Changing Teacher Preparation for California's Changing Secondary Schools

Abstract

In California, eight teacher preparation institutions are preparing new teachers to teach in secondary schools that are implementing a major reform in secondary education--a reform that nearly a decade of research shows is making substantial progress to reduce the dropout rate, ensure that all students are prepared for both career and college, and close the persistent achievement and opportunity gaps. The Linked Learning field is the context on which this reform rests. This article describes how these institutions, working as key partners with schools and districts, are integral to a statewide strategy to address the inequities that still exist in too many traditional secondary schools. An evaluation of the work describes its effects on the preparation of new teachers.