In the past, it was common for teacher candidates to spend long hours in university classrooms before ever encountering a child. Student teaching was the ultimate capstone where prospective teachers finally had a chance to apply years of accumulated theory. Now, however, teacher preparation programs are reconfiguring themselves to infuse Read more
Ben Jensen of the The National Center on Education and the Economy examines how the U.S. can improve teacher preparation by learning from Finland, Japan, Shanghai and Hong Kong and how these top-performing countries prepare teachers for the classroom. These four systems arm teachers with a rich understanding of the subject Read more
At a recent meeting of the American Education Research Association (AERA), The Learning Policy Institute presented findings from a comprehensive study of teacher residencies across the nation. There are currently approximately 50 such programs. The best include the following key characteristics: Strong district/university partnerships Coursework about teaching and learning tightly Read more
The National Council on Teacher Quality has followed its study of undergraduate elementary teacher preparation programs with a new study focused on secondary teacher preparation, Landscape in Teacher Preparation: Undergraduate Secondary Education. Since rules and procedures for selectivity in admissions, student teaching, and classroom management cut across teacher prep programs Read more
A new report, Starting Strong: How to Improve Teachers’ Entry into the Profession, from the Center for American Progress explores the challenges facing inexperienced teachers’ entry into teaching, highlights some of the early outcomes of model programs, and proposes an expansion of supported entry programs for prospective and new teachers. Read more
As high school students who are preparing to become teachers develop teaching skills, they deserve recognition for their growth. Micro-credentials (or digital badges) are performance-based assessments that allow rising educators to showcase their growing skills. EdRising offers five free micro-credentials in the following topic areas: Anti-bias Instruction Classroom Culture Collaboration Read more
The National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) has released new ratings for 875 undergraduate elementary teacher preparation programs. The latest Teacher Prep Review found evidence that the nation’s top programs–those that graduate teachers well versed in both evidence-based content and methods of teaching–are not all the nation’s best known elite Read more
Teachers of Tomorrow is out with a new infographic on the teacher shortage crisis and the states and content areas that are hardest hit. To shed some light on how we can solve this problem, the organization asked 15 experts passionate about education the following question: What is the single Read more
States are now deeply engaged in developing plans for their federal education spending for the next several years. Now is the time to rethink systems and strategies and to focus funds and efforts on what matters most for learning: great teachers and leaders for every student and school. Written collaboratively Read more
A strong body of research, and the example of other nations, supports a relationship between student performance and the selectivity of admissions into teacher prep programs. Therefore, America’s institutions training teachers should set high standards to admit only the best candidates to become the teachers. According to a new report Read more
The U.S. Department of Education has released its final regulations governing how states hold their teacher preparation programs accountable. New America’s Melissa Tooley takes a closer look at the potential challenges with implementation, which falls squarely on the shoulders of State Education Agencies: As with the recently-enacted Every Student Succeeds Read more
New data show that new teachers make up a significant segment of the U.S. teaching force, making their ability to thrive (and stay) in the classroom an increasingly critical issue for schools. A new special report from Education Week explores the challenges facing new teachers and the ways schools, colleagues, Read more
To build a world-class educational system, America needs outstanding teachers. But how do we entice exceptional candidates into the teaching pipeline and recruit them in the states and districts that need them most? Why are there teacher surpluses in some areas and extreme shortages in others? In this month’s issue Read more
Everybody involved in K-12 education knows that new teachers tend to need a lot of extra support. What they may not fully grasp, however, is just how many new teachers are out there. As a segment of the total U.S. teaching force, their representation appears to be considerable. Nationally, 12 Read more
The Obama administration has unveiled its long-delayed final regulations governing teacher preparation programs. Key provisions of the new regulations include: Providing transparency around the effectiveness of all preparation programs (traditional, alternative routes, and distance) by requiring states to report annually – at the program level – on the following measures: Read more
According to new research conducted by the Learning Policy Institute (LPI), the nation is staring at a serious teacher deficit that is only going to get worse unless steps are taken now to address it. The analysis, “A Coming Crisis in Teaching? Teacher Supply, Demand and Shortages in the U.S.,” Read more