.A.-level professionals in the ECE field with culturally, linguistically, and professionally diverse backgrounds; (2) To invest in institutional change at colleges and universities in order to expand their capacity to provide appropriate and accessible B.A. programs for ECE practitioners; and (3) To assure that degree recipients are able to demonstrate and articulate professional competencies that are appropriate to the degree obtained. In 2007, the Center for the Study of Child Care Employment began implementing a five-year longitudinal study of each student cohort, as well as periodic examinations of institutional change at selected colleges and universities. In its first two years, the Learning Together study of B.A. completion cohort programs for working adults in ECE explored students' perspective on the supports and services that facilitated their higher education access and success and the impact of the educational experience on their professional practice. Year 3 interviews provided students' perspectives about two issues of concern about higher education programs--the accessibility of practicum experiences for employed students and the adequacy of attention in the curriculum to working with children from linguistically diverse backgrounds. Year 3 interviews also asked graduates about support at their jobs for ongoing development as professionals and changes in position and/or compensation improvements upon completing their degree. Of the 103 graduates eligible to participate in the Year 3 interview, 92 did so, representing a response rate of 89 percent. Study findings include: (1) The vast majority of the linguistically and culturally diverse population of students participating in six B.A. completion cohort programs offering financial and academic supports succeeded in completing their degrees in the anticipated time frame, reported that their studies led to improved practice in their jobs, and were interested in continuing their formal education by obtaining an advanced degree; (2) While most graduates reported that their practicum experiences helped them do a better job at their workplace, they also identified areas for improvement, including greater opportunity for off-site practica, better supervision at the practicum site, and more dedicated time to reflect with practica faculty and supervisors about their placement; (3) Graduates, two-thirds of whom work in settings serving children who speak three or more languages, reported that their B.A. classes provided them with the skills and strategies necessary to communicate with children who speak a language other than their own. The percentage of graduates who reported difficulty communicating with the children because of language barriers increased by the number of language groups in their classrooms or programs; (4) Graduates in center-based programs reported uneven opportunity and support for ongoing learning through their employment as evidenced by their varied access to professional development planning, formal and informal feedback, opportunity to consult mentors, coaches, and specialists, and participation in observation, reflection, and other professional activities; and (5) Shortly after earning their B.A. degree, about one-fifth of graduates reported job changes or promotions, slightly more than one-third reported pay increases, and none reported leaving the early care and education field. However, it is not yet possible to either determine if these developments can be attributed to their degree completion or to identify patterns in graduate career trajectories. Appended are: (1) Study Design; and (2) Individual Cohort Tables. (Contains 11 figures, 21 tables and 7 footnotes.) [For Year 2 report, see ED511844.

A questionnaire designed to ascertain the typing, office machines, and mathematics computations skills needs of clerical employees was mailed to 107 employers of general clerical workers in the College of Sequoias district. The responses, received from 73.8 percent of the employers representing 1,013 general office employers, were compared with the relative emphases on course content in the college's typing, office machines, and business mathematics courses. The proportions of typing courses assignments related to purchase orders, invoices, purchase requisitions, debits and credits, telegrams, and minutes of meetings significantly exceeded the proportions of job time devoted to these tasks, according to employers. Disproportionately large amounts of classroom time, in contrast with employers' work demands, were being consumed by such typing assignments as tables, business letters, and manuscripts. Course requirements and employers' job requirements coincided in the cases of interoffice memos, legal forms, and index cards. In relationship to employers' stated needs, business mathematics courses devoted disproportionately large amounts of course time to fractional computations and percentage computations. Depreciation computations received less course emphasis than job needs suggested. Similarities were found between course emphasis and job requirements in markup/markdown and interest in business mathematics courses. Fewer than 10 percent of the employers' calculating machines were rotary, whereas half of the office machines course time was devoted to learning rotary calculator operations. (Author/DB)

This study was concerned with identifying the specific information needs and personal needs of handicapped students and comparing the selected needs with needs of general students. The study hypothesis was that there is no significant difference between identified needs of handicapped students and those of general students. The significance between the two groups was analyzed using the chi-square statistical technique. The results of the study indicated that handicapped students had significantly greater information needs in the areas of federal loans, aptitude testing, scholarships, solical security benefits, jobs, medi-cal benefits, course prerequisites, work experience, elective courses, and welfare benefits. The personal needs of the handicapped were significantly higher in problems with taking tests, reading skills, study skills, economic resources, writing skills, low grades, personal goals, and sexual adjustment. The general student population had greater information needs as to information on college majors, other colleges, graduation requirements, and their personal needs were higher in problems with smoking, husband/wife relationships, temper control, religious values, suicidal feelings, drug abuse, and venereal disease. (Author/DB)

