Paths to Improving Teacher Education in the US:

Promising Ideas and Supporting Evidence

Robert E. FlodenMichigan State University

Context for US Teacher Education

Decentralized system 1,300 institutions prepare teachers Most institutions operate multiple programs

Specific certifications Different structures for varying entry characteristics

(e.g., for career-changers) Each state sets policies for

Teacher preparation programs Teacher certification

Many paths to teacher certification Integrated undergraduate v post-graduate College-based v K-12 based v private firm Completed before hire v completed on-the-job

Directions for Teacher Preparation Reform

Change in program content Subject-matter preparation Pedagogical preparation Supervised field experience

Change in program structure Early entry into full-time teaching Program length Link to recruitment Induction and mentoring

Program Content: Subject-matter Preparation

For secondary-school teachers Require college major in subject to be

taught Tailor preparation toward deeper

preparation in secondary-school topics For elementary-school teachers

Require liberal arts major, rather than education major

Tailor preparation toward deeper preparation in elementary-school topics

Program Content: Pedagogical Preparation

Shift toward subject-specific teaching methods Pedagogical content knowledge Common obstacles to student learning Subject- or topic-specific methods of

instruction Methods for teaching reading Methods for teaching non-native

speakers of English Formative assessment

Program Content: Supervised Field Experience

Closer ties between preparation program and selected schools (Professional Development Schools)

Involvement of K-12 teachers in methods courses

Expanded time in K-12 schools

Program Structure: Early Entry into Full-time Teaching

In areas of teacher shortage, some schools hire on “emergency” licence

To reduce use of emergency license, institute “early-entry” certification: Appoint college graduates as classroom

teachers before most pedagogical preparation 6-8 week summer program, focused on

classroom management Additional preparation during first years of

teaching

Program Structure: Change Program Length

• Shift from 4-year to 5-year program• Place cap on number of “education

courses”• Base certification on examination,

rather than program completion

Program Structure: Link to Aggressive Recruitment

Combine aggressive recruitment, focused selection, and compressed preparation

Hiring for difficult-to-staff schools Incentives

Financial: salary, tuition credit Early entry

Teach for America Elite image 2-year commitment

Teaching Fellows Salary supplement Reduction in MA tuition

Program Structure: Induction and Mentoring

Continue teacher education into first years on the job

Varying mixes of practical, emotional, academic

New Teachers Center expands from California to other states

Approaches to Promoting Change

National program accreditation Institutional reform networks Blue-ribbon commission

recommendations Governmental policies and

programs

Promoting Change:Program Accreditation

All programs state-approved; some nationally accredited

Multiple models for linking national accreditation and state approval

National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education Judges program against national standard

Teacher Education Accreditation Council Audits evidence and arguments supporting

program claims

Promoting Change:Institutional Reform Networks

Holmes Partnership Research universities and partner schools

Network for Educational Renewal University/school partnerships committed to

Goodlad’s Agenda for Education in a Democracy

Teachers for a New Era/Learning Network Universities pursuing evidence-based

improvement, collaboration, and university-based induction

Promoting Change:Blue-ribbon Commission Recommendations

National Academy of Education volume on teacher education curriculum

Reports from subject matter organizations

Rising above the gathering storm Levine report

Promoting Change:Governmental Policies and Programs

State program requirement changes Additional coursework (e.g., in reading) Requirements for accreditation

Federal legislation Requirements for state reports on

program quality Promoting new paths to certification

Test-based certification Approval of new providers

Support for Reform Ideas and Approaches

Arguments based on common sense Professional judgment Empirical studies

Support:Empirical Studies

Recent research reviews Evidence about effects of teacher

preparation American Education Research Association General conclusion that the evidence is

thin Recent studies on some topics

Induction Early-entry programs (including

recruitment)

Evidence on Effects of Program Content

Subject matter preparation Most evidence for mathematics teaching

Teachers’ understanding still disappointing at the end of preparation

More study pays off, to a point

Pedagogical preparation Transferring skills to classroom challenging Subject-specific pedagogy has some payoff

Evidence about Early Entry Plus Recruitment

Two major studies of early entry combined with aggressive recruitment New York City Pathways

College-recommended; Teach for American; Teaching Fellows

Slight advantage for college-recommended in initial year

Teacher for America experiment TFA teachers perform as well as other

teachers employed in schools Comparison is to preparation plus recruitment,

not preparation alone

Evidence about Teacher Induction

Nationally, over 80% of new teachers involved

Factors effecting turnover Mentor in subject area Opportunities to collaborate with other

teachers Can reduce first-year turnover from 40%

to 18%

Studies on the Horizon

NRC Panel on Teacher Preparation IEA Teacher Education Development

Study – Mathematics Mathematical Education of

Elementary Teachers Use of state databases to compare

results across institutions

Methodological Challenges to Estimating Effects of Pre-service Teacher Education Reform

Selection bias Colleges select students Students select colleges K-12 Districts select and assign

teachers Teachers select districts

Teacher mobility

Paths to Improving Teacher Education in the US

Many ideas, with supporting rationales Adoption and implementation highly

varied, is a decentralized system Procedures being developed for gathering

more evidence Inferences about effects of particular

reforms still likely to depend more on judgment than on controlled empirical studies