Administration Pushes Teacher-Prep Accountability

Administration pushing shift through HEA reporting

Federal officials plan to overhaul the reporting requirements for higher education-based teacher preparation in favor of leaner, outcome-based indicators of program quality, according to plans outlined in the president's fiscal 2012 budget request.

To bolster the overhaul, the budget also proposes a $185 million new formula grant program, dubbed the Presidential Teaching Fellows, that would give money to states for scholarships to high-quality teacher-candidates—in exchange for the development of accountability systems that do a better job of distinguishing between exemplary and lackluster preparation programs and routes.

Officials at the U.S. Department of Education hope to work with Congress to shape legislation authorizing the fellows program, which has...