Politics & Government

Connecticut Tapped to Take Part in Teacher-Prep Program Pilot

The goal is to prepare new teachers to be ready to help learners of all levels from their first day on the job.

Connecticut has been selected to participate in a two-year pilot program aimed at training new teachers to be “learner-ready” on day one of their careers.

State Department of Education Commissioner Stefan Pryor announced Thursday that the state was one of seven states chosen to take part in the program, dubbed “Network for Transforming Educator Preparation” (NTEP), because it was recognized as a state “poised to advance substantive policy changes and take meaningful action,” according to a news release from Pryor’s office. Connecticut will receive a $100,000 grant and technical assistance.

Just before Pryor’s announcement, Council of Chief State School Officers Executive Director Chris Minnich unveiled the national program.

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“Improving our public schools can only happen in partnership with the thousands of hard-working teachers in our state,” Gov. Dannel P. Malloy said in the release. “This grant will help us in our effort to make sure that teachers get the support they need each and every day of their career.”

Connecticut’s efforts, along with those of the six other pilot states, will serve as a model for other states as they adopt the NTEP program.

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In the first year, state officials will focus on strengthening the teacher-prep program approval process and on developing a way to collect and analyze data to help inform the improvement process. These efforts are already under way through the work of the Educator Preparation Advisory Council (EPAC), the formation of which Gov. Malloy requested in March 2012.


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