Practicing with Theory: Teacher Education at High Tech High/Graduate School of Education

ABSTRACT

New graduate schools of education (nGSEs) are a small but growing phenomenon of graduate-level teacher preparation programs that are dislocated from college and university settings. This article investigates the oldest nGSE in the United States, which is located within the High Tech High charter school network. Drawing on an institutional logics framework, the analysis showed that the logics of innovation and constructivism foregrounded the work of teacher education faculty and students at High Tech High. Driven by these logics, High Tech High adopted a model of teacher education that centered on “practicing with theory,” which permeated not only instruction but also the school’s design and conceptualization. This case suggests that, in addition to curriculum and instruction, organizational structure can be a key consideration for teacher education programs.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes

¹ Costs to students may have changed since data collection.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Spencer Foundation [5105021].