Uses the phrase standards-based accountability-driven

“Reflecting this change, the focus of schooling has shifted from teaching to learning—to the skills and knowledge students must master, rather than the skills and knowledge teachers must teach. This is not a rhetorical difference. It turns education on its head as the focus shifts from assuring common processes for all schools (e.g. 12 grades, 180-day school years, and five major subjects a semester) to assuring common outcomes for all students. ” p. 12.

“Current teacher education programs are largely ill equipped to prepare current and future teachers for these new realities.” p. 12.

“Therein lies the problem. The voluminous body of research on teaching was produced largely before the shift to common outcomes. As a result, we don’t know enough about the impact of teacher education on student achievement. We do not know whether university-based or non-university-based teacher education is superior. We don’t know whether educating teachers for a profession or a craft is more effective in raising student achievement. ” p.18.

Teacher program study presents a nine point template for evaluating teacher programs.

”(Teacher educators) have not adequately prepared graduates to teach in the new outcome-based, accountability-driven education system that demands all students be raised to the highest knowledge and skill levels in history.” p. 27.

Teacher education programs, taken as a whole are inadequate when compared against the template noted above.

“Controlling for longevity as a teacher, there were slight gains in student achievement among the NCATE teachers, but they were statistically insignificant. This study found no difference in student math or reading achievement by students taught by teachers educated for certification at NCATE- and non- NCATE-accredited institutions (NWEA Study; see Table 15.)”

“First, the most selective teacher education programs in the country are less likely to seek NCATE accreditation than their less eminent peers. Examining 100 graduate schools of education ranked by U.S. News and World Report, 30 percent of the schools in the highest decile are accredited versus 80 percent of schools in the lowest decile. (See Table 16.) ”