In its first years, the members of the Professional Preparation Board (PPB) identified strategic goals for transforming teacher preparation at the University of Arizona (UA). Design teams composed of University administrators and professors from six UA colleges and representatives from nine public school districts, an independent school, a charter school, a community college, and the Arizona Department of Education worked together to develop a concrete plan, with measurable objectives, to address key teacher preparation goals. Goal areas included

• Recruitment, Admissions, and Retention: To establish a process for the recruitment, admission, and retention of increased numbers of high-quality potential teachers, especially in high teacher demand areas.
   
• Content Knowledge: To ensure future teachers will demonstrate a thorough understanding of the subject matter necessary to develop student knowledge in the content areas.
   
• Professional Knowledge: To ensure future teachers will demonstrate the professional knowledge and performance skills necessary to ensure that students develop and learn.
   
• Performance Knowledge: To create, expand, and implement programs that focus on the field practice and site-based training of future teachers.
   
• Induction and Certification Renewal: Strengthen the skills and abilities of new and experienced by involving K-16 educators in the development of collaborative programs to meet their needs.
   
• Assessment and Evaluation: To develop and implement methods for assessing, monitoring, and providing feedback about the quality of teacher programs, personnel involved in teacher education, and achievement of performance outcomes.

The colleges of Science, Agriculture and Life Sciences, Education, and Fine Arts completed reviews of teacher preparation programs to ensure that preservice teachers are prepared to design and plan instruction; create and maintain a learning climate; implement instruction; assess learning and communicate results; collaborate with colleagues, parents and others; engage in professional development and demonstrate content knowledge and implement special education components.

The College of Education implemented a semester of field-based service training for all elementary-education students. The college added clinical faculty who are master teachers from local school districts to its teacher-preparation faculty to teach methods courses during the field-based semester and to supervise student teachers.

The College of Education integrated classroom management as a component of the field-based semester for elementary-education students and implemented a required workshop for all student teachers. Student teachers in College of Education programs include evidence of a management plan in the portfolio required for graduation.

The College of Education established the Office of Field Experiences. The director implemented orientation sessions and handbook guidelines for all cooperating teachers working with UA student teachers and for all faculty serving as university supervisors. Feedback from student evaluations of cooperating teachers are used in making future student-teaching placements.

The College of Education implemented preservice curriculum changes to add instruction on educational tests and measurements and add modules on technology, school law and multicultural education. A college curriculum committee completed a review of elementary- and secondary-education curriculum.

A core oversight group of content-area faculty, College of Education faculty and field professionals involved in teacher education and others will continue to meet regularly to review feedback and determine whether the required courses of study are preparing elementary and secondary teachers to teach to rigorous state standards.

Administrators in the College of Education and others regularly assess the preservice teacher preparation programs regarding technology, testing and assessment, child development and linguistic and cultural diversity, and will make modifications as appropriate. They review and report regularly on the status of field-service training for UA cooperating teachers and university supervisors.