The Policy Landscape for Higher Education and Teacher Education Edward Crowe Senior Consultant Carnegie Corporation of New York WACTE Spring Meeting APRIL 24, 2008

Higher education Learning Outcomes--identification and measurement by institutions Accreditation--teaching and learning issues Data systems Costs, student aid, state budgets

Spellings Commission The Future of US Higher Education Key Issues and Recommendations  Access  Cost and Affordability  Learning  Transparency and Accountability  Innovation

Voluntary System of Accountability for Public Higher Education NASULGC and AASCU FIPSE grant support--$2.4 million Key principles oDemonstrate accountability and stewardship to the public oMeasure educational outcomes to identify effective educational practices oAccessible, understandable, and comparable information Lumina Foundation support

Federal and state investments in data systems Institute for Education Sciences Program 27 state grantees $115 million awarded Longitudinal data systems and individual identifiers

Improved assessments of teaching and learning NCLB-related draft initiative Performance-based teacher assessment study College and work ready standards and assessments New student achievement assessments (states and consortia of states) Consortia of foundations, states, universities and others to develop performance assessments for students (authorized in draft bills)

State budgets and fiscal policies 17 states face budget shortfall of $31 billion 11 more states expecting budget shortfalls later this year or next Cuts in health and education services Impact on higher education (balancing the budget) Quarterly revenue projection down 2% for State of Washington ( ) (From the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities)

Teacher education Program quality Teacher quality Improved assessment practices Striving for professional status

Title II Report Card  Pass rates  Program improvement  Revisions to Higher Education Amendments by Congress  Low performance: 17/1200 Impact on quality?

Policy support for alternatives KIPP Schools ( Hunter College ( Teach for America ( Math for America (

Improving outcomes, strengthening the evidence base  New York City--the Pathways Project  California State University System  University of Wisconsin--FIPSE and AASCU  Louisiana Value-added system  Ohio Teacher Quality Partnership

Key points Some initiated by states or feds for pure accountability purposes Others begun by institutions or systems for program improvement Still others developed by institutions and states with 3 goals:  Stronger candidates  Better programs  More robust and professional accountability processes

Effective Responses to the Policy Landscape  Focusing on outcomes  Fostering collaboration  Building capacity  Building a profession

Response #1-Focusing on Outcomes “ Society reaps at this moment but a small fraction of the advantage which current knowledge has the power to confer. ” Abraham Flexner (1910) [ Bulletin No. 4, Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching]

Response #2-Fostering Collaboration “ Always do right. This will gratify some people and astonish the rest. ” Mark Twain

Response #3-Building Capacity First Doctor: “ I ’ ve forgotten all my science: what ’ s the use of my pretending I haven ’ t? But I have great experience: clinical experience; and bedside experience is the main thing, isn't it? ” Second Doctor: “ Mere experience by itself is nothing. If I take my dog to the bedside with me, he sees what I see. But he learns nothing from it. Why? Because he's not a scientific dog. ” --George Bernard Shaw, The Doctor ’ s Dilemma

Examples of effective responses Sophisticated internal database Candidate pool, observation instruments, research studies linked to program experiences, induction, and professional development Pupil learning studies

Lessons from the examples? Continuous improvement strategies Capacity building to track and study outcomes Mixed methods designs--qualitative and quantitative Multi-site collaboration--shared resources and ideas Work intended to generate knowledge and use it locally

Response # 4-Building a profession Key components Who enters? How are they trained? How do they practice? How are they regulated? What ’ s the evidence of effectiveness?

Components of professional legitimacy Education Accreditation Licensure

Components of professional legitimacy Education Rigor and consistency of training provided to members of the professional community--confers professional status on those who complete training BUT…. Teacher education--almost systematic absence of shared values, ideas, training methods, and outcomes Huge variety of programs, pathways, course sequences, degree requirements, battles over program content

Components of professional legitimacy Accreditation The process by which a profession sets and applies its own standards and rules … Rooted in rational and scientific ideas and … Consistent with values embedded in education, licensure and other forms of oversight

Components of professional legitimacy Licensure Standard vehicle for determining entry into a profession… Professions employ licensure to control entry BUT… Many licensing categories, 600+ teacher tests, exceptions to rules… every state with its own laws, rules and exceptions

Moving ahead as a profession Outcomes Assessment Evidence Continuous improvement