Improving Quality Teacher Prep Programs in Mathematics
By Dr. William Schmidt, Michigan State University Distinguished Professor, Director of the Center for the Study of Curriculum, and Co-Director of the Education Policy Center
There are few topics in education policy that attract more attention than teacher preparation. Whatever resources we devote to education, and however many policy changes we enact such as the Common Core State Standards in Mathematics, at the end of the day it is teachers that are expected to play the essential role. It is of the utmost importance that we be able to identify what makes a good teacher, and more importantly, that we figure out how we can make people into better teachers. This brings us to the rub: Despite the sincere efforts of many researchers, we still lack a clear-cut understanding of what makes for a high-quality teacher preparation program. The evidence to date is mixed at best that traditional metrics of teacher quality – such as certification scores, higher degrees, experience, etc. – make a difference.
Read More →Improving the Quality of Teachers and Principals
By The Hunt Team
“This is an excerpt from the overview of a five-part re:VISION special series on improving the effectiveness of the nation’s teachers and leaders. The Hunt Institute’s re:VISION focuses on critical issues in education policy – highlighting key research for policymakers and prompting discussion of solutions within states and across the nation. The ‘teacher effectiveness series’ is intended to provide state-level policymakers with a digest of existing research and current state efforts around teacher preparation, evaluation, compensation, and school leadership. Each of the briefs in this series will provide a deeper exploration of the challenges states are facing in the area of educator effectiveness reform and offer considerations for policymakers.”
A talented, well-trained, and committed workforce is the life-blood of any enterprise. Ask any successful business or military leader. The most successful companies spend considerable time, energy, and resources to identify, recruit, and hire the best and brightest; then they work at keeping them through optimal working conditions, incentives, and pay.
The military invests mightily in developing and honing the skills of its members; it pays for additional education and it invests in talent. The security of our country depends on it.
Read More →“Racing to the Top” to Prepare Turnaround Principals … What’s Next?
By Kathleen M. Brown, Ed.D.
Four years ago, North Carolina was awarded one of only 12 federal Race to the Top (RttT) competitive grants, bringing nearly $400 million to the state’s public school system. Approximately $17.5 million of these funds were specifically earmarked to “increase the number of principals qualified to lead transformational change in low-performing schools in both rural and urban areas.” As such, the policy objective undertaken by North Carolina’s Regional Leadership Academies (RLAs) was to recruit and prepare more than180 “turnaround principals” serving more than 30 counties in three vastly different and very distinct regions of the state -the Northeast (NELA), the Piedmont Triad (PTLA) and the Sandhills (SLA). Findings to date indicate that:
Read More →Chalkboard Project Awards Implementation Grants to TeachOregon
The Chalkboard Project, an independent education transformation organization dedicated to making Oregon’s public schools among the nation’s best, awarded three implementation grants to TeachOregon partnerships. TeachOregon is a Chalkboard Project initiative that gives school districts and universities the opportunity to design innovative models to strengthen teacher preparation. The partnerships are:
Read More →The Next Generation of Accreditation Standards and Evidence
By James G. Cibulka, president, Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation
The Council for the Accreditation of Education Preparation (CAEP) takes up its responsibilities as the new national accreditor of educator preparation providers at a time of high interest in P-12 student performance and in the capabilities of the education workforce. In this context, accreditation must be a strong lever in shaping educator preparation, assuring the public of the rigor of educator preparation programs.
Accreditation is a non-governmental activity based on peer-review that serves the dual functions of assuring quality and motivating improvement. CAEP, then, is ideally positioned to play an effective role through its accreditation standards as a collaborator and initiator of changes in educator preparation that enhance the effects of widespread education reforms. The accreditation process provides a ready means of bringing evidence to bear on the task of meeting the unique demands, challenges, and opportunities that make up the new educational landscape.
Read More →New Technology Bill Could Provide Assistance for CCSS Implementation
“Technology can be a tool to drive equity and to help transform how education is delivered, making learning more student-centered and recognizing teachers as education designers…”
This quote from Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.) appears in recent coverage by Huffington Post education reporter Joy Resmovits of a new technology bill introduced by Miller that focuses on “tools that provide teachers with instantaneous feedback on their students’ progress.”
Read More →Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools: Emerging Practice in Implementing the Common Core State Standards
While many educators have heard of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) by this point and understand the “what” and the “why,” many are still eager for help with “how” to make the shift to the Common Core. In a recent Education Week webinar, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools’ (CMS) Deputy Superintendent Ann Clark and Director of Humanities Rebecca Graf discussed their district’s approach to building capacity, training educators, and supporting teachers.
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