Preliminary Multiple Subject/Single Subject (Intern) Program Standards

General Education Multiple Subject/Single Subject (GE Intern) Program Standard 3: Clinical Practice

GE (Intern) Program Standard 3 is met as follows:

A. Organization of Clinical Practice Experiences 

For intern credential candidates in the Educators for Liberation, Justice, and Joy (ELJJ) teacher education program at Mills College at Northeastern University, they are employed as teachers of record in public or private TK-12 schools. As such, their clinical practice experience is designed to provide developmental and sequential activities that build on their strengths and address areas of improvement, collaboratively determined with their program supervisors. In Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) Lab 1 (EDUT 6127: Single Subject, EDUT 6124: Multiple Subjects) during their summer term, intern credential candidates will self-reflect and analyze their areas of strength and improvement based on their past teaching experiences. This will be complemented by the 120-hour of intern preservice preparation throughout the six courses during the summer term. This self-assessment will be used by their program supervisor during the first two observations to confirm, question, and/or deepen their analysis of their strengths as a teacher, according to the Teacher Performance Expectations (TPEs). The coursework in the PCK Lab sequence  will continue to utilize these data to routinely assess their growth and continued areas of strength and improvement throughout the year-long program. These reflective activities in the program’s coursework will enhance intern credential candidates’ abilities to use data (video, program supervisor observations, student work, etc.) to continue their development over the course of the year. This work will culminate in a collaboratively-produced, teacher development plan, to be used for induction, after the intern credential candidate has earned their preliminary credential. 

As intern credential candidates who are employed full-time, most will complete the 600 hours of clinical practice within the first semester of the program. Most intern credential candidates will double the minimum required hours of clinical practice. Private school candidates will work with the program director to ensure a minimum of 150 hours of their clinical practice experience will take place in a diverse school setting where the curriculum aligns with California’s adopted content standards and frameworks and the school reflects the diversity of California’s student population.  At the end of each semester, Site Supervisors, Program Supervisors, and candidates complete a Clinical Experience Documentation form for internships. In addition, Site Supervisors, Program Supervisors, and candidates complete evaluations of the development of each candidate’s practical teaching skills in overall (Clinical Experience Assessment Form). Similar forms must be completed by Site Supervisors and Program Supervisors assigned to assess literacy TPE for  Single Subject English and Multiple Subject candidates. 

Intern credential candidates will receive a minimum of six formal evaluations per semester by their program supervisor. Additionally, intern credential candidates and their assigned program supervisor will meet for an orientation before the first formal evaluation to go over roles, responsibilities, expectations, communication preferences, calendaring of observations, and more.  In addition to the 12 formal evaluations per school year, intern credential candidates will submit weekly reflections to their assigned program supervisor, who will provide written and/or oral feedback. They will also meet at the end of the first semester for a mid-year evaluation and at the end of the program for a final evaluation; deeply examining their growth and areas of improvement according to the TPEs. They will collaboratively utilize data from site visits/observations, video capture, synchronous video observation, student work, and weekly reflections to come to a consensus on their evaluations. Records for these triad clinical experience assessment meetings will be recorded by completing assessment forms of three types: 

1. Overall Clinical Experience Assessment Form; 

2. Site Supervisors, Program Supervisors, and candidates complete a Clinical Experience Documentation form for internships. In addition, Site Supervisors, Program Supervisors, and candidates complete evaluations of the development of each candidate’s practical teaching skills in overall (Clinical Experience Assessment Form). Similar forms must be completed by Site Supervisors and Program Supervisors assigned to assess literacy TPE for Single Subject English Literacy TPE  Assessment Form and; 

3. Multiple Subject/Educational Specialist Literacy TPE Assessment Form.

B. Criteria for School Placements 

When potential intern credential candidates apply to our program, we also evaluate whether the clinical site they are working at has demonstrated a commitment to evidence-based practices and continuous improvement. The teacher education department chair, program director, instructors, program supervisors, and staff are deeply connected to the various local schools and districts (current and former teachers, administrators, and staff) and as such, leverages our insider knowledge and connections to make thoughtful decisions on whether particular clinical site shares our commitment to evidence-based practices and continuous improvement. We also use these long-cultivated relationships to form partnerships with educational, social, and community entities that support teaching and learning. This can be experienced through use of guest speakers in courses, “field trips”, community-collaborative projects, and other partnerships with local, community-based educational, social, and communities entities. As a teacher education program that centers, uplifts, and amplifies the identities, experiences, cultures, and epistemological traditions of Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) and other communities that contend with multiple systems and structures of domination (LBGTQAI2+, newcomer, neurologically divergent, materially unprivileged, undocumented, etc.), we only partner with clinical sites that share this belief. Thus, nearly all of our clinical sites are majority BIPOC, students with disabilities in the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE), a well-designed and thoughtful plan to support multilingual learners, and most have a significant proportion of their student body qualified for the free and reduced lunch program. Thus, our clinical sites are highly reflective of the population of California. In our MOUs with our clinical sites, they must agree to permit video capture as a requisite for our intern credential candidates to reflect on their practice, informally and formally through coursework and the completion of the TPA. We have a fully qualified site administrator.

