Field Placement Schools and Instructional Effectiveness

Abstract

Student teaching has long been considered a cornerstone of teacher preparation. One dimension thought to affect student teacher learning is the kinds of schools in which these experiences occur. Drawing on extensive survey and administrative data on all teachers, students, and schools in a large, urban district, this study investigates whether certain kinds of field placement schools predict later teacher performance. It finds that teachers who learned to teach in field placements with stronger teacher collaboration, achievement gains, and, to a lesser degree, teacher retention were subsequently more effective at raising student achievement. However, these kinds of schools were less likely to be used as field placements. Results suggest that better functioning school organizations with positive work environments make desirable settings for teacher learning and that preparation programs, and the districts they supply, would benefit from more strategically using these kinds of schools to prepare future teachers.