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What's Going On At NCTR

Last week, NCTR hosted the Teacher Educator Practice Framework (TEPF) Working Group to update and refine the set of 12 critical teacher educator practices that articulate what teacher educators should know and be able to do when preparing aspiring teachers. The Working Group incorporated feedback from education leaders, developed teacher observation protocols that support the framework, and planned teacher educator pilots for each transformation center to launch this fall. Working Group members are from fellow Teacher Preparation Transformation Centers, an initiative supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's Alliance for Advancing Justice by Transforming Teacher Education.

NCTR's Strategic Consulting team has kicked off orientation with our 2017-2018 U.S. Department of Education Supporting Effective Educator Development (SEED) and California State University - New Generation Educators Initiative (NGEI) partners this summer. 

New this year, NCTR is launching virtual programming with our NSD partners. The blended learning experience enables clients from around the country to engage in programming via videos and pre-assessments, coupled with guided learning activities led by NCTR's consultants. Clients will also have access to NCTR's new Teacher Preparation Portal, a one-stop source for partners' communications, data analytics tools, and program resource library.
Partner Updates

The Trailblazer Coalition - a group lead by Nashville Teacher Residency, the Metro Nashville Urban Teacher Residency at Belmont University, and Lipscomb University - recently released "Fixing the Broken Pipeline: Teacher Diversity and the Classroom," a report on how to remove the barriers that prevent diverse teacher candidates from entering the profession. The report "specifically focuses on teachers of color and lists five keys to getting them into the profession: promoting the positives of teaching; promoting more inclusivity in teacher preparation programs; creating support for teacher retention and success; removing barriers to licensure and testing; and providing financial support for underrepresented students," according to The Tennessean
Partner Updates, Cont.

Denver University will study what makes teacher residencies effective and how to sustainably fund the residency model. The Colorado Consortium of Residency Educators received a $400,000 grant from the Institute of Educational Sciences to support the study. "The research is considered the first large-scale project of its kind to bring together collaborators that represent both the institutions where the teachers are trained, as well as the schools in which they teach," according to Denver University.

The Florida News-Union's Jacksonville.com is reporting that a coalition of private philanthropists working with Duval County Public Schools in Jacksonville, FL, has threatened to sever ties with the school district if the district "reneges on an 'implicit understanding' that the district would continue its support of several education programs," including the Jacksonville Teacher Residency (JTR). Quality Education for All Fund (QEA) has frozen nearly $5 million in funding earmarked for Duval County schools and is asking the district to invest $3 million on teacher and principal performance incentives, which includes a $500,000 commitment to JTR. 

The Norman C. Francis Teacher Residency (NCFTR) was the subject of a panel discussion on teacher preparation and retention during the recent one-day Teacher Profession in the Era of School Reform conference hosted by the Education Research Alliance for New Orleans. The panel featured Dr. Renee Akbar, the Chair of Xavier University's Division of Education and Counseling and school leaders from New Orleans. Xavier University is NCFTR's higher education partner. Read more about the panel and the conference in Education Week
Policy and Research Updates

Senator Al Franken (D - MN) introduced a new bill late last week - the Supporting Future Educators Act - which is aimed at preparing and retaining outstanding teachers, increasing teacher diversity and closing the gaps on teacher shortages. The bill would create the Strengthen Our Schools grant, a funding stream that would "support teacher residency programs, provide additional training for current teachers, and attract student teachers to placements in high-need districts." Read more in the Brainerd Dispatch

Votes are pending on two California bills that would increase funding to the statewide movement toward the residency model. AB 1217 "would create the California Teacher Corps, a teacher residency program in which new teachers would work under a mentor teacher and receive a stipend in exchange for working at least four years in a high-need field," according to EdSource on July 2. The second bill, AB 169, would establish the Golden State Teacher Grants, which would provide $20,000 stipends to new teachers that commit to remaining in the field for at least four years.

NPR recently released the results of its Teacher Student Debt Survey, a poll that looked into the factors that exacerbate the negative impact of student debt for teachers. Factors studied include, "chronic concerns over teacher pay amid calls to improve teacher quality; the rising cost of higher ed; the increasing reliance on loans to pay for it; and changing policies from the Trump administration." NPR suggests that loan limits for teacher graduate programs and the proposed cancelation of the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program will make it even more difficult for teachers to earn higher education degrees. Read the survey results on NPR's website. 
Featured News

NCTR's New Report: Recommendations for State Support for Effective Teacher Residencies

In a new report, "Recommendations for State Support for Effective Teacher Residencies," NCTR provides guidance to states that are interested in developing policy that incorporates residencies and other clinically based preparation models into their systems for preparing and supporting effective educators. Education policymakers and influencers are increasingly turning to teacher residencies as a key strategy for improving student achievement and teacher effectiveness. The flexibility provided under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) can buoy other state efforts. ESSA gives states and local school districts broad flexibility in how they serve their students while requiring that they identify high-impact strategies for school improvement. States and school districts should use the flexibility provided in both Title I and Title II, Part A of the federal education law to address teacher preparation and effectiveness. 

NCTR recommends that states and districts consider the following areas for policy action: 
  • Partnership and Stakeholder Collaboration: Convene, encourage, and define collaboration between stakeholders;
  • Recruitment and Selection: Attract and retain high potential teacher candidates;
  • Coaching and Feedback: Define and support effective mentoring, and require quality mentoring practices in teacher preparation programs; and,
  • Assessment and Evaluation: Promote programs that graduate effective teachers.
States and school districts can improve teacher quality — and student growth — by providing dedicated support for teacher residencies, ensuring that new educators enter the classroom ready to meet students’ needs from day one. Read our Policy Areas, Recommendations for State Action and more in our full report
In The News
Teachers Trained Through Fast-Track Program No Better Or Worse Than Their Peers
Education Week
A new study finds TNTP graduates perform similarly to other teachers in their school districts despite truncated preparation time.
Yearlong Residencies For Teachers Are The Hot New Thing In Teacher Prep. But Do They Work?
Chalkbeat
Several NCTR partners' retention and effectiveness data are mentioned in this article, which discusses the residency model and its relationship to teacher quality.
Exclusive: Independent Review Of ESSA Plans Rates States Strong On Accountability, Weak On Counting All Kids
The 74
Independent reviews of state ESSA plans by Bellwether Education Partners and the Collaborative for Student Success are discussed.
How Should Administrators Empower Teacher Collaboration?
EducationDive
Providing leadership opportunities and creating collaborative environments are offered up as suggestions for improving teacher retention rates.
            
Please note that the articles and events in the NCTR E-Blast do not reflect the opinions of our organization, but rather represent information that we believe will be relevant to you and your programs.

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