Policy Inventory, Page 2

Recommendation Area II:
Reinvent teacher preparation and professional development

A. Are standards for students and professional teaching standards used as the basis for design, approval, and investment in teacher preparation?

1. Are student standards used in the design, funding, and approval of teacher education programs? What standards are used?
2. Are professional teaching standards used?
3. Are student and teacher standards used as the basis for the design, funding, and approval of state-sponsored professional development programs? Of locally sponsored programs? What standards are used?

     Indicators/ Data Sources

• Document review and Interviews
• Use of standards for teacher education (criteria or guidelines for funding or approval)
• Use of standards for professional development (criteria or guidelines for funding or approval)
  
  
  

B. Are current teacher preparation programs preparing teachers adequately for the demands they will face?

1. What are the characteristics of teacher education programs? How many candidates are prepared in four-year programs? Five-year programs? Alternative routes?
2. To what extent do all teachers encounter:
• Strong disciplinary preparation (major in field to be taught)
• Standards and curriculum
• Knowledge about pedagogy and multiple teaching strategies
• Knowledge about learning and child development
• Knowledge about learning differences and disabilities
• Knowledge about assessment
• Multicultural preparation
• Preparation for collaboration with parents
• Preparation for use of technologies
• Substantial clinical training
3. Do alternative programs ensure equivalent preparation?
4. What is known about completion rates for various programs? Are they published? Do institutions track the data? How are the data used?
5. Do teacher education programs work with districts to track entry, retention, and success of graduates? Are these data used to make program improvements?

     Indicators/ Data Sources

• Type and number of programs in place
• Education background of candidates for licenses
• Follow up data on graduates (NCATE surveys)
  
  
  

C. Do teacher education programs provide adequate, year-long clinical experiences?

1. Does the state framework for teacher education call for extended preparation programs, year-long student teaching or internships, or clinical preparation in professional development schools?
2. How many programs offer year-long clinical experiences?
3. How many programs are developing professional development school partnerships? What are their features? How are they governed and financed? Are there studies of their effects?
4. What proportion of candidates go though the year-long clinical programs? What are the relative placement rates for different types of programs?
• Sponsorship? Supervision? Funding?
• Length, supports, intern/mentor responsibility?
• Is there evaluation? Is there feedback into teacher education?

     Indicators/ Data Sources

• Length of clinical requirements
• Characteristics of clinical programs
• # of programs with extended year-long internship
• Impact and cost data from studies of PDSs and other clinical programs
  
  
  

D. Is teacher education adequately funded?

1. How does funding for teacher education compare with funding for other professional preparation programs? Other university departments?
2. How much variation is there in resources across institutions and types of programs?
3. What is known about the costs of different types of programs?
4. Is funding adequate to support intensive and extensive clinical experiences?
5. Is provision for increasing funds to meet special needs (poor performance, new curricula, high mobility)?
6. Is there state funding to support recruitment and preparation of teachers in high-need areas (e.g., science, bilingual, etc.) or with special characteristics (e.g., minority)?

     Indicators/ Data Sources

• Legislative formula reimbursements for types of programs
• Higher education finance data
• Interviews
  
  
  

E. Are there mentoring programs for beginning teachers?

1. What kind of supports are available to new teachers?
• Mentoring by an accomplished teacher?
• Supervision, clinical support, seminars, or courses from a university; district induction programs?
• Reduced or graduated teaching responsibilities?
2. What percent of new teachers have access to various options?
3. Is there a statewide mentoring program? Are there local programs? What are their features:
• Qualifications of mentors? Training provided?
• Compensation, released time for mentors?
• Assessment and support provided? By whom? Using what standards?
4. What are the costs of the programs? Who pays?
5. How are teachers evaluated during the induction year? Is it linked to teaching standards? Is it the basis for a continuing license?
6. How do new teachers, mentors, principals, board members, university faculty, and teacher organizations view the induction system?

