Founded in 2012, Monitor Teacher Training is the only online portal to offer an overview of the structures of the first phase of teacher training in colleges throughout Germany. Data is collected at regular intervals in the 16 federal states as well as at colleges and universities that offer teacher training programs; it is then visualized by key topics, such as a program’s practical approach or the attention paid to digitalization. The data provides civil servants, lawmakers, and college administrators responsible for teacher training with sound information to make decisions on current programs or the further development of academic teacher training. Besides the online portal, brochures on individual topics are available that interpret the data and point out any potential need for reform. Last but not least, the offering includes a newsletter and a Germany-wide calendar of teacher training events. Monitor Teacher Training is a recognized and popular source of information; the use of the website, as well as feedback and newsletter subscriptions show that the target group is being reached.
Monitor Teacher Training is a cooperation project of Bertelsmann Stiftung, CHE Centre for Higher Education, Deutsche Telekom Stiftung, Robert Bosch Stiftung, and Stifterverband für die Deutsche Wissenschaft, a joint initiative of companies and foundations devoted to education, science, and innovation.