Archive for January, 2017

2016 – The Year in State Policy

Ed Prep Matters is pleased to bring you this special feature on state policy and AACTE state chapter activity. For prior monthly recap articles, browse the “State Directions” section of the blog.

2016 began with some clear themes for state education policy showcased in governors’ State of the State Addresses. According to a report from the Education Commission of the States (ECS), the following issues topped the governors’ lists:

Free Assessment Course Starting Jan. 30

In just a couple of weeks, I’ll be leading AACTE’s first online course with FutureLearn, “Designing Assessments to Measure Student Outcomes.” I am thrilled to be bringing AACTE’s online professional seminars to this robust global platform with enhanced content and an innovative social-learning model. Won’t you join me for this enriching experience?

The assessment course opens January 30 and runs for 3 weeks, requiring about 3 hours per week of your time. Each week, we’ll explore a different aspect of assessment, starting with an overview of foundational issues such as validity and reliability before moving on to designing and using rubrics and surveys.

New AACTE Gallery to Showcase Association Highlights in Tampa

Wondering what’s happening at AACTE this year? Come visit our all-new AACTE Gallery at the 2017 Annual Meeting in Tampa, Florida, to interact with the latest offerings from the Innovation Exchange and the Quality Support Center. You’ll have an opportunity to peruse the featured showcases, network with members and partners engaged with AACTE’s initiatives, and maybe even win a prize!

The Gallery will be located in Room 21, directly across from the Conference Community Center, in the Tampa Convention Center. It will be available during four time blocks:

Input Still Needed on AAEE Supply-Demand Survey

AACTE is partnering with the American Association for Employment in Education (AAEE) to increase input from educator preparation providers in the organization’s annual teacher supply and demand survey. The views expressed in this post do not necessarily reflect the views of AACTE.

The annual American Association for Employment in Education (AAEE) Educator Supply and Demand Report needs your input! If you have not already done so, please complete this year’s survey by January 27.

5 Reasons to Attend an AACTE Quality Support Workshop

How do you do continuous improvement? Are you looking to make better use of data to move your program forward? Is your institution working toward accreditation or other quality assurance targets?

Regional Workshops

AACTE’s new Quality Support Workshops provide a forum for educators to address these questions and develop viable solutions with guidance from expert facilitators. These regional events were developed in response to the needs of the field and offer opportunities to share resources and build actionable strategies for program assessment, accreditation, and continuous improvement goals.

This year, AACTE will bring these workshops to three regions: Fort Worth, Texas, April 24-26; Minneapolis, Minnesota, August 10-12; and Seattle, Washington, November 9-11.

New Research-to-Practice Spotlight Features PDS Model at George Mason University

It is my pleasure to introduce the George Mason University (VA) College of Education and Human Development as the next featured institution in the AACTE Research-to-Practice Spotlight series. Continuing our focus on exemplary models of clinical practice, this series highlights the long-standing professional development school (PDS) partnership cultivated by George Mason and schools in Fairfax County, Virginia. Mason is the state’s largest producer of PK-12 teachers and largest comprehensive research university.

Teacher Leader: Ease Mobility, Elevate the Profession With License Reciprocity

The views expressed in this post do not necessarily reflect the views of AACTE.

It has taken approximately $500 and 7 months to convince my new home state that I’m a worthy teacher candidate – even though I have two master’s degrees and 11 years of classroom experience, am a National Teacher Fellow, and was a state elementary teacher of the year. It will take an additional 3 years and 36 credit hours of graduate work, at my expense, to retain my position in my new state.  It’s a good thing that I’m committed to a career in education, because the process of moving states presents repeated opportunities to step away from the field.