Teacher Preparation and Professional Learning Resources

On March 21, LPI, the National Conference of State Legislatures, Learning Forward, and the National Association of State Boards of Education launched State Efforts for Building an Effective, Diverse Teacher Workforce, a series of webinars on how states can help develop and support a diverse workforce of teachers who develop greater mastery and leadership. The first webinar addressed opportunities under ESSA for effective professional learning systems, professional development to help teachers provide instruction that supports deeper learning, and how state departments of education can work with state boards of education to develop state-funded strategies.

At this briefing, speakers discussed a new report from the Learning Policy Institute, Diversifying the Teaching Profession: Barriers to Recruiting and Retaining Teachers of Color and How to Overcome Them. The report reviews the research on the recruitment and retention of teachers of color, examines the current state of teachers of color in the workforce and the factors that affect their recruitment, hiring, and retention, and highlights opportunities for policymakers to grow a stable workforce of teachers of color in their districts and states.

On June 13, LPI hosted the third webinar in the series, State Efforts for Building an Effective, Diverse Teacher Workforce series, in partnership with Learning Forward, the National Conference of State Legislatures, and the National Association of State Boards of Education. This webinar explored state and district efforts to connect quality teacher preparation and induction with the principles of deeper learning and will also look at ways that states and districts are aligning systems of quality professional learning and early career supports.

Investments in teacher and leader preparation advance equity in the high-need communities where schools are often staffed by a revolving door of underprepared and inexperienced teachers. At this briefing, speakers discussed approaches to teacher and leader preparation that are effective in addressing these challenges, such as high-quality residency programs and Grow Your Own models.

In this webinar, co-hosted by the Learning Policy Institute and the National Urban League, we shared strategies that advocates and policymakers are using to tackle teacher shortages that disproportionately impact underserved communities.

Decades of research show that whole child education is essential to students' academic and life success and can reduce the negative effects of poverty on achievement. Speakers at this briefing examined federal policy levers that state and local policymakers can use to invest in research-based whole child approaches to learning, including integrated student supports, community schools, and other approaches that foster academic enrichment.

Effective professional development has the potential to support sophisticated forms of teaching that develop student knowledge and skills, including critical thinking, problem-solving, communication, collaboration, and self-direction. The Learning Policy Institute, the American Federation of Teachers, Learning Forward, and the National Education Association held an event showcasing innovative models of teacher-led learning and professional development that can transform schools into spaces where teachers are driving improvement through their own learning and leadership.

Teachers of color help close achievement gaps for students of color, particularly in high-poverty environments, and all students benefit from having teachers of color. Unfortunately, although more teachers of color are being recruited across the nation, there are growing gaps between the demand for such teachers and the supply. This Washington, DC, briefing examined the federal and state policies that support a well-prepared and diverse teacher workforce.

Decades of research make it clear that social and emotional habits and skills are intimately related to academic learning and life success. However, educator preparation and training do not always provide teachers with effective strategies to support social and emotional learning. This webinar looked at the benefits and challenges of integrating social, emotional, and academic learning in the classroom and explored strategies to inform practice.

How can social and emotional learning and cultural competence be integrated into educator preparation programs? Expert researchers and policymakers discussed this question in this webinar, with the goal of equipping teachers to consider the needs of the whole child with equity in mind.