AACTE Urges Scrutiny of Final Version of Federal Regulations for Teacher Preparation Programs

(October 12, 2016, Washington, D.C.) – Today, the U.S. Department of Education released its final rule on the regulations for each of our nation’s 26,000 teacher preparation programs. The official version will be published in the Federal Register by the end of the month, and the Department is expected to release guidance in the coming weeks as well. The American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE) is carefully analyzing the new rule and urges members and stakeholders to do the same to determine its potential impact on the profession.

At first glance, it appears that the voices of the profession may have been heard, as the new rule includes some adjustments that reflect concerns raised during the public comment periods. While the main oversight structure remains in place as described in the initial notice of proposed rule making, the final rule gives states more leeway in determining some aspects of the accountability system. Therefore, as it is with the implementation of the Every Student Succeeds Act, the advocacy of AACTE members at the state level remains critical.

“The release of this rule provides a catalyst at the state level to generate data regarding our graduates’ impact in the classroom and inform continuous program improvement,” said Sharon P. Robinson, Ed.D., president and CEO of AACTE. “With a new Administration and a new Congress on the horizon, AACTE and its members will continue to engage with policy makers moving forward on items critical to the profession, including matters such as funding and legislation. In particular, Chairman Alexander has indicated his intention to reauthorize the Higher Education Act next year. It should be noted that this rule makes the unprecedented move to link eligibility for federal student financial aid to yet-to-be-designed state rating systems.”

“As we did with the Department, AACTE members will maintain their strong advocacy to advise policy makers on how to stimulate innovation in educator preparation.”

AACTE: The Leading Voice on Educator Preparation
The American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education is a national alliance of educator preparation programs dedicated to high-quality, evidence-based preparation that assures educators are profession-ready as they enter the classroom. The over 800 member institutions represent public and private colleges and universities in every state, the District of Columbia, the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and Guam. Through advocacy and capacity building, AACTE promotes innovation and effective practices that strengthen educator preparation. Learn more at www.aacte.org.