Standard 4

Element Four: Experiences Working with Diverse Students in P-12 Schools

The unit has developed a field experience “transcript,” which is a formal part of each candidate’s student record. The transcript allows us to track the various field experiences and professional year clinical placements of our students. Placement diversity characteristics (which have been noted above) include (a) the proportion of students in the school setting that are non-White, (b) the population density for the counties in which the schools are located, and (c) the proportion of students at the school setting who receive free or reduced-cost school lunches. These demographic indices for the clinical sites for our initial and advanced programs are provided in a table at http://soe.ku.edu/ncate/exhibits/School-placement-diversity.doc. The assignment of initial program candidates to particular settings, which is handled by our placement coordinator, is deliberate with the goal of affording candidates the opportunity to experience and work with varied populations, learning styles, learning problems, cultures, and communities. As noted previously, each of these candidates experiences a variety of field placements in diverse settings. Through field experiences associated with course work, the unit also ensures that all of our candidates also have experience with students with exceptionalities.

Assurance that our candidates develop practice, knowledge and skills, as well as the attitudes and values (dispositions) related to diversity is a product of both the formal/curricular aspects of our programs as well as informal opportunities provided by faculty and candidate groups/organizations. Feedback to students on their skills and performance while working in classroom settings and on their diversity knowledge and competence is provided by program faculty, university supervisors, clinical supervisors, and fellow candidates through structured meetings and scheduled and unscheduled advising and supervisory sessions. That feedback focuses on those areas the unit has designated as program goals/objectives: (a) respect for persons of diverse backgrounds, abilities, lifestyles, beliefs and languages, (b) fair and unbiased treatment of all students in their classrooms and under their care, (c) awareness of the importance of diversity in teaching and learning, (d) differentiation of instruction to ensure the needs of all students are being addressed, and (e) knowledge, understanding and awareness of their own culture as well as that of the cultures of others with whom they work.