University of Memphis, College of Education

Facilitator and Evaluator: Teacher Quality Grant

From 2005 to 2008, CTL served as a facilitator and evaluator for a $2.1 million United States Department of Education Teacher Quality Grant awarded to the University of Memphis College of Education (UMCE) to significantly redesign their teacher preparation programs.

The grant supported work with UMCE faculty to develop a performance-based teacher preparation and certification system, which, in turn, enabled teacher candidates to acquire and demonstrate the skills and capacities needed for high quality teaching.

CTL facilitated the process at UMCE with the development of program standards, assessment tools and related coursework. CTL also monitored the implementation of the new approach to teacher education by providing coaching support for university education faculty, and facilitating refinement of the program through ongoing evaluation.

UMCE’s ultimate goal is to “reinvent” teacher education, with the focus on development and demonstration of teaching skills in actual classroom settings. What sets this teacher preparation program apart is that teacher candidates work through a true performance-based system. Rather than simply completing coursework and standard “student teaching” fieldwork, graduates of UMCE’s teacher preparation program will be prepared to apply the skills needed to support students in urban learning environments.