Meeting of the Commission
Friday, March 10, 2006
10:00 A.M. – 4:00 P.M.
Recital Room, Richards Hall
Dixon University Center, Harrisburg
Present at Meeting
Caroline Allen |
Colleen Dorsey |
Alan Lesgold |
Elizabeth Useem |
Cynthia Azari |
Carolyn Dumaresq |
Ivory Nelson |
Clythera Hornung for D. Surra |
Robert Bartos |
James Fogarty |
Robert Palestini |
Elaine Frombach for M. Fabrizi |
Terry Blue |
Peter Garland |
Donna Piekarski |
Pat Halpin-Murphy for T. Kirsch |
Jane Bray |
James Gearity |
Harris Sokoloff |
Robert Feir |
Nancy Bunt |
Tomás Hanna |
Michael Speziale |
Stephen Pavlak |
Ronald Cowell |
Mark Holman |
Stinson Stroup |
Sarah Coon |
Heather D’Angelo |
Richard Kneedler |
James Turner |
Michelle Tarlecki |
Dr. Kneedler called the meeting to order at 10:15 am.
Dr. Fogarty moved that the minutes of the February 10th meeting
be approved. The motion was seconded by Mr. Holman and approved without
objection.
Dr. Feir introduced the morning speaker, Dr. Sharon Robinson, President
and CEO of AACTE.
Dr. Robinson began her presentation by explaining that teacher education
is challenged by a changing world, increasingly valued, undergoing
scrutiny, being made accountable, under-funded, innovating and transforming.
Quality teachers need to be more aware of changes beyond the borders
of an individual state or the country.
There is a growing disparity that threatens both social and economic
aspects of society. Also, the majority of the population growth
will occur among the least educated populations.
The United States is no longer the most highly educated country
in the world. This can be seen by looking at the TIMSS results. There
could be several reasons for this occurrence: students and teachers
are not working hard enough; students are not getting the instruction
they need; or families are becoming less focused on education. We
need to understand that today’s classrooms are more diverse
than ever before – in virtually every community in the United
States.
There is a national imperative to reverse the declines in education
and income levels, which we can accomplish if we “do a better
job of increasing the education of all….particularly of populations
that are growing fastest.” Higher education institutions are
competing for every student. A new business model is needed for teacher
education - faster, cheaper and better.
Dr. Robinson discussed how teacher education is being made accountable
through the use of technology. Today’s teachers have access
to information about how their students are doing on a regular basis.
They are able to tell what needs to be done to improve a student’s
progress.
A conceptual framework showed how the focus should be on the learner
and how one learns. The conceptual framework is broken into three
areas: knowledge of learners and development in social contexts;
knowledge of subject matter and curriculum goals; and knowledge of
teaching.
Teacher education is under-funded. Rich clinical experiences need
to be developed in all settings for practitioners. Practitioners
need to be exposed to diverse learners with diverse challenges. The
experience from these clinical experiences must demonstrate how a
classroom will be so that the teachers will know what to expect when
they enter their classrooms. Teachers who have such experiences tend
to have the biggest impact on their own students’ learning.
Teacher education is innovating and transforming. There are new
routes for teachers to obtain certificates and for school districts
to obtain qualified candidates. Pennsylvania does not have as many
new routes as other states. An example in California is at San Jose
State University. The area is growing faster than anticipated, and
the school district does not have enough teachers to serve its students.
The university and school district have created a three-year program
for liberal arts graduates to become knowledgeable in pedagogy and
to obtain a teaching certificate.
In the first year, liberal arts graduates receive 20% of the pay
of a normal teacher. They observe, analyze, and teach part-time in
a classroom. They are also completing coursework. In the second year,
graduates are given 40% pay and spend more time in clinical placements.
In the third year, graduates are given 80% pay plus benefits and
are teachers of record in their classrooms. Graduates are ready to
become teachers and have their own classrooms without the help of
another teacher. At all times, San Jose State representatives are
in the schools.
