Chapter 5: The Complexity of Program Development in Teacher Education

The Association of Teacher Educator Standard 5 is Program Development (ATE, 2008). This standard has five indicators that emphasize the importance of leadership, research, and evaluation in the development of programs. Standard 5 strongly advocates for the use of data to drive program development.

In addition to data, the description of program development includes the connection between preparation and induction; thus, there is an implicit desire to make the transition into teaching seamless. It is implied that teacher education programs must create a seamless continuum of teacher learning beginning with licensure and continuing throughout a teacher’s career (Feiman-Nemser, 2001). Standard 5 also advocates for the development of programs that “serve teachers in all stages of their career.” What Standard 5 does not address are the kinds of partnership contexts necessary to create a seamless continuum of teacher learning that serves all teachers in their various career stages. Thus, it begs the question: “What kinds of partnership structures would afford the necessary collaboration between schools and teacher education programs to serve all teachers?” One possible comprehensive school–university partnership approach could be professional development schools, which are a robust P–20 partnership that focuses on the learning of all participants—K–12 students, teacher candidates, teachers, school leaders and administrators, doctoral students, university faculty, and college and university leaders (National Association for Professional Development Schools [NAPDS], 2021). Professional development schools can bring together school and university partners and engage them in meaningful conversations that center teacher learning and program development.