UC's Teacher Training Initiative Makes the Grade, According to National Report Date: April 18, 2000 By: Dawn Fuller Phone: (513) 556-1823 Archive: General News The Cincinnati Initiative for Teacher Education (CITE) is one of only a handful of teacher education programs lauded by the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) as a national leader in teacher preparation. The CITE partnership between the University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati Public Schools (CPS) and the Cincinnati Federation of Teachers was highlighted in a comprehensive AFT report that calls for tougher standards and better preparation for new teachers. The report, titled Building a Profession: Strengthening Teacher Preparation and Induction, was released April 14 at the annual Education Writers Association meeting in Atlanta. The report lists several recommendations for reforming teacher education, including the forming of stronger ties between education preparation programs local school districts, a relationship that was achieved by CITE eight years ago. "We have a unique opportunity, over the next decade, because we must replace 220,000 teachers each year," said AFT President Sandra Feldman. "If we enhance teacher education programs and raise requirements for new teachers now, we will be able to make dramatic improvements in the effectiveness of teachers and in student performance for years to come." CITE requires teachers to spend a year-long teaching internship in participating public schools. The teaching internships originated in the CPS Professional Practice Schools, which provide paid positions for the interns. The interns are the teachers of record, responsible for developing lesson plans, tests, discipline and every other responsibility handled by a full-time teacher. Lawrence Johnson, interim dean of UC's College of Education, stated that "UC has always felt there need to be strong partnerships with teachers and community school districts in order to build high quality teacher preparation programs." The AFT report raised concerns about other programs that are not sufficiently preparing students for classroom practice. The report called for the following steps to improve teacher education: Develop two rigorous national tests for prospective teachers, one for entry into teacher education programs and the other for teacher licensing. Raise entrance standards for teacher education programs. The report recommends students have a 2.75 GPA at the end of their sophomore year. Later, that standard will likely be raised to a 3.0 GPA. Strengthen teacher education curriculum. This would include requirements for an additional major in the future teacher's field of study, already a mandate for CITE students who major in secondary education. Expand teacher education programs to five years, providing work in schools under the guidance of an experienced mentor. This goal was achieved by CITE in 1992. The recommendations come from an AFT task force consisting of educators representing K-12 and higher educational institutions. The union represents one million members across the country.