Midwest Alliance to Improve Teacher Preparation (MAITP) (Historical)

Research has found that the biggest in-school factor in strengthening student achievement is teacher quality. However, declining enrollment in preparation programs and low retention in the profession have led to teacher shortages, meaning schools must rely on less qualified candidates to fill some teaching positions. This gap in access to effective teachers highlights the importance of understanding current trends and the challenges associated with recruitment and retention of high-quality teachers.

The REL Midwest Alliance to Improve Teacher Preparation (MAITP) leveraged existing data on education preparation providers to explore teacher preparation models, studied relationships between existing models and teacher and student outcomes, and examined the implementation of changes in state policy across the Midwest. MAITP’s primary focus was teacher preparation in Michigan. In addition, a community of practice connected key stakeholders across the region and is an active partner in the research process.

The Michigan Department of Education (MDE) has worked to address the quality of the state’s education preparation providers. The state focused on continuous improvement of teacher preparation and the use of accountability as a lever to improve the quality of the teacher pipeline. MDE’s underlying assumption was that if motivated, well-trained teachers have opportunities for growth, collaboration, and leadership, then student learning will improve.