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

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

© 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 ?

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

What do we know about what kind of preparation matters?

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

Features of Exemplary Teacher Education Programs

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

How Might We Ensure Expert Teachers for all Students? Invest in teacher education reforms based on features that matter for success 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

© Linda Darling-Hammond 2010

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 standards-based unit of instruction and adapts it for Els and students with special needs 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.

PACT Scores by Teaching Dimension and Institution

Teacher Candidates Learn 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.

Programs Change A more shared vision of teaching Increased articulation across courses, structures and roles Changes in course content Structural changes to support coherence and connections

A Smart System Would… 1. Adopt teaching standards and measures of effectiveness for each juncture in the career 2. Use these standards to guide Performance Assessments for initial licensure, professional licensure, & advanced certification -- and for annual teacher evaluation 3. Study preparation and PD programs that produce stronger outcomes 4. Leverage changes in preparation and accreditation based on performance assessment results and features that produce results 5. Equalize access to teachers who are prepared and certified based on these stronger measures.