Home

AED in Action: Reshaping U.S. Teacher Education

High quality teachers are a pivotal factor in student achievement. So how can institutions better prepare students who are working to become classroom teachers? Teachers for a New Era is answering that question by helping colleges and universities overhaul teacher education programs by focusing on:

• Evidence. Program decisions are driven by evidence. Recent research on the best ways to prepare teachers for the classroom and an evaluation of the program’s effectiveness that includes data on the achievement of the K-12 students taught by program graduates are key.
• Engaging Arts and Sciences Faculty. TNE requires that faculty from both the school of education and school of arts and sciences work together to ensure that teacher candidates have both subject knowledge and a strong base in pedagogy.
• Teaching as a Clinical Profession. Once a student finishes coursework and student teaching, TNE assists them through their first two years of teaching—a “residency” that requires university or college faculty supervision and mentoring. The aspiring teacher completes the preparation program once this period of induction has ended.

AED provides the 11 TNE sites with a wide range of supports including a liaison who is assigned to that institution. The services range from assisting with project design and implementation to convening workshops and disseminating research.

Teachers for a New Era is supported by the Carnegie Corporation of New York, the Annenberg Foundation, and the Ford Foundation. www.teachersforanewera.org/.