VOLUME 1
ISSUE 8
Inside
This Issue
U.S. Launches Study
of Teacher Education
2004 NCLB
Blue Ribbon Schools
Educator Use of Research
to Improve Practice
Research Based
Characteristics of High Quality Teacher Preparation
New College Exam Results
Groups Push for Teacher
Diversity
Quick
Links
State
by State...
This
Policy Brief is developed by the National
Center for Teacher Education of the Maricopa Community Colleges.
Please direct any comments or submissions to:
Dr. Cheri St.
Arnauld
Executive Director,
National Association of Community College Teacher Education Programs/
National Director of Teacher Education Programs
2411 W. 14th Street
Tempe, AZ 85281
Phone: 480.731.8760
Fax: 480.731.8786
NACCTEP is very
interested in your feedback and ideas! Please email
us with policy issues you would like to see discussed in future
briefs.
Volume 1, Issue 1
Volume 1, Issue
2
Volume 1, Issue 3
Special Edition
Policy Brief
Volume 1, Issue 5
Volume 1, Issue 6
Volume 1, Issue 7
Volume 1, Issue 8
|
WELCOME
Welcome
to the Policy Brief. The purpose of this brief is to provide
a
resource for teacher education professionals, administrators and
students from which teacher preparation, recruitment, retention and
renewal programs and policies can be developed.
U.S.
Launches Study of Teacher Education
On
September 20, the U.S. Department
of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences convened a dozen
advisers to
frame a work plan for the congressionally mandated study of teacher
preparation
programs in the United States. Congress has allocated $1.5 million for
the
National Research Council (NRC) to synthesize existing data and
research on all
teacher preparation routes, including baccalaureate, graduate, and
alternative
programs.
The
NRC also may collect new data if it finds insufficient evidence
to provide a useful and effective synthesis of teacher preparation.
Areas of
emphasis include the specific content and experiences provided to
teacher
candidates, consistency of candidates’ required coursework and
experiences in
reading and mathematics across programs, and the degree to which
candidates’
reading and mathematics preparation is based on converging scientific
evidence.
The Council also will develop a model for
collecting data on teachers’ content
knowledge, pedagogical competence, and overall effectiveness, linking
their
performance to their route of preparation. Participants in the
September
planning meeting included AACTE Board of Directors Chair Mary M.
Brabeck (New
York University) and David Monk (Pennsylvania State University). The
group
reviewed the congressional mandate, the resources allocated, and the
intent of
the study. They also identified relevant existing studies, databases
available
for analysis, and potential constraints on the research, including
especially
the limited budget allocation for the NRC. The study is expected to
take 2 to 3
years to complete.
Reprinted
with Permission from AACTE; Briefs, [October 18, 2004]
BACK TO
TOP
2004
NCLB Blue Ribbon Schools
More
than 250 of the nation's schools have been named 2004 No Child Left
Behind Blue Ribbon Schools, U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige
announced last month.
The
No Child Left Behind Blue Ribbon Schools program recognizes
schools that are either academically superior in their states or
demonstrate
dramatic gains in student achievement.
"For
years, many of our underprivileged children were ignored and
pre-judged, moved
to the back of the room and quietly pushed through the system, with
their
scores hidden in averages," Secretary Paige said. "So we must change
our approach, incentives and expectations. We must foster a climate of
academic
excellence, enabling all students to reach the highest levels of
scholarship."
The
schools are selected based on one of three criteria:
- Schools with at least 40
percent of their students from disadvantaged backgrounds that
dramatically improve student performance on state tests, as determined
by the chief state school officer;
- Schools whose students,
regardless of background, achieve in the top 10 percent on state tests;
and
- Private schools that
achieve in the top 10 percent in the nation.
Under
No Child Left Behind,
schools must make adequate yearly progress (AYP) in reading/language
arts and
mathematics, as evidenced by state assessments. Each state sets its own
academic standards and benchmark goals for AYP, deciding the criteria
most
appropriate for its school districts. A
complete list of this year's Blue
Ribbon Schools is available at www.ed.gov/programs/nclbbrs/awards.html.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, The Achiever, [October 15, 2004]
BACK TO
TOP
Educator Use of Research to Improve
Practice
A recent literature review conducted by
Hemsley-Brown and Sharp indicates that a variety of recent public and
private efforts have been undertaken to raise the profile, value, and
relevance of education research. The
authors reviewed more than 5,000
citations on research use in both education and medicine and ultimately
selected 21 publications for analysis. Four
specific questions were asked:
- How
do educators use research findings for school improvement?
