The Role of the Community College in Teacher Education - New Directions for Community Colleges Series No. 121 - Book Review

Community College Review, Fall, 2003 by Audrey J. Jaeger

This volume raises several questions that cannot be easily answered, partly because many of the programs described in the case studies are only two to three years old with few or no graduates. How does the involvement of community colleges affect teacher quality and retention? Evaluations and studies must be performed to examine and compare the performance and retention of students in four-year teacher education programs to those who transfer from community colleges, receive alternative certification, or receive associate or baccalaureate degrees from community colleges. As Chapter 10 describes, there is a great need for data on student experiences as well as national comparisons of programs. Similarly, professional development and in-service programs must be evaluated for effectiveness. The six case studies in this volume exemplify the wide variety in degrees of involvement, and more options will surely be identified as more states consider these ideas and publish the accounts of their processes. How will community colleges be held accountable for their programs? What other ways can community colleges play a role in teacher preparation? Finally, does the creation of community college programs towards expanding the pipeline of teacher education program graduates really make a difference? No Dream Denied, a 2003 report of the National Commission on Teaching and America's Future, indicates that recent efforts in teacher recruitment may have been misplaced at the expense of more-needed efforts in teacher retention. Until the teaching profession is viewed as a competitive career choice and rewarded with competitive salaries, the efforts to expand the pipeline may prove to be in vain. The dire need for professional development and career advancement opportunities for teachers is already recognized but deserves additional attention.

Although this volume adds to the discussion of teacher preparation, it would benefit from a more connected approach. For example, in Chapter 2 the authors discuss recommendations from a recent American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE) report. These recommendations are relevant to most states; yet, they are not addressed in any of the state case studies or mentioned again in the text. The volume would benefit from some general ideas that connect all chapters. For example, Chapter 7 discusses the system in Texas and offers a number of valuable suggestions for individuals, institutions, and states to consider. How do these connect to AACTE's recommendations? Are they worth-while for other states to consider? Although each state is unique, there are some similarities, and the volume would be enhanced if the editors identified the similarities as well as the differences. Readers should begin with Chapters 1, 8, and 9. These chapters provide foundation information relating to teacher education and serve as an overview of the issues.

Dr. Audrey J. Jaeger is an Assistant Professor of Higher Education at North Carolina State University. Audrey_jaeger@ncsu.edu