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Challenges Facing Teacher Education Today

A presentation to the Ohio Confederation of

Teacher Education Organizationsby

Sharon P. RobinsonAACTE 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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• 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

Seismic Demographic Shifts

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Who is Coming to School2000-2020 (In Millions)

-1.83

1.11

6.5

1.2

-4

-2

0

2

4

6

8

White African-American

Hispanic AsianMill

ions

of P

eopl

e

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•Increasingly valued

Teacher Education is…

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Teacher Education is…

•Undergoing Scrutiny

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•Accountable

Teacher Education is …

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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 profession’s value• Encouraging scrutiny &

accountability

• Supporting innovation

• Listening, learning, and responding to criticism and competition

• Advocating for needed funding

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AACTE’s 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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AACTE’s Strategic Goals

I. Build Consensus on Professional Issues

II. Advocate in State and Federal Policy Arenas

III. Strengthen Programs and Enhance Their Capacity

IV. Improve All Educators' Ability to Serve Diverse Learners

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AACTE’s 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

Programs1. Selective admissions standards including: BA degree and

assessments of subject matter competency, personal characteristics, and communications skills

2. A curriculum providing essential knowledge and skills needed to help students reach the state’s curricular standards

3. 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

4. A supervised internship in which candidates demonstrate competency, jointly developed and supervised through cooperative university-school arrangements

5. 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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It’s 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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Universities

[content mastery; theoretical understanding]

Schools/Districts

[skill mastery; positive dispositions]

Current Roles in Clinical PreparationAlong the Professional Development Continuum

Pre-Service In-Service Induction NBPTS Preparation Master/Mentor Teaching

Ongoing Professional Development

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Universities

[content mastery; theoretical understanding]

Desired Roles in Clinical PreparationAlong the Professional Development Continuum

Pre-Service In-Service Induction NBPTS Preparation Master/Mentor Teaching

Ongoing Professional Development

Schools/Districts

[skill mastery; positive dispositions]

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Additional AACTE Priorities

Increase 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 Priorities

Expand 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

• President’s 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 3:00 pm Workshop to prepare for Congressional delegation meetings

5. Attend Reception on the Hill for AACTE members, Members of Congress and their staff (5:30-6:30 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 R&D 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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