By Laura Checovich
September 19, 2019
Meet Dan Frederking, Ed.D., the new partnership facilitator for the Midwest Alliance to Improve Teacher Preparation (MAITP). An experienced technical assistance provider, Dr. Frederking brings to the alliance a passion for developing partnerships rooted in evidence as well as extensive expertise in district and school improvement, curriculum development, and assessment literacy.
As MAITP’s new partnership facilitator, Dr. Frederking is eager to use his skills in partnering with district staff and other stakeholders to help the alliance accomplish its goals. “As a former teacher, I know the importance of teacher preparation and the value of research and data to improve it,” he said. “This alliance has done great work in this field, and I’m thrilled to join the cause.”
Current MAITP projects involve coaching and a research study to help districts improve how they develop and retain new teachers. To support these aims, Dr. Frederking will assist Michigan districts in developing action plans, analyzing workforce data, and building mentorship programs.
“I’ve spent most of my career working at the district level,” Dr. Frederking shared, “so I’m very excited to use what I’ve learned to bring the MAITP work to the district level as well.”
Before joining MAITP, Dr. Frederking worked as an instructional support specialist at the American Institutes for Research (AIR), which manages the Regional Educational Laboratory (REL) Midwest. In that role, he worked directly with low-performing districts in Illinois and New York to aid them in improvement planning, data analysis, and leadership team formation. He also has worked in the student assessment division of the Illinois State Board of Education and as a high school English teacher. He earned his doctorate in teaching and learning from Illinois State University.
In addition to his work on MAITP, Dr. Frederking is working on a REL Midwest project with the Ohio Department of Education to learn more about how districts are implementing evidence-based practices to improve literacy scores. He is also engaged in projects outside REL Midwest to help postsecondary schools of education improve the way they teach data literacy to teacher candidates.
In his free time, Dr. Frederking loves to attend pub trivia, brew beer, garden, and cook for his family and friends.
Related resources
The REL Program supports EL students through two regional research alliances.
- Learn more about REL Midwest’s MAITP research partnership by reading our MAITP overview blog post about its work.
- Check out our new MAITP report on past and projected trends in teacher supply and demand in Michigan public schools. A companion infographic will be available soon.
- Look for our documentary on rural teacher retention in Michigan coming out this winter.
- We also have several Ask A REL reference desk responses that sum up the research on various teacher workforce issues, such as teacher preparation requirements, new teacher academies, and teacher licensure and credentialing. Visit our Ask A REL archive to find more resources related to teacher preparation and the workforce.