Preparing Teachers: Building
Evidence for Sound Policy
Study Structure
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National Research Council consensus study
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6 meetings
Commissioned work: NYC, Florida, data systems
External review
Mandated by U.S. Congress in 2004
Support by U.S. Department of Education in 2005
Additional support for math and science in 2006
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Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation
Spencer Foundation
Carnegie Corporation of New York
National Academies Presidents Committee
Committee Charge
1. Who enters teacher preparation programs? What is
their academic preparation and educational
background?
2. What type of instruction and experiences do
participants receive? Who delivers it? To what extent is
there commonality in content and experiences?
3. To what extent is the preparation in reading,
mathematics and science consistent with converging
scientific evidence?
4. What model for data collection would provide valid and
reliable information about the content knowledge,
pedagogical competence, and effectiveness of
graduates?
Committee
Chair: Ellen Condliffe Lagemann, Bard College
Herbert Brunkhorst, California State University at San Bernardino
Margarita Calderon, Johns Hopkins University
Marilyn Cochran-Smith, Boston College
Janice Dole, University of Utah
Donald N. Langenberg, University of Maryland
Ronald Latanision, Exponent Consulting
James Lewis, University of Nebraska at Lincoln
David H. Monk, Pennsylvania State University
Annemarie Sullivan Palincsar, University of Michigan
*Michael Podgursky, University of Missouri – dissented from report
Andrew Porter, University of Pennsylvania
Edward Silver, University of Michigan
Dorothy Strickland, Rutgers University
Suzanne Wilson, Michigan State University
Hung-His Wu, University of California, Berkeley
James Wyckoff, University of Virginia
Lyn Countryman, NRC Teacher Advisory Council Liaison, University of Northern Iowa
Key Issue: Evidence
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Data on programs and candidates are limited and not
systematic
Empirical studies of impact – with experimental or
quasi-experimental approaches – are limited, with very
limited research on effects of particular teacher
preparation approaches
Other empirical research provides guidance, such as
research on learning and cognition and qualitative
studies of teaching
Recommendations/standards of professional groups,
incorporating qualitative research, intellectual traditions
of the disciplines, experience of educators
Dissent: should have used narrower range of evidence
Current Preparation
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Little empirical support for broad conclusions because
data are limited, coarse-grained
Research that compares traditional and alternative
approaches is of limited value because of overlap
within and across categories
Pathways and programs vary dramatically in key
features – such as requirements, structure, and timing
– which makes it difficult to distinguish outcomes
Research has not yet illuminated the features that
account for evident differences in effectiveness
Current Preparation: Conclusion
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There is currently little definitive evidence that
particular approaches to teacher preparation yield
teachers whose students are more successful than
others. Such research is badly needed. We believe
that the highest priority research would be studies that
examine three critical topics in relation to their ultimate
effect on student learning ...
Current Preparation: Conclusion
… three critical research topics:
• Comparisons of programs and pathways in terms of
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Effectiveness of various approaches to preparation for
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Selectivity
Timing (complete training before/after start teaching)
Specific components and characteristics, such as
» Instruction in subject matter
» Field experiences
Classroom management
Teaching diverse learners
Influence of aspects of program structure, such as
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Design and timing of field experiences
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Integration with coursework in other university departments
Preparation in the 3 content areas
Two general elements:
• Subject-matter expertise
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Deep foundation of factual knowledge
How that factual knowledge fits in the field’s conceptual
framework
Internal organization of that factual knowledge that facilitates its
retrieval and application
Pedagogical content knowledge
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How student learning develops
Kinds of student misconceptions
Strategies to address evolving student needs
Preparation in the 3 content areas
Evidence about 4 different aspects of preparation:
• What do successful students know about the subject?
• What instructional opportunities are necessary to
support successful students?
• What do successful teachers know about the subject
and how to teach it?
• What instructional opportunities are necessary to
prepare successful teachers?
Preparation in Reading
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Successful beginning readers possess a set of
foundational skills that enable them not only to
continue growing as readers but also to progress in all
academic subjects. A variety of instructional
approaches that address these foundational skills can
be effective when used by teachers who have a
grounding in the foundational elements and the theory
on which they are based.
Preparation in Reading
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It is plausible that preparation in the foundational
reading skills would improve teachers’ practice, but
there is currently no clear evidence
There are few systematic data about the nature of
preparation in reading that prospective teachers
receive. The limited information available suggests it
varies widely.
Little is known about the best ways to prepare
prospective teachers to teach reading.
Preparation in Mathematics
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It is plausible that teachers of mathematics need
preparation that covers knowledge of mathematics, of
how students learn mathematics, and of mathematical
pedagogy, and that is aligned with the
recommendations of professional societies.
Many mathematics teachers lack an adequate
preparation in mathematics, and there are
unacceptably high numbers of middle and high school
mathematics courses taught by teachers out of field.
Data are required about current teacher preparation in
mathematics and research is required about effective
preparation approaches.
Preparation in Science
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The following attributes are likely to be important:
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college-level study of the science discipline they will
teach
understanding of the objectives of science learning and
the ways students develop science proficiency
command of an array of instructional approaches
Data are needed on current teacher preparation in
science. Research is needed about the propositions
regarding the teaching and learning of science
contained in professional recommendations.
Accountability
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The current accountability system is as diverse as the
1300-1500 programs that prepare teachers
There is a lack of data to guide accountability
A growing body of literature has identified some
teacher behaviors and skills that boost student learning
in core subjects, which could potentially be better
tapped for accountability
Accountability: Recommendation
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The U.S. Department of Education should sponsor an
independent evaluation of teacher education approval
and accreditation in the United States. The evaluation
should describe the nature, influence, and
interrelatedness of approval and accreditation
processes on teacher education program processes
and performance. It should also assess the extent to
which existing processes and organizations align with
best practices in accountability and offer
recommendations for how they could do so more
effectively in the future.
Research and Data: Key Questions
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What are the characteristics of candidates who enter teacher
preparation programs?
How do those characteristics vary by program or pathway?
Where do entrants and graduates of preparation programs ultimately
teach?
How long do teachers with different types of preparation continue to
teach? Are differences in preparation associated with differences in
teachers’ career trajectories?
Where do teachers with different types of preparation teach?
How do the knowledge and teaching practices of teachers with
different types of preparation differ?
What have been the effects of states’ policies regarding program
approval and teacher certification?
Research and Data: Recommendations
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The U.S. Department of Education should take the
lead in coordinating existing data collection efforts and
encouraging new ones, with the goal of developing a
national education data network that incorporates
comprehensive data related to teacher education.
Some key components of this network:
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Integrated data and common definitions across states
National indicator system to monitor status of teacher education
system
Longitudinal, nationally representative study of teacher career
pathways
Research and Data: Recommendations
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Researchers and those who fund research related to
teacher preparation should focus on topics that have
the highest potential effects on outcomes for students,
specifically, research about:
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Benefits of particular kinds of teacher knowledge and clinical
experiences
Factors that affect the quality of entering teacher candidates
Admit
•High
quality
•Diversity
•Area of
teaching
•Places
want to
teach
TE
Program
•Internship
•Courses
Graduate
Become a
Teacher
•Yes
•Yes
•No
•No
Stay in
Teaching
•# of Years
Quality of
Teaching
•Danielson
•Value Added
In Conclusion
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The critical questions about teacher preparation cannot
be answered without the kind of nationwide
coordination we call for.
Clearer understanding of the content and character of
effective teacher preparation is critical to improving it
and to ensuring that the same critiques and questions
are not being repeated 10 years from now.