Policies and Practices that Facilitate Candidate Experiences with Students from Diverse Groups

All candidates within the unit are required to complete projects based on student achievement . All courses in our programs that are field based or field related require data collection and analysis of data and reflection to improve student learning.  Several of our key assessments address this directly, among them the case study in the Graduate Level Teacher Preparation program and the assessment portfolio in the undergraduate elementary program.  In addition, our student teacher cluster seminars in several of our sites have participated in Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) in the schools that are focused on data collection, analysis and reflection.  Efforts are underway to ensure that all of our cluster seminars focus on collecting and analyzing data to improve student learning.

Because of our strong field based aspect of our programs and the diversity of the field experiences, we are confident that nearly all our candidates work with students with exceptionalities and students from cultural, linguistic, and socio-economic groups. The District Factor Groups are given a classification of A through J.  Districts in group A show the lowest socioeconomic status ranging to group J, being the highest socioeconomic status.  

Figure 1
District Factor Groups (Number of Districts)

In our early field experiences (sophomore and junior) faculty who teach the courses are instrumental in developing the field sites and partner schools.  Currently we use schools in the following districts:

School District,  DFG

Ewing,  DE

West Windsor-Plainsboro,  J

Bordentown,  FG

Hopewell,  I

Princeton,  I

South Brunswick,  I

Lawrence,  GH

For the student teaching experience, we use a wide range of districts in most areas of New Jersey.  A new initiative, begun in 2009, has led to the establishment of laboratory cluster sites for our elementary candidates.  Current districts participating in our cluster sit model are:

Trenton,  A

West Windsor-Plainsboro,  J

Manalapan,  GH

Bridgewater,  I

Robbinsville,  I

Princeton,  I

Monroe,  FG

East Windsor,  GH

Hopewell,  I 

Franklin,  GH

Lawrence,  GH

Mercer County Special Services,  N/A* 

      *data for DFG's is reported to their sending districts 

Cherry Hill,  GH                      

Readington,  I

South Brunswick,  I

Attached is the demographic table for student teaching placements over the last three years. 

In September of 2013, we received a draft of our Educator Preparation Provider Annual Report from the New Jersey Department of Education.  The screen shot below shows where are our 2011 and 2012 graduates are teaching according to District Factor Group (DFG).