Response to How Teacher Education Matters

Abstract

This response to “How Teacher Education Matters” (2000) notes that the evidence base about the features of teacher education that matter for teacher effectiveness was substantial at that time and has grown stronger since. However, federal policy over the last two decades has reduced support for both preservice teacher education programs and for candidates’ financial assistance, while increasing support for alternative certification pathways that generally omit student teaching and often truncate coursework as well. One-third of teachers in recent years have entered without having completed preparation and are disproportionately assigned to schools serving low-income students and students of color. Meanwhile, recent research emphasizes the critical importance of well-designed clinical experiences with strong mentoring in high-quality settings, connected to applied coursework, as key to effectiveness. Residency programs are one emerging model that combines such experiences with financial supports, showing promise for recruiting and retaining a diverse, well-prepared set of candidates in high need fields and locations. High-performing countries like Finland and Singapore make these kinds of investments in teacher education routinely and shed light on the policy strategies needed to create a universally strong teacher education system.