Chapter 14: Engaging the School Community in Teacher Preparation: Clinical Partnerships in Middle Grades Schools

The Association for Middle Level Education’s (AMLE) Middle Level Teacher Preparation Standards (2012) indicate that well-prepared middle level teachers should have a thorough understanding of young adolescent development, middle level curriculum, middle level philosophy and school organization, middle level instruction and assessment, and middle level professional roles. Establishing effective clinical partnerships is a critical element for addressing the AMLE standards and preparing professional middle grades teachers. To accommodate large numbers of middle grades teacher candidates and ensure quality field experiences, Northern Kentucky University has established and sustained partnerships with 11 schools in 6 school districts. This chapter provides a description of the middle level teacher preparation program, the current model for clinical partnerships, the challenges associated with facilitating multiple partnerships across a region, and the efforts taken to sustain these partnerships.