Approaches to Grow Your Own and Dual General and Special Education Certification

The shortage of special education teachers is a persistent problem in Maine. In addition to the shortage of individuals prepared to work as special education teachers, there is also a need to support special education students in the general education classroom. The majority of students who are identified with disabilities spend most of their time in classrooms with general education teachers. Yet, general education teachers\u27 preparation to work with the special education students in their classrooms is limited. In order to address the need for teachers who are prepared and qualified to work with students with disabilities, the Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs commissioned this study by the Maine Education Policy Research Institute as part of its 2018-2019 work plan. The purpose of this study is to examine dual general and special education and Grow Your Own approaches to teacher certification. To that end, this report begins by providing a review of relevant published research, followed by an overview of the components of teacher credentialing, requirements for general and special education teacher certification in Maine, and information about the current teacher certification pathways and programs in Maine. This is followed by descriptions of new approaches to teacher preparation that Maine might consider in order to address the need for certified special educators and general educators who are better prepared to work with students with disabilities. This background information is followed by profiles of dual certification and Grow Your Own teacher preparation models and education policies and programs in other states that are designed to address the shortage of qualified teachers who are prepared to meet the needs of students with disabilities. In conclusion, possible education policy implications for Maine are identified

An Examination of Features of Evidence-based Teacher Credentialing Systems

As requested by the Maine Legislature\u27s Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs, the Maine Education Policy Research Institute (MEPRI) has conducted a study with the purpose of examining current research and evidence-based policies related to teacher credentialing systems. The goal is to inform revisions to Maine\u27s current system for teacher credentialing. MEPRI is a nonpartisan research institute funded jointly by the Maine State Legislature and the University of Maine System. This work takes place in a context of new federal reporting requirements under Title II of the Higher Education Opportunity Act and new standards for national accreditation for teacher preparation programs. In addition, Maine has proposed major substantive changes to the Department of Education rule Chapter 115 regarding Certification, Authorization and Approval of Education Personnel, which are under review at the time of writing. The first section of the report provides background and context related to teacher preparation pathways, accountability and quality assurance at the state and national levels. This is followed by a brief description of the methods used for gathering evidence related to teacher credentials and quality teachers and teacher education. The remaining report sections provide an overview of the findings from the research literature and other published reports about the evidence base related to teacher and teacher preparation program quality. To aid in organization, the reviewed components are grouped into sections: teacher content knowledge, the clinical preparation of teachers, alternative teacher certification, and teacher candidate testing and assessment. Each section summarizes the available evidence base for the included topics, and concludes with an analysis of how the evidence relates to current practices, policies, or questions in Maine

An Examination of the Features of Evidence-based Teacher Credentialing Systems

The first section provides background and context related to teacher preparation pathways, accountability and quality assurance at the state and national levels. This is followed by a brief description of the methods used for gathering evidence related to teacher credentials and quality teachers and teacher education. The remaining report sections provide an overview of the findings from the research literature and other published reports about the evidence base related to teacher and teacher preparation program quality. To aid in organization, the reviewed components are grouped into sections: teacher content knowledge, the clinical preparation of teachers, alternative teacher certification, and teacher candidate testing and assessment. Each section summarizes the available evidence base for the included topics, and concludes with an analysis of how the evidence relates to current practices, policies, or questions in Maine

Proficiency-based High School Diploma Systems in Maine: Local Implementation of State Standards-based Policy Phase IV Policy Report

In this current year, Phase IV, researchers collected new data from qualitative interviews and document analysis in six case study school districts in Maine, representing a range of demographics, geographic regions and implementation stages. Three of these districts had been involved in at least one year of Phase I-III of this study, allowing for exploration of ongoing implementation practices and comparing perceived challenges and benefits from initial implementation to later stages. Findings suggested that Maine\u27s proficiency-based high school diploma mandate had mobilized PK-12 collaborative professional work, but there was an evident need for even greater professional time for full systemic implementation. School districts were utilizing proficiency benchmarks and language to describe content standards that were varied across the state yet increasingly common within a district

Graduation Policies in a Public High School (A Case Study)

This report shares research conducted in a case study of one higher performing high school to examine the practices, challenges and facilitators of implementing a standards-based curriculum and proficiency-based diploma systems

Maine\u27s Improving Schools: An Examination of Distinguishing Features of a Sample of Maine\u27s Improving Public Schools

In 2010, at the request of the Maine state legislature, the Maine Education Policy Research Institute (MEPRI) at the University of Southern Maine (USM) began a multi-year study of two sets of schools in Maine. One set of schools was unique because they were found to be examples of More Efficient Maine schools. The second set were unique because they were examples of Improving schools, schools on their way to becoming more efficient. Following a summary of the findings from the study of some of Maine’s More Efficient schools, this report provides a summary of the findings from the study of a sample of Maine schools classified as Improving. This report will describe the methodology used in identifying examples of Maine’s Improving schools, the case study strategies used in examining these schools, and the findings of their distinguishing features

Manner in teaching: A study in moral virtue

There is a growing interest in the study of the moral qualities of teachers. Many studies emphasize empirical techniques without attention to the philosophical features of moral conduct or focus on the philosophical features without connections to the actual conduct of teachers. This dissertation combines philosophical and empirical inquiry to study the moral conduct of teachers. Using Fenstermacher's distinction among teaching method, style, and manner, the technical and personality characteristics of teachers are distinguished from teacher conduct that expresses moral virtue. This conduct is known as the manner of the teacher. This dissertation investigates how manner may be made explicit, as a philosophical concept and an object of empirical inquiry. The philosophical part examines the conceptual nature of moral action in the classroom, using an Aristotelian ethics as the framework for analysis. The empirical part is a case study of three classroom teachers, whose moral conduct is examined using the Aristotelian framework. This dual philosophical/empirical approach permits inquirers to observe and analyze selected moral dimensions of teaching, then draw conclusions about how the teachers express moral virtue. The empirical part is a qualitative study of three teachers, each interviewed and observed over a one year period. Case studies illustrating the teachers' expressions of moral virtue were developed, followed by a cross-case analysis that revealed common and distinct elements in the teachers' manner. The cross-case analysis suggests that the teachers express virtues in similar ways according to the Aristotelian framework and in particular ways according to their individual style. Further, teachers express more than one virtue simultaneously. The main conclusion one may draw from this study is that it is possible to systematically observe and describe manner in teaching. Suggestions for further research include (1) situations in which the expression of one virtue appears to conflict with another, (2) the difficulties of analyzing the intellectual virtues, and (3) clarifying the relationship between manner and teachers' context, content, and students. A significant implication of this study is that it is possible to attend to manner in ways that permit the development of moral virtue in teaching

Manner In Teaching: A Study . . .

This paper shows how manner may be made visible, as a philosophical concept and an object of empirical inquiry. Using Aristotle's ethics as the framework, the philosophical inquiry examines the conceptual nature of teachers' moral conduct, and the empirical inquiry analyzes their moral conduct. This dual conceptual/empirical approach permits inquirers to observe and interpret how teachers express moral virtue. One may draw the conclusion that it is possible to systematically observe and interpret manner in teaching. An implication for teacher education is that encouraging teachers to consider their manner may result in more educative interactions between teachers and students. # 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved