Education Department proposes regulation to improve nation’s teacher preparation programs

WASHINGTON – The Obama administration wants to improve teaching before teachers enter the classroom, and it’s proposing new rules that would penalize teacher-training programs that turn out ill-prepared graduates.

Under the proposed rules, only programs deemed to be working well would be eligible for federal TEACH grants given to prospective teachers who agree to teach in a disadvantaged school. Factors considered include a training program’s success in placing graduates in jobs, and the success of a teacher’s students on standardized tests.

Schools complain that linking the performance of graduates and their students to the teacher’s alma mater is unfair, and will make it harder to place teachers in schools in high-poverty areas.