Flexible, inclusive and tech-ready: New teacher prep model redefines education workforce

Amid rising educator attrition and widening student learning gaps, a major redesign of teacher preparation programs at Arizona State University (ASU) seeks to reimagine how future teachers are trained and supported. The multi-year initiative, led by faculty at ASU’s Mary Lou Fulton College for Teaching and Learning Innovation (MLFC), aims to build a more resilient, inclusive, and adaptable education workforce.

Published in Education Sciences, the study titled “Shaping Educator Preparation to Build a Stronger Education Workforce” outlines structural and curricular changes across MLFC’s undergraduate and graduate pathways to teacher certification. It presents a scalable blueprint for other institutions confronting similar crises in teacher recruitment and retention.

Why is a new model for teacher preparation urgently needed?

The study diagnoses the national and global crisis in educator supply. With a U.S. teacher attrition rate of 12% and over 100,000 elementary educators leaving the field annually, schools, particularly in underserved areas, face acute shortages. In Arizona, over 2200 positions remained vacant as of the 2023–2024 school year, and more than 75% of hires lacked full certification.

Beyond numbers, public perception of the profession has declined. Many parents express reluctance to see their children pursue teaching due to low pay, high stress, and inflexible classroom models. The enduring “one teacher - one classroom” system continues to expect each educator to meet every academic, social, and emotional need of a diverse student body. This model, the study argues, is outdated and unsustainable.

COVID-19 amplified these challenges, exposing vast disparities in educational access and spotlighting the mental health crisis among students. Despite technological advancement in school systems, educator preparation has lagged. The study calls for a disruptive, systemic shift to prepare educators not for isolation but for teamwork and specialization.

What are the core innovations in ASU’s redesigned teacher preparation model?

The redesign effort, launched in 2018, centers on four foundational shifts: curriculum, content delivery, learner-centered flexibility, and holistic student support.

Curricular Restructuring

MLFC replaced rigid, lockstep programs with scaffolded curricula aligned to clearly defined Program Level Outcomes (PLOs). These PLOs are grouped into three domains, Instructional Decision-Making, Leadership and Advocacy, and Educator Scholarship, and guide course design, assessment, and competency mapping. Figure 1 (page 6) presents a hexagonal clustering model showing how teacher competencies interconnect across digital literacy, well-being, equity, and learning environments.

Liberating Content

The new approach removes traditional constraints of time, place, and modality. Courses are now available across in-person, synchronous (ASU Sync), and asynchronous (ASU Online) formats. Students can also pace their education to match their life circumstances, with accelerated 7.5-week terms, summer options, and multiple start dates. Prior professional experience as paraprofessionals or aides is recognized as valid learning. These changes are designed to increase access for first-generation, low-income, and working students who previously faced barriers to entering or persisting in the profession.

Learner-Centered Design and Specialization

ASU’s model introduces six core course categories across general studies, pedagogy, field experience, and specialization. Students choose from interest-aligned tracks such as sustainability, civic engagement, or student advocacy. For those with unique interests, personalized pathways can be co-designed with faculty and academic coaches.

Integrated Student Support

A holistic coaching model replaces siloed academic advising. Student success coaches offer tailored support for academics, finances, wellness, and career planning, including for remote learners. MLFC’s redesign also embedded fieldwork into standard courses to integrate theory and practice. Instead of separating internship experiences, coursework now includes embedded clinical assignments, increasing cohesion and relevance.

How does this redesign shift the vision for schools and the profession?

MLFC’s overarching vision reflects a systemic transformation of the education workforce. Strategic staffing replaces the lone-teacher paradigm with educator teams built around distributed expertise. By embedding collaboration, specialization, and advancement into preparation, schools can better personalize learning for students and reduce burnout among teachers.

Programs like the Professional Educator Series offer one-credit courses that develop teacher identity, equity awareness, policy literacy, and leadership potential from the first semester onward. Meanwhile, partnerships with local school districts and the Community Education Learning Hub extend ASU’s model into communities, helping volunteers and paraprofessionals transition into professional roles via skill-building nanocourses.

Notably, the Next Education Workforce initiative serves as a cornerstone of this vision. It advances team-based teaching, empowers veteran teachers to lead, and deepens school-community ties. Early evidence suggests this approach boosts educator retention, job satisfaction, and student outcomes.