- Which
features of research encourage teachers to use relevant findings in
their own practice?
- What
role do opinion leaders, diffusion networks, and change agents play in
the dissemination and adoption of ideas for school improvements?
- Do
medical practitioners make greater use of research findings than
educators, and why?
Some of the
results are as follows:
- Most
local education agencies had specified units responsible for research
use issues.
- School
leaders had a positive view of research utility.
- Teachers
reacted more favorably to research that matched their own personal
experiences.
- Teachers
were more likely to use research that involved them in the
identification of problems and offered a context through which they
could improve their teaching strategies.
The authors
also identified barriers to using research in education. Based on these
barriers, they recommended the following:
- research findings be made more accessible,
- scholarly reward structures be created to
support the dissemination of research to practitioners,
- new dissemination venues be established and
supported, and
- the use of
jargon be reduced.
Studies of
medical practitioners
identified similar issues. Additionally, they found that research into
dissemination networks largely focused on the role of change agents
and opinion leaders.
The authors
concluded that the process of translating education research findings
into teacher practice is complex and multilayered. Strong relationships
between researchers and practitioners are necessary and
institutionalized support for research is important along with the
accessibility of research and research findings.
More
information on this study can be found here.
Source: ASCD
Research Brief [October 26, 2004]
BACK TO
TOP
Research Based Characteristics of High
Quality Teacher Preparation
A
widely discussed study in an Association for Supervision and Curriculum
Development (ASCD) Research Brief asked the question:
What does the research base tell us about the characteristics of high
quality teacher preparation?
The study synthesized the current research related to
teacher preparation. Of over 300 references, 57 were judged to be
timely, rigorous and appropriately focused.
The
authors concluded that previous research generally found:
-
There is a positive connection between subject matter
preparation and teacher performance; however, for some subjects, like
mathematics, current subject matter preparation may need to be reformed
to increase reasoning skills and conceptual knowledge.
-
Pedagogical preparation positively affects teaching
practices and student learning; however, while some evidence suggests
that coursework in content methods is important, the research generally
does not differentiate between differing types of pedagogical
preparation.
-
Research indicates that clinical experience can result in
significant learning for the teaching student; however, the actual
field experience is often disconnected with the corresponding teaching
coursework.
-
Research suggests that the alternative route programs
recruit more diverse teacher candidates, have only a mixed record of
attracting the best and vary in their ability to prepare teachers for
the classroom.
This study discusses the following:
-
There is no longer only one model of teacher education.
-
Programs vary from 4-year B.A. programs to five-year masters
programs, fifth year certification programs and alternative route
internships.
-
Universities, school districts, non-profit and for-profit
entities are all involved in teacher preparation.
The body of research on this subject matter remains limited.
This study is consistent with previous research and concludes that
while program
formats vary considerably, subject matter preparation, instruction in
pedagogical knowledge, and the clinical experience are all important
aspects of teacher preparation. The authors also conclude that
additional research is still needed.
Read more about this study here.
Source:
ASCD Research Brief, [February 19, 2003]
BACK TO
TOP
The nation's
most widely accepted college admission exams - the ACT and SAT -
reported record results on this year's assessments.
For the first time since 1997,
the national average score for the ACT exam increased - from 20.8 to
20.9, a statistically significant gain considering the growing number
of test-takers. English, math, reading and science scores also rose
one-tenth of a point over last year. At the same time, the scores
indicate that an alarming number of graduates are not ready for college
science and math courses. In fact, only 26 percent earned a score of 24
or higher on the science test, while just 40 percent earned a score of
22 or higher on the math test. The ACT exam, which is scored on a scale
of 1 to 36, was taken by nearly 1.2 million graduates in the class of
2004.
For more information, visit http://www.act.org/news/releases/2004/8-18-04.html.
On the SAT, a record 37 percent
of the 1.4 million college-bound seniors who took the exam last school
year were minorities - up from 31 percent in 1994 - and the percentage
of first-generation college-bound seniors grew to 38 percent of all
test-takers. The average score, nonetheless, remained virtually
unchanged from 2003: 1026 out of 1600. But a broader review of SAT
scores over the past decade reveals increases among many test-takers.
