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Recommended Board Actions to Implement the Principles for the Preparation of Educators for the Schools

Approved July 8, 1998

Introduction

At its April meeting, the Board of Regents approved 10 principles. The principles are organized into three categories: 1) Quality Assurance; 2) Collaboration; and 3) Responsiveness. In June the Board heard a "first reading" of recommended actions to implement the principles. These actions were derived from a combination of an Advisory Committee Report; feedback from schools, System institutions, and organizations; and the work of the Chancellor, Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, and staff.

Since the June meeting, we have continued to receive feedback. The actions recommended today for formal consideration include changes that Board members requested in June and suggestions from the Advisory Committee and others who responded to the June draft.

QUALITY ASSURANCE

Principle #1 The University System will guarantee the quality of any teacher it graduates. The university that awarded the degree and/or submitted the recommendation for teacher certification will assure that its graduates:

  • have sufficient subject matter knowledge in all areas included on their teaching certificates.

  • can demonstrate success in bringing students from diverse cultural, ethnic, international, and socio-economic groups to high levels of learning.

  • are able to use telecommunication and information technologies as tools for learning.

Recommended Actions

The Guarantee

  • Any teacher recommended for certification will meet the employing school's expectation in the three areas listed in the principle, plus classroom management.

  • Any teacher not meeting those expectations within the first two years (and who has been teaching in-field, at grade level included on certificate, and in Georgia's schools) will receive additional training at no expense to the student or the school.

  • That additional training will consist of an individualized plan agreed upon between the school district and the university. This plan will include learning outcomes desired.

  • The additional training will be provided by the university that recommended the teacher for certification. In cases of geographic inconvenience, training may be provided through distance technology or through arrangements mutually agreed to by a local institution.

What the University Assures: Any candidate recommended for certification will:

  • Know all subjects included on the teaching certificate sufficiently to help students learn content standards required in schools. Minimum requirements will be:

    1. Early Childhood Education (grades Pre-K-5): At least the equivalent of academic minors in reading and mathematics required, in addition to being capable of teaching all elements of the elementary curriculum.

    2. Middle School: The equivalent of academic minors required in each of the following areas: reading/language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies.

    3. High School: A major in the arts and sciences required for each subject to be taught, or at least a minor in each subject included under broad-field certification, e.g., science or social studies.

  • Complete the equivalent of a full academic year in a combination of field experiences and internships in the schools.

  • Demonstrate success in bringing P-12 students to high levels of achievement.

  • Receive support, assistance, and professional development from the University faculty in collaboration with the schools (limited to first-and second-year newly certified teachers in Georgia).

  • Receive the Guarantee.

Principle #2 The University System will guarantee that all of its graduates in early childhood education can demonstrate accomplishment in teaching children to read and to do mathematics.

Recommended Actions

  • Teacher candidates in early childhood education will complete at least the equivalent of academic minors in reading and mathematics.

  • Teacher candidates will demonstrate success in diagnosing difficulties in reading and mathematics and know what to do about them.

  • Any candidate recommended for certification will:

    1. Receive support, assistance, and professional development from the University faculty in collaboration with the schools (limited to first-and second-year newly certified teachers in Georgia).

    2. Receive the Guarantee.

  • The University System Office of Academic Affairs will coordinate a System-wide reading endorsement to be offered via distance learning and through an institute to current classroom teachers in all subject areas and grade levels (subject to approval by the Professional Standards Commission).

Principle # 3 Graduate programs for teachers will adhere to the general principles of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards.

Recommended Action

  • The Board of Regents will set a higher standard for graduate programs for teachers than required by the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education, now that System institutions are fully NCATE accredited. The University System will propose to NCATE and the Professional Standards Commission that University System institutions pilot the inclusion of the five core propositions of accomplished teaching set by the National Board in accreditation visits for graduate programs. These core propositions emphasize:

    1. Teachers able to bring about learning in their students.
    2. Teachers who know the subjects they teach and how to teach those subjects to students.
    3. Teachers able to assess the progress of individual students as well as that of the whole class.
    4. Teachers who reflect on their practice and learn from it.
    5. Teachers who work together for the betterment of the student and the school.

