About the Book
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
About the Author :
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.
Review :
"This is one of the smartest books about teacher education quality to come along in quite a while. The book's major argument is that teacher education quality is deeply contextual, created and changing over time within the dynamic interplay of local programs and their communities, cultures, and environments. This view stands in sharp contrast to the long-standing policy assumption that quality results from adherence to particular models of teacher preparation implemented within specific sectors. Building on three insightful foundational chapters, the core of the book--and the proof of its arguments--is seven widely-divergent cases of "high-quality" educator preparation. Taken together, these cases defy long-standing distinctions about educator preparation types and reveal that teacher educators and their partners are adaptive and responsive change agents, rather than unbending defenders of the status quo, as they are so often unfairly and inaccurately portrayed. This book is a must-read for teacher education practitioners and researchers, school leaders and mentors, and all those interested in policy and practice related to teacher quality and teacher preparation."--Marilyn Cochran-Smith, Cawthorne Professor of Teacher Education for Urban Schools, Emerita, Lynch School of Education and Human Development, Boston College
"Locating Quality in the Dynamic Educator Preparation Landscape: Creating Quality in Context provides a compelling and nuanced exploration of how diverse educator preparation programs demonstrate quality within their own institutional and contextual frameworks. By showcasing how various institutions leverage data-driven assessments and programmatic adaptations to ensure excellence, this work underscores the evolving nature of teacher preparation. Rather than relying on one-size-fits-all metrics, AAQEP highlights localized approaches that meet both national standards and specific community needs. This text serves as an essential resource for understanding how quality in educator preparation is constructed, evaluated, and continuously improved in diverse educational settings."--Amy Ginsberg, Ph.D., Dean of the College of Education, William Paterson University
"DeGregory and colleagues offer a compelling response to the reductive rhetoric often surrounding teacher preparation in the U.S., instead providing the reader with thoughtful, place-based examples of quality educator preparation that are sure to spark new insights and approaches. With its emphasis on supporting access to the profession, Locating Quality in the Dynamic Educator Preparation Landscape: Creating Quality in Context encourages policy makers, teacher educators, school districts and other stakeholders to be more expansive in their support of models that meet the needs of schools, teachers and children."--Ashleigh Thompson, Ph.D., University Dean for Education, City University of New York
