This study examines how COVID-19 profoundly impacted teacher preparation during the close of the 2019-20 school year.
Based on survey responses from nearly all Washington State teacher education programs (TEPs),
we find that the pandemic had predictable but concerning effects on teacher preparation; most
notably, student teaching requirements were greatly reduced or waived completely for many
candidates. The nature of the feedback that candidates received from field placement supervisors
and cooperating teachers also changed substantially as a result of the transition to remote
instruction in K-12 schools. Survey responses do not suggest that the pandemic has had an
immediate impact on TEP applications or enrollment, but there is still considerable ambiguity
about how TEPs will operate going forward; survey responses show a wide range of plans for
teacher preparation in the 2020-21 school year.