  • Classroom teachers who complete a graduate degree within the University System will:

    1. Receive support, assistance, and professional development from the University faculty in collaboration with the schools (limited to teachers in Georgia).
    2. Receive the Guarantee.

Principle # 4 The University System will assure that graduates of its programs for school leaders and counselors are able to create learning environments that support teacher success in bringing students from diverse groups to high levels of learning.

Recommended Actions

  • The Board of Regents will seek both state and private funding to establish one or more Academies for the initial preparation of school leaders (principals, superintendents). These Academies should model diversity. The Board of Regents, on securing start-up funding, will issue a Request for Proposals (RFP) to institution(s) wishing to establish an Academy and will explore other possible partnerships.

  • The Board of Regents will expand access to Ed.D. programs, first using approved and cooperative programs. It will also invite program proposals from existing approved or cooperative programs for an innovative Ed.D. program that includes the use of distance education. It will submit a state-funding request for these programs.

  • School leaders prepared by the University System will be able to create environments in schools in which:

    1. Teachers and other educational personnel continue to learn (including how to use technology);
    2. Teachers participate in shaping school policies and goals;
    3. Teachers become more effective in bringing students from diverse groups to high academic standards.
    4. School personnel work closely with parents.
    5. Students are well disciplined and safe.

  • School leaders who receive initial preparation within the University System will:

    1. Receive support, assistance, and professional development from the University faculty in collaboration with the schools (limited to school leaders in Georgia).

    2. Receive the Guarantee.

COLLABORATION

Principle #5 Teacher preparation programs will be the shared responsibility of education faculty, arts and sciences faculty, and classroom teachers in the schools.

Recommended Actions

  • Each teacher preparation program will be integrated among the arts and sciences, education and field and internship experiences in P-12 schools.

  • Each institution will establish a functional unit with comparable representation from education, arts and sciences, and P-12 schools. The Board of Regents will be open to any proposals for new collaborative structures. The faculty in the functional unit will be responsible for successful implementation of the Board's Principles for the Preparation of Educators for the Schools.

  • The Board of Regents will consider any proposal for a "Charter" teacher preparation program. Such a program will, in return for achieving specified and higher goals, receive release from many System requirements. The System will also seek to have it released from other agency requirements. It will also receive extra funding for reaching agreed-upon goals.

  • The Board of Regents will seek both state and private funding to encourage the expansion of partner schools. A partner school is defined as a regular P-12 school, with no change in mission and governance, that chooses to enter into partnership with a university to work on at least four goals:

    1. Preparation of new educators (teachers, counselors, administrators, etc.) for the schools.

    2. Professional development for school and university personnel.

    3. Full support for increased student learning.

    4. Research on best practices that improve both schools and teacher preparation.

  • The Board will monitor the results of partner schools for three years and, based on these results, will consider requiring all institutions to use the partner school concept.

Principle #6 Through partnerships with P-12 schools, universities that prepare teachers will have an ongoing responsibility to collaborate with schools in mentoring, induction, and professional development programs for classroom teachers and school leaders.

Recommended Actions

  • See partner schools, above.

  • Those institutions that do not use the partner school concept will provide the Office of Academic Affairs a plan for meeting this requirement.

RESPONSIVENESS

Principle #7 All teacher preparation programs will implement aggressive recruitment policies to increase the numbers, to raise the caliber, and to expand the diversity of teacher candidates, and to balance supply and demand.

Recommended Actions

  • By 2001, all institutions must have admission standards in place for teacher preparation that results in students in those majors having academic achievement at or above the institutional average.

  • All institutions will create early identification programs for potential teachers and will establish scholarship programs for teacher preparation majors; there will be special emphasis in these programs on groups that have traditionally been underrepresented.

  • All institutions will increase by 10% the number of students currently receiving HOPE Promise (Students entering teacher preparation programs with GPA's of 3.6 or above).

