Elementary education candidates are entering teaching at a time when the national restructuring of the Praxis II Exam 7811 elementary licensure exam has taken place at the same time the state is involved in the Kansans Can School Redesign Project. These changes directly impact local school districts and the effectiveness of novice teachers in these innovative classrooms. The primary purpose of this qualitative, collective case study was to explore and describe which high-leverage practices (HLPs) and differentiated instruction (DI) could be considered for adoption in elementary education methods courses of Kansas' private, liberal-arts teacher education programs. More specifically, recommendations for instructional practices (IPs) were explored and described that were found most effective in positively impacting student learning by novice elementary teachers assigned to innovative classroom environments. The objective was to identify any improvements that could bring forth an enhanced elementary education preparation process for candidates with the implementation of instructional practices, HLPs and DI, so that candidates can be successful as a novice teacher in an innovative classroom environment. The data were triangulated through the Kansas Association of Private Colleges of Teacher Education (KAPCOTE) elementary methods course faculty questionnaires and interview transcripts of KAPCOTE completers who were novice teachers going through the redesign process, and the Elementary School Redesign Specialist from KSDE. The theoretical framework involved prior research in the areas of HLPs, DI, student readiness, and the integration and connection between theory and practice. A new theory emerged from the research for a gradual release of responsibility model for elementary education preparation. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com.bibliotheek.ehb.be/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]