Understanding teacher candidates' (TCs') developmental needs and framing teacher preparation with those in mind can provide education programs with actionable ways to further TC development that generate positive outcomes for them and their students. This novel case study explored four initial certification TCs' teacher performance and stages of…

This study examines College and Career Readiness (CCR) policy implementation through the lens of "decoupling." We investigate how high schools have jointly implemented Career and Technical Education (CTE) and Industry-Based Certifications (IBCs), and whether there is evidence of "curricular-credential decoupling" via…

Tuition-free college programs are gaining momentum as policymakers address rising college costs and workforce readiness. Despite their growing adoption, limited research examines how workforce-focused eligibility criteria impact student outcomes beyond enrollment. This pre-registered study employs two within-study quasi-experimental…

School-based agricultural education (SBAE), like many other subject areas, suffers from a critical teacher shortage. Many states have chosen to combat this shortage by offering temporary emergency teaching certifications with minimal qualifications and no requirements for professional development. Retention is also needed to stem the flow of…

To advance the social and economic goals of the communities that vocational education and training (VET) serves requires more than being responsive to governmental and industry needs. While necessary to a degree, being responsive to such needs is not a sufficient goal to which VET systems should be directed, enacted and judged. They also need to:…

A long history of scholarship on teacher professionalism documents how different narratives about teaching animate education policy and practice. We bridge the Advocacy Coalition Framework with institutional logics to examine how beliefs about teaching unite and divide a state-level coalition pursuing teacher licensure policy reform and manifest…

This study aims to investigate the perceptions of teacher candidates enrolled in an early childhood program (BEd) towards the importance of producing the capstone portfolio. The purpose of using capstone portfolios is to provide evidence that Early Childhood Education candidates (ECEC) have met international accreditation standards as stipulated…

Systemic challenges for the Texas teacher workforce result from a large yearly demand for new teachers, exacerbated by high and climbing teacher attrition rates. As a result of these challenges, a large majority of new teachers are now hired before they complete preparation. Assigned disproportionately to students from low-income families and…

This chapter presents the history of GSI development as a field and lays out a broad vision for preparing future higher education instructors that moves from voluntary, piecemeal activities to coordinated, outcomes-based certification.

Following a high-quality early care and pre-K experience, the kindergarten-through-third-grade years set the foundation upon which future learning builds; and strengthening this continuum creates opportunities for later success. Key components of a quality experience in K-3 include school readiness and transitions, kindergarten requirements,…

Teacher license reciprocity allows educators who hold a teaching license in one state to earn a license in another state, subject to meeting state-specific requirements. Reciprocity agreements allow states to work through variations in licensing systems to coordinate license transfers and fill vacant teaching positions with qualified candidates.…

Teacher license reciprocity allows educators who hold a teaching license in one state to earn a license in another state, subject to meeting state-specific requirements. Reciprocity agreements allow states to work through variations in licensing systems to coordinate license transfers and fill vacant teaching positions with qualified candidates.…

Advances in the science of learning and development, along with the increasing demands of life and work in the 21st century, are raising expectations for schools and educators. Policy levers that affect the teacher workforce will play a key role in meeting these expectations. This report, one of a series of state policy studies produced by the…

Children across the nation lack access to high-quality pre-K programs that can support their development and build foundational skills for elementary school. The pandemic set pre-K enrollment and funding back further, with an enrollment decline of nearly 300,000 children and state spending remaining relatively flat. As children and families return…

Policy is a powerful tool that guides many gifted education services and practices in states across the U.S. In addition to student services, policies can govern teacher preparation standards and qualifications for educators responsible for instructional delivery to academically talented learners. Essential to the process, institutions of higher…