Experiences Working with Diverse Students in P-12 Schools

As documented earlier in Table 4.15, all Columbia’s teacher candidates complete field experiences and/or student teaching internships in schools whose populations reflect racial/ethnic diversity.  There are ongoing efforts to make sure that candidates have experiences in schools that reflect different socioeconomic groups.

At the undergraduate level, all placements are made in urban settings, as it is the stated purpose of the program to prepare teachers for urban environments. A focused effort is made to ensure that each student is placed in settings that serve a range of populations within the placement sequence. Attention is paid to race, ethnicity, SES, and ability of populations served in settings when placement decisions are made. Given that the undergraduate students spend two years in the field, the program is able to coordinate the placements of each student to ensure experience with exceptional populations and students from diverse groups.