Request for Proposals: Editorship of the Journal of Teacher Education

By Kristin McCabe

The AACTE Committee on Research and Dissemination invites proposals for a campus-based team to edit the Journal of Teacher Education (JTE) for a 3-year term, commencing with Volume 67, Issue 1 (January/February 2016). Proposals must be submitted online by November 7. Qualified individuals from schools, colleges, and departments of education at AACTE member institutions may apply.

Click here to download the complete request for proposals, or click here to enter the online submission site.

CPRE Report: Preparation in Methods, Pedagogy Linked to Teacher Retention

By Kristin McCabe

Preservice preparation in teaching methods and pedagogy has a notably positive effect on new teachers’ likelihood to stay past their first year on the job, according to a new report out of the Consortium for Policy Research in Education (CPRE). Teachers’ routes to licensure, certificate types, degrees, and selectivity of their colleges have much less correlation with attrition, say report authors Richard Ingersoll, Lisa Merrill, and Henry May.

Analyzing data from the national Schools and Staffing Survey and supported by a National Science Foundation grant, the authors studied to what degree various elements of preservice preparation contribute to beginning teachers’ attrition or retention after 1 year in the classroom, particularly in the fields of mathematics and science.

Scholars in Maine, New Jersey Named AACTE Research Fellows

By Kristin McCabe

AACTE has awarded its inaugural Research Fellowship in Educator Preparation to teams based at the University of Southern Maine and at William Paterson University of New Jersey. The 1-year fellowships commence August 1.

Each of the two research teams, which include emerging as well as experienced scholars, will receive $30,000 to support projects examining critical issues in educator preparation.

JTE Call for Manuscripts: School-Based Teacher Learning

By Kristin McCabe

The editors of AACTE’s Journal of Teacher Education invite manuscripts for a special issue on school-based teacher learning. Manuscripts are due November 1, and the issue will be published next year as Volume 66, Number 4 (September/October 2015).

Coeditors Stephanie Knight, Gwendolyn Lloyd, and Fran Arbaugh of Pennsylvania State University have issued the following call for papers with suggested research questions:

Much of what teachers learn about teaching and learning occurs in school-based contexts. Opportunities for teacher learning occur along the professional continuum, from preservice field experiences to a multitude of opportunities for in-service teachers to engage in job-embedded learning. In addition, school-based teacher education is supported by various types of teacher educators—including, but not limited to, mentors, university supervisors, peers, instructional coaches, administrators, district-level supervisors, university faculty, and other professional development providers.

Model Standards for School Leaders Getting an Update

By Kristin McCabe

This summer, two national education organizations will revise the model standards for the preparation, performance, support, and evaluation of school leaders. The work is expected to be completed in October.

With renewed support from the Wallace Foundation, the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) and the National Policy Board for Education Administration (NPBEA) will convene panels to update the Interstate School Leaders Licensure Consortium (ISLLC) standards, last updated in 2008, and the National Educational Leadership Preparation (NELP) standards, last revised in 2011. The effort also includes drafting new standards for superintendents or other central-office staff who supervise principals.

Meet the Chair: Julie Underwood

By Kristin McCabe

AACTE’s Board of Directors is headed this year by Julie Underwood, dean of the School of Education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Underwood is a nationally recognized authority on school law and has coauthored several books on the topic. Her background includes work in higher education and at the National School Boards Association, where she served as associate executive director and general counsel from 1998 to 2005.

NASDTEC Task Force to Develop Model Code of Educator Ethics

By Kristin McCabe and Omar Davis

A new effort by the National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification (NASDTEC) will attempt to develop a national framework for PK-12 educator ethics.

Beginning with a meeting June 19-21 in Maryland, the Model Code of Educator Ethics Task Force will review existing codes of ethics over the coming year and draft a consensus document that could be adopted by states, which currently have varying guidelines in place. A public review period is planned before the model code is finalized in summer 2015.

Diez Reflects as Sun Sets on Alverno Tenure, Rises on SSSF

By Kristin McCabe

Alverno’s Mary Diez (right) with her SSSF vice presidents

It’s hard to believe, but it’s true: After 38 years, Mary Diez is leaving Alverno July 1.

Diez, professor and former dean of the School of Education at Alverno College (WI), was elected last month to a 4-year term as president of the School Sisters of St. Francis (SSSF), an international congregation with 850 sisters in the United States, Europe, India, and Latin America. This full-time commitment will take her to all of those places, although she plans to retain her campus residence at the college where she has lived for nearly 4 decades.

