Clinical Experience
American Board now offers a new layer of training in our program, available in North Dakota. It’s called the Clinical Experience—and it’s providing even more support to new teachers by ensuring that they get access to qualified coaching and evaluators during their first year in the classroom. Anyone who enrolls in our program North Dakota certification must complete a Clinical Experience after passing American Board’s Professional Teaching Knowledge (PTK) exam and subject area exam.
What It Is
The Clinical Experience is a year-long program where new teachers are monitored and evaluated to provide feedback on their teaching skills and style while helping them adjust to leading the classroom.
What It Isn’t
The Clinical Experience is not an unpaid internship, student teaching job, or substitute teaching job.
How It Works
- Upon successful completion of American Board’s exams and obtaining a teaching position, you will be matched with a coach/evaluator in your district. You are still a candidate in our program until you successfully complete the Clinical Experience.
- Evaluators will conduct 6 in-classroom observations of your teaching practice throughout the course of your first year teaching. Evaluators will touch base with American Board at the beginning of the process, half way through, and at the end. Evaluators will offer you guidance and coaching as needed to help improve your skills in leading a class. Evaluators will be provided support from American Board as needed.
- You will be provided with guiding documents including an observation rubric to prepare for the classroom evaluations.
The Fine Print
Here are some of the most important details about the Clinical Experience:
- The Clinical Experience adds a year to the program in states where it is mandatory, making the entire American Board program two years, instead of one.
- The testing year and Clinical Experience year may not overlap; you must complete both exams and get a teaching job before beginning your Clinical Experience.
- After passing all required exams, you will be issued a certificate which will state that you are now able to begin your Clinical Experience. If that Clinical Experience is not completed within three years of the date on your certificate, you will not be able to participate in the Clinical Experience without re-enrolling and re-testing.
- Read that last one again. It’s that important.
- Once you successfully complete your Clinical Experience, you will be issued an Institutional Recommendation which signifies that you have completed the American Board program.