The Academic Coordinator, informed by Program Supervisors and Program Directors for the Mills College at Northeastern University School of Education, recruits, evaluates, and communicates with a pool of potential District-Employed Supervisors who have clear credentials, at least three years of content area K-12 teaching experience, and meet our program's selection criteria for instruction. All current District-Employed Supervisors receive a minimum of 10 hours of initial orientation on our program's values, structures, and practices as well as coaching approaches and models. In addition to the initial orientation, all District-Employed Supervisors are kept up to date on programmatic changes as well as relevant research and practical information regarding coaching of teachers through webinars, which are sensitive to their time constraints. Supervisors must:

• Hold a valid relevant credential appropriate to each candidate’s special interest.

• Have ample, successful, and relevant experience.

• Be viewed as exemplary by peers and the community.

• Be willing and able to commit time to the process.

• Understand the process of mentoring and tutoring a colleague.

• Provide letters of recommendation from their last position.

• Exhibit knowledge of theory and exemplary practices, particularly pertaining to literacy instruction for all students.

• Demonstrate willingness to participate in retreats and training seminars and to become team members in their designated credential program, sharing its goals, philosophy, and program design.

• Have both policy and field-level experience and have a reputation for placing student learning and teaching at the center of their efforts.

Articulation of the matching process between the District-Employed Supervisor and intern candidate:

The Academic Coordinator engages in a holistic process to ensure that the match between a candidate and their District-Employed Supervisor is strong and productive — included in the matching process are the Program Supervisors, Program Directors, and key administrators at the school site. Rooted in strong relationships with placement sites, the District-Employed Supervisor will have working knowledge of the skillset our candidates are expected to acquire as well as resources available at the school site and district for intern candidates.

For internship candidates’ placements, the Clinical Experience Coordinator will visit school sites to communicate with District-Employed Supervisors. The Clinical Experience Coordinator will take care in integrating the strengths of the District-Employed Supervisor, the learning needs of the candidate, and the expectations and interests of the school site administrators to ensure that the candidates’ learning proceeds in a supportive environment. The Program Supervisor will convene and facilitate an initial triad meeting with the District-Employed Supervisor and intern candidate. During hte meeting, the Program Supervisor will review the responsibilities District-Employed Supervisors have toward candidates and the program, including the newly-adopted TPE 7. Finally, the Credential Coordinator will support and supervise the communication and process required for the District-Employed Supervisor to complete related orientation, support, and training, all totaling 10 hours.

C.  Criteria for the Selection of Program Supervisors 

The Educators for Liberation, Justice, and Joy (ELJJ) teacher education program at Mills College at Northeastern University will recruit and select only highly qualified Program Supervisors, based on the criteria established by the Commission on Teacher Credentialing. 

Our Program Supervisors must:

• Have demonstrated subject matter expertise in K-12 curriculum and pedagogy and paired with candidates in a shared content area;

• Recent professional experiences in urban and/or school settings with a majority BIPOC students, those who qualify for free/reduced lunch, identity as newcomer and English language learners (within the last 5 years), including teaching and/or administration;

• Attend ELJJ’s initial orientation and training for Program Supervisors;

• Participate in monthly  and sometimes bi-monthly meetings with the Program Supervisor director focused on the core values of our program, scope and sequence, alignment to TPEs, preparation for the TPA, coaching and other professional development topics for teacher supervisors.

D. Criteria for the Selection of District-Employed Supervisors 

District-employed supervisors are selected in conjunction with the district, charter management organization, school, and intern credential candidate. They must hold a Clear Credential in the content area and have a minimum of three years of K-12 teaching experience. District-employed supervisors will be provided with a minimum of 10 hours of initial orientation to the program's curriculum and effective supervision approaches. 

Continue to Program Standard 4: Monitoring, Supporting, and Assessing Candidate Progress towards Meeting Credential Requirements

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