Thesis advisor: Marilyn Cochran-Smith / The clinical experience of future urban teachers is increasingly regarded as one of the most important aspects of teacher preparation (NCATE, 2010; NRC, 2010). However, there is widespread agreement that further knowledge must be acquired on what constitutes rich clinical experience, and on the influence of such learning opportunities especially in urban, high-needs contexts (Anderson & Stillman, 2013; Levine, 2006; Picus, Monk, & Knight, 2012). This dissertation aims to increase our understanding of clinical experience. Based on sociocultural and socio-constructivist perspectives, and drawing on Lave and Wenger’s (1991) theories of learning within communities of practice, this dissertation employed qualitative research methods to examine the phenomenon of content coaching during an urban teacher residency program. This dissertation argues that residency content coaching provided a context within which residents could integrate what they were learning about “ambitious teaching” (Lampert & Graziani, 2009; Newmann & Wehlage, 1993) into their own practice through ongoing negotiations with their coaches. Coaching interactions were by and large responsive to individual resident’s learning needs, and guided residents to begin to place their students’ learning at the center of decision-making when planning, teaching, and assessing. The dissertation further investigates the actual and aspirational characteristics of coaching in this context. Overall findings suggest that content coaching addresses several persistent problems of traditional pre-service fieldwork supervision (Darling-Hammond, 2010; Featherstone, 2007), and offers a more coherent approach. Consequently, this dissertation contributes to our collective understanding of clinical experience in preparing teachers to teach ambitiously in urban classrooms. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2016. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Teacher Education, Special Education, Curriculum and Instruction.

Over the course of American schooling scholars note that democratic education and citizenship have not been abandoned, but perhaps marginalized or pushed aside, as test scores and achievement have become the most desired outcomes. Democratic education must move out of the margins and into high priority. The current political climate of increased division and divisiveness could not illustrate this need any more. Another well-documented challenge within the American educational system, particularly in high need areas is the need for highly qualified teachers. Urban Teacher Residency (UTR) programs have offered a possible solution to this growing problem in recruiting, training, and retaining highly qualified teachers in urban settings. UTRs are designed to alleviate one of the longstanding education challenges of both, quality and quantity of educators within some of the most underserved schools. While the rise in teacher residency programs, particularly in urban settings, and the marginalization of democratic education may seem unconnected, an effort to illuminate their potential relationships guides this study. Qualitative case study methodology (including analysis of program documents, interviews with teachers, and interviews with staff) was undertaken to understand the inclusion of democratic habits in one UTR, as well as the resulting enactment of democratic education by the UTR residents and alumni in one UTR, Mid-Atlantic Teacher Residency (MATR). Findings reveal the use of democratic habits by the residents and in the MATR program was mixed. Democratic habits of associated living, collaboration, student voice, critical inquiry, and student-centered learning were the most prevalent through the MATR program components of coursework, mentorship, and the cohort during the residency year. As teachers, the resident alumni exhibited democratic habits through their professional relationships and attitudes towards student-centered instruction, particularly through the use of activities. A few of the alumni exhibited aspects of democratic education through their discussion of social justice and their commitment to citizenship development. Overall, however, limited evidence of a commitment to democratic education was present in the data, which may be in part due to the program’s relatively low emphasis on democratic education. Other barriers that emerged in the data included: classroom management struggles, administrative support and policies, a lack of promoting democratic education through the program, a disconnect from the residents’ coursework to their classroom practices, and being new teachers. While it does not appear that MATR or other UTRs are currently foregrounding democratic education or democratic principles, I close by discussing why UTRs should emphasize democratic education and offering suggestions for how they might do so.