24 Oct2023
By AACTE
The 2024 AACTE Annual Meeting is not just an event; it’s a grand gathering of like-minded individuals, and a platform for learning, networking, and sharing unique perspectives in teacher preparation. Early registration for the Annual Meeting can be a money-saving strategy that offers multiple benefits, from budgetary savings to securing your spot.
With early bird registration closing on November 1, you have just over a week to lock in savings. Join us February 16-18 at the Gaylord Rockies in Aurora/Denver, CO, in Propelling the Profession into the Future. The AACTE 2024 Annual Meeting theme aligns with the association’s vision and mission to revolutionize education for all learners by elevating education and educator preparation through research, professional practice, advocacy, and collaboration. Check out the preconference activities, and take a further look at some of the Featured Sessions for 2024:
24 Oct2023
By Cam McComb, Ph.D
The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) has provided a useful resource for teacher preparation programs and in this post, I share a three-part strategy used to help preservice art teachers to develop a pedagogical mindset.
Accomplished Teaching Learning and Schools (ATLAS) is a resource of the NBPTS. The subscription-based site contains curated teaching videos, along with supporting commentary and instructional materials, submitted as part of teaching evaluations such as the edTPA, and National Board Certification.
As a National Board Certified Teacher, I was keenly aware of the rigorous teaching expected of the NBPTS. So, as classrooms closed during the 2020 pandemic, I quickly signed up and searched the ATLAS database for teaching exemplars that would resonate with soon-to-be art teachers. I scanned through 50 art videos, selected one, and developed a simple three-part strategy for using the video in whole-group instruction. I use this approach twice a semester.
23 Oct2023
By Vorhees University
The U.S. Department of Education has awarded Voorhees University a $26.7 million grant to serve more than 850 teachers and nearly 11,000 students.
Voorhees’ Center of Excellence for Educator Preparation and Innovation is receiving a new Teacher and School Leader Incentive Program grant to improve student achievement in Fairfield County School District and Georgetown County School District.
The REAP: Rewarding Educator Achievement and Performance grant aims to improve the quality of education, elevate educator effectiveness, raise student achievement, and increase equity in learning.
23 Oct2023
By The Institute of Education Sciences (IES)
The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) released the latest round of findings from the School Pulse Panel (SPP). These SPP data examine teaching and non-teacher staffing, technology/digital literacy, and community partnerships as reported by school leaders in U.S. public schools.
Key Findings
Staffing for 2023-2024 School Year
- Forty-five percent of U.S. public schools report feeling that they are understaffed entering the 2023-2024 school year, a decrease from the 53 % of schools who felt understaffed entering the last school year (2022-2023).
- For public schools that report feeling understaffed, 67 % of schools that have classroom aides report feeling understaffed in this area. Sixty-three percent that offer special education services report feeling understaffed in this area.
- Outside of the classroom, public schools report feeling understaffed with their transportation staff (61 %) and mental health professionals (49 %).
23 Oct2023
Championing Special Educators: Strategies for Recruitment & Retention in Educator Preparation, a Collaboration Between AACTE and CEEDAR
By Brooke Evans
On October 31, from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET, special education teacher advocates are invited to attend the first meeting of the new national affinity group, Championing Special Educators: Strategies for Recruitment & Retention in Educator Preparation. The first meeting, Multiple Pathways into the Profession, will dive into two educator preparation programs providing innovative ways for students to obtain special education educator licensure.
Elena Andrei, Ed.D., and Claire E. Hughes, Ph.D., of Cleveland State University will share information on their DREAM project, a master’s program degree that results in two initial licensures (P-5, Early Childhood Intervention Specialist), and a TESOL endorsement.
18 Oct2023
By Christina Claiborne and Matthew Truwit
The first year of teaching is like a masterclass in adaptability and multitasking; teachers learn to balance daily teaching performance with the backstage work of grading, lesson planning, and learning to navigate the policies and practices of their new workplace. Student teaching experiences serve as the bridge connecting the pedagogical theories teachers acquire in teacher preparation programs to the dynamic, frequently turbulent, reality of the classroom. EdResearch for Action has released a research synthesis brief that explores how district leaders and education preparation providers can leverage evidence-based practices to chart a path toward ensuring novice teachers are at their most ready when they enter the classroom.
The brief, titled “Increasing Teacher Preparedness Through Effective Student Teaching,” weaves together findings drawn from over 75 research studies to identify what barriers to better student teaching experiences exist, in addition to what practices are truly effective and what practices fall short. What follows is a short summary of the brief’s findings.
17 Oct2023
By AACTE
Early bird registration is still open for the AACTE 2024 Annual Meeting taking place February 16-18 at Gaylord Rockies in Aurora/Denver, CO. In addition to 150-plus interactive learning opportunities, AACTE will provide members with a robust and dynamic selection of “Featured Sessions” which provide a large-format, expert-facilitated exploration of a key topic. Take a look at some of the slated discussions for this year’s Annual Meeting.
17 Oct2023
By Kaitlyn Brennan
This weekly Washington Update is intended to keep members informed on Capitol Hill activities impacting the educator preparation community. The views expressed in this post do not necessarily reflect the views of AACTE.
As of the writing of this update, the House has been without a speaker and effectively paralyzed for ten days.
