As states across the country grapple with growing teacher shortages and seek to build a teacher workforce that is well equipped to meet the diverse learning needs of our nation’s students, more and more school systems are turning to teacher residencies — yearlong clinical experiences that pair teacher candidates with Read more
Teaching is one of very few professions that expects new employees to be masters of their craft — where they handle all of the responsibilities of long-serving veterans — on their first day on the job. Historically, new teachers have received limited exposure to life in the classroom. Even today, Read more
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
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
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
Teacher candidates are more likely to be effective and to stay in the profession when their preparation experiences are connected to classroom practice (Boyd, Lankford, Loeb, & Wyckoff, 2009; Ronfeldt, 2012). Therefore, there has been considerable pressure and effort to strengthen candidate clinical experiences so that they happen early and Read more
REL Central recently released a paper titled, “Understanding Field Experiences in Tradition Teacher Preparation in Missouri.” The purpose of this study was to describe the characteristics of field experiences in traditional teacher preparation programs completed by first-year teachers in Missouri and how experiences vary by teaching certificate type. This descriptive Read more
As districts face the recurring problem of ensuring every student has access to a high-quality teacher, a growing number have begun to proactively form deep, mutually beneficial partnerships with teacher preparation programs to produce teacher candidates who match their specific needs. These partnerships, when done well, take significant time and Read more
At a packed public hearing two weeks ago, the Seattle School Board voted to continue the district’s partnership with Teach for America (TFA). TFA, though a decades-old organization, is only in its first year working with Seattle schools. Fifty community members signed up for a chance to speak to the Read more
The National Education Association’s (NEA) president, Dennis Van Roekel, recently announced a new action agenda for the nation’s largest teachers union. The plan aims to further the union’s goals of transforming the teaching profession and accelerating student learning, and utilizes proven best practices from teachers across the country. The three Read more
At Hope Street Group, educators work together to develop recommendations for policymakers that will be used to improve teacher evaluation systems. Hope Street has partnered with leaders at state Departments of Education across the country and connected them with teachers in their states to develop evaluation measures and determine feasible Read more