A specially convened task force charged with studying elementary teacher education programs at the 14 Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) Universities has issued a series of recommendations to help ensure new teachers are well prepared for the changing K-6 classroom.

The task force recommendations include aligning teacher preparation programs with evolving state academic standards, and providing more opportunities for both students studying to become teachers and current classroom teachers to work together with PASSHE faculty in the schools. The increased interaction will help produce well prepared, effective teachers, the task force said.

“PASSHE Universities have been leaders among institutions that prepare teachers for Pennsylvania,” said Jere Schuler, a former state representative and 14-year member of the Board of Governors, who chaired the Special Task Force on Elementary Education. “This report provides a blueprint to help ensure our universities will continue to prepare the best teachers for the Commonwealth.”

“Elementary teachers today face significantly greater challenges than ever before,” said PASSHE Vice Chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs Dr. Peter Garland. “Students come to school with a broader diversity of backgrounds and learning needs. State and federal lawmakers continue to establish rigorous standards for student achievement.

“PASSHE must respond to these challenges by making the changes in teacher preparation programs that are necessary to assure our children will benefit from well trained and highly effective teachers.”

The task force was formed in fall 2003, with funding from the State Higher Education Executive Officers (SHEEO), a national organization that includes education officials from all 50 states. The funding was awarded as part of SHEEO’s “Teachers of Tomorrow” project.

Task force membership comprised school administrators, school board leaders, parents, teachers, representatives from the General Assembly and Pennsylvania Department of Education, community college administrators and PASSHE faculty and administrators.

The task force submitted its final report, which includes its recommendations, to the Board of Governors today. Chancellor Judy G. Hample said she will begin working with the Universities to develop a plan for implementing the task force’s recommendations. A system wide summit will be held to review the task force report, and to begin the process of revamping the Universities’ elementary teacher education programs.

“The task force represents a broad spectrum of educators and others interested in this vitally important issue,” Hample said. “It is now up to us to work together to implement the many recommendations included in the task force report.”

All 14 PASSHE Universities offer teacher education programs. All are accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). Only 18 of the 92 colleges and universities that offer teacher education programs in the Commonwealth are accredited by NCATE.

The task force focused its recommendations on several important areas of teacher preparation.

Elementary teachers need to have “a range of knowledge and skills that is both broad and deep,” the task force said. Schools of Education and Schools of Arts and Sciences should work together to make certain that future teachers have strong backgrounds in such content areas as reading, mathematics, science and social studies.

Classroom management skills also are essential, as are a teacher’s ability to work with a diverse array of students, including those with special needs and those with limited English proficiency. The task force recommended that students receive more intensive training in the development of classroom skills, in part, through enhanced field experiences.

Once in the classroom, new teachers should have the opportunity to work with a mentor to help them continue to develop their skills. Teachers at every level also should continually update both their knowledge base and their classroom management skills through professional development opportunities. PASSHE Universities “must ensure that their for-credit and not-for-credit offerings are research-based, continually revised and improved, and regularly assessed for quality.”

From a public policy perspective, the state, the Universities and school districts should work together to develop and implement a teacher induction program to help improve the retention rate of teachers, the task force said. Too many new teachers leave the profession after just a few years in the classroom. Strategies need to be developed to help schools retain effective teachers, the report said.

With nearly 106,000 students, the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education is the largest provider of higher education in the Commonwealth. The 14 PASSHE universities offer more than 250 degree and certificate programs in more than 120 areas of study, including teacher preparation.

The state-owned universities are Bloomsburg, California, Cheyney, Clarion, East Stroudsburg, Edinboro, Indiana, Kutztown, Lock Haven, Mansfield, Millersville, Shippensburg, Slippery Rock, and West Chester Universities of Pennsylvania. PASSHE also operates branch campuses in Clearfield, Kittanning, Oil City and Punxsutawney and several regional centers, including the Dixon University Center in Harrisburg.