The Fordham University Intern Fellowship Program: A university and school district partnership
Abstract
School reform measures have emphasized the importance of strengthening teacher preparation programs particularly at the preservice levels. While there are diverse perspectives to improve teacher preparation, one critical focus is the establishment of university-school district partnerships. This case study describes the partnership between Fordham University and the Mount Vernon Public Schools at the policy level to design and implement the Fordham University Intern Fellowship Program. The theoretical work conducted by Fox and Faver (1984) provided the basis for the examination of the benefits of the Partnership. Hord's "features" paradigm (1986) together with Trubowitz's "stages" structured the collaborative inquiry. Goodlad's (1987, 1988, 1990) work on university-school partnerships adds a compatible focus for the teacher reform emphasis. Utilizing case study methodology, personal interviews, questionnaires, document analysis, and participant observation techniques, this study provides a unique portraiture of the Partnership. Findings indicated that a variety of measures facilitated the Partnership. These included innovative program design, implementation, and the active procurement of funding sources. The recruitment, training, hiring, and retention of ethnic and linguistic minorities supported the Partnership goals; however this remains an area for further enrichment. Additionally, the clinical placement of interns in supportive training environments surfaced as a critical outcome of the collaborative endeavors. Recommendations for future research and practice focus on the formalization of research activities related to intern and mentor effectiveness. Continued collaboration is urged to create a professional development academy and school. These efforts can institutionalize proactive partnership goals to reform teacher preparation and restructure urban schools as teaching and learning environments.
Subject Area
Teacher education|School administration|Curricula|Teaching
Recommended Citation
Perkins, Margaret Hand, "The Fordham University Intern Fellowship Program: A university and school district partnership" (1991). ETD Collection for Fordham University. AAI9226428.
https://research.library.fordham.edu/dissertations/AAI9226428
