Results of a School-to-Careers Preservice Teacher Internship Program

The School-to-Work Opportunities Act of 1994 extended federal funding to states for the purpose of developing and implementing systems ensuring all K-12 students smooth transitions into high-quality employment and/or post-secondary education. Educators, both K-12 and post-secondary, play an important role in this system by integrating School-to-Work, also referred to School-to-Careers, ideals into their teaching. To do this, educators should be well informed about the School-to-Work system. Furthermore, preservice teacher education students could benefit from exposure to School-to-Careers during their teacher education program because many will graduate and begin working in schools that espouse and practice School-to-Careers principles During the 1999-2000 school year, the Department of Curriculum and Instruction in a mid-sized western university ran a Preservice Teacher Internship Program (PTIP) for students enrolled in teacher education programs in the College of Education. The purpose of this program was to inform prospective teachers of School-to-Careers key concepts with the hope that they would integrate these concepts into their future teaching. Students were recruited from their teacher education classes and given applications to apply for participation in the program. Candidates were expected to complete their teacher education coursework during the fall 1999 semester and be enrolled in their student teaching internship during the spring 2000 semester. In addition, they were expected to attend a series of three informational seminars, complete a 40 hour internship in a business during the 1999-2000 semester break, and submit lesson plans used in their student teaching that demonstrated how they integrated School to Career concepts. Upon completion of all program requirements, students received a $600 scholarship. Fifteen students were initially admitted into the program; however, three dropped out for various reasons. A total of 12 students completed the PTIP. The first seminar took place in December 1999. Prior to any discussion at the seminar, a survey was distributed to determine the students' existing knowledge of School-to-Careers. Following the survey, a discussion about School-to-Careers took place to help students gain an understanding of its key components. Over the semester break, students worked a minimum of 40 hours in a business and were asked to notice the skills they used at their jobs so that they may incorporate these skills into their future curriculum as teachers. In January 2000, the second seminar was held for the purpose of discussing their internships and how to integrate the knowledge gained from that experience into their student teaching. Students then embarked on their student teaching experiences in which they applied School-to-Careers concepts into their teaching. During the final seminar in May 2000, a final survey was taken to determine any changes that may have occurred over their PTIP experience. Students also discussed how they integrated School-to-Careers into their student teaching. Related Literature A review of the literature revealed a lack of research or practice related to teacher education students working in a business setting in addition to their traditional student teaching as part of their preparation program. Studies have shown, however, that work-related learning experiences help students gain valuable employment skills prior to graduation by helping students recognize the relationship between work and school. For instance, Greene (2000) investigated gains made by preservice biology teachers enrolled in a Biology Laboratory Internship Program. Van Gyn, Cutt, Loken, and Ricks (1997) conducted a longitudinal study that investigated the gains made by students enrolled in a cooperative educational program. Both of these studies are further discussed later in this article. A 1998 study surveying administrators at 185 institutions of higher education in 25 different states discovered a "limited awareness, understanding, and acceptance of School-to-Careers concepts among institutions of higher learning" (Keller, Owens, and Clifford, 1998, p. …