Events

Preparing Teachers to Teach in the 21^st Century
May 9, 2008

Teacher educators and policymakers collaboratively think "outside the box" about how we can improve teacher education in New York City.

Reflections

Academically-based induction programs operating side by side and symbiotically with district-based induction programs focus positively on clinical practice and reduce attrition of new teachers while improving pupil learning gains.
—Dr. Daniel Fallon

The large-group discussion leaders, Dr. Daniel Fallon, director of Higher Education Programs at the Carnegie Corporation, and Dr. Albert Bennett, Harold Washington professor of sociology and education at Roosevelt University, started off the day by briefly reflecting on the current state of teacher education. They criticized the strong normative traditions that exist in teacher preparation programs today, while emphasizing the urgent need to build a culture and respect for empirical evidence in teacher education. They also encouraged participants to view teaching as an academically-taught clinical practice profession and to envision ways to enhance a teacher's field-based education. Specifically, they challenged participants to think about designing an effective residency or induction program that helps new teachers acclimate to the school culture and environment.

Morning Large-Group Discussion

With the help of the large-group discussion leaders, participants explored the following questions:

How can we place more teachers in the critical shortage areas in NYC?

• IHEs must sit at the table with policymakers—NYSED and NYCDOE—before the crisis occurs. With better collaboration and focused exchange of data on teacher shortage areas and high-needs schools, we can form a partnership that will be responsive to these problems, rather than reactive.

Can we use lessons from the medical profession, which demands commonalities in training, to inform how we prepare teachers?

• Too few K–12 schools have teachers who pride themselves on mentoring other teachers. By creating "teaching schools" just as the medical profession has "teaching hospitals," we can improve the transition from pre-service to in-service.
• The education and medical professions can't be compared because, in teacher education, we do not have the same knowledge base—or codified body of content, skills, and standards—that the medical profession does. This may be one reason why education schools do not have equal respect in academia.

How can we improve the way that education schools and the teaching profession are often viewed?

• Teacher education schools, and particularly the practice of teaching, must be responsive to research and best practices, not just theory. We also must think about feedback loops that link higher education to K–12 practice—how evidence from teachers in the field can most effectively be used by teacher preparation programs to improve curricula and instruction.
• We should re-think the tenure and rewards system by placing value on professors working with teacher candidates in the field, conducting school-based research, and consistently consulting with the K–12 system. The Institutional Review Board (IRB) process should also be amended so that it does not provide an added barrier to doing research in the schools.
• In addition, we could improve the research base in our field by empowering teachers to be researchers, since they possess a deep, reality-based knowledge of best practices.

Small Group Discussions

IHEs have to shift the culture to place positive value on professors that work effectively with K–12 systems and recognize that value by making it part of their tenure and promotion process.
—Dr. Shelia Evans-Tranumn

After the large-group discussion, participants met in four small groups to delve more deeply into these topics with members of other education organizations. Two groups explored how teacher education schools can most effectively meet the challenges posed by 21^st century students. Two other groups focused on how to create effective education partnerships that support teacher quality. The small group sessions were led by facilitators and recorders from NYCC and NCCTQ.

Afternoon Large Group Discussion

In the afternoon, participants re-convened to explore the report-out insights and recommend action steps. Participants proposed the following:

• Schedule a regularly occurring roundtable meeting that includes all key stakeholders—IHEs, NYSED, and NYCDOE. These meetings should occur bi-annually or quarterly.
• Create an Office of Teacher Education that would sit in the Mayor's Office. This office would be responsible for facilitating critical stakeholder collaboration.
• Establish teaching residences in NYC. These teaching residencies, based on the Massachusetts and Illinois models, would pair academic instruction with a rigorous classroom practicum alongside an effective veteran teacher. Such residences should cut the number of classroom credits required and give more credit for time spent as a resident.
• Examine the teacher education challenge as a human capital management issue. View the whole picture—the recruitment, preparation and retention of teachers. Think of a cohesive structure that will support teacher talent from the moment a person considers teaching to retention and development of teaching talent in K–12 schools.
• Create sustainable partnerships between universities and districts to establish clinical models of teacher preparation and improved induction programs.
• Require all teacher candidates to work in Title I schools so that they get a sense of school culture and how to employ culturally-responsive pedagogy. Teacher preparation candidates should enter these schools as early as possible in their pre-service education, even if it is in a different role than as a student teacher.
• Modify tenure systems so that they encourage IHE faculty to conduct research in K–12 schools and supervise K–12 clinical practice. IHE faculty should work closely with K–12 schools so that their teaching is consistent with the realities of the 21^st century classroom.
• Develop lend-lease programs where master teachers can work as adjunct professors in schools of education, without forfeiting their role as K–12 teachers.
  
  

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