Concerns have been raised about the high-stakes nature of edTPA potentially leading to reductionist, test-driven approaches to teacher preparation. This has come to fruition in practice within many teacher preparation classrooms. EdTPA can devalue anything that is not formally assessed and limit opportunities for faculty and teacher candidates to…

This article presents a critique of a teacher quality agenda promoted by a network of elitiste organizations in the United States. Network leaders posit that gaps in teacher quality cause achievement gaps. Their solution is to incentivize the graduates of the nation's most selective colleges to teach in hard-to-staff schools. Summarizing prior…

To investigate how competent preservice candidates were prepared to teach English learners (ELs), a case study was conducted to examine 30 candidates use of effective practices for ELs during preservice preparation and the first years of teaching. Data included: (1) preservice assignments related to planning and teaching; (2) student teaching…

Intense pressure from multiple stakeholders has forced teacher preparation programs (TPPs) to investigate better methods to prepare teacher candidates to enter classrooms and instruct students on day one. Part of this increased level of accountability has resulted in the formation of teacher evaluative assessments as state licensure exams. One…

Teacher leadership is often connected to experienced teachers as it is assumed that a certain level of knowledge and experience is needed. Informal teacher leadership, however, can also be expected from beginning teachers. The aim of this study is to study beginning teachers' opportunities for enacting leadership. Twelve pairs, consisting of one…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the associations between alternative certification preservice teachers' levels of depression, stress, educational technology anxiety, self-efficacy for educational technology, and attitude towards using technology in education to provide insight into the interplay between intrinsic factors affecting…

The 2019-20 year continued the important work of refining and improving the new accreditation system. Significant progress was made by the Commission, the Committee on Accreditation (COA), and the Commission staff with respect to implementation of the revised accreditation system. The accreditation system is the primary means by which the…

Teach For America (TFA) is an organization that aims to address educational inequity in part through a program of training and placing teachers in U.S. K-12 public schools that have the highest proportions of high-poverty students. In this report, the authors quantify the impacts of Teach For America Indianapolis (TFA Indy) on student and school…

This year-long, multiple case study followed a small group (N=6) of graduates from an initial licensure Education Preparation Program (EPP) into their classrooms to observe their first year as licensed teachers in United States public schools. The study's purpose was twofold: 1) to explore the extent to which this group used formative assessments…

The primary purpose of this study was to determine the confidence levels of School-based Agricultural Education (SBAE) teachers to integrate biology concepts in plant and animal science courses. The researchers also sought to describe the demographic characteristics of New Mexico SBAE teachers. This study used a descriptive-correlational research…

The 2001 reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act defined dance as an art form, designated the arts as core academic subjects, and called for highly qualified instructors in every classroom. These developments provided new opportunities for dance faculty in higher education preparing their students for life after college.…

Special education teachers enrolled in a Virginia-based alternate route certification program were surveyed to determine if they perceived the program was valuable for creating effective special educators, and the focus of the study was on the effectiveness of alternative route programs for teacher preparation. The literature review showed scant…

This study investigated the effectiveness of alternative routes to teacher certification programs in three small rural school districts in South Carolina Public Schools. The need for teachers across the United States is anticipated to increase as a result of turnover. Specifically, this research analyzed the existing data in the three districts,…

States have often adopted broad bands for teacher certificates that cover grades K-5, K-6, or even K-8, which may offer more flexibility to district and school administrators but at the cost of ensuring adequate preparation for those who will be teaching in early grades. In order to better equip its teachers with developmentally appropriate…

This article compares two neo-liberal education reform activities that are not often studied in tandem: alternative teacher certification in the USA, as explored through Teach for America, and the growing international service learning movement. Guided by the Movement for Black Lives' call for a world where those "most impacted in our…