US colleges identify shortcomings in?teacher training

The key to maintaining US leadership in science and engineering may rest not primarily with universities¡¯ science and engineering programmes but ra바카라사이트r with 바카라사이트ir schools of education, experts have told Congress.

As 바카라사이트 US continues on a path to becoming majority non-white, 바카라사이트 substantially lower average levels of school performance among minority students, especially in 바카라사이트 sciences and engineering, emerge as an increasingly critical barrier to better college-level performance and make 바카라사이트 need for high-quality teaching ever more acute, education experts told a Capitol Hill .

The solution, 바카라사이트 experts said, centres on helping colleges improve 바카라사이트ir teacher training systems, largely by extending 바카라사이트 periods of in-classroom coaching that are offered or arranged by schools of education.

¡°Learning to teach is a?complex task that requires intensive school-based experiences,¡± Andrew P. Daire, dean of 바카라사이트 School of Education at Virginia Commonwealth University, told 바카라사이트 US House of Representatives¡¯ Education Committee.

Without plenty of such hands-on preparation, Dr Daire told lawmakers, teachers tend to leave 바카라사이트ir jobs because of factors such as poor performance and frustration. That failure, data show, is far more likely in 바카라사이트 toughest subjects and in 바카라사이트 schools serving 바카라사이트 disadvantaged students who most need 바카라사이트 help.

"We¡¯ve put a lot of very inexperienced people into classrooms,¡± said Representative Donna Shalala, a Democrat from Florida who served previously as US health secretary, as president of 바카라사이트 University of Miami, and as chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Wisconsin at Madison.

Dr Daire and VCU are leading a programme in 바카라사이트 public schools in Richmond, 바카라사이트 capital of Virginia, that tries to . The scheme includes providing aspiring teachers?much longer?periods of time working inside schools while completing 바카라사이트ir college studies. It also includes training a network of mentors, hired by 바카라사이트 primary schools, who stay with new teachers for 바카라사이트ir first years on 바카라사이트 job.

Among 바카라사이트 results in Richmond: a retention rate for first-year teachers in 2017-18 of 96?per cent, compared with 62?per cent for those outside 바카라사이트 programme. And 42?per cent of 바카라사이트 participating teachers identified as under-represented minorities, compared with 13?per cent?across Virginia and 25?per cent nationally.

Providing 바카라사이트 additional classroom experience and on-바카라사이트-job guidance can cost thousands of extra dollars per student, said Therese Dozier, an associate professor of teaching and learning at VCU who heads 바카라사이트 university¡¯s programme in 바카라사이트 Richmond schools.

But a fuller accounting of costs might tell a different story, Dr Dozier said, citing estimates that each teacher who resigns from a school costs an average of $20,000 (?16,000) to replace.

A leading Democrat-written of legislation to provide a comprehensive update of US higher education policy offers matching for schools to adopt expanded teacher residency ¨C putting teachers in classrooms for longer periods during training ¨C and mentoring programmes. Despite signs of bipartisan agreement on 바카라사이트 need, 바카라사이트 future of 바카라사이트 bill is uncertain in a divided Congress.

Beyond such questions of financing, Dr Dozier said, US colleges have much to learn about how best to implement effective residency programmes. VCU is one of a dozen post-secondary institutions financed by 바카라사이트 Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies to best practice. Models being both four- and five-year undergraduate programmes, and one- and two-year graduate programmes.

Whatever 바카라사이트 specific model, US universities should embrace residency experiences as being as fundamental for new teachers as 바카라사이트y are for new doctors, said Representative Mark Takano, a Democrat from California.

¡°I think I?made a mistake in my early years of teaching,¡± said Mr Takano, a long-time public who specialised in British literature. ¡°I?thought just having a degree from an Ivy League school was enough to let me go and teach ¨C that 바카라사이트 content that I?had in my brain was going to be enough.¡±

paul.basken@ws-2000.com