There is a growing increase in the numbers of students of color and different language backgrounds in P-12 schools nationally and locally, in urban and suburban schools.

NJ ranks in the top five states nationally as having the most segregated schools for African-American and Latino students.

There is a growing need for culturally responsive and linguistically diverse teachers in NJ in urban and suburban schools.

There are growing numbers of openings for teachers in NJ given teacher retirements, increases in students enrollments in many districts, and new court-mandated funding in urban schools for lower class sizes.

As a result of federal legislation, there is more inclusion of students with special needs in regular classrooms, putting new pressures on teachers and teacher preparation.

There is a growing often acute shortage, especially in urban schools, of math and physical science teachers.

In many urban schools in NJ there is a push toward integrated services schools (which offer health and counseling services to students and their families) which will impact on educator preparation here on campus.

There is growing recognition nationally of the crucial role public schools play in preparing students for democratic citizenship.

Public school systems are under great public pressure to upgrade their technology programs and capacities.

There is growing awareness nationally and at the state level of the special developmental needs of middle school students and the demands these needs put on teacher preparation for middle schools.

The advent of NJ Core Curriculum Content Standards is changing the curriculum and assessment in NJ schools.

The introduction of new technology in the classroom puts new demands on teacher knowledge and performance.

The plan for continuing professional development requirements for NJ teachers will change the landscape of teaching in the state.

While the numbers of minority students in NJ grows, the numbers of teachers of color is remaining steady in some areas and dropping in others.

School systems prefer to hire teachers with dual certification- especially with one being special education.

The state takeover of urban districts in NJ impacts on the professional lives of teachers in these districts.

There are growing numbers of programs for service learning in public schools in NJ and nationally.

On the national scene, there is a growing continuum of initiatives, standards and certifications, including INTASC (Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium), NCTAF (National Commission on Teaching and America's Future), NBPTS (National Board for Professional Teaching Standards) , and NCATE (National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education).

NJ is 48th out of 50 state in granting doctorates in education, while the demands on educators and expectations of their expertise are growing.

The impending merger of NEA and AFT will affect teachers in NJ in as yet unknown ways.

Our teacher education program does not exist as a solitary entity. Rather it is connected to other programs with similar philosophical or structural underpinnings through the NNER, NEA/TEI, and the Holmes Partnership.

There is increasing pressure nationally to create Professional Development Schools as the site of choice for field-based teacher education.

There are competing providers of teacher education services, such as Teach for America and the proposed local campus of University of Phoenix, a profit-making institution.

There are growing pressures from Alternate Route Certification, especially as it allows minority candidates to pursue teacher certification without the financial costs of student teaching.

There is a changing federal role in teacher education with funding bills pending to support recruitment of underrepresented groups into teaching and for school-university partnerships.

There is growing pressure nationally to move toward performance-based standards and certification for teacher education programs and teacher candidates.

Many of the above mentioned national trends (PDS's, school-university partnerships, recruitment of underrepresented groups) require additional resources and funding sources, including from private grants and federal competitive programs.

There are increasing numbers (nationally and here on campus) of older, career-changing teacher education candidates with different developmental needs from traditional adolescent candidates.

There are more non-traditional students on campuses.

There are more students from underrepresented groups on campuses.

There are growing numbers of community college transfers on our campus.

There are more students with special needs on campus.

There is pressure for more articulation agreements with community colleges.

There is a return to social activism among college students.

The 21st century workforce needs greater technological skills, literacy, math and science knowledge, ability to work collaboratively, and great problem-solving and critical thinking skills.

At least two years of college experience is replacing the high school diploma as a basic job requirement.

There is a critical shortage of space for the Center of Pedagogy and its teacher education programs, in terms of classrooms, offices, and meeting spaces. This need has been cited by NCATE as a shortcoming of our teacher education program.

The first doctoral program at MSU will be an Ed.D. in Pedagogy, based in the Center of Pedagogy. This will cause greater need for space, personnel and resources for the COP.

With the approval of joint appointments at MSU, it is likely that the COP will have the first or among the first joint appointments.

The role of partner schools in the NJNER and Professional Development Schools in the NJNER is becoming more central to our program and more complex.

There are growing numbers of Clinical Faculty members from NJNER schools who serve on COP committees and taskforces, who supervise student teachers, who teach and co-teach courses in the professional sequence, and who spend time on campus for NJNER related activities.

With increased use of the Internet and email, there are growing needs for electronic communication and capacities on campus and with partner schools and institutions.

There is a need for faculty preparation in the use of technology in classrooms here on campus and in public schools.

