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Preparation to Practice Group
130 Burton Hall
178 Pillsbury Drive SE
Minneapolis, MN 55455
USA Phone: 612-625-5060
Fax: 612-626-7496

Minnesota Teacher Education Research Consortium (MNTERC)

In January 2006, a team of researchers from institutions representing the three primary types of teacher preparation programs in Minnesota— the University of Minnesota at Twin Cities (the University of Minnesota system), Minnesota State University at Mankato (the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system), and St. Catherine University (private colleges)—created the Minnesota Teacher Education Research Consortium (MNTERC). The consortium is studying the relationship between teacher preparation programs and teacher performance in ethnically and culturally diverse school and classroom contexts; and identifying programmatic elements and practices that best prepare teachers for diverse educational settings.

MNTERC's conceptual framework illustrates the interests of the study: understanding the transition from pre-service teacher candidate to first year teacher by exploring the interaction between formal teacher preparation experiences, teacher background characteristics, first-year teaching practices, and the school context of the first-year experience.

MNTERC model illustration

MNTERC researchers have developed a survey of first-year teachers, called the Transition to Teaching Survey (TTS), which has been administered annually to completers from the partner institutions. In addition, the team has conducted interviews and observations of a subset of the survey population. A 2008 article published in the CURA Reporter describes some of the study's findings: http://www.cura.umn.edu/reporter/08-Spr/Sato_et_al.pdf

In addition to exploring the transition to teaching, MNTERC’s work supports state and national program review, informs policy, and informs the profession of teacher education. The TTS is soon to be administered statewide to first-year teachers from teacher preparation institutions around Minnesota.

The Preparation to Practice Group supports the work of MNTERC. PPG is represented on the research team and is responsible for survey administration and data analysis for the TTS.