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In the year 1839 in Lexington, Massachusetts, the first ever public institution dedicated to preparing teacher was formed. The basis of the institution was that students should use their sense to discover and guide their own learning. It was named "escole normale" which translates to normal school. This was the beginning of public teacher education.
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The US education commission on 1983 published "A Nation at Risk". After an eighteen month study, the commission famously declared that, "our nation is at risk to a rising tide of mediocrity that threatens our very future." This was a landmark even in modern American education history because it acknowledged what a lot of teachers, students, and school districts were feeling. While it was daunting to hear, it opened the doors for new ideas and approaches.
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14 years after "A Nation at Risk", the National Commission on Teaching and America's Future reported that the number of new teachers with no pre-service preparation was increasing.
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U.S policymakers were made aware and recognized that teacher quality and student achievement go hand in hand. The No Child Left Behind Act was policymakers attempts at providing a "highly qualified" teacher in every classroom. To be highly qualified a combination of requirements would have to be met that ranged from content mastery to instruction skills. While this was seen a positive step forward, incentives were not in place and that is where policymakers failed.
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Doug Lemov published his first edition of Teach Like a Champion. This book is the culmination of research, thousands of hours of classroom observations, and years of collaboration. It includes practical techniques for teacher to employ DURING teaching, which was unique. The book flew off the shelves and caught on all over the globe, including India, Brazil, and China. Hundreds of residencies, schools, and higher education programs adopted and implemented Lemov's techniques.
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This program was a very unique for it's time because it began scaffolding in classroom experience with undergraduate elementary education majors, rather than starting with graduate students. These students are connected to six high-needs schools of over 2,997 students.The course work is designed to reflect their elementary student's learning and growth. They are given the opportunity to transition into full-time teaching positions where they will still receive support.
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The Teacher Quality Partnership works to improve student achievement by focusing on the quality of novice teachers and the professional development of current teachers. They also hold teacher preparation programs at higher institutions accountable. In 2015 they were awarded twenty four new grants, the most in history, that totaled in the millions.
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In 2015, Urban Teacher Residency published their "SEED", or Supporting Effective Educator Development. This grant proposal highlights how they plan to address absolute priorities, project deign, sustainability, and evaluation. It includes a "redefining preparation program to expand its effectiveness. It is built on extensive research in the hopes of creating partnership models across several states. It is also a great tool for those who want to start up their own residency program.
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Video coaching is a tremendously useful tool because it allows for training teachers to build awareness of their approach and mistakes. By expanding their video coaching, USF made it possible for coaches to provide timestamped feedback on videos in a timely manner. This method helped them to increase their effectiveness in the classroom and create a signature pedagogy.
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Statue 1004.04 was passed with the intent to recognize the link between effective teachers and high-quality education. It also moved to require the State Board of Education to maintain a system for developing and approving preparation programs. It was decided that there would be a uniform core curriculum for each state approved program. There was also the burden of proof place on the programs, as they had to provide documentation to receive continued approval.
