The knowledge and skills of a techer being prepared today must be aligned with the national Standards established by the professional organizations in mathematics and science as well as with the requirements of local certification. The vision and philosophy of teacher preparation can be distilled into the following principles:

• Teacher preparation is a collaborative effort involving education and science faculty, the public schools and non-formal science institutions.
• Science teachers tend to teach the same way they were taught. Effective and appropriate instructional and assessment practices need to be modeled in all of their college mathematics and science courses and activities. These include hands-on inquiry, collaborative work and performance assessment.

• Elementary School Teachers, who are generalists rather than specialists, need a solid foundation in mathematics and science content of sufficient depth to allow them to interpret their knowledge in ways accessible to students of varied levels.

• Teachers need to understand the variety of ways and contexts in which students learn math and science.
• Mathematics, science and technology have become inextricably intertwined in today's world and teachers need to be aware of this relationship and and prepared to use it to make their teaching more realistic and relevant.
• Teacher preparation, like an apprenticeship, should include experiences and activities in the places where students will be applying the skills they are learning.