Educator Preparation

The Delaware Department of Education (DDOE) sets the standards and approves all educator preparation programs operating in Delaware. Additionally, DDOE works with programs to foster innovation as well as holds programs accountable as needed.

Educators must be well prepared to ensure student success. Research shows that the presence of highly skilled teachers is the strongest in-school predictor of academic success. The second strongest factor is having high-quality school leaders. DDOE is committed to promoting well-designed, competitive, and accessible educator preparation programs that support educatorexcellence.

Senate Bill 51 outlines the standards for entry into the teaching profession. More specifically, the bill requires DDOE to:

• Develop training options and a competitive marketplace for high-quality training programs (traditional and alternative)
• Set standards for what and how aspiring educators learn (content, residency, etc.)
• Maintain high standards for becoming an educator (entry and graduation)
• Increase accountability in approval and renewal, including outcomes data
• Target funding in each of these areas to seed innovation and high-quality programs