The unit designs and implements a planned sequence of clinical experiences for candidates to develop and demonstrate the knowledge and skills to educate and support P-12 students in meeting state-adopted content standards. The unit and all programs collaborate with their partners regarding the criteria and selection of clinical personnel, site-based supervisors and school sites, as appropriate to the program.
2. Site-based supervisors must be certified and experienced in teaching the specified content or performing the services authorized by the credential.
The relationships between Mills and our partner districts help to recruit candidates who have demonstrated high quality skills and who show promise in assuming professional roles among their colleagues. The partnerships provide a comprehensive and integrated support system for prospective urban educators. Mills College has earned a reputation for innovation and excellence in the training of administrators. Our partnerships are integrated into the Mills credential program and are tailored to prepare effective educators for urban schools. As such, we follow a carefully developed procedure and criteria for selecting cooperating teachers and sites.
The cooperating teacher/student teacher relationship is very important because it sets the tone for the learning process. This relationship must be based on open and sensitive communication. We rely on a set of expectations for cooperating teachers that define the role they play in preparing teacher candidates.
The credentialing programs provide field experience through an on-site field supervisor and a cooperating teacher/administrative mentor. Mills College selects these supervisors relying on several criteria.
The Mills Supervisor is the third member of the "team" along with the student teacher and the cooperating teacher. Supervision should be carried out in a manner that promotes the thoughtful planning, execution, and evaluation of the teaching/learning process by the student teacher in a positive, supportive climate. The supervisor has responsibility for facilitating the association between the field work and Mills coursework. Mills supervisors need to remind and encourage student teachers to apply what they are learning in their courses to what they are seeing and doing in the field and vice versa. Mills field supervisors have a clearly defined set of responsibilities.
Program directors will make reference calls to the officials to whom the supervisor reports and/or the personnel officer in the school system to verify if the prospective supervisor meets the above criteria. Program directors determine through interviews that field supervisors keep current in the profession and evaluate them following established procedures and criteria.
5. All programs effectively implement and evaluate fieldwork and clinical practice.
The evaluation of a candidates' growth at their respective student teaching placements is an on-going process. Candidates are provided with both formative and summative evaluations in a variety of manners.
There are several procedures and ways in which the New Requirements for Fieldwork and Clinical Practice are documented for TTS candidates, field supervisors, and cooperating teachers.
For the following items, no additional information is required during the Common Standards submission. Information is available through Program Review submission.
1. Through site-based work and clinical experiences, programs offered by the unit provide candidates with opportunities to both experience issues of diversity that affect school climate and to effectively implement research-based strategies for improving teaching and student learning.
3. The process and criteria result in the selection of site-based supervisors who provide effective and knowledgeable support for candidates.
4. Site-based supervisors are trained in supervision, oriented to the supervisory role, evaluated and recognized in a systematic manner.
6. For each program the unit offers, candidates have significant experience in California public schools with diverse student populations and the opportunity to work with the range of students identified in the program standards t learning.
