The first Task Force on Field Experiences Standards was appointed in 1995 by Peggy Ishler, then president-elect of the Association of Teacher Educators. Edi Guyton and David Byrd were co-chairs of the Task Force.  For over three years the group developed categories for standards, and then explored the literature and developed standards and support for the standards. One draft of the standards was presented at an open hearing at the ATE summer conference in Las Vegas. A subsequent draft was sent to organizations (e.g., AACTE and NCATE) and individuals (e.g., a random sample of the National Field Directors Forum) for feedback. In 1998, the ATE Delegate Assembly approved the standards  in draft form. Open hearings were held at the 1998 annual meeting and at the 1998 Minneapolis summer conference. State ATE presidents were sent the standards and asked to have open hearings. A new draft set of standards was developed based on input from these meetings and from people who responded to the request for feedback. In February 1999, the ATE Delegate Assembly approved the standards with a few minor modifications. An open hearing was held after approval regarding impact and dissemination. Ongoing work of the task force includes dissemination and use of the standards.

Former ATE President Ann Shelly appointed a second Task Force on Field Experience Standards in 2012.  She charged the Task Force on Field Experience Standards for ATE to review and propose revisions for the current  “Standards for Field Experiences in Teacher Education” that were approved in 1999. The revised standards for Clinical and Field Experiences were approved by the Delegate Assembly in Spring 2016.

Click here to see the ATE Clinical Experience Standards (Third Edition). Click here to go to the National Directors of Field Experiences page.