Teacher Standards and Practices Commission

465 Commercial Street NE

Salem OR  97301

 

February 9-11, 2011

 

ITEM:

 

 

REPORT ON NCATE BLUE RIBBON TASK FORCE

ACTION:

INFORMATION ITEM

 

 

INFORMATION:

 

On November 16, 2010, a national expert panel sponsored by the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) called for teacher education to be “turned upside down” by revamping programs to prioritize clinical practice and partnerships with school districts.

 

The panel proposed sweeping changes to pave the way for more effective training that better addresses student needs and shifts accountability closer to the classroom.

 

The panel, comprising national education leaders, policymakers, education school deans, and vocal critics of teacher preparation set out a new direction for how preparation programs deliver, monitor, evaluate, oversee, and staff clinically based preparation to incubate a whole new form of teacher education.  Its report “Transforming Teacher Education through Clinical Practice:  A National Strategy to Prepare Effective Teachers” offered recommendations focused on strengthening candidate selection and placement; revamping curricula, incentives, and staffing; strengthening partnerships; and expanding the knowledge base.  At the briefing, NCATE announced several states that have agreed to implement this new agenda:  Oregon, Ohio, Maryland, Louisiana, Colorado, Tennessee, California and New York.

 

NCATE is considering creating two task forces:  one to develop selection criteria for clinical faculty and clinical teachers and another on assessment and the uses of data in the clinical practice in the preparation programs to support innovation and accountability for teacher candidates and teacher preparation program performance.

 

Alliance partner states have agreed to work toward the following goals:

·        Collaborative partnerships among schools, districts, and preparation programs.

·        Continuing assessment of performance

·        Stronger state policies to prepare teachers who meet school needs.

 

Oregon has formed an “alliance” workgroup consisting of representatives of the Oregon NCATE institutions, TSPC and the Chancellor’s Office.  This workgroup is reviewing the goals and recommendations from the report “Transforming Teacher Education through Clinical Practice” and determining what course of action is recommended for Oregon.  One early step was to use a “Delphi” method to survey institutions on the goals based on the ten guiding principles listed in the report.

 


NCATE is creating an environmental scan instrument to be used by states to self assess their readiness to meet the goals of the alliance.

 

NCATE has been establishing meetings between the partner states to establish common goals nationally.  A state partners meeting is scheduled as part of the client conference sponsored by NCATE in May 2011.

 

The full report can be found at this web site: http://www.ncate.org/Public/ResearchReports/NCATEInitiatives/BlueRibbonPanel/tabid/715/Default.aspx