Education Commons^™

Teaching, Learning, And Leading With Schools And Communities: One Urban University Re-Envisions Teacher Preparation For The Next Generation, Ann Marie Ryan, David C. Ensminger, Amy J. Heineke, Adam S. Kennedy, David P. Prasse, Lara K. Smetana

Ann Marie Ryan, PhD

Ultimately, the national goals of improving learning outcomes for all students and reducing, if not eliminating, the achievement gap require a teaching corps that brings knowledge and professional competencies to have positive impacts on diverse learners in diverse settings (Gándara & Maxwell-Jolly, 2006). As central actors in schools, teachers have the greatest impact on student achievement (Cochran-Smith & Fries, 2005). Nevertheless, due to varied challenges of preparing high-quality teachers within the context of traditional schools of education, preparation programs have yet to consistently and comprehensively produce teachers who accomplish these outcomes (Ball & Forzani, 2009; Larabee, 2004, 2010). While substantive …