This study features case studies of exemplary teacher preparation programs that embody deeper learning practices and prepare teachers to use those strategies themselves in k-12 classrooms. It involved site visits, interviews, review and analysis of course sequences and syllabi, and surveys of graduates, to provide better understanding of key features and common challenges of these innovative programs.
This research is particularly timely, as k-12 education shifts from an emphasis on rote learning and standardization toward more experiential learning that emphasizes the acquisition of deep content knowledge and 21st century skills. Programs were chosen based on their focus of preparing teachers to support k-12 students’ ability to:
- cultivate, practice, and master deep content knowledge;
- develop problem-solving, research and inquiry, communication, and collaboration skills;
- develop metacognitive skills and strategies to guide, regulate, and evaluate their learning;
- attain the social-emotional awareness and academic mindsets necessary to succeed in college and career; and
- meaningfully contribute to civic life and our democracy.
Programs featured in the study include: Alverno College, Bank Street College of Education, High Tech High, Montclair State University, San Francisco Teacher Residency, Trinity University, and University of Colorado Denver.
The lessons learned from the study of these exemplary programs provide valuable information for practitioners and policymakers seeking to ensure that our nation’s teachers have the knowledge and skills necessary to prepare all students for college, career, and civic life. They also inform a new joint initiative of LPI and Bank Street College, the Educator Preparation Laboratory (EdPrepLab), which launched on June 10, 2019.
- Preparing Teachers for Deeper Learning (book and case studies)
- Preparing Teachers for Deeper Learning (brief)
- Preparing Teachers for Deeper Learning at Bank Street College (brief)
- Preparing Teachers for Deeper Learning at High Tech High (brief)
- Preparing Teachers for Deeper Learning at Montclair State University (brief)
- Preparing Teachers for Deeper Learning at San Francisco Teacher Residency (brief)
- Educator Preparation Laboratory (website)
Funders
This research was supported by the Carnegie Corporation of New York, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, and the S.D. Bechtel Foundation.
