ABSTRACT
This chapter is focused on the interconnectedness of local community and school needs, state and national standards for P-12 education, and teacher preparation. This chapter has three parts that include assessing and responding to local needs, responding to state mandates and standards, and responding to national standards and accreditation requirements. Emphasis is placed on improving P-12 education for the common good and public interest as the overarching purpose for mandates, regulations, and standards imposed on public schools and teacher preparation at the state and national levels. The interconnectedness and singular purpose of state and national mandates provide opportunities for teacher educators to develop responses that simultaneously meet multi-level expectations while focusing on the central purpose of improving P-12 student learning and development through teacher preparation. The discussion in this chapter addresses promising practices related to a) opportunities for candidates to collaborate among peers resulting in communities of practice that support continuous professional development and b) partnership agreements between teacher preparation providers and P-12 schools that include collaborative practice-based research addressing persistent challenges and problems.
