Developing an Effective Teacher Education System

The Debate on Teacher Education and Teacher Quality “There is little evidence that education school course work leads to improved student achievement…” “Knowledge of pedagogy, degrees in education or amount of time spent practice teaching,” which are the “requirements that make up the bulk of current teacher certification regimes,” is surrounded by a “great deal of contention.” “Virtually all” of the studies linking certification and improved student outcomes are “not scientifically rigorous.” -- The Secretary’s Report on Teacher Quality, 2002

(How) Can We Develop Good Teachers? More complex learning goals and More diverse pathways to learning REQUIRE Deeper and more flexible content knowledge Knowledge of language and literacy development Greater diagnosis of learning strategies and needs More sophisticated scaffolding of the learning process A wide repertoire of practice

Learners in Social Contexts Human development Learning Language Curriculum and Subject Matter Educational Goals and Purposes for skills, content, subject matter Teaching: Teaching Subject Matter Teaching Diverse Learners Assessment Classroom Management Vision The Knowledge- Base for Teaching

Leading a Complex Profession in Complex and Challenging Times  Transforming Teacher Education Programs and Practice  Developing and Enforcing Appropriate Accountability  Making for Universal Access to Quality Preparation and Conditions of Practice

Historical Critiques of Teacher Education 1.Inadequate time to learn subject matter, learning theory, and effective teaching strategies. 2.Fragmentation of content and pedagogy, university education and clinical training. 3.Weak curriculum relying too often on folklore rather than up-to-date knowledge. 4.Uninspired teaching methods that do not model effective teaching practices. 5.Ad hoc clinical training that is unevenly supervised and does not represent good practice.

Current US policies do not help address these issues Elimination of nearly all funds for leveraging improvement in teacher education Funding for a wide range of alternatives without standards Few subsidies for teacher training costs Voluntary accreditation, not tied to critical features of preparation Licensing tests unlinked to capacity to teach Licensing standards that are malleable Unequal funding, salaries, and working conditions

Effects of Underprepared Teachers on Student Achievement

Effects of Preparation on Teacher Attrition

Poor and Minority Children Get the Least Qualified Teachers

© Linda Darling-Hammond 2010 A Range of Qualifications Matter to Student Achievement Large-scale studies in NC and NY found that student achievement gains were related to teachers’ Licensing test scores Preparation prior to entry Certification in the field taught Experience (> 3 years) National Board Certification (in NC) In combination, these predict more of the difference in student learning gains than race & parent education combined (Clotfelter, Ladd, & Vigdor, 2008).

How can we turn the current Race to the Bottom into a Race to the Top for Teacher Education ?

Although expert teachers are the greatest influence on learning, the U.S. invests little in teaching Preparation is uneven and largely unfunded Salaries are unequal and noncompetitive Well-prepared teachers are unequally distributed Mentoring for new teachers is uneven Professional development is “hit & run” Learning & collaboration time is scarce: US teachers teach far more hours and have less prep time than any other advanced country

What are High-Achieving and Steeply-Improving Nations Doing? Substantial investments in initial teacher education focused on -- teaching a wide range of learners -- learning to practice in practice -- learning to assess learning to shape teaching -- learning from and for practice- based research Equitable salaries and placements

What kind of preparation matters?

Features of Exemplary Teacher Education Programs

Value-Added Gains of Students Whose Teachers Graduated from Different Teacher Education Programs in NYC Math ELA Strong Gains in ELA and Math Strong Gains in ELA, not math Strong Gains in Math, not ELA Weak Gains in ELA and Math

Program Features Influencing Teacher Effectiveness Quality of student teaching experience Courses in content and content pedagogy Focus on learning specific practices and applying them in clinical experience Study of local district curriculum Portfolio or capstone project tying theory to practice

How Might We Ensure Expert Teachers for all Students? Invest in teacher education reforms based on features that matter for success Build residencies and school partnerships Underwrite high-quality teacher education for capable candidates, especially for high-need fields and areas Create meaningful licensing and accreditation standards that drive improvement Develop and use performance-based assessments

Supporting Clinical Training: The Need for Professional Schools As in medicine and other professions, teachers need to see and enact good practice while learning research and theory Professional development school models can support learning from expert veterans while candidates are taking tightly linked coursework. They can model state-of-the art education for students and teachers as well as opportunities for developing curriculum, new practices, and research.

