Glossary of Terms

Alternative Experiences: Optional opportunity during weeks 15 and 16 of full-time internship, collaboratively developed between the mentor teacher and the professional intern and approved by the university clinical educator, for all candidates who have successfully maintained classroom responsibility for 14 weeks. 

CPAST Assessment: Candidate Preservice Assessment for Student Teaching -Valid and reliable instrument for assessing educator preparation programs. 

Early Clinical Experiences: Clinical experiences that occur before the full-time internship (formally titled Early Field Experiences). 

edTPA: A valid and reliable performance-based, subject-specific assessment and support system used by teacher preparation programs throughout the United States to emphasize, measure, and support the skills and knowledge that all teachers need. 

Intern: A teacher candidate who completes the professional internship experience under the guidance of a licensed mentor teacher. 

Mentor Teacher: A P-12 teacher who mentors teacher candidates and/or professional interns during their clinical experiences. 

PIOAR: Professional Intern Observation Assessment Rubric, used by the mentor teacher and university clinical educator during the 16-week professional internship to assess teaching performance, per formal observation. 

Professional Internship (I): The first semester of the yearlong internship experience for those majoring in AYA, Family and Consumer Science, MCE, Spec. Ed., HPE, and Modern Languages. 

Professional Internship (II): The 16-week capstone experience in the Teacher Education Program Professional internship: The sixteen-week capstone clinical experience in the Teacher Education Program for ECEE, Music Education, and e-Campus Masters in Special Education candidates. 

Teacher Candidate: Student in The Patton College of Education Teacher Preparation program with teacher candidacy status and/or advanced standing. 

University Clinical Educator: Faculty and/or contract employee (adjunct) of OHIO who supervises and assesses interns during the professional internship. Serves as instructor of record for EDPL 4650/5650. 

Original Guidebook compiled/created by Heidi Mullins Reviewed by Marcy Keifer Kennedy (July 2023) Updated by Kathleen S. Haskell (November 2024) Formatted for the website by Lisa Dael (December 2024)