17 Nov2016
By Zachary VanHouten
A new report released this week by the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) calls for stronger admissions standards for teacher preparation programs. Casting blame for “a low bar for entry” on states, the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP), and individual programs, NCTQ claims that raising admissions requirements (such as minimum GPA and ACT or SAT scores) would increase not only the quality but also the number of candidates entering the profession.
17 Nov2016
By Jill A. Perry
Left to right: Stephen Pape, Jimmie Walker (award winner), and Camille Bryant of Johns Hopkins University
The 18th convening of the Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate (CPED) took place October 24-26 on the campus of Augusta University (GA). Faculty members from 80 member colleges and schools of education explored the program theme “Inquiry as Practice: Understanding the Research Knowledge, Skills, and Dispositions Scholarly Practitioners Need to Improve Problems of Practice.”
Rick Mintrop of the University of California-Berkeley challenged the group to consider design-based inquiry as a potential signature pedagogy for preparing professional practitioners. “We should spend design energy only on ‘wicked problems’ for which there is no current conventional solution,” he urged.
17 Nov2016
By Kezia Daniels
Carolyn Stubbs, ORU Holmes Scholar
For Oral Roberts University (ORU), joining AACTE’s Holmes Program contributed to an initiative to create a dedicated space within our department for aspiring education leaders. Over the past year, we’ve succeeded in setting up a fledgling program that we hope will flourish and grow as time goes on.
Our Holmes Scholars Program began in September 2015. Its conception and development was very much influenced by the Holmes Program presentation given at the AACTE Annual Meeting in 2015.
14 Nov2016
By Kristin McCabe
The U.S. Department of Education Office of Educational Technology (OET) invites educator preparation providers (EPPs) to publicly commit to the four key principles identified in the 2016 National Educational Technology Plan for the use of educational technology in teacher preparation.
EPPs that pledge to uphold the four principles will be eligible to receive an invitation to an “Innovators’ Briefing” hosted by OET December 14 in Washington, DC, along with an afternoon workshop hosted by AACTE the day before. Space at the event is limited, so to be considered for participation, be sure to complete the online challenge form by December 1.
14 Nov2016
By Aaron Goldstein
While the country’s attention during last week’s election was largely on the presidential race, education had a lot at stake in key state-level decisions.
Governors
The first significant category of decisions was for governorships, for which 12 states held elections. Going into this month, Republicans held 31 offices, Democrats held 18, and an Independent led one state. In the 12 states with gubernatorial races, Republicans won six, Democrats won five, and one was still too close to call at press time.
The results put Republicans on track to tie or exceed a post-World War II record for the partisan control of governorships. See this link for an overview of the outcomes of each gubernatorial race.
14 Nov2016
By Aaron Goldstein
The annual election for the AACTE Board of Directors opens today and runs through November 28. Eight seats will be decided via online voting: one representing the Association of Independent Liberal Arts Colleges for Teacher Education (AILACTE), one representing the Council of Academic Deans from Research Education Institutions (CADREI), one representing university presidents/provosts, and five at-large seats.
All AACTE Institutional and Chief Representatives are eligible to vote for all eight open seats. The slate of candidates is as follows:
10 Nov2016
By Michelle Mitchell and Terrance McNeil
Congratulations to November Holmes Scholar of the Month Nevin Heard!
Heard is a second-year doctoral student in the counselor education program at the University of Central Florida. He is the program coordinator for the Situational Environmental Circumstances Mentorship Research Project, a mentor liaison for the Counselor Education Doctoral Student Organization, and a board member for the Cultural Encounter Committee of the Multicultural Research Center Initiative.Heard is also a founding member and doctoral representative for the Multicultural Partnership of Organizers for Equity and Resilience (M-POWER) in the hopes of creating a newly recognized university organization to support counseling students.
