22 Jan2024
By Laura Hoxworth
This article originally appeared on the University of Virginia website and is reprinted with permission.
The University of Virginia’s (UVA) School of Education and Human Development will offer a new Education Specialist in School Psychology degree beginning this fall, a move Virginia education experts say could help expand access to mental health services by easing a shortage of school psychologists.
Graduates will receive an Education Specialist in School Psychology degree after completing the three-year program. Training includes two years of coursework at UVA and culminates with a full-time, yearlong internship in a school setting during the final year of training. Successful program completion will enable graduates to apply for state and national certification as school psychologists in PK-12 schools.
The program is now accepting students for its first class, which will begin in August. The application deadline for the first cohort of students is Feb. 1.
22 Jan2024
By U.S. Department of Education
The Biden-Harris Administration announced the approval of $4.9 billion in additional student loan debt relief for 73,600 borrowers. These discharges are the result of fixes made by the Administration to income-driven repayment (IDR) forgiveness and Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF).
Today’s announcement brings the total loan forgiveness approved by the Biden-Harris Administration to $136.6 billion for more than 3.7 million Americans.
“The Biden-Harris Administration has worked relentlessly to fix our country’s broken student loan system and address the needless hurdles and administrative inaccuracies that, in the past, kept borrowers from getting the student debt forgiveness they deserved,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona. “The nearly $5 billion in additional debt relief announced today will go to teachers, social workers, and other public servants whose service to our communities have earned them Public Service Loan Forgiveness, as well as borrowers qualifying for income-driven repayment forgiveness because their payments are for the first time being accurately accounted for. Thanks to President Biden’s leadership, we’re approving this loan forgiveness while moving full speed ahead in our efforts to deliver even greater debt relief, and help more borrowers get on a faster track to loan forgiveness under our new, affordable SAVE repayment plan.”
22 Jan2024
By Iowa Department of Education
The Iowa Department of Education today announced that $1.7 million in competitive grants are available to Iowa school districts to align secondary career and technical education programs with industry-recognized credentials. The new Credentials to Careers grant will support high schoolers earning credentials with labor market value.
“By expanding opportunities to attain an industry-recognized credential in high school, the Credentials to Careers grant helps connect the classroom to the workforce,” said Iowa Department of Education Director McKenzie Snow. “Students earning portable, stackable credentials will be ready to succeed in high-wage and public-good careers, changing lives and strengthening communities.”
Industry-recognized credentials are certifications, credentials, or licenses that are vetted by employers and endorsed by a nationally recognized trade association or organization in a particular industry. Credentials are available across many career pathways, including those in health sciences, information technology, construction, manufacturing, child development, culinary, and business.
22 Jan2024
Lunch & Learn with Claire E. Hughes
By Brooke Evans
AACTE is pleased to offer Lunch & Learns: professional development opportunities for members. These 30-minute sessions are designed to provide you with an immediate tool or strategy to apply to your work. All Lunch & Learns will be available on-demand for AACTE members. Watch them during your lunch break or whenever it is convenient for you.
AACTE will continue its Lunch & Learn series with Trellis, Blooms, and Bees: Creating a Twice-Exceptional Teacher Education Program at Cleveland State University on Thursday, February 1, from 12:00 to 12:30 p.m. ET.
16 Jan2024
By AACTE
AACTE has joined the National Coalition on Personnel Shortages in Special Education and Related Services (NCPSSERS) to continue advancing toward solutions for the nationwide PK-12 special educator shortage.
NCPSSERS is a national coalition composed of more than 30 participating member organizations. Since 2006, NCPSSERS has been dedicated to addressing the issue of shortages in special education and related services personnel in schools.
16 Jan2024
By North Carolina Department of Public Instruction
The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) recently released a guidebook for the use of generative artificial intelligence in public schools.
NCDPI is the fourth state education department in the nation to issue guidance to its schools on the use of this cutting-edge technology.
“Generative artificial intelligence is playing a growing and significant role in our society. At NCDPI, we’re committed to preparing our students both to meet the challenges of this rapidly changing technology and become innovators in the field of computer science,” said State Superintendent Catherine Truitt. “We also believe that, when implemented thoughtfully and responsibly, generative AI has the power to revolutionize student learning and better prepare North Carolina’s students for the jobs of tomorrow.”
16 Jan2024
By Jenn Dorsey
Join your fellow #AACTE24 registered attendees in the 2024 Annual Meeting community on Connect360. If you are registered for the meeting, you are already in the community, so all you need to do is log in with your e-mail and AACTE password and start posting. Stay up to date with the latest information, ask questions, or start your own conversation. This is an excellent opportunity to learn more about the Annual Meeting and what you can expect.
