Patton College Professional Development School Partnerships

The Center for Clinical Practice in Education continues its mission of positively impacting P-12 student learning with students in the Professional Development School program. During the junior year, Teacher Candidates seeking licensure in Early Childhood and Elementary Education, Middle Childhood Education, Adolescent-to-Young Adult Education and Special Education receive in-depth clinical preparation in our PDS Schools.

Currently, twelve active partnerships are instrumental in completing the Center's mission and purpose while providing a space for PDS Teacher Candidates to have a clinical experience. Partnerships span across six local school districts, involving Elementary, Middle, and High School buildings.

Teacher Candidates receive:

Mentoring and guidance from Patton College faculty and teachers in partnership schools
Opportunities in the classroom to plan, teach, assess, and differentiate during the year
Space to provide additional support to P-12 students and teachers
A strong foundation for professional internship and future teaching careers

The Center positively impacts student learning through the following activities:

Fostering and supporting outreach activities that connect The Patton College with regional schools
Creating collaborative partnership programming
Linking teacher candidates, mentor teachers, administrators, and the Patton College Faculty
Improving P-12 education for all students
Increasing opportunities and enhancing quality clinical experiences for teacher candidates
Supporting Professional Development for all parties
Sustaining teacher learning and student engagement for P-16 and beyond