About TQI

In June of 2001, the University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents passed a resolution calling for increased cooperation between campuses of the UW System and local school districts, with the aim of improving education at all levels. This resolution stated:

The Board of Regents adopts the PK-16 Principles directing each UW System Chancellor to work collaboratively with PK-12 and other postsecondary education leaders to develop a well-articulated plan for achieving local quality PK-16 education; and to report plans, initiatives and achievements to the Board in June 2002.
Resolution I.1.b(2)

In keeping with the spirit of this resolution, to develop and maintain broad-based collaborative ventures, it was recommended that a task force/advisory board be established to work in collaboration with the UW System Director of PK-16 Initiatives and other system leadership.

In the fall of 2002, the UW System PK-16 Task Force was established. In recognition of the complexity of activities that are implied within this resolution, and in an attempt to be sensitive to the most pressing issues facing education today, the charge of the task force was presented as follows:

To assist in the development of processes that will serve to guide and support campus initiatives consistent with creating institution-wide responsibility for the preparation of future teachers.

After fulfilling its initial one-year mission, this task force requested that they be allowed to continue in order to guide and support implementation efforts. Cora Marrett, Sr. Vice President for Academic Affairs, approved this request and the Task Force was renamed the UW System Teacher Education Advisory Council.

Although the initial focus of this work was to meet the compliance requirements of PI-34, council members were very clear to support moving beyond this orientation to take on a more intellectually challenging opportunity for transforming teacher education in Wisconsin. This priority has come to be known as the UW System Teacher Quality Initiative.

In the spring of 2005, the Teacher Education Advisory Council identified three priority areas and created work teams to move ahead with these three priorities.