Dr. Robinson discussed teacher education imperatives that must be
addressed: increase diversity of teacher candidates; strengthen curricula;
know precisely our impact on candidate knowledge and skills; get
serious about clinical development; and justify our existence by
our impact on PK-12 learners. Teachers need to be concerned that
every family send the best children to school and the teacher needs
to be able to teach all of them, no matter how diverse. The next
generation of learners asks “Why do I need to learn that?,” and
the teacher must be able to answer .
Discussion
Dr. Robinson said an important point about education was
made by Dr. Arthur Levine. He said that there is a weak link between
school districts and the preparation of practitioners. School districts
should be more involved in the process. The vision needs to be
stretched beyond the current clinical practice of future educators
working in single classrooms.
Induction needs to be viewed as a continuum. The induction process
should begin at admission to college. If induction begins early,
a person can see if the teaching profession is the career that he
or she wants. This will also lead to more intense experience in the
real world.
There needs to be more financial aid for teachers. Loan forgiveness
would be a way to help teachers. Also, teaching has to become competitive
as a good career choice. Salary should be a priority. Would a tax
incentive program be the answer to more funding of teacher programs?
Teaching has always been a good draw for first-generation college
students. Students going into the teaching major need to be college-ready.
They need to view teaching as a fulfilling career. Students who would
be talented teachers need to be encouraged to become teachers.
Group Break-Out Session
In preparation for group discussions, Dr.
Feir described the topics of each group and what it was hoped would
be considered in discussions. Dr. Feir reminded Group 1 that the
survey results from the Commission’s
survey stated that 38% of the superintendents surveyed thought
teachers were not well prepared to teach diverse learners, and
57% of urban superintendents thought they were not well prepared
for their schools. For Group 2, he informed them that although
Pennsylvania produces more teachers overall than needed for the
state, its’ shortage areas mirror those on the national level.
How can we attract teachers to these shortage areas? Should we
use loan forgiveness or scholarships to attract students? The Pennsylvania
Business Roundtable has been discussing a tax credit program for
businesses. If a corporation contributed, it could get a state
tax credit somewhere between 50-90%. Dr. Feir asked Groups 3 and
4 to think creatively about the Governor’s charge regarding
the export of teachers and establishing Pennsylvania as a magnet
for teacher preparation. Out-of-state recruiters are pleased with
the quality of our teachers but think they are not adequately prepared
to teach diverse learners. They like to recruit at large teacher-producing
universities and regional job fairs because it is more economical.
The national shortage areas include mathematics, science, foreign
languages, special education, technology education, and consumer
science. Pennsylvania has a smaller shortage of technology education
and consumer science teachers than the national average. Many Pennsylvania
teachers go elsewhere to teach because they cannot find jobs here
and return home when they can.
Group 1
Topic: “Preparation for teaching diverse learners, especially
those most at risk.”
Facilitator: Dr. James Fogarty
Recorder: Ms. Heather D’Angelo
- Must have in the regular education classroom first
- Diverse
- Special Needs
- Gifted
- ESL
- Ethnicity
- At Risk
- Styles of Learning
- There is a split between Elementary And Secondary:
Elementary prepares teachers better to handle diverse learners
- Possibly not better at teaching the content at the elementary
level to diverse learners
- Not producing enough teachers to help ESL students
- Expectations
around children being able to speak English
- Solution: Starting
dual language program earlier
- Solution: Put teacher education candidates
in true clinical experiences earlier
- What should happen?
- A different model.
- Bring together the skills of the special
education and regular education professors.
- From the beginning
teach what will be in a teacher’s class – all
types of students.
- Teaching differentiated instruction right
from the beginning.
- The regulations have to reflect this model.
- Do all students
have access to high quality teachers? NO
- Solutions:
- Union to recognize problem and endorse that we need
to move high quality teachers to difficult vacancies.
- Civil Rights
issue – Diverse learners are being denied
high quality teachers.
