TQP Talking Points

Teacher Quality Partnership (TQP) Talking Points

Partnership between Iowa Department of Education, University of Northern Iowa, and Stanford University

A focus on highly effective teachers, rather than highly qualified teachers.

Teacher effectiveness is determined by the teacher’s performance in the classroom linked to documented evidence showing impact on student achievement. Standardized tests fail to provide a holistic and valid picture of the impact teachers make with students in their classrooms. This is a shift from highly qualified which is determined through a credentialing checklist process. The TQP grant seeks to increase the learning and achievement of Iowa PK-12 students by continuously developing more highly effective teachers from pre-service through the entire teaching career.  UNI will focus on our pre-service program and the transition of our graduates into Iowa’s classrooms.

Pre-service through in-service accountability system intended to retain highly effective teachers and improve student learning.
We need to be more accountable at all levels. The TQP grant will establish this by focusing on measuring teacher effectiveness from pre-service throughout the entire teaching career.  Central to this measurement process is the creation of a technologically mediated platform. By the end of the grant this platform will be available statewide.  It will be a place where teacher candidates, faculty, practicing teachers, and evaluators can upload and access evidence of teacher effectiveness.  UNI will enhance our teacher preparation program by building on our rich history of teacher performance assessment.

Redesign and enhancement of current pre-service programs to address the needs of the next generation learners.
As a result of this work, attributes of effective teaching will emerge. Using data from our performance assessment process, based on these attributes, will allow the examination of programs as part of a continuous improvement process. To prepare future teachers to address the needs of the next generation students, pre-service programs must find ways to redesign courses and programs to better prepare candidates as highly effective educators.


Mutually beneficial university and rural district partnerships will strengthen programs through embedded clinical experiences.
Central to the success of this grant are the partnerships established with rural districts.  The TQP grant is working with small, rural districts that have a high rate of teacher turnover and constituents with low socioeconomic status.  The realities of being an educator in a rural school district are different than those of urban settings. Rural clinical experiences will prepare our students to lead as effective teachers who understand the importance of school and community partnerships.  These partnerships will allow school district and university educators to learn from one another and strengthen programs.