Each year, thousands of new teachers step
into classrooms across Tennessee and begin
teaching our students. Although the first years
in the classroom will present challenges for any
teacher, educator preparation programs (EPPs)
play a pivotal role in ensuring that these teachers
are well prepared to work with students. In
theory, EPPs help teacher candidates develop the
content knowledge and skills needed to improve
student achievement. In practice, however, the
ability of these programs to prepare teachers for
the classroom varies significantly.
One way to assess the effectiveness of EPPs
is to look at the impact of these teachers on
student achievement. In 2007, the Tennessee
General Assembly passed legislation requiring
the state to track and publicly report on the
effectiveness of educator preparation programs
on three indicators: placement and retention
rates, Praxis assessments, and teacher impact
data as measured by Tennessee Value-Added
Assessment System (TVAAS) scores.1 Tennessee
is one of 11 states to link effectiveness of EPPs with
how their graduates perform in the classroom.2
Only a few of the 40 preparation providers in
the state have been able to produce teacher
candidates who are able to positively impact
student achievement, compared to other
beginning teachers and as measured by
TVAAS data. For example, Lipscomb University
and Teach for America-Nashville on average
produce more effective teachers in reading and
math than graduates of other EPPs.3 The state
is also exploring the use of other indicators to
assess the effectiveness of EPPs. A 2016 study
by researchers at the University of Michigan
investigated the potential for using observational
ratings from evaluations of teachers to assess
EPPs.4 Researchers found that only three of
the forty EPPs in Tennessee produce betterthan-average teacher candidates, based on
observation scores.5
The lack of effective preparation for many
early-career teachers—those in their first five
years of professional practice—has important
consequences for students. Some studies show
that the difference for students between having
access to effective teaching or ineffective
teaching can represent more than a year’s
worth of learning growth.6 This impact on
student achievement is especially significant
for historically underserved students. Earlycareer teachers are more likely to be placed
in classrooms with more students of color and
low-income students, and ineffective educator
preparation can widen the achievement gap
for these students.7 The inability of many EPPs
in the state to adequately prepare teachers
also means that schools and districts often must
take on the responsibility of providing intensive
supports to their early-career teachers.
Since teachers play such an important role
in improving student learning, they must be
prepared to teach on day one of their careers.
Although research about the characteristics
of effective educator preparation is still in
development, we know that some practices can
significantly improve preparation of early-career
teachers. Educator preparation that emphasizes
strong student teaching experiences and pairs
student te