Dive Brief:
- A new report from the University of Florida and the Council of Chief State School Officers argues revamped educator prep would benefit all students, especially those with disabilities.
- Recommendations include strengthening licensure standards for both teachers and principals, identifying key skills for educators to be able to serve all students, and giving teachers practical experience as they learn to apply such skills and practices.
- The report also urges greater accountability for educator preparation programs and a means of communicating feedback to colleges and universities about how to improve.
Dive Insight:
The University of Florida’s Collaboration for Effective Educator Development, Accountability, and Reform Center produced the report with the CCSSO and is working with schools in 15 states to implement its recommendations for teacher prep improvement. The U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Programs awarded the University of Florida center $25 million to improve the preparation, licensing, and evaluation of teachers in those 15 states, which include Florida, Illinois, California, Connecticut, and South Dakota.
With criticism of teachers for student outcomes reaching a fever pitch in the K-12 world, higher education is necessarily being drawn into the fray because of teacher preparation programs. Historically there has been little data connecting successful or unsuccessful teachers with their alma maters. Now, much work is being done to create greater accountability by judging college and graduate school programs based on alumni performance in the classroom.