Meanwhile, eyes around the world are focused on the horrific events occurring in Israel. The uptick in acts of antisemitism and Islamophobia at colleges and universities has prompted new pressure on the Department of Education to release a proposal that, as reported by Politico, would potentially force college administrators to investigate claims of discrimination against ethnic groups or risk losing federal money.
Congress will need to act swiftly to pass an aid package for both Israel and Ukraine and still needs to pass an FY24 spending bill before November 17 to avoid a potential government shutdown.
With Congress caught up in the selection of a new Speaker of the House, today’s newsletter focuses on several recent announcements from the Biden-Harris Administration.
16 Oct2023
Championing Special Educators: Strategies for Recruitment & Retention in Educator Preparation, a Collaboration Between AACTE and CEEDAR
By Brooke Evans
Teacher educators across the nation are invited to join the newest national affinity group, Championing Special Educators: Strategies for Recruitment & Retention in Educator Preparation, and our first meeting is “spooktacularly” on Halloween!
AACTE is collaborating with the Collaboration for Effective Educator Development, Accountability, and Reform (CEEDAR) in order to offer AACTE members the opportunity to glean insights from comprehensive educator preparation programs and educational partners who have excelled in recruiting and preparing candidates to become fully licensed special educators.
More specifically, this affinity group professional learning series will highlight successful strategies that educator preparation programs (EPPs) have employed to increase enrollment of special education candidates, including collaborating with K-12 districts, universities and community partners, and utilizing data collection efforts to drive decision-making.
16 Oct2023
By Robin Fuxa
If you are active in your state’s association – or curious about building your advocacy toolkit – make time to attend the AACTE/ACSR Virtual State Leaders Institute on November 1 from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. ET.
This half-day online event is an accessible, affordable way to learn the latest developments on state policies impacting educator preparation and to engage with leaders in our field from around the country. Sessions will focus on policies addressing the teacher shortage, the science(s) of reading, and academic censorship; our other thread will focus on practical “know-how” sessions on state leadership for those new to affiliate leadership or those considering seeking a leadership role.
16 Oct2023
By New Jersey Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (NJACTE)
Educator preparation programs (EPPs) in New Jersey are engaged in a nonstop cycle of recruiting, training, and graduating teachers for the state, which has experienced a severe teacher shortage. The design and practices of these programs are substantially influenced by policies of both the state and accrediting organizations. What do busy practitioners at EPPs do when policies that directly affect their work are in flux?
In 2022, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy signed into law S.896, which removed the requirement for teacher candidates to complete a state-approved performance-based assessment, including the previously required and widely critiqued edTPA, and provided each EPP the authority to design or select its own performance-based assessment. The edTPA had been a significant, time-intensive process for teacher candidates, and EPPs had deeply integrated edTPA into their curriculum and dedicated resources to support candidates’ successful completion of edTPA’s components. This policy change has the potential to fundamentally transform daily practice, program design, and student experiences across New Jersey’s EPPs.
16 Oct2023
By Michelle Damiani
The AACTE Co-Teaching in Clinical Practice Topical Action Group (TAG) recently wrapped up two exciting initiatives focused on bringing teacher preparation faculty together with administrators and teachers in schools across the country. A recurring theme coming from our TAG activities emphasizes the need for systemic change, something that will most effectively occur with collaboration across institutions and school-university partners.
Teacher preparation institutional partnerships with local school districts where co-teaching is valued seem to be increasing expertise for clinical interns, practitioners, and the higher education teacher preparation faculty involved.
11 Oct2023
By Weade James
The AACTE Holmes Program supports students who self-identify as racially and ethnically diverse and are pursuing graduate degrees in education at AACTE member institutions.
With 65 active member institutions, the Holmes Program continues to grow to include new members and diverse scholars who are pursuing graduate degrees in various specialty areas. AACTE is proud to welcome new scholars from Texas Christian University, the University of Nevada Las Vegas, and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.
10 Oct2023
By AACTE
AACTE kicks off its three-week countdown to the early bird registration deadline for its 2024 Annual Meeting, February 16 – 18 at the Gaylord Rockies in Denver, CO. You still have time to take advantage of the biggest discount on rates and participate in the premier educator preparation conference in the nation.
10 Oct2023
By Kathy McDonough, Sonia Nieto, Valerie Hill-Jackson and Cheryl Craig
On the occasion of AACTE’s 75 years of transforming teacher education, and in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent challenges to race-conscious policies for college admissions, co-editors Valerie Hill-Jackson and Cheryl Craig of the Journal of Teacher Education (JTE) seize the opportunity to offer an issue dedicated to equity.
With the expertise of Kathy McDonough and Sonia Nieto as guest editors, this groundbreaking publication attempts to “Place Equity Front and Center” in Teacher Education in a Time of Crisis. The issue begins with an editorial that (a) reviews the long history of injustice in the United States over four centuries, (b) reconsiders major cultural shifts since the start of the 21st century that impact teacher education specifically and education more broadly, and (c) highlights the promising pedagogies for responsibly bringing equity to the fore in teacher preparation classrooms.
Inside the issue, a powerhouse compilation of eight peer-reviewed articles is representative of novel research — on topics ranging from equity and teacher dispositions to equity and technology — by thoughtful and committed scholars. Issue four, of volume 74 of JTE, affirms that equity is the bedrock of teacher education, so it leans into a timely conversation on the topic. It’s a must-read collection for policymakers, practitioners, and researchers for the field of teacher education. Access the issue.