Distance learning and interactive communication are becoming more common and an expectation at our partner schools and sister institutions nationally.

There are clear-cut needs for faculty professional development on a number of other issues such as multiculturalism and inclusion of students with special needs.

There is increasing awareness of the role and importance of Arts and Science faculty in teacher education and the COP.

We are moving toward a cohort organization of teacher education students which will necessitate increased communication and cooperation with scheduling and programming in other colleges and schools on campus.

There is increasing interest and need for MSU faculty across the campus to engage in professional development on pedagogy.

There are increasing opportunities and growing pressures to apply for external resources for funding special programs and new initiatives in teacher education.

There are a number of MSU faculty members who are engaging in FSIP projects in NJNER schools.

As the COP continues to develop, its relationships with departments in CEHS and across campus will need to be reexamined and redefined.

As the faculty at MSU ages, there will be increasing retirements.

The COP has launched a new initiative, the Teacher Education Advocacy Center, which will provide new services to students and require space, resources and attention.

The role of the COP Advisory Board will continue to evolve and change.

The role of the Agenda for Education in a Democracy continues to grow and develop within the COP and across campus.

There is currently a search for a new COP director underway.

There is a need to extend programmatic themes and mission of the teacher education program to graduate level programs for administrators, counselors and teachers.

We have no undergraduate special education program, and no program for students in majors other than Human Ecology to get elementary certification.

The department of Communication Sciences and Disorders exists outside the College of Education and Human Services but has direct connections and important roles to play in the teacher education program and the COP.

There is currently no special education program at the undergraduate level.

Applications to teacher education programs at MSU have been steadily increasing over the last five years.

Technology needs. The COP computer system must be updated and networked so personnel in the various offices of the COP can access the same student and teacher databases and transfer files between and among computers. In addition, electronic communication with students, faculty and colleagues in partner schools must be provided in order to enhance our partnerships and maintain good communication. The Curriculum Resource Center technology needs are enumerated below.

A new building. In order to meet the space needs of the Center of Pedagogy and all its myriad programs and entities, a new building is needed for the College of Education and Human Resources. We need adequate classroom space with appropriate technology for our students, meeting space for COP events and planning, and office space for the growing staff of the COP and teacher education departments.

Programming to address the needs of MSU faculty for professional development in the area of teaching and learning. This could be in the form of an Institute for University Teaching and Learning. Such an entity could enable the COP to meet its mission of facilitating the simultaneous renewal of educators and the educational programs of the university.

Staff for the MAT and M.Ed. programs. A new person must be hired to do intake advisement and provide administrative coordination for the very large MAT and stable M.Ed programs.

Staff and resources for the administration and support of the proposed Ed.D. in Pedagogy program.

An in-house grant writer. The addition of a professional grant writer to the COP would mean greatly enhanced funding opportunities for the various programs and entities of the COP.

Expanded support for PDS's. As Professional Development Schools become more and more important in our program and on the national teacher education agenda, more resources (human and financial) will be needed to appropriately staff and support these delicate partnerships. PDS Liaisons and Coordinators will be needed in all PDS's. These PDS entities will be central to the success of our program.

Staff and resources for continuing professional development of teachers. With the advent of continuing education requirements for all NJ teachers and the need to support and retain new teachers, the COP will have to provide services to partner schools in order to maintain our partnerships. Unless we do so, schools will look elsewhere for relationships with other institutions that will provide such services.

Additional resources for student support. In order to compete successfully for students from under represented groups, we will need to provide support for such students to undergo full-scale teacher preparation rather than alternate route methods.

Special services for urban schools and teachers. With the court-mandated programs and funding for Abbott districts in NJ, there will be new opportunities partnerships with urban schools. Given our commitment to issues of social justice and equity, we must be able to meet the needs of NJ's urban schools in terms of teacher preparation, teacher professional development, and integrated services preparation.

Additional staff and resources for CRC. if we are to meet the needs of non-traditional teacher education students, and the needs of practicing teachers, we must make the CRC available during the evening hours. In addition, as we move to more distance learning and interactive communication with partner schools and sister institutions, the CRC Classroom of the Future will have to be updated and properly wired and maintained. The latest technology must be added to the CRC to prepare all of our students for using technology in the classroom.

Additional staff and resources for the COP. In order to meet the needs of teacher education students and members of the COP, and to expand efforts to bring Arts and Science faculty into the COP, we will need more staff and resources for programming, planning, and outreach.

Travel and conference funds. In order to maintain our important connections to national partnerships and organizations, and to provide appropriate professional development for COP staff and faculty, travel and conference funds are necessary.

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