Teacher Licensure Collaborative

NASBE is partnering with the Learning Policy Institute and other national organizations on the recently launched Teacher Licensure Collaborative (TLC). The collaborative will build on the work of the Educator Preparation Laboratory (EdPrepLab) and Whole Child Policy Table to support states in reviewing and revising state licensure and certification standards that incorporate whole child practices and ensure alignment with the science of learning and development.

About the Project

TLC is a national program working to revise state standards for teacher certification, preparation, and professional learning to center on the science of learning development and student-centered learning. The initiative brings together teams from 16 states who will collaborate with each other and experts in teaching practice, research, and policy throughout 2022.

Over the last several decades, research in neuroscience, the developmental and learning sciences, and fields like anthropology, sociology, and social psychology have illuminated how people learn. Recent syntheses of this research and its implications for educational practice, have pointed to important transformations in teaching practice needed to ensure that children experience the secure relationships, skillful teaching, and personalized supports that will enable healthy development and successful lives, including for those who have experienced adverse conditions.

In the shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic, transformative efforts are called for in meeting the social and emotional needs of children and implementing trauma- and healing-informed practice across states and districts. Strong educator preparation, which increases teacher efficacy and retention, is needed now more than ever to help teachers build these skills and meet this moment.

Comprehensively prepared teachers are the key to implementing a whole child education system now and into the future. Aligned systems of preparation and licensure help ensure all teachers are prepared to support whole child teaching and learning. Further, strong standards for professional licensing and program accreditation form a foundation for this aligned system and help infuse whole child priorities, SEL, and the science of learning and development throughout teacher preparation, early career development, and continued professional growth and advancement.

State Participation

The Teacher Licensure Collaborative is working with 16 states over the next year to support their efforts to revise licensure standards. Participating state teams will:

1. work directly with experts and national organizations;
2. collaborate with others in the state and learn from similar work in other states;
3. draft revisions to state licensure and certification standards that incorporate whole child practices and align with the science of learning and development; and
4. build action plans for adopting and implementing revised standards across their systems for teacher certification, preparation, and professional learning.

Importantly, participating states will help build a foundation for ongoing work across their education systems that can help address the enduring impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and support the learning and achievement of all students.

Get Involved

Please contact NASBE Director of Safe and Healthy Schools Megan Blanco with questions about this project or to learn about opportunities to get involved.