The teacher education practicum has been shown to have a significant impact on beginning teacher effectiveness and teacher retention (DeAngelis et al., 2013; Ingersoll, 2014; Scott et al., 2014). The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate the practicum experience from the perspectives of early career teachers, mentor teachers, and administrators. The study sought to determine how the practicum impacts the first years in the classroom and how university-based educator preparatory programs (EPPs) can better prepare teachers for the field. The study was designed using Collins et al.'s (1987) cognitive apprenticeship and Bandura's (1977) self-efficacy theory as its theoretical framework. Through interviews and the use of the Teacher Self-Efficacy Scale (TSES) (Tschannen-Moran & Hoy, 2001), data was collected regarding the perceptions of early career teachers and their administrators. Mentor teachers and principals were also interviewed to gather their perspectives on the perceived effectiveness of beginning teachers. The data was analyzed and common themes that emerged were shared. Themes that were discussed are as follows: cooperating teacher effectiveness, time spent in the practicum, classroom management, differentiation, student engagement, and parent communication. Implications for future practice and suggestions for future research were included. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]