10 Nov2016
By Aaron Goldstein and Zachary VanHouten
This month, AACTE launched our new Advocacy Center – designed to provide users with the resources and timely information needed to be effective advocates at a state and federal level. Featuring a comprehensive set of new digital resources (with more on the way!), as well as a new AACTE Action Alert system, there is plenty to get engaged with now.
Please join us for a webinar Thursday, November 17, at 3:00 p.m. EST as we walk you through the Advocacy Center’s resources and the simple sign-up process for the new Action Alerts. The webinar will feature ample time for Q&A, and a recording will be made available in AACTE’s Resource Library for later viewing.
Sign up for the webinar here.
10 Nov2016
By Sungti Hsu and Yupin Bae
To expand the Data Dive blog series on Ed Prep Matters, AACTE invites members to submit brief articles presenting and discussing data related to educator preparation.
Like all blog submissions, Data Dive articles should be approximately 500 words and contain news or commentary relevant to AACTE or to educator preparation generally. Please include tables, charts, or other illustrations of the data and your analysis. Advertising-related posts are not permitted, and the content – including any graphics – must not infringe on any copyright agreements or laws.
09 Nov2016
By Jerrica Thurman
Check out the full lineup of sessions and presenters at the 2017 Annual Meeting now available through AACTE’s Event Planner at http://planner.aacte.org. View session titles and descriptions, presenters’ names, and locations all at your fingertips through mobile or online access to the Event Planner.
In recent years, AACTE has offered enhanced technology to foster robust interaction with event participants by providing the Event Planner as the go-to-resource for the Annual Meeting.
08 Nov2016
By Kristin McCabe
Did you miss AACTE’s webinar last month on what teacher candidates need to know about the intersection of educator dispositions, ethics, and law? Don’t worry – you can watch the recording at your convenience in AACTE’s Resource Library. You’ll find it, along with the presentation slides, here.
David Thompson, University of Texas – San Antonio
Troy Hutchings, Educational Testing Service
Presenters David Thompson of the University of Texas at San Antonio and Troy Hutchings of the Educational Testing Service opened their presentation with a case study that illustrated the complexity of factors at play not only in teacher-student relationships, but also in teacher-supervisor and other adult interactions. They discussed different frameworks that can guide teachers’ decision making and how teachers might reconcile conflicts between these frameworks to “navigate the gray areas.”
08 Nov2016
By Deborah Koolbeck and Sungti Hsu
Today, we are pleased to launch the online AACTE Advocacy Center to support your work in both federal and state advocacy. Please take a moment to visit the new center and explore the resources you’ve requested!
In this one-stop center, you’ll find downloadable advocacy guides, important hyperlinks, and an assortment of other digital resources. Want to catch up on the latest Federal Update webinar or blog post? Looking for contact information for your state legislators or tips on setting up a meeting with your representatives? Give us a visit!
08 Nov2016
By Renée A. Middleton
The AACTE Board of Directors this fall approved a revision of the AACTE Principles for National Accreditation in Educator Preparation, a document originally drafted in 2006 to state the Association’s aspirational views regarding national accreditation.
The revision was spearheaded by the Board’s subcommittee formed to engage with the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP). The Board felt it was important to reaffirm our core values with respect to what we see as essential elements to any process of accreditation.
08 Nov2016
By Rodrick Lucero
AACTE and the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) collaborated with the U.S. Department of Education to put together a dynamic Teach to Lead summit last week on improving teacher preparation.
07 Nov2016
Deadline extended: Please respond by December 2
By Sharon Lovell, Shelley B. Wepner and William Henk
The study of the education deanship and what is perceived as contributing to success in that key role is both timely and imperative. Such research can help standing deans reflect on their own characteristics and practices and perhaps adapt them to better effect. It can also assist prospective deans in understanding what capabilities figure to be necessary in increasing their leadership effectiveness should they assume these roles.
We invite your participation this month in a national survey, the “Deans’ Performance Belief Survey,” supported by AACTE. The purpose of this survey is to gauge education deans’ beliefs about the ways of thinking, being, and acting that are essential for doing their jobs.
