Algebra has long been considered the foundation for higher-level mathematics and a gatekeeper for post-secondary opportunities. In recent decades, increasing enrollments in algebra have placed additional demands on algebra teachers for reaching a more diverse population of students. With the 2010 release and adoption of the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSSM) by all but a few states, questions arise regarding preparing teachers to teach the standards and practices described in CCSSM. In this paper, we describe the processes used to develop frameworks to study opportunities provided by secondary teacher preparation programs to learn about algebra, algebra teaching, achieving equity in algebra learning, and the algebra, functions, and modeling standards and mathematical practices described in CCSSM. In particular, we discuss opportunities and challenges encountered in our work.