Locating Quality in the Dynamic Educator Preparation Landscape : Creating Quality in Context

Over the past three decades, the landscape of educator preparation has changed so that more people can enter the teaching profession than ever before. This welcome expansion of access to the teaching profession has been accomplished both through the creation of new entities bringing new models of preparation online and, even more so, through the multiplication of new program tracks and pathways in the institutions of higher education (IHEs) that have long been and continue to be responsible for preparing the largest proportion of teachers and other professional educators. The preparation landscape has also become more dynamic and more responsive to needs at local and regional levels. In this era of teacher shortage, expanded access is good news, but are all pathways equal with regard to quality of preparation?

Locating Quality in the Dynamic Educator Preparation Landscape centers on the experiences of a variety of preparation programs―all accredited by the Association for Advancing Quality in Educator Preparation (AAQEP), each unique in its approach to addressing the needs of its prospective teachers and its local school partners. The featured programs include public and private preparation providers from across the nation, some based in longstanding institutions of higher education, some operating in newer organizational models. They share a common claim to quality through having met the same accreditation standards, yet each excels in its own right in addressing specific needs.

The book shows that while qualities can be shared, quality is fundamentally a divergent rather than a convergent characteristic, and that program evaluation and accreditation regimes be framed accordingly. It argues that educational policy needs to be based on an appreciation of the many dimensions of quality program practice that are needed to address the varied and particular needs of schools, communities, and populations that are entering the educator preparation pipeline. So long as we are able to ensure that all pathways into teaching result in the preparation of effective educators who are able to serve students, schools, families, and communities well by promoting student learning and thriving, we will reap the benefits of this new, varied, and dynamic landscape of educator preparation.

Perfect for courses such as: Educational Program Evaluation; Teacher Education; Education Policy; Teacher Education Policy; and Human Resources in Education

Christine DeGregory, Ph.D. began her career in education as a middle and high school English teacher, having the opportunity to serve as department chair and school improvement co-chair. She received her terminal degree from George Mason University in Teaching and Teacher Education where her research interests focused on pre-service teachers, veteran teachers’ motivations to mentor first year teachers, and new teacher induction. Her time at GMU was highlighted by serving as a graduate research assistant, university supervisor, and as an intern for the American Association for Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE). Before coming to AAQEP, she was a member of the West Point Schools School Board and taught at the United States Military Academy Preparatory School (USMAPS) at West Point, NY. In this role, housed in the Center for Enhanced Performance, she worked with cadet candidates to strengthen their academic skills as they prepared to enter the United States Military Academy (USMA).

As Director of Professional Learning for AAQEP, Christine is highly invested in preparing and supporting reviewers and providers throughout the quality assurance review process and finds great joy in connecting members so to collaborate in their continuous improvement efforts.

Mark LaCelle-Peterson is the founding President and CEO of the Association for Advancing Quality in Educator Preparation (AAQEP), an accreditation agency founded in 2017 to strengthen P-20 education through excellent, innovative preparation of educators. He has worked in higher education and accreditation for four decades, serving in faculty and leadership roles at several educator preparation programs in public and private institutions of higher education. He served as President of the Teacher Education Accreditation Council (TEAC) and in senior leadership at the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE). He enjoys teaching courses in assessment; the historical, social, and cultural foundations of education; research methods; and Anglo Saxon and Old Norse literature (proving that even Scandinavian Studies majors can be ‘gainfully employed’). A native of Minnesota, he holds degrees from the University of Minnesota and from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education. He lives in Rochester, New York.

Karen Lowenstein is the Director of Member Services at the Association for Advancing Quality in Educator Preparation (AAQEP).

Stephanie Schneider is an Associate Professor in the department of Childhood Education and Literacy in the School of Education at SUNY Old Westbury.