NCTQ Reignites Document-Collection Efforts, Now Through PK-12 Partners
As the National Council on Teaching Quality (NCTQ) steps up its document collection by communicating directly with teacher preparation programs’ PK-12 partners, AACTE encourages programs to reach out to their partner schools to raise awareness and build mutual understanding around the requests, including connecting legal counsel from both parties if appropriate.
While NCTQ made clear in this summer’s webinars that it will not issue a 2015 Teacher Preparation Review, these document-collection efforts are likely to continue until the 2016 review is released.
The NCTQ request to PK-12 partner schools and districts solicits the following documents:
- One copy of any and all current STUDENT TEACHING contracts, memoranda of agreement, memoranda of understanding, agreements or like documents which your school district has entered into with the following institutions of higher education: [INSTITUTION NAME(S)]
- One copy of any handbook regarding STUDENT TEACHING arrangements provided to the school district by the institutions of higher education listed above.
- One copy of any letter or form regarding the STUDENT TEACHING placement process generated by the institutions of higher education listed above.
- One copy of any standardized letter, form, or application regarding the STUDENT TEACHING placement process from teachers, principals, or persons in your central office to the institutions of higher education listed above.
Already, several teacher preparation programs have reported to AACTE that they were contacted by their local school districts inquiring about the purpose of the request and asking if they are familiar with NCTQ. If you have not already done so, now is the time to be in touch with your PK-12 partners on this issue. AACTE encourages you to share with these partners your past experiences with NCTQ, which will help districts make an informed decision on how to proceed with the document request. It could also be beneficial for universities and PK-12 districts to consult with legal counsel to determine whether any aspects of the document request are not covered under their state’s ” sunshine” laws.
For background on NCTQ’s reviews of teacher preparation programs, visit http://aacte.org/resources/nctq-usnwr-review. AACTE will continue monitoring the recent document requests and provide updates to members.
Tags: advocacy, clinical preparation, research, school-university partnerships, teacher quality
