Trustees Education Initiative
1000 E. University Avenue
Wyoming Hall
Laramie, WY 82071
Phone: 307-766-3145
Email: tei@uwyo.edu
Of more than 1,400 educator preparation programs in the country, fewer than 20 are
collecting a set of common data specifically linking features of their programs to
teacher effectiveness and teacher retention. Through the Trustees Education Initiative,
the University of Wyoming will be among the few.
In 2017, College of Education Dean, D. Ray Reutzel was named a member of Deans for
Impact, a national organization committed to transforming educator preparation and
elevating the teaching profession. Its Common Indicators System (CIS) is a first-of-its-kind shared data system designed for making meaningful improvements
in teacher candidate training.
When the Trustees Education Initiative launches the UW-E4 model for teacher education,
the Common Indicators System will be integrated across its four phases: exploration;
experiential learning; embedded practice; and entry into the profession.
With a precision never before possible, the Common Indicators System enables programs
to make clear connections between particular teacher preparation approaches and evidence-based
outcomes.
Student teacher observers use the proprietary Classroom Assessment Scoring System,
which covers not only content understanding, but also the quality of interaction with
students and how teacher candidates facilitate engaged learning through techniques
such as analysis and brainstorming.
Teacher candidates provide perceptions about their own abilities using a Teaching
Beliefs and Mindsets survey that draws on validated scales of self-efficacy and grit.
Recent graduates give feedback on their perceptions of the program that prepared them.
Employers give feedback on the effectiveness of UW-trained teachers they’ve hired.
Actionable data will be used to drive continuous program improvement and build UW
student competencies. It will be used within the College of Education to cultivate
collective ownership, shared understanding, responsive action, and innovation. By
working with other Deans for Impact institutions, UW will contribute to and benefit
from insights that lead ultimately to greater program – and teacher – effectiveness.
Trustees Education Initiative
1000 E. University Avenue
Wyoming Hall
Laramie, WY 82071
Phone: 307-766-3145
Email: tei@uwyo.edu