The Power of Performance Assessments of Teaching Teachers and programs learn from performance assessments featuring portfolios of practice – videos, lesson plans, student work, and commentary -- showing how a prospective teacher: Plans a unit of instruction around standards for students and standards for teaching Instructs, reflects, and revises in response to students’ learning Assesses and analyzes student learning Reflects on the success of practice and on how it can be improved Develops academic language among all students.

© Linda Darling-Hammond 2010

PACT Scores by Teaching Dimension and Institution

Program AProgram B Program C Program DOutside of CA Intern Programs Estimates of High School Student Value-Added Achievement for Graduates of Teacher Education Programs / Pathways

Teacher Learning is Enhanced I think for me the most valuable thing was the sequencing of the lessons, teaching the lesson, and evaluating what the kids were getting, what the kids weren’t getting, and having that be reflected in my next lesson...the ‘teach-assess-teach-assess- teach-assess’ process. And so you’re constantly changing – you may have a plan or a framework that you have together, but knowing that that’s flexible and that it has to be flexible, based on what the children learn that day.

Teacher Educators Learn This [scoring] experience…has forced me to revisit the question of what really matters in the assessment of teachers, which – in turn – means revisiting the question of what really matters in the preparation of teachers.

Cooperating Teachers Reflect on Practice [The scoring process] forces you to be clear about “good teaching;” what it looks like, sounds like. It enables you to look at your own practice critically/with new eyes.

Teacher Education Can be Linked to Induction As an induction program coordinator, I have a much clearer picture of what credential holders will bring to us and of what they’ll be required to do. We can build on this.

Faculty Learning & Program Improvement A more shared vision of teaching Increased articulation across courses, structures and roles Changes in course content Structural changes to support coherence and connections

How do We Ensure Expert Teachers for all Students? Increase incentives to attract and retain talented teachers Intensify teacher learning for teaching challenging content in ways that address diverse pupil needs Expand performance-based assessment that shows how students & teachers are learning

Teaching Effectiveness Depends on Many Factors Teacher knowledge, skills, dispositions, and behaviors that support the learning process. Hanushek et al. estimate the individual teacher effects component of measured student achievement is about 7% of the total. Resources for learning – Curriculum quality, materials, class sizes, specialist supports, etc. Coherence and continuity – The extent to which content & skills are well organized and reinforced across grades and classes Student availability for learning – Prior learning opportunities, health, supportive home context, attendance, developed abilities

© Linda Darling-Hammond 2010 Teacher Effectiveness in Context Studies find that teachers’ value-added “effectiveness” is variable & influenced by: The effectiveness of their peers Class size and time spent with students Tutoring and out-of-school learning Student characteristics and attendance The measure of achievement used and its appropriateness for the content and students

A Teacher’s Measured “Effectiveness” Can Vary Widely Depending on these Factors Same high school Same course (English I) Not a beginning teacher Model controls for: Prior achievement Demographics School fixed effects 1 10 YEAR 1YEAR 2

What Strategies would Support Effective Teacher Evaluation? Combine Evidence of Practice, Performance, and Outcomes in an Integrated Evaluation System that looks at: Teaching practice in relation to standards, curriculum goals, and student needs Contributions to colleagues and the school, and Evidence about student learning / growth at the classroom and school level in relation to teaching practices, curriculum goals, and student needs.

How Can Evaluation Support Effective Teaching? Create a career continuum in which professional standards, assessment, and learning are linked Embed evaluation in sustained, collegial professional development Build professional learning communities to guide curriculum, instruction, and assessment

A goal for high-achieving 21 st century nations: “Those who can, do. Those who understand, teach.” “Those who can, teach. Those who can’t go into a less significant line of work.”