Call for Participation – Study on Yearlong Preservice Preparation Models
The clinical models promoted by the Bank Street Sustainable Funding Project are among the high-quality formats for teacher preparation being studied by AACTE’s Clinical Practice Commission. The study described in this article is not officially connected with AACTE or the Clinical Practice Commission.
The Sustainable Funding Project (SFP) at Bank Street College of Education (NY) seeks educator preparation leaders to participate in a study of clinically rich preparation programs.
Educators agree that sustained preservice clinical practice is essential to ensure teachers enter the classroom well-situated for success. SFP studies how to enable all aspiring teachers to enter the profession through affordable, high-quality programs—programs that include yearlong clinical experiences for teacher candidates—so that every teacher is prepared for the demands of the 21st-century classroom.
For our current study, we invite leaders of teacher preparation programs from across the country to share details about past or present programs that have included yearlong clinical experiences for candidates. We seek to learn about high-level programmatic features of the clinically rich preparation model, resources needed to run the program, and strategies used to fund it. The information you share will help document commonalities in program design and funding, as well as effective strategies and significant challenges of this preparation model.
Participation will entail approximately one hour of your time across three different stages:
- A brief survey to register your intent to participate and share background information on your program
- A 30-minute phone interview on program development and design features
- A follow-up survey on the resources allocated to the program and the main sources of funding
Findings from this project will be released as part of a confidential research brief. Participants may be invited to have the programs they discuss highlighted in future case study reports.
The first stage of the survey is now open and will remain available until mid-January. Phone interviews will be scheduled for each participant following the completion of the registration period.
Please share your experiences and contribute to the development of a new knowledge base on what it takes to provide high-quality preparation to aspiring teachers!
If interested, click here to access the registration survey. Any questions about the study or your potential participation can be sent to Gretchen Mills, research and project assistant for the SFP, at gmills@bankstreet.edu.
Brigid Fallon is a program analyst with the Bank Street College of Education Sustainable Funding Project.
Tags: clinical preparation, funding, research