On the 2004 exam, white students scored 1059, 20 points higher than in
1994; African American students, 857 (+8); Mexican American students,
909 (+3); American Indian students, 971 (+28); and Asian American
students, 1084, (+42), the best 10-year improvement. Click here
for more information.
Source:
U.S. Department of Education, The Achiever, [October 1, 2004]
BACK TO
TOP
Groups Push for Teacher Diversity
According to the
National Collaborative on
Diversity in the Teaching Force, a growing body of research indicates
that minorities tend to do better
in class and face higher expectations when taught by teachers from
their racial or ethnic group. In both the recruitment of teachers and
the training of veteran ones,
the coalition is calling on policy-makers to put a priority on
diversity and cultural competence.
The collaborative
is composed of six leading education groups: American Association of
Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE), American Council on
Education (ACE), Association of Teacher Educators (ATE), Community
Teachers Institute (CTI), Recruiting
New Teachers (RNT), and the National
Education Association.
According to the
report, approximately 60% of public school students are white, 17% are
black and 17% are Hispanic. Yet 90% of teachers are
white, 6% are black and less than 5% are of another race
or ethnicity. The group also says that approximately 40% of
schools have no minority teachers on staff.
The
coalition's report, "Assessment of Diversity in America’s
Teaching Force," can be found on
the NEA
Web site here.
Read the CNN article here.
Source: http://www.cnn.com, [November
9, 2004]
BACK TO
TOP
QUICK LINKS
ASCD
has recently introduced the fifth
installment of ASCD
SmartBrief Special Reports: The Achievement Gap. The
two-part report aggregates the most important news and
information about the achievement gap. The first
part of the
report discusses causes of
the achievement gap and links to
many
important resources regarding this topic. The second part of the report
discusses solutions to close
the achievement gap. In its
most recent issue of Educational Leadership, ASCD also discusses
closing the
achievement gap. Read more here
or visit http://www.ascd.org.
A panel of 20 scholars
recently published a report that outlines a
comprehensive strategy they say can bridge the learning gaps between
black and
Hispanic students and their higher-achieving white and Asian
counterparts. The
report, “All Students Reaching the Top: Strategies for Closing
Achievement
Gaps,” utilizes evidence from different disciplines (cognitive science,
psychology and education) to guide educators and policymakers to raise
minority
students' achievement. The report was published by the National Study
Group for
the Affirmative Development of Academic Ability and can be accessed here.
BACK TO
TOP
Vincennes Gets First Four-Year Degrees
Community
College Week reports that the Indiana Commission for
Higher Education approved the first four-year degrees for Vincennes
University,
a community college that has, until now, been focused on two-year
degrees. The
Commission on Higher Education approved seven bachelor of science
degrees in nursing, homeland security and public safety, technology,
health
care management, special education, science secondary education and
mathematics
secondary education. The mathematics education degree also will be
offered as a
bachelor of arts. Some of the new degrees will be offered in the fall
of 2005. Read
the full article here. [Source: Community College Week]
Pennsylvania
Releases Regulations for Teacher-Test Alternative
The
Pennsylvania Department
of Education recently released regulations for veteran teachers who
need to be
designated "highly qualified" under federal law but either can't pass
or won't take subject-matter tests. The regulations for the "bridge
certificate" will require most teachers to take professional
development
or college courses in the subject they teach. However, the rules are
unclear as
to how teachers will be assessed. The new regulations primarily affect
seventh and eighth grade teachers with elementary, or general,
certifications who teach
math, science, language arts or social studies. The new regulations can
be
found at the Pennsylvania Education Department's Web site at www.pde.state.pa.us.
Read
the full article here. [Source: The Philadelphia Inquirer]
More Taking Alternative Paths to Become
Teachers
In
the past six years more than 1,400 people have completed one of
Kentucky's six alternative paths to teaching. Nearly half earned their
alternative certification last year, according to the latest state data
available. The university based route enrolled 631
people
last year, five times as many as the previous
year. Kentucky officials in charge of the alternative routes say they
are vital to easing the state's teacher shortage, increasing diversity
and helping school districts meet federal rules that require a skilled
teacher in every classroom by the end of the 2005-06 school year. Read
the full article here.
[Source: The
Courier-Journal; Louisville, Kentucky]
BACK TO
TOP
|