Taking her leadership skills off campus is hardly new for Diez, whether as a consultant in the Milwaukee community, member of standards boards, convener of assessment institutes, champion of dispositions work, or president of AACTE—among countless other roles she has held around the country and internationally. Despite having so much on her plate, Diez generously responded to my questions this week about her career to date and future plans.

Let CAEP Hear From You!

By Kristin McCabe

Want to make sure the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) hears from the field? A new survey asks teacher educators to help shape CAEP’s advanced standards, weigh in on preferred accreditation supports, and more.

In an announcement posted yesterday, CAEP invites institutions to provide feedback via an online survey. Part of the instrument is described as “a critical research project to ensure the highest level of service and support to institutions,” while other questions seek input on newly drafted standards for preparation programs at the advanced level. Participation in the survey is anonymous.

You have only a brief window to respond, so don’t delay: The survey is open through Thursday, May 15.

Call for Entries: AACTE Book, Dissertation Awards for 2015

By Kristin McCabe

AACTE is now accepting online nominations or applications for its 2015 Writing and Research Awards, with the following submission deadlines:

Outstanding Book Award: Nominations due June 17

Outstanding Dissertation Award: Applications due August 14

Outstanding Journal of Teacher Education Article Award: Nominations from editors due October 1

Graduate Students Benefit From AACTE’s Day on the Hill

By Kristin McCabe

Sam Miller and Marcie Rock (UNC-Greensboro), Gliset Colón (U. at Buffalo), and Mel Sullivan (UNC-Greensboro) with Chris Toppings, staffer for Senator Richard Burr (NC).

Have you considered bringing your graduate students to Washington, DC, for AACTE’s Day on the Hill? Last year, Marcia Rock, associate professor and director of doctoral studies in special education at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, did just that with a cadre of graduate students in special education fields. Here is what they had to say about the experience:

Carly Roberts, Doctoral Scholar, University of Wisconsin-Madison:

I was fortunate to be able to attend five meetings on the Hill. I had never realized how accessible our congressman and senators were to constituents. These visits showed me what a powerful force lobbyists and individuals passionate about education can have in Washington. Seeing AACTE’s dedicated staff and all of the university representatives, teachers, and graduate students prepare for their visits with such fervor and passion was inspiring. The gains we’ve made in special education in the past 40 years would not have been possible without such inspired groups and individuals.

I realize now more than ever how important being an advocate for public education and for individuals with exceptionalities is, because I’ve seen firsthand how such advocacy really can have an impact.

Symposium to Mark 60th Anniversary of Brown Decision

By Kristin McCabe

Next month marks the 60th anniversary of the historic Brown v. Board of Education decision that put an end to legalized segregation of U.S. public schools. To commemorate the occasion, George Mason University (VA) is hosting a film screening and symposium on Monday, April 28. (AACTE is a promotional partner for the event.)

The free symposium, titled “Unspoken Histories of Unequal Education,” will kick off with an hors d’oeuvres reception at 6:00 p.m., followed by a screening of the film Stolen Education. After the movie, join the filmmaker (Professor Enrique Alemán, Jr., of the University of Utah) and other esteemed panelists to discuss the film and the impact and relevancy of Brown today.

JTE Senior Advisers Convene at AERA Conference

By Kristin McCabe

Seeking to identify promising research areas in teacher preparation as well as roles for the Journal of Teacher Education (JTE) in advancing and disseminating the field’s knowledge base, JTE editor Stephanie Knight (Penn State University) and AACTE assembled a group of advisers for a meeting last week in Philadelphia.

The meeting, held in conjunction with the annual conference of the American Educational Research Association (AERA), also included AACTE President/CEO Sharon P. Robinson and the following advisers:

Alliance: Allow More Time for Implementing Common Core State Standards

By Kristin McCabe

Policy makers should allow more time for schools to implement the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), according to a statement released today by the Learning First Alliance.

The Alliance—a partnership of leading education organizations, including AACTE—wants policy makers to make sure instructional alignment and various supports are established before they apply high-stakes consequences to CCSS test results.

In support of this agenda, a new web site houses implementation success stories, such as podcasts from selected states, and a collection of other implementation resources.

Major Forum Videos Now Available

By Kristin McCabe

We’ve just posted video recordings of all 10 major forums held during AACTE’s 66th Annual Meeting in Indianapolis.

These videos, housed in AACTE’s Learning Center, are accessible only to conference registrants. Other available videos include one from the Town Hall Meeting (open to all AACTE members), two from other general sessions (open to the public), and two installments of “AACTE News 14” (open to the public).

In other exciting news, we’ve heard from our Indianapolis community partner School on Wheels that AACTE attendees donated $1,500 to that organization during the conference. Many thanks to all who contributed!