Improving Secondary Mathematics Teacher Preparation Via a Networked Improvement Community: Focus On Clinical Experiences

Abstract

The Mathematics Teacher Education Partnership is a consortium of over 90 U.S. universities and colleges, along with partner school districts, focused on improving the initial preparation of secondary mathematics teachers. The Partnership uses a Networked Improvement Community design that incorporates improvement cycles to develop adaptable interventions across contexts, as well to scale interventions across the Partnership to support comprehensive program improvement. Rather than addressing a single dimension of a secondary mathe- matics program, the Partnership is undertaking parallel lines of research in multiple areas. To illustrate the power of the approach, this chapter will more deeply explore one of those lines of research related to clinical experiences: A “research action cluster” (RAC) consisting of representatives of 24 university-led teams is working to improve the clinical experiences of secondary mathematics teacher candidates. This RAC has employed improvement science methods to developed resources that support improved models for both student teaching and early field experiences, as well as professional development for mentor teachers.