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(March 1, 2014, Washington, D.C.) – The (ÃÈÃÃÉç) today announced the official launch of an initiative to support innovation in the professional community and speed the pace of change in university-based educator preparation. will serve as a forum for ÃÈÃÃÉç members, partners and other constituents to share experiences and findings as they work together to address the most urgent issues of student achievement, curriculum reform and educator preparation program advancement.

Through this national initiative, ÃÈÃÃÉç will seek to strengthen educator preparation, demonstrate the necessity and effectiveness of educator preparation and enhance members’ opportunities to collaborate on key issues.

Activity and programming under the Innovation Exchange will be guided by four interdependent components: (1) Pedagogy, (2) Workforce Development, (3) Capacity Building and (4) Documentation and Synthesizing Research.

“Through this initiative, we will explore critical issues in the education workforce and design strategies that will contribute to their resolution,” said Sharon P. Robinson, Ed.D., president and chief executive officer of ÃÈÃÃÉç, as she announced the launch of the Innovation Exchange during the Welcoming Session of ÃÈÃÃÉç’s 66th Annual Meeting in Indianapolis. “Innovation is ÃÈÃÃÉç’s core business and the focus of its day-to-day activities.”

Several of the initiative’s new programs are already under way:

• edTPA National Academy of Consultants— ÃÈÃÃÉç and the Stanford Center for Assessment, Learning and Equity (SCALE) are developing a network of expert teachers and higher education faculty to support the implementation of in teacher preparation programs nationwide.
• Educator Workforce Advisory Task Force—To improve retention of novice teachers in high-need schools, this task force will design a new collaborative initiative that addresses challenges to teacher retention.
• Increasing Candidate Diversity in Preparation Programs—Members participating in this Networked Improvement Community (NIC) are working to increase the number of Black and Hispanic males in their teacher preparation programs.
• Innovations Inventory—This online database highlights institutions’ innovative practices that provide educator candidates a competitive edge in the field.
• Research Fellowship—Applications are now open for this yearlong program, which aims to cultivate emerging scholars and support high-quality research in the area of educator preparation.
• Research to Practice Spotlight Series—Video interviews and related resources around an annual theme (clinical practice for 2014) will be delivered online in quarterly installments.

In addition, ÃÈÃÃÉç continues to develop new programming to contribute to the Innovation Exchange.

For more information, visit .

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ÃÈÃÃÉç: Serving Learners
The ÃÈÃÃÉç is a national alliance of educator preparation programs dedicated to the highest quality professional development of teachers and school leaders in order to enhance PK-12 student learning. The 800 institutions holding ÃÈÃÃÉç membership represent public and private colleges and universities in every state, the District of Columbia, the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and Guam. ÃÈÃÃÉç’s reach and influence fuel its mission of serving learners by providing all school personnel with superior training and continuing education.