The Mathematics Teacher Education Partnership: The Power of a Networked Improvement Community to Transform Secondary Mathematics Teacher Preparation: A Review

A review of Martin, W. G., Lawler, B. R., Lischka, A. E., & Smith, W. M. (2020). The Mathematics Teacher Education Partnership: The Power of a Networked Improvement Community to Transform Secondary Mathematics Teacher Preparation. Charlotte, North Carolina: Information Age Publishing, xix + 412 pp., $62.04 (paperback), ISBN 978–1-64,113–931-1, $89.24 (hardcover), ISBN 978–1-64,113–932-8.

This book offers a thorough overview of a 7-year initiative by the Mathematics Teacher Education Partnership (MTE-Partnership), a national consortium uniting over 90 universities and 100 school systems. Focused on preparing secondary mathematics teachers, the MTE-Partnership operates as a Networked Improvement Community (NIC), merging improvement science with networking for accelerated progress. Addressing key challenges in teacher preparation, such as content knowledge development, impactful clinical experiences, recruitment, and equity considerations, the book explores existing knowledge and initiatives by Research Action Clusters (RACs). These collaborative clusters iteratively refine processes and products to enhance secondary mathematics teacher preparation. The book outlines successful RAC approaches and specific products, offering insights for educators and policymakers. Reflecting on the NIC model, it provides valuable considerations for research design, with explicit references to the Standards for Preparing Teachers of Mathematics (Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators, 2017), enhancing practical applicability. This resource is essential for advancing the field of secondary mathematics teacher preparation.