CCSO and CEEDAR Promises to Keep: Transforming Educator Preparation to Better Serve a Diverse Range of Learners

Council of Chief State School Officers. (2015, May). Promises to keep; Transofrming educator preparation to better serve a diverse range of learners (US Department of Education No. H325A120003). Washington, DC: the Council of Chief State School Officers.

Summary: This document outlines recommendations for transforming teacher preparation and educational leadership preparation. They call for "bold action, innovative policy, and effective implementation" (p. 7). If these recommendations are to come to fruition, teachres need to be supported in developing a high level of expertise over time, given the fact that it takes 7-10 years to develop expertise. Actualizing these efforts will also require school-university collaboration, co-teaching, and other innovative solutions. Their five recommendations include (from pp. 1-2):

1. Beginning in the preparation stage, define and integrate across the educator career continuum the knowledge and skills all educators need to oimplement differentiated, high-quality, core content instruction to meet the needs of all learners, monitor student progress, and identify and provide increasinlgy intensive supports.

2. Provide multiple opportuniities for deliberate practicea nd feedback to educators, including access to a range of meaningful practical experiences, as they learn and implement differnitated core insturciton, monitor student progress, and apply evidence-based practices to meet the needs of all students iwthin a tiered system of support.

3. Ensure that the outcomes of all students - including students with disabilities - are an integral part of preparation program approval and educator evaluation systems.

4. Create an infrastructure that prepares candidates for enabling and promoting shared ownership, collaboration, and teamwork among all educaotsr for all students - incluing students with disabilities.

5. Hold educator preparation programs accoutnable and provide feedback on how to imporve programs to ensure candidates are prepared with teh knoweldge, skills, and practice opportunities necessary to teach and lead diverse learners within tiered systems of support

 

Quotes:

  • "School teams that are prepared to idnetify and address student strengths, interest, and needs are likely to empower students and provide individualized supports that lead to increased student achievement. The work of special educators within agencies is currently based on compliance and accountability to special education reluations, which overlooks their contributions as a ssource of expertise and innovation in moving toward personalized and competency-based instruction for all students" (p. 6).
  • "Performance assessments for all teacher canddiates should capture a candidate's ability to create universally designed curriculum, provide quality core content instruciton that is differentiated, monitor student progress, employ evidence-based instruction and interventions with fidelity, and collaborate with families and other professionals" (p. 11).

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