One of the major outcomes of the educational reform movement in the United States during the past decade has been the increased focus on the professional preparation of educators (Darling-Hammond, 1997). According to Sanders and Rivers, numerous studies indicate that educators make a significant difference in their students' education (1996). In response to the incessant calls to improve and assure educator quality, the education programs at Albany State University adopted a conceptual framework that integrates state, national, and professional standards into its education preparation programs. As such a standards-based preparation approach was developed to empower future professional educators who graduate from Albany State University. The conceptual framework at Albany State University consists of multiple forms of knowledge, drawn from many disciplines and sources, including research, best practices, historical and cultural perspectives, the learning community of education practitioners and professional and community values. One tenet of the conceptual framework is the goal of a reflective transformative practitioner. This principle is based on the assumption that the knowledge that supports its program is dynamic and continues to evolve as inquiry and research about teaching and learning are established. In order to become a reflective transformative practitioner, one must first understand what a reflective practitioner is and what transformation means. A transformative leader engages in reflection and action. Therefore in order for an educator to become a transformative leader, they must first learn the important skill of reflection. The next section of this article will describe the concept of reflection and the concept of transformation independently. These independent definitions will provide a foundation for the combination of the two concepts that are used in the teacher preparation program at Albany State University.