The Urban Educators' Corps

Abstract

The Urban Educators Corps focuses on improving academic performance of students in the university's partnering K-12 school districts through enhanced educator preparation and professional development. Seventeen university/school district teams developed and implemented research-based strategies for improved teacher quality. Community plans focus on the pipeline of teachers from initial preparation to recruitment and induction, and then to ongoing professional development and retention. Teams are supported with resources for research, collaboration, technology, and cross-team learning. Ongoing activities include enhanced cross-university collaboration for capacity building, deeper partnerships with colleges and departments outside education, improved mechanisms for accountability, and dissemination of information outside the Great Cities' Universities network.