- Building principals need to create schools
where teachers want to stay.
Discussion
There was some discussion of the issue of experienced
teachers transferring out of the most difficult teaching assignments
into those that are less challenging. Points were made about
the role of unions in supporting senior teachers and in working
with district administration to support new teachers in settings
where they can succeed.
One reason teachers transfer schools is because of school climate.
Is it calm, a place where learning can occur, or chaotic, where learning
is difficult? Teachers want a school where learning is possible.
Teachers are sometimes assigned to teach in areas where they are
not qualified or lack the knowledge of that content area.
Technology has allowed teachers to make more frequent assessments
of students. It is like having an IEP for every student in the classroom.
Teachers are not coming out of college prepared to use assessments
effectively to deal with the needs of every student.
Some professors do not have a background in teaching English language
learners and special education students.
Clinical settings for student teaching experiences need to show
inclusion in order to assist professors and teacher education candidates
understand PK-12 student diversity.
Group 2
Topic: “Where are the shortages? How do we create a pipeline
of high quality candidates? Roles of universities and PK-12 schools.”
Facilitator: Dr. Stinson Stroup
Recorder: Dr. Carolyn Dumaresq
- Where
- Content-Certificates
- Special Education
- Middle Level
- Early Childhood change in cert. K-? ?-6
- Math
- Science
- Vocational
- Alternative Education
- ESL
- Diversity of Candidates
- Pipeline for Highly Qualified
- Early onset clinical experiences, especially urban
- Discuss quality
type of experience
- Trained observer
- Quality of teacher partner
- Marketing education as a career
(grow your own)
- Change message to children on value of education career.
- Tuition remission – commitment
- Add a certification
- Paraprofessional – areas of high need
- Scholarships for
elementary minor in math/science
- Summer programs – experience
for children
- Market total package – i.e.
benefits, retirement, salary
- Attract and market out-of-state
in hard to staff
- Incentives for colleges to “redirect” to
high need areas of certification
- Career service communication
with deans of schools of education
- Community
college recruitment to 4-year institutions
- Carrot/sticks
for higher education to refocus on high needs areas
Discussion
If teachers show students that they love their
jobs, more students may become teachers. Pittsburgh established a
marketing campaign to show why teachers loved their jobs to attract
more people to the profession. The campaign also showed how hard
the teaching profession is. In Philadelphia, they used billboards
with real teachers on them in a campaign. The billboard said why
the teachers liked their jobs. Applications increased by 30% that
year. Students see the teaching profession everyday in schools. Teachers
are role models for future teachers.
Fewer teachers would leave schools if there was better administrative
support for teachers.
Group 3
Topic: “Are there ways that the Commonwealth or individual
institutions can effectively focus on serving out-of-state students
and those likely to teach in other states without short-changing
Pennsylvania’s own need for high quality teachers?”
Facilitator: Dr. James Gearity
Recorder: Ms. Sarah Coon
- Value of becoming teacher training magnet?
- Specific subjects (shortage
areas)
- Differences between 4-year and 5-year track
- Increase
higher education capacity?
- Financial incentives to increase
capacity
- Effect on Pennsylvania students – displaced?
- Greater displacement
in 5-year programs
- How to advantage
Pennsylvania students?
- Out-of-state reduces costs for in-state
students
- Prepare for Pennsylvania certification
- “Package” Pennsylvania education out-of-state
- Innovative
programs, attract the best
- Marketing – results focused
- Stay
in-state
- Experienced in district more time → plant roots
- Home financing
- High quality field experience
- As a magnet,
do we disadvantage Pennsylvania students? NO
- Benefits of
importing students/exporting teachers?
- Diversifying student
population
- Improves education experience
- Requires quality
and early recruitment in-state
Discussion
It is not a problem for a person with a Pennsylvania certificate
to go to a different state to teach, but it is a problem for a person
to teach in Pennsylvania with an out-of-state certificate. People
with out-of-state certificates must meet all Pennsylvania standards
to be granted certification.
