NCATE’s Blue Ribbon Panel Report and NAPDS: Working Together Irma J. Van Scoy University of South Carolina With Deborah B. Eldridge National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) ABSTRACT: An expert panel including representatives from schools/districts, teacher education, and professional education associations was convened by the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) to make recommendations regarding clinical preparation in teacher education. This article presents an analysis of how the ten design principles that frame the panel’s report compare to the Nine Essentials required for a high qualityprofessionaldevelopment school developedby theNationalAssociation forProfessional DevelopmentSchools(NAPDS). While panel recommendations focus onteachereducation asa wholeandtheNAPDSEssentialsfocusonthedefinitionofPDSs,bothofferguidancerelatedto meaningful, effective school-university partnerships focused on improving teacher education and P-12 student learning. Four categories encompassing key aspects of both reports are discussed here: deliberate planned partnerships, comprehensive clinical preparation, high standards for all, and data-driven practice. The authors conclude by noting the need for supportivepolicies(i.e.,institutional,district,state,association)andthepotentialroleofNAPDS members as a resource for accredited institutions, districts, state agencies, and other stakeholders. The National Council for the Accreditation of of teacher voices with university faculty and Teacher Education (NCATE) has been a professional association representatives in the nationally recognized accreditor of educator development of standards and as fully partici- preparation programs since 1954. Its standards pating members on accreditation teams that and processes are collaboratively developed by evaluate the quality of institutions and their education professionals from higher education, education programs. P-12 schools, state agencies, and professional As part of its ongoing work in assisting the associations with a dual focus: (1) ensuring education community in developing goals and programs meet high standards for educator standards for teacher preparation, NCATE preparation and (2) supporting programs in convened a Blue Ribbon Panel on Clinical continuous improvement and innovation. Preparation and Partnerships for Improved NCATE has always emphasized the inclusion Student Learning. The panel included experts School—University Partnerships Vol.5,No.1 7 representing schools, colleges, and professional sionalDevelopmentSchools(NAPDS),beganto education associations who worked for 10 flourish. months and published their recommendations ThispaperexplorestheBlueRibbonPanel’s in November 2010. The report was cited by current recommendations, compares how their United States Secretary of Education Arne conclusions relate to the work of the NAPDS, Duncan as marking ‘‘the most sweeping recom- and considers what the report adds to the mendations of reforming the accreditation of national conversation on clinical preparation in teacher preparation programs in the more than teacher education. What can we learn from the the century-long history of our nations’ educa- BlueRibbonPanelReport?Howcanweuseitto tion schools’’ (Duncan, 2010). help us move teacher education and school- The Blue Ribbon Panel Report clearly university collaboration forward? Should and calls for reform and, in fact, leads with the can NCATE and NAPDS work more closely statement that teacher education needs to be together? ‘‘turned upside down.’’ The Panel recom- mends that instead of being comprised primarily of courses (with loosely affiliated Comparing the NCATE Report on experiences in schools), teacher preparation Clinically Based Teacher Education programs should become ‘‘fully grounded in and NAPDS clinical practice’’ (NCATE, 2010, pp. ii). This means, for example, building teacher educa- tion programs by starting with clinical experi- The Blue Ribbon Panel Report (BRPR) ences and building courses around learning in highlights ten design principles for clinically- school settings (instead of the typical ap- based teacher preparation programs. Table 1 proach in which courses are designed first aligns these principles with the Nine Essentials with clinical practice added on). that define a professional development school The Blue Ribbon Panel Report emphasizes as described by the NAPDS (Brindley, Field that one of the primary vehicles for the & Lessen, 2008). The two documents serve transformation of teacher education programs somewhat different purposes, but still lend must be intensive and extensive partnerships themselves to comparison. The Blue Ribbon between higher education and P-12 schools. Panel recommendations focus on teacher One might describe the report as a renewed call education as a whole and the NAPDS for school-university collaboration following in Essentials concentrate on the definition of the footsteps of other major initiatives such as professional development schools. However, the early work of the Holmes Group (later the they both offer guidance related to meaning- Holmes’ Partnership) which originated the term ful, effective school-university partnerships professional development schools in 1990 (The focused on improving teacher education and Holmes Partnership, 2006). Other major initia- P-12 student learning. tives,includingthatoftheNationalNetworkfor As seen in the table, an analysis of the Educational Renewal, advocated for strong documents led to the conceptualization of four school-university partnerships and public policy majorcategoriesfoundintheprinciples(BRPR) support to simultaneously renew schools and and Essentials (NAPDS): deliberate planned educator preparation (Goodlad,1994). NCATE partnerships, comprehensive clinical prepara- established standards for professional develop- tion, high standards for all, and data-driven ment schools in 2001 that have been used by practice. In brief, the alignment demonstrates many education programs as guidelines for considerable consistency between the NCATE developing and evaluating professional develop- Panel recommendations and the essence of ment school efforts. It is from such movements professional development schools as defined by that professional development schools, and NAPDS. We offer further detail regarding each eventually the National Association for Profes- category below. 