Partnering on Prep

Ensure Coursework Matches Fieldwork

RECOMMENDATION 6: Partners should ensure coursework matches clinical experiences and district language

For a student teacher to have a coherent preparation experience, coursework and the clinical experience must be aligned to and map onto district language and priorities, so that new teachers can be classroom ready on their first day. Strong partners surface district priorities and take the time to sit down and align coursework and clinical experiences at regular intervals.

Steps You Can Take

• Identify and discuss district instructional priorities. First, partners must identify the priorities of the district to then make critical coursework changes to help ensure that student teachers are prepared.
• Re-design coursework and clinical experiences together. Partners must then engage in the complex work of re-designing coursework, often quite substantially, to align with clinical experience and with district needs.
• Formalize regular conversations about coursework into collaborative learning practices. As priorities continue to change in districts, partners must ensure they are consistently adjusting and learning from one another.

Highlighted Tools

• STEP UP Practicum Syllabus

  (University of Texas Rio Grande Valley)
• Curriculum Team Guidelines

  (Clark University)