Mission

UTP strengthens the achievement of students in urban, hard-to-staff schools through a teacher preparation program and clinical pratice within Denver Public Schools. The program currently focuses on preparing teachers in urban secondary schools through the development of a strategic and interrelated partnership within and across MSCD, DPS and the Mayor's Office for Education and Children. UTP’s theory of action includes the following:

Course Redesign: the collaborative re-design of math, science, social studies and English curriculum within and across both systems of education to build and strengthen teacher candidate knowledge and pedagogical skills.
Clinical Practice: the use of extensive field experiences in eight designated Urban Apprentice Schools prior to student teaching, where pre-service candidates work side-by-side with high quality cooperating Denver teachers and Metro professors who demonstrate, coach and guide them in effective teaching practices in urban school environments. Prior to licensure, teacher candidates complete an additional 640 hours of student teaching, working side-by-side with a DPS cooperating teacher in the content area they will someday teach.
Formative Assessment of Program Design: the analysis and evaluation of the effectiveness of the partnership to build a coherent systemic approach to urban teacher recruitment, preparation and retention aimed at addressing student learning in high-need urban schools.