Challenges Facing Teacher Education Today

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Challenges Facing Teacher Education Today

• A presentation to the
• Ohio Confederation of
• Teacher Education Organizations
• by
• Sharon P. Robinson
• AACTE President and CEO

April 20, 2006
Columbus, Ohio
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The State of Teacher Education
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Adjusting to a Rapidly Changing World
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Seismic Demographic Shifts

• Most new population growth will occur among the
  least educated populations
• The U.S. has lost its leadership role as the most
  highly educated nation in the world
• Rising trend of income inequality
• The National Center on Public Policy in Higher
  Education, Nov. 2005

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Teacher Education is

• Increasingly valued

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Teacher Education is

• Undergoing Scrutiny

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Teacher Education is

• Accountable

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Teacher Education is

• Under-Funded

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Teacher Education is

• Innovating, transforming

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Teacher Education is

• Facing Competition

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What AACTE is Doing
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AACTE is

• Promoting the professions value
• Encouraging scrutiny accountability
• Supporting innovation
• Listening, learning, and responding to criticism
  and competition
• Advocating for needed funding

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AACTEs Mission

• Promote the learning of all PK-12 students
  through high-quality, evidence-based preparation
  and continuing education for all school personnel

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AACTEs Strategic Goals

• Build Consensus on Professional Issues
• Advocate in State and Federal Policy Arenas
• Strengthen Programs and Enhance Their Capacity
• Improve All Educators' Ability to Serve Diverse
  Learners

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AACTEs Response to Competition
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Program Parity

• All must teach all children coming to school
• All must model evidence-based effective programs
  
• A common core curriculum
• Well-defined standards of practice and
  performance
• Extended clinical experiences
• Strong university-school relationships
• Use of methods that relate learning to practice
• All must be subject to legal requirements

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Accountability Applies to All

• We all must document the quality of our
  candidates
• We all must show our candidates make a difference
  in student learning
• We all must avoid putting the least qualified
  teachers in charge of the neediest students

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A View of the Profession
Source National Academy of Education Committee
on Teacher Education. Preparing Teachers for a
Changing World. February 2005.
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Recommended Components of Alternative
Preparation Programs

• Selective admissions standards including BA
  degree and assessments of subject matter
  competency, personal characteristics, and
  communications skills
• A curriculum providing essential knowledge and
  skills needed to help students reach the states
  curricular standards
• Assurance of candidates understandings of
  students differing learning approaches and how
  to use various instructional strategies to
  encourage the development of critical thinking,
  problem solving, and performance skills in all
  children
• A supervised internship in which candidates
  demonstrate competency, jointly developed and
  supervised through cooperative university-school
  arrangements
• Assessment of profession competency in the
  subject field and in professional studies not
  limited to a paper and pencil test but rather
  should employ an array of sophisticated
  techniques that allow assessment in a supervised
  classroom over time.

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Its Not Us and Them

• Traditional programs not so traditional
• Adapting to customer needs
• Often a fine line
• Major differences target audience, training
  design, length of preparation
• More blending of clinical/content experience by
  both types

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Current Roles in Clinical Preparation Along the
Professional Development Continuum
Universities content mastery theoretical
understanding
Schools/Districts skill mastery positive
dispositions
Ongoing Professional Development
Pre-Service
In-Service
Induction NBPTS Preparation
Master/Mentor Teaching
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Desired Roles in Clinical Preparation Along the
Professional Development Continuum
Universities content mastery theoretical
understanding
Schools/Districts skill mastery positive
dispositions
Ongoing Professional Development
Pre-Service
In-Service
Induction NBPTS Preparation
Master/Mentor Teaching
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Additional AACTE PrioritiesIncrease service to
state chapters

• Additional offerings at annual meeting
• Enhanced research services for state chapter
  needs
• Capacity-building on effective communications
  with state legislatures
• Support with membership recruitment

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Additional AACTE PrioritiesExpand the AACTE Fold

• Increase the membership to 800 institutions
• Continue improving services that add value
• Encourage community colleges as affiliates
• Support recruitment efforts of state chapters and
  dean-alike groups

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Federal Update

• Higher Education Act Reauthorization
• Higher Education Appropriations for FY 2006
• Presidents Budget Request for FY 2007
• Higher Education Appropriations for FY 2007
• NCLB Reauthorization

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Day on the Hill

• June 14th-15th in Washington
• This is a critical time for teacher education
• The Ohio delegation is pivotal!
• A unique opportunity to impact on Congress
• Let your congressional reps know your successes

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A to Z to Day on the Hill

1. Complete Registration Form
2. Reserve hotel room at AACTE discount
3. Arrange for your travel
4. Arrive DC Wednesday June 14th for a 300 pm
   Workshop to prepare for Congressional delegation
   meetings
5. Attend Reception on the Hill for AACTE members,
   Members of Congress and their staff (530-630
   pm)
6. Attend Thurs. morning AACTE Congressional
   Briefing to inform Members and staff of your
   innovative programs
7. Later that day, Meet with your Congressional
   Delegation
8. At end of the day, Debrief with your AACTE
   colleagues and staff

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New AACTE Membership Benefit Grant-Seeking
Service

• To help you identify education RD grant
  contract opportunities at selected federal
  agencies and international organizations
• No cost for
• Newsletters bulletins highlighting offerings
• Workshops at regularly scheduled AACTE events
• For a service fee
• Targeted assistance to find specific
  opportunities
• Developing and presenting proposals
• Negotiating grants/contracts
• Gaining visibility for your work

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What the Profession Needs to Do
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Teacher Education Imperatives

• Increase the diversity of teacher candidates
• Strengthen our curricula
• Know precisely our impact on candidate knowledge
  and skills
• Get serious about clinical development
• Ensure our graduates can teach any child
• Justify our existence by our impact on Pre K-12
  learners

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