Teacher Preparation: Ensuring a Quality Teacher in Every Classroom. Hearing of the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, United States Senate, One Hundred Thirteenth Congress, Second Session on Examining Teacher Preparation, Focusing on Ensuring a Quality Teacher in Every Classroom (March 25, 2014). Senate Hearing 113-828
Author: US Senate. Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
Date: 2016-00-00
Type: Legal/Legislative/Regulatory Materials
Subjects: Hearings,Teacher Competencies,Teacher Effectiveness,Low Income Groups,At Risk Students,Educational Legislation,Federal Legislation,Higher Education,Academic Achievement,Grants,Federal Programs,Accountability,Elementary Secondary Education,Teacher Education Programs,State Government,Federal Government,Government Role

This is the seventh in a series of hearings to inform this committee's reauthorization of the Higher Education Act. The focus of this hearing, teacher preparation, is profoundly important for all students, from the very youngest to adult students. Study after study shows that teacher quality is the decisive in-school factor in boosting student achievement. There are too few students who have access to highly effective teachers, teachers who can help ensure that low-income students get the high-quality education that their higher income peers get. The Higher Education Act plays a critical role in teacher training by providing funding to institutions of higher education, in partnership with K-12 districts, to reform and strengthen their teacher prep programs. In this hearing, it was heard how it can be best leveraged to bring about systemic change in teacher prep programs. The Higher Education Act requires all institutions of higher education, as well as States, to report certain information about their teacher preparation programs. Witnesses will present how the existing reporting requirements can be streamlined and revised to be less burdensome, more focused on outcomes, and more helpful to teacher preparation programs. Testimonies are presented by: (1) Harkin, Hon. Tom, Chairman, Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, opening statement; (2) Alexander, Hon. Lamar, a U.S. Senator from the State of Tennessee, opening statement; (3) Warren, Hon. Elizabeth, a U.S. Senator from the State of Massachusetts; (4) Isakson, Hon. Johnny, a U.S. Senator from the State of Georgia; (5) Bennet, Hon. Michael F., a U.S. Senator from the State of Colorado; and (6) Murphy, Hon. Christopher S., a U.S. Senator from the State of Connecticut. Witnesses include: (1) Crowe, Edward, Senior Advisor of the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation, Princeton, NJ, Prepared statement; (2) Brabeck, Mary, Ph.D., Gale and Ira Drukier Dean and Professor of Applied Psychology, New York University, New York, NY, Prepared statement; (3) Koerner, Mari, Ph.D., Professor and Dean of the Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, Prepared statement; (4) Daly, Timothy, President of the New Teacher Project, Brooklyn, NY, Prepared statement; and (5) Burns, Jeanne M., Ph.D., Associate Commissioner of Teacher and Leadership Initiatives, Louisiana Board of Regents, Baton Rouge, LA, Prepared statement. The following addition material: statements, articles, publications, letters, etc. is included: (1) Chris Stephenson, Executive Director, Computer Science Teachers Association (CSTA); (2) Letter from Edward Crowe: (3) Response by Edward Crowe to questions of: (a) Senator Murray; (b) Senator Bennet; and (c) Senator Warren; (4) Response by Mari Koerner, Ph.D. to questions of: (a) Senator Harkin; (b) Senator Bennet; and (c) Senator Warren; and (5) Response by Timothy Daly to questions of: (a) Senator Bennet; (b) Senator Murray; and (c) Senator Warren.