8 School—University Partnerships Vol. 5, No. 1 Table 1. Alignment of NCATE Blue Ribbon Panel Report’s (BRPR) Ten Principles for Clinically-Based Programs andNAPDS NineEssentials Clinically BasedProgram (BRPR 10 Professional Development Schools MajorCategories Design Principles)* (NAPDS 9Essentials)* Deliberate, Planned Strategicpartnerships including shared Comprehensive mission, broader than Partnerships responsibility and authority(10) with mission ofanyonepartner (1)with an specific schoolsdesignated/supported identified structure that supports asclinical practice sites(7) collaboration (7) andincluding dedicated resources and formal recognition (9) Comprehensive Clinical Clinicalpreparation integrated School-university culture embraces Preparation throughoutprogram (2)andoccurring candidates’ active involvement in all inan interactive professional aspects ofschoolcommunity (2)with community(5) clearly articulated rolesforP-12and IHE faculty (6)whose work spans institutional boundaries (8) HighStandards forAll P-12andIHE faculty are effective Shared commitment toinnovative and practitioners who are rigorously reflective practice (4) withongoing selected(6) andprepare candidates and reciprocal professional whoare experts in contentand development forall(3) pedagogy(4) including use ofstate-of theart technologies (8) Data-driven Practice Focusonstudent learning (1); candidates Deliberate investigation and public evaluated ondata(3); anddata-driven sharing ofresults related to impacton improvement in teacher education(9) P-12studentsand teacher candidates (5) *Note:Thenumberoftheprinciple/essentialislistedinparenthesesfollowingthephrasecreatedtosummarizethatprinciple/essential.Seethefull reportsformoreinformationoneachelement. Deliberate, planned partnerships agencies, andpolicymakers...P-12parentsand families . . . strengthen the PDS’’ (p. 4). The Both the NAPDS Essentials and the BRPR call BRPR places even greater emphasis on the for clear and comprehensive definitions of the importance of teacher unions and state policy- commitment and responsibilities of all parties makers as active partners in creating the involved with and impacted by teacher educa- environment needed for clinically-based teacher tion programs. In both cases, the documents education. describe the deliberate creation of mutually reinforcing partnerships among schools and teacher education programs with all parties Comprehensive clinical preparation sharing a commitment to teacher education and P-12 student learning. The NAPDS Essen- Clinically based teacher education is at the tials include recognition that the mission of any heart of both documents. The NAPDS Essen- such partnership is broader than the mission of tials focus on the comprehensive integration of any one partner. Similarly, the BRPR (NCATE, teacher candidates into all aspects of the school 2010) notes that ‘‘teacher preparation programs while the BRPR emphasizes that clinical anddistrictshavetostartthinkingaboutteacher practice is the core experience of the overall preparation as a responsibility they share, teacher education program. The BRPR working together’’ (p. 3). The first NAPDS (NCATE, 2010) notes that ‘‘teaching, like Essential focuses on the ‘‘comprehensive mis- medicine, is a profession of practice, and sion’’ of a professional development school and prospective teachers must be prepared to notes that the involvement of ‘‘local businesses, become expert practioners . . . In order to School—University Partnerships Vol.5,No.1 9 achievethis wemust place practice at the center to focus on data in assessment of all aspects of of teaching preparation’’ (p. 2). The NAPDS clinical practice including assessment of candi- Essentials (Brindley, et. al., 2008) note that dates and evaluation and improvement of PDSs ‘‘are more than simply places where programs (whether an entire teacher education teacher candidates complete their clinical program or a professional development school). experiences. Instead, they are schools whose As stated in the BRPR (NCATE, 2010, p. 5), P- faculty and staff as a collective whole are 12studentlearningmustserveasthefocalpoint committed to working with college/university for the design and implementation of clinical facultytoofferameaningfulintroductiontothe basedteachereducation.TheNAPDSEssentials profession [and] create a school-wide culture (Brindley,et.al.,2008)focusontwooverarching that incorporates teacher candidates as full goals ‘‘the advancement of the education participants of the school community.’’ (p. 4) profession and the improvement of P-12 learning The NAPDS Essentials go on to describe how [emphasis added]’’ (p. 3). The Essentials go on this work must span institutional boundaries to state that ‘‘the tenet that all students can and leads to the creation of new roles for both learn becomes the sine qua non of the PDS school- and university-based educators (e.g., site work that must be conducted in ways that are coordinators and site liaisons). unbiased, fair, and just for everyone in the school community’’ (p. 4). Moving beyond the provision of instruction to the assessment of High standards for all programs and student learning, the Essentials deal explicitly with ‘‘engagement in and public Both the BRPR and the NAPDS Essentials sharingof theresultsofdeliberateinvestigations emphasizethehighqualitythatisexpectedofall of practice’’ (p. 6). teacher education program participants. The BRPR (NCATE, 2010) notes that school- and university-based faculty involved in clinical practice must be experts in their fields who The Blue Ribbon Panel Report and are ‘‘skilled in differentiating instruction, profi- Professional Development Schools cient in using assessment . . ., persistent searchers for data . . . , and