Explanatory Notes:

Overall Numbers:  Changes in programs; limitations of when courses can be taken; changes in school personnel and C&I faculty; and the rise and fall of numbers of students in our Education cohorts all contribute to a less than clear pictures of our progress in urban education field placements each semester.  However, examination of this data provides a starting point for discussions and planning as we work to increase the number of urban field placements, while balancing the urban/non-urban placements for each of our Education majors.

Block I:  Our goal has been to place 100% of the students in Block I in urban placements.  We continue to fall short of that goal (51-91 %). The average of urban field placements since Fall 2002 has been 72% of total Block I placements. We are finding that more and more of our students are interested in having an urban field placement during this semester.  We want to capitalize on that interest by increasing the urban options for the remaining 28% of pre-teachers each semester who do not get placed there.

Block II:  Our department goal for this experience is that all students will have a non-urban placement (unless they were not able to have an urban experience in Block I). In addition, during Block II of the Adolescence Education program, the goal is to place students in a middle school setting. The average of urban placements in Block II since Fall 2002 has been 46.7%.  This is especially problematic for many Adolescence majors who should have had an urban placement in Block I, and will also have an urban placement in Block III.

Block III:  Every fall semester since Fall 2004, the Adolescence Social Studies and Science methods classes, TESOL methods, and one section of Childhood methods students are placed in Syracuse schools. For the most part, these urban placements are arranged by the methods professors.  In the Spring semester of each year there are no Adolescence methods or TESOL methods classes held, and all the Childhood methods classes are placed in non-urban schools. Thus the numbers in this column fluctuate from nearly zero urban placements each Spring to 65% urban placements each fall.

Blocks I, II, and III:  Our goal is that 100% of our pre-teachers will have at least one urban placement (and at least one non-urban placement) by the end of their third semester block of course work. The partnerships we maintain with Syracuse City Schools help us to work toward the urban placement goal.

Block IV:  Our goal is to have 50% of our student teaching placements in urban schools each semester. That is, we expect that nearly all students will have at least one of their two placements in an urban school. Those students who are especially in teaching in urban schools upon graduation should have the option for both student teaching placements in urban schools.Unfortunately, urban student teaching numbers have been disappointingly low with an average of only 18% urban placements since Fall 2002 (and a range of 9%-25%). This student teaching block includes field placements in Syracuse, Rochester, Utica, and New York City (and for a few semesters included Albany and Schenectady).  In spite of the number of cities where we might place students there is a disconnection between our goal of placing more student teachers in urban areas and the process of arranging for such placements.

Elected field placements:  The figures in this table do not include a number of students who elect to participate in Edu 381, Schools & Urban Society (15 - 20 students each January and May), or EDU 300, an elective field placement (2-5 students per semeseter).

Graduates Taking Positions in Urban Schools. The ultimate goal of our work with urban schools is that more and more SUNY Oswego graduates will take positions in urban schools.  We find that the student teaching figures correspond very closely to the numbers of C&I graduates who choose to take positions in urban schools.

This suggests that if we place more student teachers in urban placements, we can expect to see a corresponding increase in the percent of graduates taking positions in urban schools.

Courses included in each Block:

Block I includes EDU 303 and 503.

Block II includes SPE 303, 393, 503, 504, 590, 591, 593 and ADO 593.

Block III includes CED 393, 593, ADO 313-393, and 513-553.  Note:  Adolescence methods only runs in Fall semester; except for Spring 2003.

Block IV includes CED 420, 421, 440, 525, 526, EED 422, 442, ADO 420, 421, 525, 526, SED 420, 440, 441, and AED 540, 550.  Every student teacher has two student teaching placements, except AED students. AED student teachers are placed in one school placement for the duration of the entire semester.

Summary was prepared by Pat Russo Center for Urban Schools
1/28/05 Updated (and corrected) 12/05/06, 10/20/07, 11/14/07, 5/6/08, 9/22/08, 4/12/09, 4/15/10

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