Overview of the Vanguard Project

1. Overview of the Vanguard Project May 2014

2. Vanguard Project • Goal: Transform the system of education in Kentucky to a level whereby schools/students will perform at levels comparable to those of schools in top-performing countries in the world • Partnership among WKU, BGISD, DCSD, OISD, and WCSD

3. Objectives • Recruit high-performing students into teacher education programs • Increase standards for individuals seeking admission to and exiting teacher education programs • Increase expectations of teacher candidates relative to mastery of subject matter

4. Objectives cont. • Provide clinical experiences to ensure prospective teachers master the craft of teaching • Enhance support for new teachers entering the profession • Restructure/align districts/schools with the project guidelines

5. Design of Vanguard Project • Raise higher education standards/match with measures to professionalize teaching in schools • Rely on volunteer consortia • State will offer help • Raising money • Relief from regulation • Technical assistance • Competition against criteria, not each other

6. Timeline • Meeting held 12/17/2013 • Initial planning (January and February) • Prospectus submitted and reviewed • Proposal (Tentative date-Summer 2014) • Proposals read and rated by • Readers from Kentucky (CPE, KDE, and EPSB) • External reviewers with expertise with school systems in high performing countries

7. Current Initiatives • WKU’s Clinical Experiences and Practice in Teaching (CEPT) • SKyTeach • GSKyTeach

8. Criteria for School Districts • Career pathways model • Elementary teachers required to have a minor in subjects they will teach • Continuing professional development for teachers • Districts provide one to two year induction program for new teachers with reduced loadand mentoring from Master Teachers

9. Phase-in Model • Maintain current programs for time being while also offering parallel Vanguard Program • Begin with specific majors, school districts, and then scale up

10. Criteria for Universities • Designed to raise the high school graduation/score quartile from which candidates are recruited • Raise admission requirements for schools of education • Three stage admission process • Strong academic record • Passion for teaching • Ability to connect with young people

11. Criteria for Universities • 2 programs • Major or minor in subject and masters in teaching or • Combined program leading to both degrees • Secondary, Middle School, P-12 and 5-12 candidates major in subjects to be taught • Elementary candidates minor in subjects to be taught

12. Criteria for Universities • Program to include • Training in research methods • Extensive clinical training • Training in diagnosis and prescription • Training in craft based on best research in subject area • Design for program must include • Findings of the TELL Survey • Methods & strategies used by Math Center at NKU

13. Criteria for Universities • Universities to develop clinical schools similar to how teaching hospitals are affiliated with schools of medicine • School faculty have university faculty status • Collaborative planning between university and school faculty in development of the program • University faculty conduct research in clinical schools • Schools used as primary training facility for teachers in training

14. Teacher Preparation • More selective admissions • Toward clinical model for teacher education • Pre-service clinical experiences in every semester of the program, building toward residency model in the 5th year • Move toward problem-based instruction organized around real situations • Courses taught by a collaborative team: pedagogical, content, and clinical faculty

15. Five Year Preparation Program • Elementary: • Minors in STEM or ELA/SS • Clinical seminar • Classes mostly in school settings – teaching schools (hospitals) • Fifth-year residency and culminating in master’s degree

16. Five Year Preparation Program • Middle Grades/Secondary (8-12)/P-12/5-12 • Major in subject area and discipline-specific pedagogy • Fifth year residency requirement

17. One Year Master’s Degree Program • Building upon a bachelor’s degree in a certifiable content area • Residency model • One year in the craft of teaching

18. Related Work • Excellence for All • High school redesign • World class curriculum, assessment tied to Common Core • Designed to bring all students to work and school ready by the time they leave high school • National Institute for School Leadership • Nation’s largest state-level program for training school leaders • Designed to work in tandem with Excellence for All and teacher quality program

19. Things to Remember • This is not a “project” – it is the way Kentucky will do this statewide • This is the Vanguard of a whole system • We are designers, not just implementers • KY will be the first of several states doing this work • Access to the world’s pioneers along the way • Not a replication of other systems

20. Next Steps • Finish meetings with school districts • Conduct focus group sessions on campus • Development and submission of proposal

21. References • Surpassing Shanghai by Marc S. Tucker • Finnish Lessons by PasiSahlberg • The Smartest Kids in the World and How They Got that Way by Amanda Ripley