Certification

The purpose of this article is to examine a variety of collaborative relationships among college students, college faculty and cooperating professionals working together in teacher preparation programs offered by the Department of Special Education at Fitchburg State College, Fitchburg, Massachusetts. The rationale, models of implementation, outcomes, and evaluative procedures used to assess undergraduate and graduate student performance are described. Five levels of teacher development and paralleling collaborative relationships are discussed and described. These levels include pre-practica, a fused pre-practicum and practicum, that is, the Integrated Professional Program, student teaching, a field based clinical graduate prog-am, and professional development programs for veteran teachers. A planning and/or evaluative matrix identifies essential components of collaborative programs, the personne