Education Commission Education Commission of the Statesof the States

Working Together to Address a Working Together to Address a Common Need: Partnerships for Common Need: Partnerships for

Teacher QualityTeacher Quality

Bruce VandalDirector, Postsecondary Education and Workforce Development

Education Commission of the StatesAugust 11, 2009

State Partnerships for Quality Teacher State Partnerships for Quality Teacher PreparationPreparation

Partnership with National Center for Teacher Partnership with National Center for Teacher Transformation at St. Petersburg CollegeTransformation at St. Petersburg College

Funded by Fund for Improvement of Funded by Fund for Improvement of Postsecondary EducationPostsecondary Education

Engaged K-12 and postsecondary leadersEngaged K-12 and postsecondary leaders

The Question:The Question:To what extent can states facilitate To what extent can states facilitate strong partnerships between teacher strong partnerships between teacher preparation programs and school preparation programs and school districts that result in continuous districts that result in continuous improvement of both teacher improvement of both teacher preparation programs and public preparation programs and public schools?schools?

Current RealityCurrent Reality Greater accountability for public schools and teacher Greater accountability for public schools and teacher

education.education. Longitudinal data systems that can link student Longitudinal data systems that can link student

achievement to teachers.achievement to teachers. Focus on teacher quality as most important variable Focus on teacher quality as most important variable

in student performance.in student performance. Limited resources for both postsecondary and K-12 Limited resources for both postsecondary and K-12

institutions demand greater bang for the public institutions demand greater bang for the public dollar.dollar.

Development of performance based teacher Development of performance based teacher standards.standards.

Our ParadigmOur Paradigm Customized training/Workforce developmentCustomized training/Workforce development The school and school district as “customer” of The school and school district as “customer” of

teacher preparation programs.teacher preparation programs. The customer articulates qualities and skills required The customer articulates qualities and skills required

of teachers.of teachers. The teacher education program adapts its programs The teacher education program adapts its programs

to meet the needs of the school district.to meet the needs of the school district. Shared data and responsiveness to market forces.Shared data and responsiveness to market forces. Partnership where the customer and the teacher Partnership where the customer and the teacher

education program work together to improve quality education program work together to improve quality of their efforts.of their efforts.

The FrameworkThe Framework

The KeyThe Key

Effectively Integrating All Effectively Integrating All Components into a System for Components into a System for

Continuous ImprovementContinuous Improvement

Key Lessons:Key Lessons:US DOE Title II HEA Partnership ProgramUS DOE Title II HEA Partnership Program

Partnerships are mission driven and have formalized systems Partnerships are mission driven and have formalized systems of cooperation.of cooperation.

Support from key institutional leaders–university presidents, Support from key institutional leaders–university presidents, superintendents, deans of arts and sciences.superintendents, deans of arts and sciences.

Teacher education faculty in residence lead to more support Teacher education faculty in residence lead to more support for teachers and principals.for teachers and principals.

Teacher education faculty attend to internal accountability of Teacher education faculty attend to internal accountability of their program.their program.

Greatest collaboration between teacher education and Greatest collaboration between teacher education and schools is the support of new teachers and evaluation schools is the support of new teachers and evaluation instructional practices.instructional practices.

Partnerships based on previous relationships are most Partnerships based on previous relationships are most effective.effective.

Partnerships must have measurable goals.Partnerships must have measurable goals.

ModelsModels Louisiana Board of Regents Value Added Assessment Model.Louisiana Board of Regents Value Added Assessment Model.

Ohio Teacher Quality PartnershipOhio Teacher Quality Partnership

Renaissance GroupRenaissance Group

Arkansas Educational Renewal ZonesArkansas Educational Renewal Zones

The Boston Teacher Residency ProgramThe Boston Teacher Residency Program

Anne Arundel Community College’s TEACH InstituteAnne Arundel Community College’s TEACH Institute

StrategiesStrategies Assess teacher performance through both student Assess teacher performance through both student

achievement data and performance assessments.achievement data and performance assessments. Track data back to teachers and the institutions that Track data back to teachers and the institutions that

prepared them. prepared them. Build the capacity of school districts to measure the impact Build the capacity of school districts to measure the impact

of their teachers against the skills and competencies they of their teachers against the skills and competencies they are taught in teacher education programs.are taught in teacher education programs.

Customize professional development based on teacher skills Customize professional development based on teacher skills positively aligned with student achievement.positively aligned with student achievement.

Leverage partnerships to evaluate state teacher Leverage partnerships to evaluate state teacher performance standards.performance standards.

Include partnerships in state accountability standards for Include partnerships in state accountability standards for school districts and teacher education programs.school districts and teacher education programs.