Educator Preparation Advisory Group Charge

Whereas strong public PK-12 schools are critical to North Carolina’s continued economic growth;

Whereas recent national assessment results indicate that far too many North Carolina students are not meeting state standards in reading and math by the time they reach high school, and that persistent achievement gaps remain;

Whereas great teaching is the most important school-level influence on student achievement, and the UNC System is the top producer of public school teachers in North Carolina;

Whereas rigorous research has identified evidence-based practices that teachers can use to promote student learning; and

Whereas integration of evidence-based practices is uneven across teacher education programs nationally and in North Carolina;

Therefore, be it resolved that: The President of the University of North Carolina System will convene an Educator Preparation Advisory Group, made up of education experts from across North Carolina, with the mission to support and accelerate improvement of teacher preparation in the state.

The Educator Preparation Advisory Group will:

  1. Examine current data, performance trends, and the findings of the “Leading on Literacy” report to identify key areas of focus for the System Office;
  2. Work with the President and System Office staff to prioritize and develop system-wide strategies and initiatives to improve teacher preparation, beginning with those recommended in the “Leading on Literacy” report;
  3. Oversee and share information about implementation and evaluation of those strategies;
  4. Advise the System Office on other policy proposals or initiatives that have the potential to impact teacher preparation and the state’s Schools and Colleges of Education; and
  5. Inform the System Office’s research agenda on teacher preparation to ensure that it is of high quality and aligns with the needs of Schools of Education, local school leaders, and state-level policymakers.

The Educator Preparation Advisory Group will be chaired by two UNC leaders (deans or provosts) and one current or former K-12 educational leader. The membership will be made up of:

  1. Faculty and staff from Schools of Education;
  2. Leadership from UNC institutions (Provosts and Deans, Deans of the Schools of Education, teacher preparation program coordinators);
  3. K-12 leaders (superintendents, principals, chief academic officers);
  4. National experts on teacher preparation and education policy.

The Advisory Group will meet at least quarterly.