The American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education is a national alliance of
educator preparation programs dedicated to the highest quality professional development of
teachers and school leaders in order to enhance PK-12 student learning. The 800 institutions
holding AACTE membership represent public and private colleges and universities in every
state, the District of Columbia, the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and Guam. AACTE's reach and
influence fuel its mission of serving learners by providing all school personnel with superior
training and continuing education.
The following was published in a 2010 journal by AACTE. The issue title was:
Reforming Teacher Preparation: The Critical Clinical Component
This publication provides examples of clinical preparation in schools, colleges, or departments of education
programs. AACTE invited its members in March 2010 to submit profiles of their teacher preparation programs
that exemplify strong clinical preparation. Examples include, among other things, teacher residency programs,
clinical experiences integrated throughout the entire preparation program, extensive student teaching, and
effective cooperating/mentor teacher development. Institutions were asked to submit a description of their
program, any funding that supports it, and a summary of the impact that the program is having on PK-12
education. The examples included in this publication show clear evidence of systemic reform in higher
education to strengthen clinical preparation and its centrality in teacher preparation programs. The link to
improved PK-12 student learning and improved school working conditions is becoming increasingly evident.
The entries provide just a small sample of the innovativeclinical work under way in higher education-based
teacher preparation programs.
South Dakota
Black Hills State University
Description of the Clinical Component:
One of the first clinical components of the Black Hills State University (BHSU) teacher preparation program is focused
on developing caring skills. Research shows that teachers who care, and can demonstrate their caring, have a greater
capacity to increase student achievement. When individuals think of the teachers who made a difference in their lives and
what motivated them to achieve, they consistently report teachers with caring skills.
Toward that end, sophomore-level students at BHSU participate in a clinical program called Teammates. The goals of the
program are to provide theory-to-practice experiences for future teachers to develop caring skills; to provide positive adult
role modeling for PK-12 students; and to provide future teachers with experiences that familiarize them with the school
setting.
Teammates receive training through an educational psychology course in how to develop a relationship and demonstrate
caring with students and how to motive them to learn. Participating public school students are chosen by school counselors
based on recommendations from teachers and parents. Children may be selected because they have only one parent at
home, have difficulty making friends, have parents going through a divorce, etc. The Teammate visits the school for 1
hour each week for 2 semesters and spends time building a relationship with the child or young adult through schoolrelated activities, such as tutoring or having lunch together.
Impact of the Clinical Component:
A research project examining the impact of the Teammates program found
that it had a positive impact on the teacher candidate and the PK-12 student. The teacher candidate increased in self
efficacy as a teacher, gained insights into children’s developmental growth stages, and increased in demonstrating caring
and nurturing behaviors. The PK-12 students increased in social skills, especially trusting; perceived that they gained
social status at school and were better at making friends; and were more motivated to go to school, as reported by a parent.
Once in student teaching, the teacher candidate’s cooperating teacher and the university supervisor both complete a
checklist that includes observations of six caring behaviors. The 2008 field experience data related to caring indicated that
96% of the candidates consistently demonstrated the desired behaviors. Graduates’ caring skills are again measured in
their teaching performance after 1 year and 3 years of teaching experience. Employers indicated that 86% of the time,
graduates perform at the highest level in creating a positive and caring classroom environment, and 89% of the time,
graduates demonstrate the highest level of understanding of motivation.
The Teammates clinical program at BHSU has resulted in increasing the readiness and effectiveness of new teachers to
be caring professionals.
Funding:
$1,500 in funding is obtained from local service organizations to assist participants in paying for required
fingerprinting and background checks to be eligible to volunteer in a public school setting. $1,000 in funding is obtained
from the Community and University Resource Exchange to pay for supplies.
Contact Information:
Nancy Hall, Dean, College of Education, nancy.hall@bhsu.edu;
Len Austin, Department Chair, Associate Professor, College of Education, len.austin@bhsu.edu.