exhibitors of the NCATE is a long-standing and nationally and skills of clinical educators’’ (p. 6). The NAPDS internationally recognized leader in the devel- Essentials emphasize the need for ‘‘a shared opment and improvement of teacher education commitment to innovative and reflective prac- programs. As such, it is well established to help tice’’ including ‘‘reciprocal professional develop- lead the national conversation on clinically- ment for all participants’’ with ‘‘data-based based teacher education. NAPDS, while techni- (qualitative and quantitative) state-of-the-art cally much ‘‘younger,’’ has members who have content’’ (pp. 4–5). The expertise of school- been involved in transforming teacher educa- and university-based teacher educators is viewed tion into a clinically-based approach since the as equally important in the NAPDS Essentials early discussions of professional development with all such educators being important con- schools facilitated by the Holmes Group and tributors to their shared development of best others. Newer voices within the NAPDS add practice. Similarly, the BRPR emphasizes the insights and innovations to this work that we extensive collaboration needed to develop and have engaged in collectively over the last 25 sustain high quality clinical settings and trans- years. form teacher education. The Blue Ribbon Panel Report provides exemplarsofprogramsfromaroundthecountry that are implementing innovative practices Data-driven practice consistent with the report’s recommendations. The BRPR and the NAPDS Essentials reflect Although it does not specifically cite profession- the importance of accountability and the need al development schools, as can be seen through 10 School—University Partnerships Vol. 5, No. 1 this brief analysis, professional development seeking, envisioning, and implementing new schools as defined by the NAPDS and imple- ways of preparing teachers and educating P-12 mented by many NAPDS members include students. many of the key components in the transforma- tion of teacher education programs cited in the Working together BRPR. Professional development schools and the NAPDS are in a unique position to contribute Insights from the Blue Ribbon Panel totheimplementationofstrategies recommend- Report ed by the Blue Ribbon Panel. We arepleased to Professional associations and experienced edu- report that NAPDS is engaged in dialogue with cators continually reach the same conclusion: It NCATE regarding implementation of the Blue is only through collaborative efforts of schools/ Ribbon Panel recommendations. We are ex- districts and universities that we can truly ploring how NAPDS and our experienced change teacher education to meet the needs of membership can share their expertise with today’s students. This conclusion, reflected NCATE accredited institutions, its Alliance most recently in the BRPR, validates those states, and stakeholder agencies that are also who have been involved in professional devel- working to make the words of the BRPR paper opment schools and working on the front lines come to life. of school-university collaboration. While their efforts have had very significant impact on individual programs and the quality of their References teacher education graduates, the question may Brindley, R., Field, B., & Lessen, E. (2008). What it remain as to why these efforts have not been means to be a professional development school. A successful in changing the national culture of statementbytheExecutiveCouncilandBoardof teacher preparation. Directors of the National Association for Profes- One pointclearly madein theBRPRis that sional Development Schools. Retrieved from school- and university-based educators work http://napds.org/9%20Essentials/statement.pdf withinthecontext of their greatercommunities. Duncan, A. (2010). Secretary Arne Duncan’s Change can be limited or supported by the remarks to National Council for Accreditation power of state, district, professional association, ofTeacherEducation.Washington,DC:United StatesDepartmentofEducation.Retrievedfrom anduniversitypolicies.Inorder tomoveschool- http://www.ed.gov/news/speeches/secretary-arne university collaboration to new levels, these -duncans-remarks-national-council-accreditation institutions and agencies must provide a -teacher-education supportive context for educators willing to lead Goodlad, J.I. (1998). Educational renewal: Better the way in the design and implementation of teachers, better schools. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. teacher education programs that are truly National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher clinically-based. This supportive context could Education. (2010). Transforming teacher education mean establishing the parameters of and through clinical practice: A national strategy to rationale for flexibility in the roles of all parties prepare effective teachers. A report of the Blue as part of a memorandum of understanding Ribbon Panel on Clinical Preparation and (MOU); envisioning and providing rewards, Partnership for Improved Student Learning. Washington, DC: NCATE. incentives or more formal institutional/organi- The Holmes Partnership. (2006). The Holmes zational recognition of work that has previously Partnership triology: Tomorrow’s teachers, tomorrow’s been unacknowledged in a work culture; schools, tomorrow’s schools of education. New York: allocating specific segments of time and dedi- Peter Lang. cated space for engaging in collaboration, including virtual space to keep collaborations moving forward productively; and actively v v v School—University Partnerships Vol.5,No.1 11 IrmaVan Scoy is Executive Director of the Deborah Eldridge is Senior Vice President of UniversityofSouthCarolina’sQualityEnhance- NCATE and former dean of Education at ment Plan, former Associate Dean of the Lehman College, City University of New York College of Education, and founding member where she was Principal Investigator of an of USC’s PDS Network. innovative, 5th year clinical residency program. 12 School—University Partnerships Vol. 5,No. 1