North Central Regional Educational Laboratory (1995) describes the Urban Teacher Education Program at Indiana University Northwest in Gary, Indiana:

"Urban Teacher Education Program (UTEP) is designed to prepare teachers to work with diverse student populations and deal with the complex social situations associated with working in urban school settings. It offers students the opportunity to work closely with classroom teachers and university professors in the final two years of preservice preparation for teaching. The program also provides a path to certification for graduates holding noneducation degrees.

UTEP is a school district and university consortium that includes Indiana University Northwest, the East Chicago Public Schools and East Chicago Federation of Teachers, the Gary Community School Corporation and Gary Teachers Union, and the School City of Hammond and the Hammond Teachers Federation. The program started in l988 following planning by the schools, university, business sector, and community. Funding is provided by Lilly Endowment Inc., the Indiana General Assembly, and the four cooperating educational institutions. Three schools--one in each district and at each level--serve as Professional Development Centers (PDCs). These exemplary schools provide preservice teacher preparation as well as professional development for school personnel. PCDs include Franklin Elementary School, a recognized effective school in Gary; Eggers Middle School, a national exemplary school in Hammond; and Central High School, a consolidated school in East Chicago. Lincoln Elementary School in East Chicago and Horace Mann High School in Gary serve as associate sites.

UTEP is one of the few teacher preparation programs in the country that:

• Involves classroom teachers and university faculty working in instructional teams as co-instructors and co-researchers.

• Prepares students over a two-year period in professional development schools under the close supervision of the instructional teams.

• Is testing the effectiveness of the professional development school as a means of improving schools and teaching practice in urban settings.

• Involves parents and other community members in program decision making and development.

• Is governed by a partnership of teachers unions, school districts, and university and community leaders in the private and public sectors." (p. 8)

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