Examination of Alternative Programs of Teacher Preparation on a Single Campus

Investigations into best practices in teacher preparation suggest that promoting closer contact between higher education faculty and school district personnel, increasing field experiences, providing a sequence of courses, and connecting programs to state student content standards show promise (American Association of State Colleges & Universities [AASCU], 2004). Not every teacher has a measured, positive impact on learning, and the recent emphasis under NCLB on improving the learning of all children has raised a new set of questions about how best to prepare teachers to be effective in classrooms (Marszalek, Odom, LaNasa, & Adler, 2010). Because of the mounting pressure to demonstrate efficacy with solid evidence, university educators have begun to pose research questions about the effectiveness of different types or forms of programs that prepare teachers (e.g., Darling-Hammond, 2000b; Howey & Zimpher, 1989).