Partnerships for New Teacher Learning: A Guide for Universities and School Districts

This practical book will help school districts and teacher-education departments create and sustain effective partnerships to support teacher development. The authors, supported by a grant from the Carnegie Corporation, worked with school districts and universities on collaborating to improve pre- and in-service training for teachers. In this how-to guide, they share what they learned and discuss the steps in the process, including who should form and lead a partnership, how to create a common purpose across institutions, how to evaluate progress, how to sustain it as personnel and resources change, and the role of the community.

Stressing the need for patience and persistence when meeting the challenges within and across organizations, this accessible book offers a framework for teacher development that starts with preservice training and continues through new teacher support. Appendixes provide examples of a collaborative assessment log, a continuum of teacher development, a mid-year review, professional growth reflections, and a self-assessment summary.

Stephen Fletcher is a faculty assistant researcher in the division of social sciences , Anne Watkins is senior director , Janet Gless is associate director , and Tomasita Villarreal-Carman is senior program consultant, all at the New Teacher Center, a national organization dedicated to improving student learning by accelerating the effectiveness of teachers and school leaders.