A questionnaire was administered to the faculty and administrators of Valencia Community College to obtain answers to the following questions: (1) Will the present faculty organization meet the needs of a multicampus college? (2) Will the present system of administrative committees, councils, and task forces meet the needs of a multicampus college? (3) What is the most acceptable form of faculty participation in governance for a multicampus operation at Valencia? A questionnaire was also administered to a sample of the faculty and administrators of both in-state and out-of-state community colleges with a multicampus operation. The data obtained from the questionnaires were treated descriptively. The results of the study reinforced previous findings that the attitudes of the participants involved in participatory governance are more important than is the specific organizational mode adopted to provide this participation. An open and receptive attitude by the president and other administrators is a key element for effective faculty participation in governance. A strong and dedicated faculty leadership combined with an interested and involved faculty and the administration's attitude will tailor the mechanism to the needs of the participants and insure mutual development of policies and procedures. Another trend that is developing is the necessity to provide a voice for all constitutencies of the college. College Wide Councils are emerging as a policy recommending body in many colleges. (There are eight appendixes to the report, two of which are the questionnaires.) (DB)

This book describes a practicum project that analyzed the organizational structure of the regional service teams at the California State Department of Education and designed a strategy to reduce the organizational problems caused by consolidating application procedures for seven state and federal categorical aid programs. The practicum design involved implementation of a new staff development strategy for both state and local district members. A thorough analysis of application errors made by school district personnel during the previous year provided the focus and content for the staff development sessions. The impact of the staff development strategy was demonstrated by the improved accuracy and quality of consolidated applications submitted to the State Department of Education. Much of the book consists of extensive appendixes containing sample application forms and instructions, analyses of application errors, and various staff development materials. (Author/JG)

This book describes a practicum project that developed instruments and procedures to aid staff members of the California State Department of Education in monitoring multiple educational programs. The instruments and procedures developed were used by staff members to analyze applicable federal and state regulations and evaluate program quality for 17 categorical programs and 74 school sites. The objective of the practicum was to devise a method that would provide the data necessary to make decisions concerning continued funding of individual programs. A system of monitoring and reviewing operational programs was developed so that staff members could analyze multiple programs at each school site and observe whether individual programs were being properly implemented. (Author/JG)

The purpose of this practicum was to develop and implement a pilot project combining school and public transit services in Marin County, California. To accomplish this aim, it was necessary to gain approval from several public agencies, obtain funds to finance part of the study, gather and analyze data on school transportation and public transit services, develop alternatives for consolidating and combining transportation services, select one alternative for development into a pilot project, and gain approval from various public agencies to begin implementation of the pilot project. Volume 1 of the report describes in detail how each of these steps was accomplished and discusses each of the nine alternatives considered for pilot implementation. Volume 2 consists of appendixes that present maps and other data on transportation in the demonstration area and provide information on the various studies and surveys that contributed to development of the pilot project. (Author/JG)

The purpose of this practicum was to determine whether or not learning centers could help men with educational deficiencies, who were incarcerated and unable to attend formal school. Learning centers were activated and found to be an effective alternative to formal school in meeting inmate educational deficiencies, both at the elementary and secondary levels. Subsequent investigation showed that learning centers, operated on a student voluntary, informal, drop-in basis, could help these men correct or upgrade their educational deficiencies without causing their key prison work assignment to suffer as a consequence. Men with critical educational deficiencies, although referred to the learning centers, neglected to make up their deficiencies. These men for the most part failed to follow through on their own to voluntarily enroll and complete their educational objectives, as outlined by the prison's classification committee. (Author)

To determine what types of services Valencia Community College's Downtown Multipurpose Center should provide for the community, a questionnaire was either mailed or administered to members of community youth groups, black community leaders, women leaders, and senior citizens. The responses were key punched, tabulated, and calculated. The results of the survey indicated that although there was a demand among all of the target groups for services through a downtown center, the services demanded were significantly different. The services listed as greatly beneficial were in the areas of continuing education--customized workshops, refresher or short courses, noncredit personal improvement courses, and cultural activities and programs. As a result of this study, the emphasis for the Downtown Center planning shifted from activities of primarily a testing, guidance, and counseling nature to plans for a broad-based community services center emphasizing continuing education. (Tables provide the survey data.) (DB)

