Deans for Impact

“There’s no question that moves toward evidence-based teaching practices are happening, especially in literacy, and in a more limited way, in math; what remains unclear is the scale.”

In a recent Substack article, journalist Holly Korbey examines the pockets of progress and hurdles that teacher-preparation programs across the U.S. are experiencing around embedding cognitive science into future teacher training.

Korbey also spotlights DFI's decade of work supporting programs to center the science of learning in teacher education and highlights our recently updated report, The Science of Learning, Second Edition. In a video interview, our CEO, Valerie Sakimura, shares how DFI is shaping policies that ground instruction in evidence-based practices, so that every future teacher can walk into a classroom equipped with a deep, scientific understanding of how students learn.

Read the article here (free with Substack app):

Special report: What will it take to change teacher prep in the U.S.? After a decade of working with teacher prep programs, Deans for Impact looks to expand its reach

Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Senator Jack Reed (D-Rhode Island) recently introduced the TEACH Improvement Act, a bipartisan bill that will increase financial support for aspiring teachers, reduce the number of grants converting to loans, and strengthen accountability for the institutions that prepare them.

Since 2008, the TEACH Grant Program has disbursed more than 400,000 grants to undergraduate and graduate students pursuing teaching credentials. DFI’s Executive Director, Valerie Sakimura, is among several leaders voicing support for the bill’s efforts to strengthen the teacher workforce.

“The TEACH Improvement Act is an important step toward making high-quality pathways into teaching more accessible… its focus on high-quality preparation through hands-on experience, effective coursework, and ongoing mentorship will help more teachers enter the classroom ready to support student success.”

Deans for Impact is proud to endorse this bill alongside a broad coalition of higher education organizations, including the University of Northern Iowa, the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU), the National Center for Teacher Residencies (NCTR), AACTE American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU), and the American Council on Education (ACE).

Read how this bill will expand opportunities for aspiring teachers:

Grassley, Reed Introduce Legislation to Modernize TEACH Grants, Increase Accountability for Higher Education Institutions | U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa Click HERE for audio WASHINGTON – Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Jack Reed (D-R.I.) introduced...

At Research ED NYC this past weekend, we gave attendees an early glance into the second edition of The Science of Learning, our seminal report translating principles to implications for teaching, planned for release later this month.

Our new report includes updates that reflect the most current research in cognitive science and identifies six key questions about learning that should be relevant to nearly every educator:
1. How do students understand new ideas?
2. How do students learn and retain new information?
3. How do students solve problems and transfer learning to new contexts?
4. What motivates students to learn?
5. How do students become self-regulated learners?
6. What are common misconceptions about how students think and learn?

Following the release of the report, we will also publish companion field guides. Subscribe to our newsletter to access these resources as soon as they come out:

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