New Wireless Device Initiative for Pre-Service teachers

Posted on September 15, 2011April 26, 2012 by coreeducation

The National Commission on Teaching and America’s Future, a non-profit advocacy group, is collaborating with Qualcomm, Kajeet for Education, and HTC to launch an initiative designed to “empower pre-service/student teachers with advanced wireless technologies.” The project will promote communication, collaboration, and the availability of resources for first-time teachers. Five universities have been selected to pilot Read more about New Wireless Device Initiative for Pre-Service teachers[…]

When Everyone Makes the Grade

Posted on August 24, 2011April 26, 2012 by coreeducation

In this month’s Education Outlook, Cory Koedel examines the standards by which prospective teachers are evaluated during university training. Koedel looks back at an article published in 1960 that showed evidence of low grading standards in university education departments: undergraduate students taking education classes were twice as likely to receive an A compared to students Read more about When Everyone Makes the Grade[…]

N.Y. Thinks Outside Teacher Education Box

Posted on August 10, 2011April 26, 2012 by coreeducation

Under a series of actions taken over the past year and a half by the New York State Board of Regents, the body that oversees P-12 education, higher education, and teacher certification, the doors have been opened for nonuniversity programs to prepare teachers at the graduate-degree level. Additionally, the first new graduate school of education Read more about N.Y. Thinks Outside Teacher Education Box[…]

NCATE President responds to NCTQ Student Teaching Study

Posted on August 2, 2011April 26, 2012 by coreeducation

On July 27th, I blogged about NCTQ’s study which severely criticized the state of clinical experiences (i.e., student teaching) in America’s university-based teacher preparation programs. The President of the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) has now issued a response to the findings of the NCTQ study. NCATE cites five areas of the Read more about NCATE President responds to NCTQ Student Teaching Study[…]

Fellowship Program Aims to Change Teacher Prep

Posted on July 26, 2011April 26, 2012 by coreeducation

In 2007, Indiana adopted a new teaching fellowship program, established by the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation, to recruit professionals with STEM expertise. Fellows, whether mid-career or fresh out of college, were set to work in secondary schools serving disadvantaged populations. The program seeks to not only address the shortage of STEM teachers, but to Read more about Fellowship Program Aims to Change Teacher Prep[…]

Reviewing (Trashing?) Student Teaching

Posted on July 24, 2011April 26, 2012 by coreeducation

Last week, the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) released a new study on teacher education programs, and determined that three-fourths of all student teaching programs, including those at top universities, are inadequate. NCTQ named 19 standards that they believe each program must meet in order to be successful, but only five were considered “critical Read more about Reviewing (Trashing?) Student Teaching[…]

Should Tenure Be Abolished?

Posted on July 13, 2011April 26, 2012 by coreeducation

In a recent article for Time, Andrew Rotherham explored the tenure system in higher education. Critics claim that the tenure system is outdated and no longer necessary; while proponents claim that tenure ensures a continued culture of intellectual independence and inquiry. Rotherham begins with an examination of the complaints against the tenure system: It creates Read more about Should Tenure Be Abolished?[…]

Teacher Residency Programs: Successes and Barriers

Posted on July 12, 2011April 26, 2012 by coreeducation

In a recent Education Week article, Stephen Sawchuk turns to teacher residency programs. These programs apprentice teacher-candidates to a mentor teacher in a high-need school for one year. Funded in part by the USDE’s Teacher Quality Partnership grants, residents receive stipends for their on-the-job training and take coursework concurrently. The goal is to better align Read more about Teacher Residency Programs: Successes and Barriers[…]

Report from the International Summit on the Teaching Profession

Posted on June 12, 2011April 26, 2012 by coreeducation

The U.S. Department of Education and Asia Society released a report last week entitled, “Improving Teacher Quality Around the World: The International Summit on the Teaching Profession,” addressing lessons shared during the two-day event held in New York City in March. The summit marked the first-ever convening of education ministers, teachers, and union leaders from Read more about Report from the International Summit on the Teaching Profession[…]

InTASC Standards Released

Posted on May 2, 2011April 27, 2012 by coreeducation

The Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) has released the final draft of the InTASC Model Core Teaching Standards: A Resource for State Dialogue.These new model core teaching standards outline what all teachers across all content and grade levels should know and be able to do to be effective in today’s learning contexts. They Read more about InTASC Standards Released[…]

New InTASC Standards to be Released this Month

Posted on April 12, 2011April 27, 2012 by coreeducation

The InTASC Model Core Teaching Standards will be released at the end of April in conjunction with the Council for Chief State School Officers’ State Consortium on Educator Effectiveness (SCEE) Summit (April 28-30) and the National Teacher Recognition Week. The plan is to use the release of the final updated standards to launch the SCEE Read more about New InTASC Standards to be Released this Month[…]

Virtual Field Experiences

Posted on April 11, 2011April 27, 2012 by coreeducation

When one thinks of virtual field experiences for pre-service teachers, one often conjures an image of teacher candidates watching a video of a teacher presenting a lesson and then talking about his/her practice. But TeachME changes the concept of Virtual Field Experiences entirely! In an article in Education Week’s most recent edition of the Teacher Read more about Virtual Field Experiences[…]

Race to the Top and Teacher Preparation

Posted on March 21, 2011April 28, 2012 by coreeducation

In two rounds of competitive proposals, the U.S. Secretary of Education awarded RTT funds to 11 states and the District of Columbia. A recent paper from the Center for American Progress describes and analyzes one component of the RTT proposals in these 11 states and D.C.—namely, state plans to promote improvements in teacher quality through Read more about Race to the Top and Teacher Preparation[…]

Revamping Licensure and Preparation for Early Grades Teachers

Posted on March 9, 2011April 28, 2012 by coreeducation

The New America Foundation’s Early Education Initiative released a report that highlights problems nationwide with the licensing and preparation of teachers who work with young children in pre-kindergarten, kindergarten, first-, second- and third-grade classrooms. The report, “Getting in Sync: Revamping Licensure and Preparation for Teachers in Pre-K, Kindergarten and the Early Grades,” by Laura Bornfreund Read more about Revamping Licensure and Preparation for Early Grades Teachers[…]

A Measured Approach to Improving Teacher Preparation

Posted on February 16, 2011April 28, 2012 by coreeducation

Analysts Chad Aldeman, Kevin Carey, Erin Dillon, Ben Miller, and Elena Silva of Education Sector examine the way the United States currently prepares teachers and offer some specific suggestions on how to improve it. Over the next five years, more than a million new teachers will enter public school classrooms. Analysts from Education Sector claim Read more about A Measured Approach to Improving Teacher Preparation[…]

Controversy: Teacher Preparation Program Ranking

Posted on February 12, 2011April 28, 2012 by coreeducation

Last week, a joint letter from the chancellors of The California State University, the University System of Maryland, and the State University of New York was delivered to Brian Kelly, Editor of U.S. News and World Report. The letter was among many that have been submitted by colleges and universities in protest over a proposed Read more about Controversy: Teacher Preparation Program Ranking[…]