A diverse group of policymakers from national associations, consultant groups, and university, the U.S. Department of Education, and congressional offices gathered to discuss new developments in teacher preparation. The discussion was moderated by Patricia Maloney from the American Council on Education , and focused on recent changes made in Federal and state governments that affect teacher preparation, and major reports and action plans, from several key policymaking organizations, calling for the improvement of teacher preparation. This salon provided an opportunity to informally review and discuss promising developments and possible pitfalls. Questions raised as a result of the discussion will lay the foundation for further discussions and possible future policy forums.
Teacher preparation is a popular topic among education organizations, spurring a number of reports.
Some research shows a high correlation between teacher training and student achievement, and other research is being conducted on how teacher preparation affects student learning. The group felt that these reports provide statistics and helpful insight from different angles, but they do not offer a comprehensive view on the improvement of teacher preparation. The group discussed the need to organize resources and focus broad goals toward improving teacher preparation. The need for national organizations to combine their resources and influence for strong teacher preparation reform. Key policymaking organizations like the ones mentioned have not collaborated efforts to address this issue.