Federal Laws’ Impact on Teacher Quality, Preparation Weighed

Washington

A lack of federal investment has kept colleges of teacher preparation from consistently pursuing systemic and comprehensive change, the president of an umbrella group for such colleges told a congressional panel last week.

Sharon P. Robinson, the president of the Washington-based American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, said at a House education subcommittee hearing that teacher education has changed dramatically over the past several years as a result of reforms launched by the states, universities, and the federal government. These have resulted in a stronger curriculum that helps new teachers better serve diverse students, and apply what is learned in courses to the classroom.

Still, she added, the types of changes sought by the federal government in the Higher Education Act and the No Child Left Behind Act, which call for more accountability and greater investment in professional development, have...