A new policy brief out of the National Education Policy Center (NEPC) reviews the evidentiary base underlying four national initiatives
for teacher preparation program accountability and finds that only one of them — the beginning - teacher performance assessment edTPA — is founded on claims supported by research.
Billed as the nation's «flagship educational technology policy document,» the plan contains specific
recommendations for teacher preparation programs relative to its «vision of equity, active use, and collaborative leadership to make everywhere - all - the - time learning possible.»
In my home state of Texas, for example, the State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC) requires that in addition to the content standards specified for each grade band, the
curriculum for teacher preparation programs must include 17 specific subjects of study.
As recently reported by NPR, California, New York, and Texas, the states which produce the most teachers, have been experiencing steady declines in
enrollment for teacher preparation programs over the last few years.
In previous roles, she has supported evaluation and
strategy for teacher preparation programs; led school and district - level leaders in advancing school turn - around efforts; and founded a national resource dedicated to training educators in the use of culturally responsive education.
As might be imagined, this task force has taken on a heavy lift, but one that is well worth the effort as they work toward recommendations that can have a high
impact for teacher preparation programs working in the special education space.
Although accreditation by CAEP is not
required for a teacher preparation program in California, most quality schools apply for this accreditation as it is a marker of the program's ability to meet CAEP's rigorous standards.
The federal Department of Education announced preliminary rules on Tuesday requiring states to develop rating
systems for teacher preparation programs that would track a range of measures, including the job placement and retention rates of graduates and the academic performance of their students.
New Jersey is considering similar legislation, and the State University of New York announced this year that beginning in 2015, students must have a 3.0 GPA and pass a new exam to
qualify for the teacher preparation program.
Completion of a report on accountability
for teacher preparation programs (funded by Spencer Foundation)
In 2001, the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE, 2001) included three focal points of standards
for teacher preparation programs, including «knowledge, skills, and dispositions» (Damon, 2007).
There are also higher standards
for teacher preparation programs, although it is unclear how this would be applied to those who pursued teacher preparation programs outside of North Carolina.
Late yesterday afternoon, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan held a press conference to announce the release of proposed federal regulations
for teacher preparation programs.