This study is aimed at determining whether personalized pre-enrollment counseling based on the results of a standardized English skills test has a positive effect on new student enrollment, attrition (withdrawal), and success in reading skills courses. By comparing pertinent data for spring 1972 students who were not counseled with data for counseled students in spring 1973, it was found that counseled students had a lower attrition rate than other students in the reading skills classes. Counseling did not tend to increase the rate of enrollment in reading skills courses, nor did counseled reading skills students experience a higher rate of success. (MJK)

This report discusses a 2-year evaluation of the California Early Childhood Mentor Teacher Program (CECMTP), in which experienced child care teachers serve as mentors, using their classroom as a practicum environment to train student teachers. The evaluation assessed the extent to which CECMTP goals were met by answering the following three questions: (1) is the CECMTP reaching qualified and experienced teachers and positively influencing their efforts to improve quality in the community; (2) what are the strengths and weaknesses of the CECMTP as assessed by program participants; and (3) is mentoring an effective alternative for a field practicum compared to a traditional lab school experience? Seventy-eight mentors and 129 lab students, mentees, and community teachers employed in child care centers who had never participated in a supervised teaching course were surveyed. Observational data on classroom quality and teacher behavior was collected for the lab students, mentees, and community teachers. Findings indicated that mentor classrooms were rated as better than community classrooms, but not as good as lab sites, and as mentors gain experience mentoring, they become more effective teacher trainers. Recommendations included extending the connection between mentors and post-practica students, and increasing the pool of mentors serving low income children. (AJH)

In the fall semester of 1972-73, two general biology classes were offered and taught by the same teacher. One class received lecture material in the traditional manner, attending three one-hour lectures each week. The 82 students in this class were designated the control group. The 52 students in the other class, known as the experimental group, received lecture material by working independently at a learning center, using cassette lecture tapes and other audiotutorial materials and equipment. This group also attended a discussion session with the instructor once each week, the session being used for informal discussions only and for administering examinations. Test scores, final grades, and attrition in the control and experimental groups were compared at the end of the semester using statistical techniques. Results of the study showed that: (1) both methods of instruction were equally successful with respect to test scores and final grades; (2) attrition rate was high in both classes--experimental 38 percent and control 31 percent; (3) teacher performance was rated slightly higher by the audiotutorial group; and (4) teacher performance improved slightly with the new method of instruction. Tables provide the study data. The appendix is a copy of the Student Evaluation of Teachers form. (DB)

A survey of the Moorpark College (California) faculty was conducted to determine their preferences in relation to early semester calendars that would permit the completion of final examinations before the Christmas vacation. The survey asked for a response to the calendar in use and to two alternative plans: Plan A--an early semester academic calendar beginning August 19 and ending May 30, and Plan B--an early semester academic calendar beginning August 29 and ending May 31, which allows Saturdays to be counted. Results of the survey showed that 50 percent of the faculty preferred Plan B, and that both Plans A and B were supported by 87-91 percent. Appendixes provide the survey instrument and the proposed academic calendars. (DB)

A personal interview was held with 12 instructors in a vocational program at Golden West College (Huntington Beach, California) to determine the problems and possible increases in cost that would result from changing the school calendar. Four calendar proposals were considered: (1) The Early Semester Plan--two 18-week instructional time periods, late August until before Christmas vacation and mid-January to late May; (2) The Quarter Plan--three equal 12-week sessions, with an equal summer session possible for year-round operation; (3) The Trimester Plan--three equal 16-week sessions for year-round operation with two-week vacation breaks between semesters; and (4) The Four-One-Four Plan--two equal sessions of about 16 weeks each, with a four-week inter-term between them. The results of the interviews are summarized in tables and are presented in Program Impact Assessment Worksheets for each of the seven vocational programs--Architectural Technology, Automative Technology, Auto Body and Fender, Drafting Technology, Engineering Technology, Graphics Technology, and Manufacturing Technology. These results show that among the various calendar proposals, the most popular one, which provides the lowest impact assessment, was the Early Semester Plan, followed by the Quarter Plan, with the Trimester Plan being the third most popular, with the least popular being the Four-One-Four Plan. (DB)