It Is Complicated: Unpacking the Flow of Teacher Education’s Impact on Student Learning

Abstract

Knowing that a teacher education program’s graduates affected P—12 student learning may be important, but knowing how the program prepared their graduates to affect learning is critical for ongoing reform efforts. In this essay, the author argues for the utility of looking at three sets of relationships involved in gauging the impact of teacher education programs on P—12 student learning—teacher education program impact on teacher candidate learning, teacher graduate practice of teacher education program outcomes in P—12 settings, and teacher graduate impact on P—12 pupil learning. The author also addresses three issues affecting the efficacy of reform efforts—a focus on proving versus improving, an absence of assessment literacy, and the need for teaching to support learning.