The practice of assessing and grading students on their ability to demonstrate proficiency related to a standard has grown significantly in K-12 settings over the past decade. This article invites teacher educators to consider how to respond to this trend by examining an approach for preparing teacher candidates to participate effectively in…

Classroom assessment, especially formative assessment, is one of the most challenging areas for new teachers, so it is imperative that teacher educators model effective classroom assessment practices. This article describes the use of rubrics in formative assessment, to support candidates in their progress toward mastery of course outcomes and to…

This paper traces the development of teacher candidate benchmarks at one liberal arts institution. Begun as a classroom assessment activity over ten years ago, the benchmarks, through collaboration with professional development school partners, now serve as a primary measure of teacher candidates' performance in the final phases of the…

The author describes an interactive intervention strategy to assist pre-service teachers in developing reflective practices in an undergraduate literacy course. The goal of the study was to encourage deeper analysis rather than purely descriptive summaries of field placements in teacher candidates' written reflections, so pre-service teachers may…

The CSI academies employed a multi-layered, collaborative approach to encourage diverse students to consider STEM careers, including science teaching. The academies recruited a diverse group of high school students. This was due, in large part, to the creation of a unique selection process that identified students with unrealized potential. The…

In a "Multicultural Teaching and Learning" course, racial equity is one of the many issues explored. When discussing racial equity in our schools, teacher education students in the course focus their attention on such issues as the achievement gap, referrals to special education of African American and Latino males, the racism of low expectations.…

This paper examines the potential for and challenges of using a critical approach to service-learning, based on Freire's notions of praxis and dialogue, as part of an introductory education course. Although any service-learning project runs the risk of falling prey to the more traditional approach, which involves a pedagogy designed to enhance…

A study group from the Quality Teacher Network in Reading (QTN/R) reviewed the achievement gap data between Black and White fourth-grade readers in Minnesota. From the results of the review, the study group developed a professional development series. The investigation helped the study group determine from a professional development standpoint how…

The school-aged population continues to diversify, yet the student body at small liberal arts teacher preparation programs generally does not. To help prepare our socioculturally homogeneous students to teach a more diverse student body, we developed a three-tiered approach that includes a diversity model integrated across the curriculum, an…

This study examines the preparation of preservice elementary teaching candidates in science content and methods courses and the relationship of their coursework to future teaching. One-hundred-five undergraduate elementary education majors participated in the study. Data was gathered through the completion of a background questionnaire and…

This paper presents findings of an induction year study of teachers trained in a graduate level social justice teacher education program. At the conclusion of the one-year intensive teacher preparation program, students participated in self-directed group study projects in which they identified and researched critical questions and issues related…

What defines a strong connection between university and school-based experiences for a small teacher education program? This paper explores the creation of "intentional partnerships," which involves the systematic crossing of multiple voices (preservice, mentor, university professor, principal, supervisor) to build mutual understandings across…

The Association of Independent Liberal Arts Colleges for Teacher Education (AILACTE), representing over 200 institutions nationwide, created the Models of Excellence (MOE) Committee to define exemplary qualities of teacher education preparation programs and to select and recognize programs that meet these high standards. With input from members of…

Interest in, and debate about, teachers' attitudes, perceptions, and dispositions is not new (Cruickshank & Haefele, 2001). What is new is the inclusion of dispositions in the standards of the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE, 2003), the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS, 1998), and the…

This paper explores expressions of marginalization of White preservice teachers serving as academic mentors to Black adolescent males in a unique partnership program. Junior secondary education majors form tri-partite interdisciplinary teams and work with intact groups of Black youth, members of a community-based Black rites of passage program for…