CLINICAL PRACTICE
MOVING TOWARD A CULTURE OF “WE” By Rodrick S. Lucero, Ph.D.
Clinical Practice, Defined Partnerships between PK-12 schools and Educator Preparation Programs (EPPs) have gained momentum as the foundation for effective clinical practice, and a rich conversation is now being held across the country. As we have defined it at The National Center for Clinical Practice in Educator Preparation (NCCPEP), clinical practice is a paradigm calling for teacher preparation courses, activities, and opportunities to be conducted at the school site in front of real students, real teachers, and in a real school. EPPs bring their theoretical frames to the partnership, and PK-12 schools provide their practice frames to the partnership. These frames come together to form a clinical framework upon which to build effective teacher preparation with input from both research and practice, while also elevating learning outcomes for PK-12 students. The partnerships allow for a more thorough analysis to assess gaps and craft a more cogent future direction as stakeholders engage with the learning process. The synergy built within partnerships is iterative, ongoing, and process-oriented and inclusive. Clinical practice prepares us well for the rapidly changing landscape of a modern democracy
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requiring a responsive and individually-focused educational process.
Clinical Practice is founded on the principle of “simultaneous renewal” (Goodlad, 1993). This concept realizes that in authentic partnership work, every participant has a realized, articulated benefit for their participation. This is a crucial element of effective clinical practice. The mutual-benefit context of clinical practice is locally situated because context matters! Therefore, the construction of clinical practice is “messy” and difficult to replicate. Clinical practice partnerships in Los Angeles are not the same as in Chicago, or Savannah, or Santa Fe, as there exists a myriad of challenges, needs, policies, that are quantifiably different and locally prioritized. Clinical practice allows flexible partnerships to meet the needs of their local students, the teacher candidates who work with them, and the schools where they learn. Clinical Practice benefits the educational journey of teacher candidates, PK-12 students, and veteran teachers, relationships at the heart of effective learning. Teacher candidates benefit by planning, delivering lessons, and assessing learning alongside veteran teachers at the school
The American Consortium for Equity in Education