  • The University System will recommend to the Georgia Student Finance Commission that certain geographic regions of the state be included as "critical shortage" areas under the HOPE Teacher Scholarship Program ( a program funded by the Georgia Lottery that provides forgivable loans to teachers and individuals who are seeking advance degrees in critical shortage fields of study leading to teacher certification).

  • The University System will initiate a marketing program with high school sophomores who score well on the PSAT to encourage interest in teacher preparation.

  • The University System Office of Academic Affairs will collaborate with:

    1. The Professional Standards Commission (PSC) in sharing data on the number of teachers prepared and number needed for each subject and grade level.

    2. The PSC and Georgia Department of Education in monitoring supply and demand in Georgia's schools. The University System Office of Academic Affairs will assist institutions in expanding programs of low supply and will redirect away from programs that produce an excessive number of graduates in areas of oversupply.

    3. The PSC in developing a "Georgia Teaching Force Center" to serve as a clearinghouse to school districts for all qualified applicants seeking teaching positions and for "back-up" personnel in emergency situations when certified teachers cannot be found.

Principle #8 The University System will expand the number of teacher certification programs offered to individuals who already hold bachelors' degrees from accredited colleges in order to increase opportunities for individuals seeking second careers in teaching.

Recommended Actions

  • The Board of Regents will seek funding to develop and pilot a "college" for individuals who seek second careers as teachers. This "college" will be collaborative, drawing on the strengths of several institutions, will maximize flexibility and use of technology, and will include rapid response to both assessing student needs and to designing largely self-paced, often individualized programs. Through partnerships with business, industry, and/or government, utilizing Georgia's Intellectual Capital Partnership Program (ICAPP), this "college" will identify potential talent or opportunities for this "Business to Teaching Program". The Board of Regents, on securing funding for the pilot, will issue an RFP to institutions wishing to establish this "college", with preference given to areas of teacher shortage. The "college" will be designed for individuals that hold a bachelor"s degree (or equivalent) in a subject they intend to teach in schools.

  • Program graduates will:

    1. Be able to demonstrate success in bringing P-12 students to expected levels of achievement.
    2. Receive support, assistance, and professional development from the University faculty in collaboration with the schools (limited to first-and second-year newly certified teachers in Georgia).
    3. Receive the Guarantee.

Principle #9 The University System will work with the Department of Education and the Professional Standards Commission to bring an end to out-of-field teaching in Georgia.

Recommended Actions

  • The Board of Regents will recommend to all appropriate agencies and organizations adoption of the following definition of out-of-field teaching: out-of-field teaching occurs when a teacher is teaching any subject with less than an academic minor or equivalent in that field.

  • The Board of Regents will recommend to the Georgia Department of Education adoption of a "Truth in Advertising" principle that would require each school district to list for the public the academic majors and minors of all teachers.

It does so with the full knowledge that these recommendations may create a hiring crisis and teacher shortages (as may increasing the standards for admission and new program requirements in teacher preparation). While efforts in principles seven and eight are aimed at minimizing these problems, the Board is aware of the potential consequences but believes that the evidence presented suggests that such a crisis may be a necessary step in creating change.

Principle #10 The University System will encourage institutions that prepare teachers to give added emphasis to policies that:

  • support the efforts of faculty to model effective teaching.
  • support the efforts of faculty to focus their research on ways to improve classroom teaching and student learning within P-12 schools.
  • support increased participation of teacher preparation faculty in the public schools.

Recommended Actions

  • Each University President will certify to the Chancellor that the institution's merit salary increases for teacher preparation faculty reflect that faculty member's:

    1. own teaching effectiveness;
    2. applied research on ways to improve teaching and student learning in schools, where appropriate;
    3. other forms of research and scholarship, where appropriate;
    4. service to schools, where appropriate.

  • Each University President will likewise certify the same for teacher preparation faculty recommended for promotion and/or tenure.

  • Each University President will likewise ensure that post-tenure reviews of teacher preparation faculty shall include similar measures.

  • Funding will be sought to increase teacher preparation faculty involvement in the schools, including exchange agreements.