TEACHER+PLUS: A Model of Urban Teacher Preparation

• In Event: STEP-UP (Summer Teacher Education Partnership for Urban Preparation): An Innovative Program of Urban Teacher Preparation Through Cultural and Community Immersion

Abstract

The student population of public schools is becoming increasingly dynamic and diverse, both ethnically and linguistically. As of 2010, 87% of students in Chicago Public Schools (CPS) were either Black or Hispanic and hailed from low-income backgrounds. Twelve percent of students were limited-English proficient (Illinois State Board of Education, 2011). Contrasted with the mostly White (51%), middle class teaching staff, a significant cultural divide between students and teachers emerges. In Chicago, students in high-poverty communities attending low-performing schools often have the least experienced teachers. When compared to low-poverty schools, teachers in schools of impoverished communities have almost two years less experience, fewer teaching qualifications, and less education, on average (Illinois State Board of Education, 2011).

Urban school districts have a notorious inability to retain quality teachers. According to some estimates, almost 50% of new teacher hires in urban districts will leave by year five (Ingersoll, 2003). The problem of attrition is not only costly for the district; it can also be detrimental for students. The high rate of turnover prevents curriculum coordination and the communication of progress knowledge from one year to the next (Donaldson, 2009). However, unique and tailored teacher preparation programs designed to empower pre-service teachers with the specialized skills needed to succeed in urban schools can positively impact urban teaching commitment, and ultimately, retention (Frankenberg, Taylor, & Merseth, 2010; BLIND REVIEW).

In an effort to address these issues, a partnership between BLIND REVIEW and Chicago Public Schools was formed - the Chicago Teacher Education Pipeline™ (CTEP). Since its inception, CTEP has worked to reform urban teacher preparation at BLIND REVIEW by providing urban focused redesigned courses, bringing hundreds of undergraduate students to Chicago for clinical experiences, and partnering with local schools for intensive student teaching opportunities.

In 2009, CTEP was awarded federal dollars to enact the Teacher Education and Assessment Continuum for High-need Educators and Resources + Principal Leadership for Urban Schools (TEACHER+PLUS) Project. Building upon the existing framework of CTEP, TEACHER+PLUS is an initiative to intensively prepare BLIND REVIEW teacher candidates for high-need, under-serviced urban communities and provide a steady stream of high-quality teachers for the schools that need them the most. Among its many opportunities and activities, the STEP-UP program functions as a microcosm of the CTEP model.

This presentation will provide an overview of the development of CTEP and its programs, leading up to the federal funding of the TEACHER+PLUS Project. I will also serve as the chair of this session and moderate the presentations.

Author

• Robert E. Lee, Illinois State University