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Teachers for a New Era
A national initiative to improve the
quality of teaching
Recent research based upon thousands of pupil records in many different
cities and states establishes beyond doubt that the quality of the
teacher is the most important cause of pupil achievement. More
than ever, the nation needs assurance that colleges and universities
are educating prospective teachers of the highest quality
possible. The knowledge base for teacher education is better
understood today than in 1983, when an alarm was sounded through
release by the Department of Education of the famous report, A Nation
at Risk. During the past generation agreement among teacher
educators has been growing on essential principles for excellence in
the standard route by which students in higher education come to earn
credentials enabling them to begin careers as teachers. A well
supported, widely adopted, fully integrated approach, however, has been
elusive.
Carnegie Corporation of New York and other funding sources are now
undertaking an ambitious reform initiative, Teachers for a New Era, to
stimulate construction of excellent teacher education programs at
selected colleges and universities. Success will require radical
change in allocation of resources, academic organization, criteria for
evaluating participating faculty, internal accountability measures, and
relationships with practicing schools. At the conclusion of the
project, each of the selected institutions should be regarded by the
nation as administering one of the best programs possible for the
standard primary route to employment as a beginning professional
teacher.
Teachers for a New Era is organized by three design principles
described in detail in an announcement and prospectus, available on
request. First, a teacher education program should be guided by a
respect for evidence, including attention to pupil learning gains
accomplished under the tutelage of teachers who are graduates of the
program. Second, faculty in the disciplines of the arts and
sciences must be fully engaged in the education of prospective
teachers, especially in the areas of subject matter understanding and
general and liberal education. Finally, education should be
understood as an academically taught clinical practice profession,
requiring close cooperation between colleges of education and actual
practicing schools; master teachers as clinical faculty in the college
of education; and residencies for beginning teachers during a two year
period of induction.
Participation in Teachers for a New Era will be by invitation. A
panel of experts will advise funding agencies including Carnegie
Corporation of New York on institutions to be selected.
Institutions that agree to the conditions specified in the prospectus
will be awarded up to $5 million for a period of five years, to be
matched by equal funds provided by the institution. At least six
awards will be made, staggered over three years, beginning with two
awards in the 2002 fiscal year. An independent research
organization will assist the national advisory panel by providing
descriptive and evaluative analysis as necessary.
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