Teacher Preparation - A Leading Indicator of Economic, Equity, and Education Outcomes

I recently read the new research report by the Carnegie Corporation called "How Do Teacher Preparation Programs Affect a State's Economy?. The fundamental premise of the report is that the quality of a state’s teacher preparation programs directly influence our nation's wellbeing. In such, there is a demand that state policymakers pay greater attention to 'long-struggling' teacher preparation programs (TPP). The research puts forth the following thought provoking question, “How is the teacher preparation adapting its program, curriculum, and clinical experiences to ensure that teachers are prepared for the new education landscape?”. This is a pertinent question as teachers are directly responsible for ensuring that students are equipped to meet the evolving learning demands of post-COVID economic recovery.

"More than ever, teacher preparation will determine the economic, equity, and education outcomes for a state."

A particularly noteworthy element of the report was the "value-added" methodology from the Hoover Institution at Stanford University which calculated the economic value of higher teacher quality. The method shows that more effective teachers can add $10.6K to the lifetime wages of the average worker. On the low-end teachers will impact 20 students each year and work an average of 14 years. Thus each higher quality teacher over the course of their career could drive ~$3 million USD in incremental earnings for their students.

The research also defines a high quality or modern TPP - outlining the necessary concepts and indicators to receive that designation. STEMpath, designed in partnership with MindSpark Learning and Couragion, is an exemplar of a modern TPP that encompasses many of those 'quality' concepts such as problem-based experiences, a social-emotional intelligence lens, alignment with career-ready standards, work-based learning integration, and strategies for engaging underrepresented students. In fact, 100% of graduates agree that as a result of their time with STEMpath, they have the critical thinking skills necessary to promote an equitable environment. Learn more about this 24-credit graduate-level STEM and computer science certification. Submit your application by June 11, 2021 to be considered for early acceptance in the 2022 cohort.

If you are looking for compelling reasons to become involved in supporting and improving TPP, please review the specific recommendations for policymakers, education researchers, advocates, and higher education leaders included in this report. Read the full report from Carnegie Corporation here.