     Indicators/ Data Sources

• State policy documents
• # of teachers participating in formal induction programs (state or SASS)
• # of mentors (state or SASS)
• # and qualifications of mentor teachers
• # of districts with induction programs
• Demographics of districts with programs
• New teacher assessment of induction programs (SASS or state)
• Retention of new teachers who receive support
• Reasons teachers leave teaching (SASS)
• New teacher assessment of working conditions (SASS)
• Allocations in state budget documents
  
  
  

F. How are professional development priorities set and plans developed?

1. What are the state's goals for professional development?
2. Are student standards and/or professional teaching standards used as the basis for design, approval, and investments in professional development?
3. Is there a state plan for professional development? How is it developed? By whom?
4. Are plans required at the local level? How are they developed? Who is involved?
5. Who reviews plans? What are the consequences?
6. Who reviews plans? What are the consequences?
7. Is there any link between individual plans and school plans?
8. Is there any provision for increasing time to meet special needs (e.g., poor performance, new curricula, high mobility)?

     Indicators/ Data Sources

• State policy documents
• Interviews
  
  
  

G. What is the nature of the professional development being offered?

1. What is the content of the professional development being offered? How is it determined? By whom? What are factors affecting choices?
2. What kinds of professional development do teachers participate in? Does access to particular content vary?
3. Is adequate attention being given to subject-matter knowledge and related knowledge about teaching?
4. Are there incentives for teachers to enhance and deepen their subject-matter knowledge?
5. Are subject-matter courses available that are linked to student standards?
6. Are intensive summer programs in subject areas available?
7. Is attention being given to helping teachers teach students with special needs?
8. Is time provided during the normal work day for teachers' professional development?
9. To what extent do professional development policies and practices reduce the isolation of teachers, foster schoolwide and team learning, and engage staff from all role groups together?
10. Are there incentives or funds for schools to provide school time for individual, team, and schoolwide professional development? How much time is available for teacher interaction and cooperative work during the workday at different levels of the system? Does this vary across districts?
11. Are there supports for joint planning, study groups, peer coaching, action research, curriculum and assessment development, etc.?
12. To what extent do professional development policies and practices lead to a focus on student work and teaching performance?

     Indicators/ Data Sources

• State policy documents
• State budget analysis
• State professional development guidelines and review criteria
• Teacher surveys
• Analysis of local priorities and plans
• Analysis of recertification applications
• # of teachers receiving more than 10 days per year
• Distribution of teachers receiving more than 10 days per year
• # of hours per week teachers have for collaboration and professional development
• # of days per year teachers have for collaboration and professional development
• Type and perceived quality of professional development (SASS)
• Interviews
• Studies of professional development
  
  
  

H. Is there adequate and stable funding for professional development?

1. How does the state fund professional development?
• How much does the state spend? What does this buy?
• How much do districts spend? What does this buy?
• What are the funding mechanisms?
• How stable are the funding sources?
• How are funds distributed? Are there inequities?
• Are there incentives for local investment?
• Are there standards to guide use of funds?
2. How are funding priorities set? Does current policy link opportunities to meaningful content and change efforts? Does it encourage choices based on our knowledge of teaching and program effectiveness?
3. Are there inequities in access to high-quality opportunities? Which teachers have most access?
4. Do policy makers have information about the impact of professional development on practice?

     Indicators/ Data Sources

• % of state and/or local funds targeted for professional development
• % of state and/or local funds spent on professional development
• Professional development dollars by source and target
• Types of support for professional development
• Availability of matching funds
• Cost per type of professional development
• # of teachers served by type
  
  
  

I. Is there support for new and promising sources of professional development?

1. To what extent do professional development policies and practices provide support for innovative delivery systems such as teacher academies, school-university partnerships, professional development schools, teacher networks, internships, etc.?
2. How are agendas and priorities set for these programs?
3. Do all teachers have access at no or low cost?
4. Are effective models evaluated and replicated?

     Indicators/ Data Sources

• State budget documents
• Grant programs
• State guidelines
• Interviews