NOTABLE
NOTABLE
PRACTICES WORTHY OF ATTENTION
The University of Chicago Urban Teacher
Education Program’s (UChicago UTEP)
clinical instructor (CI) program identifies,
develops, and supports well-qualified high
school mathematics and science teachers so
that they can be effective mentors to preservice
candidates.
WHO SHOULD READ THIS?
Teacher preparation programs
because:
• Clinical instructors shape preservice candidates’
Districts and schools that work with
teacher preparation programs because:
• Positive classroom experiences contribute to
student-teaching experience, which often has
the pipeline of excellent future teachers who are
profound effects on their future teaching decisions.
prepared to teach in real-world classrooms.
• A formal recruiting process helps identify educators
• Developing in-service teachers into CIs can
with attributes that are critical to being effective CIs.
• Effective CIs create continuity between the training
preservice candidates receive in their formal
programs and their clinical experiences.
strengthen the teachers’ own practice. Cohorts of
CIs build capacity within the school.
• Investments made in selecting, preparing, and
supporting effective lead teachers are good for
budgets, teachers (in- and pre-service), and
students.
1
NOTABLE
WHAT IS THIS?
UTEP is a five-year masters program to prepare teachers for the Chicago Public
Schools that combines two years of rigorous academic and methods coursework
followed by three years of intensive support for alumni.
Because teacher mentors have such an important
preservice candidates receive in the formal UTEP
role in shaping the student teacher experience,
program and their clinical/classroom experience.
the CI program takes a structured approach to the
entire teacher “life-cycle”—candidate identification
through professional development through classroom
support—in order to create a positive and constructive
experience for preservice candidates.
Once accepted into the CI program, CI candidates
participate in a week-long summer institute where
they develop new instructional skills and effective
coaching tactics modeled after the UTEP instructional
goals. This prepares them to both model academically
Rigorous selection criteria ensure CI program
rigorous and inquiry-based instruction and provide
participants are well-qualified to become
critical observations of the preservice candidate’s
successful teacher mentors. As high school
instructional practices and classroom management
teachers, CI candidates have been recognized for
using constructive formative feedback.
accomplishments that reflect strong emphasis on
academic success, high standards of academic
achievement, content-specific expertise, and a
comprehensive repertoire of instructional approaches
that are effective in the kinds of classrooms where
Immersion workshops during the school year provide
interactive training for CIs that ensure they are on
track for providing a positive experience for the
preservice candidate.
preservice candidates are likely to be placed. In
Once a preservice candidate is placed with a CI,
addition to demonstrating success in classroom
detailed guidelines are used to manage the CI/
instruction, the selection criteria look at a candidate’s
preservice candidate working relationship. These
abilities to reflect on their own practices and provide
clearly defined objectives, roles, responsibilities,
constructive feedback.
and expectations for the placement period provide a
Candidates for the CI program are also screened
roadmap for success.
using a research-based tool built on the Charlotte
CIs receive a $4K stipend per year that goes directly to
Danielson framework. The Danielson framework
them (not to the school), to recognize the professional
provides the foundation for the UTEP instructional
nature of the CI role as well as the demands that come
and educational philosophy, so it is important that CIs
with it.
are able to provide continuity between the training
2
NOTABLE
WHY THIS PRACTICE?
The national five-year STEM teacher retention rate of 50% means students are
short-changed on experienced teachers, and the return on resources invested
in new teacher development is unacceptably low, for all stakeholders. Evidence
suggests that retention can be improved when teacher preparation programs
focus sharply on the practical needs of preservice candidates.
Teacher mentors prepared and supported through the CI program provide a
positive classroom experience for preservice candidates. They:
• Provide preservice candidates with real-world instructional examples of teaching excellence, effective
instructional techniques, and valuable feedback.
• Model behaviors, approaches, and skills that shape the expectations of the future educators’ own practice.
• Receive on-going support from the CI program for their mentoring work.
The CI program defines and manages expectations for both CIs and preservice
candidates in order to deliver a positive student teaching experience.
EVIDENCE OF SUCCESS
By focusing on the needs of preservice candidates and the role of mentor
teachers in addressing those needs, the CI program is designed to build the skills,
knowledge, and confidence essential to a successful new teacher experience.
The UTEP program as a whole has considerable evidence of success.
High Retention
Effectiveness
teaching after five years (far above the national STEM
proficient or distinguished practice on the Danielson
teacher retention rate average of 50%).
framework, compared to 57% of non-UTEP teachers.
90% of UTEP preservice candidates are still
74% of UTEP preservice candidates score at
No UTEP high school teachers have been evaluated
as unsatisfactory.
3
NOTABLE
4
HOW TO USE IT
The CI partnership between UTEP and receiving high schools delivers
successful preservice candidate experiences because high school mathematics
and science departments support the rigorous CI candidate selection process
and understand that there are on-going demands on participant time, to both
prepare and support them in their role as mentor.
Consider factors critical for success.
Consider the UTEP-developed tools.
• Schools cooperate with the rigorous CI candidate
• The Candidate Assessment Form is used to
selection process because they understand
traditional “master teachers” can’t always provide
assess both preservice candidates and CIs.
• The Secondary Clinical Instructor Guidelines
the pedagogical and content supports preservice
describe objectives, expectations, and key
candidates need.
information covering the CI placement period.
• Schools may need to adjust a CI’s work load to
accommodate the time commitments required by the
Learn more.
• The Education Weekly article, Better Teacher-
program’s comprehensive professional development
Candidate Mentoring Targeted, describes
and support activities.
approaches to improving the mentor/pre-service
experience, including rigorous selection criteria and
PARTNER DETAILS
process for mentor candidates.
The mission of the University of Chicago’s Urban Education Institute is to create knowledge
that helps produce reliably excellent schooling for children in urban America. The
organization prepares outstanding urban teachers and leaders through the Urban Teacher
Education Program; conducts rigorous research to improve policy and practice, anchored by
the Consortium on Chicago School Research; operates four campuses of the University of
Chicago Charter School, serving students across the South Side of Chicago; and provides
tools, analytics, and training to improve schools nationwide through UChicago Impact.
Douglas O’Roark
About
[email protected]
Director of Secondary Mathematics and
Biology Teacher Preparation
The Urban Education Institute at the University of Chicago
100Kin10 is a growing alliance of over 100 leading public,
private, and non-profit partner organizations that have
committed to strategically addressing the nation’s shortage
of STEM teachers and improving STEM learning for all
NOTABLE Series
students by training 100,000 excellent science, technology,
[email protected]
engineering, and math teachers over the coming 10 years.