Placed for Success? An Analysis of Student Teaching Placements and Novice Teacher Performance

In this research brief we examine characteristics of student teaching placement sites and clinical teachers and assess

whether these characteristics predict the performance of novice teachers. We aim to enhance the value of student

teaching by better understanding the environments and mentors that matter. Descriptively, we find that placement site

characteristics differ across educator preparation programs (EPPs) in ways that may be related to the location of the

program and to the characteristics of the program and its candidates. Empirical results indicate that (1) high-quality

learning environments matter; (2) teacher candidates benefit from greater exposure to racial/ethnic minority students

during student teaching; and (3) candidate success is influenced by the instructional and mentoring skills of the clinical

teacher. We hope these analyses aid evidence-based placements, encourage school districts to actively participate in the

placement process, and inform policy on student teaching requirements.

This report was prepared for the Education Policy Initiative at Carolina.