Teacher Education Strategic Planning Panel Report, March 1995.

Overview & Synopsis

This document presents recommendations for Colorado state teacher education policy additions and changes based on a review of existing policies and in light of current changes in the professional education field. The recommendations are: (1) do not reinstate undergraduate degrees in education; (2) accept interdisciplinary majors for teacher education when they meet certain criteria; (3) allow undergraduate students intending to become teachers to complete all requirements for a degree and for teacher licensure in a planned eight-semester program; (4) the teacher licensure component of post-baccalaureate programs should be the same undergraduate courses required of students completing an eight-semester Bachelor's degree with licensure requirements; (5) continue programs combining licensure requirements with Master's degree requirements, with stipulations; (6) continue limiting teacher education licensure programs to 20-42 semester hours with a Bachelor's degree program; (7) 4-year institutions should deliver licensure/pedagogy components and only at the upper level; (8) accept the University of Northern Colorado's (UNC) definition of its designation as the state's primary teacher education institution; (9) do not encourage development of new programs; (10) K-12/higher education partnerships are strongly endorsed; (11) retain the current configuration for access to programs in teacher education; (12) encourage appropriate technology; (13) hold programs accountable for students' knowledge and performance in teacher education; (14) do not establish a Bachelor's in early childhood education; (15) establish a permanent education advisory committee to review programs; (16) codify certain policies stemming from past reports. An appendix lists members of the panel making the recommendations, the UNC role definition, a statement on elimination of undergraduate education degrees from deans of education; and responses from deans of education to questions on licensure and standards-based education, and a draft codification of teacher education policy. (JB)