(a) “Clinical Experiences” refers to student teaching, internships, and/ or field-based experiences in authentic school settings that provide candidates with intensive and extensive opportunities to practice skills, under the supervision of the program, in which the candidate must demonstrate competence as a requirement for the credential area. The term is synonymous with Field Work. Within the field-based/clinical experiences, candidates are immersed in the learning community and are provided opportunities to develop and demonstrate competence in the professional roles for which they are preparing. Field-based experiences are provided to the candidate under the supervision or guidance of an experienced individual who has the knowledge and skills the candidate is working to attain.

(b) “Evaluate” means to assess candidate knowledge, skills, and performance for the purposes of helping the candidate satisfy the relevant program competency requirements. It does not include evaluation for employment purposes; or to analyze data from multiple candidate assessments, program completer surveys, and other stakeholder surveys for the purposes of identifying program strengths and areas needing improvement.

(c) “Faculty” refers to individuals employed by a college, university, school district, county office of education, including graduate teaching assistants, and/or by a partnering entity, who teach one or more courses in education, provide services to candidates (e.g., advising, support), provide professional development, supervise clinical experiences, and/ or administer some aspect of the educator preparation unit.

(d) “Field work” refers to student teaching, internships, and/or clinical practice in authentic school settings that provide candidates with intensive and extensive opportunities to practice skills, under the supervision of the program, in which the candidate must demonstrate competence as a requirement for the credential area. It is synonymous with Clinical Experiences. Within the field-based/clinical experiences, candidates are immersed in the learning community and are provided opportunities to develop and demonstrate competence in the professional roles for which they are preparing. Field-based experiences are provided to the candidate under the supervision or guidance of an experienced individual who has the knowledge and skills the candidate is working to attain.

(e) “Partners” or “Partnerships” refers to agencies, institutions, and others who enter into a voluntary collaborative arrangement to provide services to educator candidates (for example, academic and/or credential preparation departments of colleges/universities, schools, county offices of education, and school districts).

(f) “Professional development” refers to learning opportunities for individuals to attain and develop new knowledge and skills such as in-service education, conference attendance, intra- and inter-institutional visits, fellowships, collegial work, and work in prekindergarten-12 grade schools.

(g) “Program” refers to a planned sequence of courses and/or experiences for the purpose of preparing teachers and other school professionals to work in prekindergarten through twelfth grade settings, and which leads to a credential.

(h) “Qualified faculty” refers to individuals whose background and experience are appropriate for the role to which they are assigned and who receive initial and ongoing professional development consistent with their assigned responsibilities.

(i) “Resources” refers to the range of supports for programs, including financial support, information resources, technology, qualified staff, building space, and materials.

(j) “Stakeholder” means any individual or institution such as a college, university, or school district that is impacted by and/or that has a professional interest in an educator preparation program or institution.

(k) “Supervised Fieldwork” means fieldwork that is guided, directed, or evaluated by an individual from a Commission-approved program and/or employing district that is designed to assist a candidate in mastering the required knowledge, skills, and abilities expected of the candidate.

(l) “Support” refers to professional guidance provided by a qualified individual acting as a mentor and/or coach to a candidate in his/her early teaching or service that includes collecting and analyzing evidence relating to the candidate’s competence for the purpose of helping the candidate satisfy knowledge and skill requirements.