TeachOregon
Preparing the Next Generation of Teachers
TeachOregon is designed to pilot innovative models to prepare the next generation of teachers
for Oregon’s K-12 classrooms. School districts will partner with university programs to develop
preparation programs to prepare a diverse and effective workforce to teach in 21st century
classrooms.
Why do we need new models of teacher preparation?
 Only 8% of Oregon’s teachers are of minority populations, while 34% of students are of
minority populations.
 By 2020 there will be 16,400 new licensed teachers in Oregon, 33% of the teacher
workforce.
 There is a lack of coordination between school districts and universities to place student
teachers with the most accomplished classroom teachers.
 There is a wide range in quality and length of classroom experiences for teacher
candidates.
 School districts continue to need more bi-lingual and special education teachers. Yet,
teacher preparation programs graduate mostly elementary generalists.
In August 2012, Chalkboard launched TeachOregon with five grants, totaling $180,000, to school
district and university partnerships. The partnerships will explore designs that prioritize the
following:
 Recruitment of more teacher candidates from historically underrepresented groups to
support a teaching force that reflects the diversity of the student population.
 Innovative models for clinical experiences that include a quality classroom experience for
teacher candidates, including 30+ weeks of residency.
 New models for assessment of teacher candidate performance including impact on
student achievement.
 New compensation and tuition models to recruit, reward, and support teacher candidates,
cooperating teachers, and university supervisors.
 Expanded career opportunities and roles for clinical practice cooperating teachers,
coaches, and university faculty.
 New models for proficiency instruction and assessment.
The TeachOregon partnerships will use the grant funds to develop “blueprints” that address four
components: recruitment and selection, classroom experience, hiring and placement, and
mentoring and induction of teachers. In order to create these plans, the partnerships will put
together design teams made up of teachers, administrators, university professors and program
administrations.
The grantees will complete design work by spring of 2013. Chalkboard will work with successful
partnerships to secure implementation funding for up to $250,000 per project per year for three
years.
TeachOregon
Preparing the Next Generation of Teachers
TeachOregon is designed to pilot innovative models to prepare the next
generation of teachers for Oregon’s K-12 classrooms. School districts will partner with
university programs to develop preparation programs to prepare a diverse and effective
workforce to teach in 21st century classrooms.
In August 2012, Chalkboard launched TeachOregon with five grants, totaling $180,000, to school
district and university partnerships. In total the grantees serve over a quarter of Oregon’s K-12
students and 65% of teacher candidates annually.
Partnership Highlights
Bend-La Pine, Crook County, Culver, High Desert ESD, Jefferson County ESD, Jefferson County, Sisters,
Lebanon, Corvallis, Greater Albany and Philomath in partnership with Oregon State University and OSU
Cascades
Bend-La Pine and its partners will develop region-wide initiatives to prepare new teachers to serve the needs of
students in their districts. The partners will design models that pair student teachers with carefully selected
cooperating teachers and provide a high quality classroom experience for the teacher prep candidates.
David Douglas and North Clackamas and Portland Public Schools in partnership with Portland State University
David Douglas and its partners will focus on changing the classroom experience for teacher candidates. The
partnership plans to work on a model that places “clusters” of student teachers in a school together and
lengthens the clinical experience to an entire school year. The student teachers can then work together and
engage in the school culture to the benefit of the K-12 students.
Salem-Keizer in partnership with Western Oregon University, Willamette University and Corban University
Salem-Keizer is working with its university partners on a comprehensive approach to preparing teacher
candidates to work in the district. Their model includes aligning professional expectations for student teachers
with those for district classroom teachers. The district will also work to attract high performing Salem students
from under-represented minority groups into the profession and support them through college and into their
careers as educators.
Springfield in partnership with Pacific University and University of Oregon
Springfield has two main objectives for its model: immersion and cultural competency. Springfield has been
working with its university partners to co-create a district-embedded teacher licensure program. This program
will be based on current research and grounded in effective practice at the classroom level. The unique element
of their approach is the desire to embed both the theoretical and the practical within “Master Teacher”
classrooms throughout the district.
Tillamook, Sherwood, Newberg and Woodburn in partnership with Chemeketa Community College, George
Fox University and Pacific University
Tillamook and its partners are interested in exploring collaborative or co-teaching models in which a student
teacher and experienced classroom teacher work together to plan lessons and take turns leading instructions.
This is different than the traditional model, which places the student teacher as the lead teacher with little to no
instructional collaboration with the experienced teacher. The partners also plan to explore model to better
prepare STEM educators.