One point of view is that Pennsylvania should not be lenient for
out-of-state candidates when it is not for people in-state. The problem
with that view is that people with out-of-state certificates could
teach in districts where emergency certificates are issued to less
qualified people.
Teachers out of college tend to move to other states because there
are a limited number of jobs close to home. When the new teachers
move to another state, other states’ school districts invest
in more training for them. When jobs become available closer to home,
the teachers move back. Pennsylvania gets the teachers back with
more training and experience but at no cost to the state.
There is a need to reduce barriers that prevent teachers working
in Pennsylvania’s shortage areas.
Group 4
Topic: “Should we consider establishing some institutions
as national centers of excellence that focus both preservice and
continuing professional education on a national student pool, as
well as on Pennsylvania residents? Who would be competitors for such
institutions?”
Facilitator: Dr. Nancy Bunt
Recorder: Dr. Clythera S. Hornung
- What is a National Center for Excellence
(NCE)?
- Does it imply one place that is unique?
- How would
an institution become an NCE?
- What are the standards to becoming
an NCE?
- Would
this be a disincentive for others (that are not NCE) to improve?
- If
you are an NCE, would it mean others are not “centers
of excellence”?
- Would money for NCEs be siphoned
from other institutions of higher education (IHEs)?
- What
are relevant outcomes to demonstrate excellence in teacher preparation?
- Disposition
is so important in measuring teacher quality.
- Would
a network of NCEs work? Would different NCEs concentrate on certain
subjects?
- The federal government has national centers for research
in different subjects.
Discussion
Commissioners discussed establishing a diffusion network of best
practice in areas of critical need, such as math, science, and urban
education. The network would have lead institutions in each area
of need. These would be institutions with a special focus on the
need area and a willingness to work with other institutions to disseminate
information for adaptation elsewhere.
Material from the Philadelphia School District
Included in this month’s folders was material from the Teacher
Diversity Campaign of the Philadelphia School District. Mr. Hanna
described the campaign. In Philadelphia, there is a disparity between
the races of teachers versus the races of students. A majority of
the students in Philadelphia schools are black, yet most teachers
are white. The campaign is not trying to make sure every student
is taught by a person of the same race, but that every teacher has
a positive effect on students. The campaign hopes to have the recommendations
ready by April 7.
The campaign is looking at several areas that affect the teachers
in the Philadelphia School District. The areas are sourcing, marketing
the district, alternative certification, grow your own (high school
students and paraprofessionals), advocacy and cultural competence/proficiency.
The problem with grow your own programs is that the need is now.
Philadelphia schools cannot wait for “grow your own” teachers
to come out of school. One solution would be to add a certificate
in special education and one for the middle levels. Another solution
that the district came up with is tuition remission for positions
that cannot be filled. The school district would pay a person’s
tuition to become certified to fill one of the spots.
Another problem that the Philadelphia School District is going to
have is compliance with the No Child Left Behind Act. There is a
possibility that the school district is going to have to lay off
great teachers because they cannot fill the middle level years based
on NCLB requirements.
Partnerships between the Philadelphia SD and higher education institutions
are doing well. The university partners meet four times a year to
discuss issues. The summer initiative program has come from these
partnerships. The reason that these partnerships work is because
the District is honest about what is not working and what needs to
be accomplished together.
Public Comments
There were no public comments.
Housekeeping
The Commission’s next meeting (April 20) is on a Thursday.
Representatives are welcome, if a member cannot attend.
Recently, Dr. Feir had the opportunity to participate in a NCATE/PDE
review at Millersville University. It was a useful learning experience,
and Dr. Feir thanked Dr. Bray for arranging it.
On March 8, a teleconference at eight intermediate units took place.
The conversations were similar to those that have been going on in
other meetings, but from a different perspective - teachers. This
meeting reinforces that the Commission is on the right track.
The meeting was adjourned at 3:25 pm.
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