15 Jan2024
By Savannah Peat
This article originally appeared on the University of New Mexico website and is reprinted with permission.
While the term “artificial intelligence” (AI) may be exhausted in its quantity of mentions, the University of New Mexico (UNM) community is just getting started with exploring this impactful phrase.
Literacy professor Mary Rice in the College of Education & Human Sciences (COEHS) is exploring the role of AI and education. From future teachers to current educators to students of all ages, it is a connection worth understanding.
“I still don’t know all the answers. I think the place where we should be centering is thinking about how to help teachers and students learn what those sorts of tools can and cannot,” Rice said.
Ph.D. student Jegason Phosphorus Diviant and Ph.D. candidate Lou Ellis Brassington are part of this cautiously optimistic area of study alongside Rice.
15 Jan2024
Championing Special Educators: Strategies for Recruitment & Retention in Educator Preparation, a Collaboration Between AACTE and CEEDAR
By Brooke Evans
On January 23, from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET, special education teacher advocates are invited to attend the third meeting of the new national affinity group, Championing Special Educators: Strategies for Recruitment & Retention in Educator Preparation. The third meeting, Clinical Practice Experiences will dive into the use of technology at both the University of North Georgia and the University of Virginia.
Michael J. Kennedy, Ph.D., and Rachel L. Kunemund, Ph.D., University of Virginia, will share how their faculty utilizes the COACHED Platform (Capturing Observations and Collaboratively Sharing Educational Data), a suite of evidence-based coaching tools and professional learning materials for teacher educators while also taking us on a tour of the free platform. Additionally, Jennifer Sears, Ph.D., the University of North Georgia, will discuss how her university uses the COACHED software and how this platform allowed the university to meet the needs of rural districts in her area.
15 Jan2024
By U.S. Department of Education
On January 11, Vice President Kamala Harris announced $6.4 million from the U.S. Department of Education (Department) to address community violence. The funding is being awarded to seven school districts across the country as part of the Project Prevent grant program. The Vice President will make the announcement in Charlotte, North Carolina, where she will be joined by U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona to highlight the Biden-Harris Administration’s efforts to reduce gun violence and expand access to mental health services for students.
“Every child deserves the freedom to live safe from gun violence in their school and throughout their community. President Biden and I are committed to protecting this freedom and continuing to address an epidemic of gun violence that has become the leading cause of death for children across America,” said Vice President Harris. “With today’s announcement, we are reaffirming our Administration’s dedication to preventing this senseless violence and keeping our children, families, and communities safe. As we call on Congress to pass commonsense gun safety policies, we are proud to fund proven solutions like those supported by Project Prevent that help schools increase access to mental health and other resources for their students.”
15 Jan2024
By Tyler Pointer
AACTE is pleased to announce the 2024 recipients of its annual awards for innovative research, best practices, and exemplary leadership in educator preparation. Through a rigorous selection process carried out by the AACTE Standing Committees, the AACTE Awards Program honors member institutions and individuals who have made bold, extraordinary, and innovative contributions to the field of educator preparation.
“The selection of this year’s winners represents the impact that research, practice, and innovation make in advancing and strengthening the educator workforce,” said Lynn M. Gangone, AACTE president and CEO. “AACTE congratulates all winners on their distinguished achievements, which show commitment to the field of educator preparation across all levels.”
The distinguished honorees listed below will be formally recognized during the 2024 AACTE Annual Meeting Feb. 16-18, 2024, at the Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center in Aurora/Denver, Colo.
15 Jan2024
By Brooke Evans
AACTE is pleased to offer Lunch & Learns: professional development opportunities for members. These 30-minute sessions are designed to provide you with an immediate tool or strategy to apply to your work. Can’t make it virtually? All Lunch & Learns will be available on-demand for AACTE members. Watch them during your lunch break or whenever it is convenient for you.
On Wednesday, January 24, from 1:00 – 1:30 p.m. ET, join the National Association for Family, School, and Community Engagement (NAFSCE) directors, Margaret Caspe, Ph.D., and Reyna Hernandez, J.D., as they discuss an ongoing partnership between the NAFSCE and AACTE designed to reimagine how educators are prepared to connect, collaborate, and lead alongside families.
10 Jan2024
By AACTE
AACTE (American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education) today announced that the University of Northern Colorado (UNC) Center for Urban Education (CUE) is the recipient of its 2024 Increasing Educator Diversity: Promising Practice Award for its demonstrated outcomes and advocacy related to increasing educator diversity.
The inaugural award, overseen by AACTE’s Programmatic Advisory Committee on Educator Diversity, recognizes a promising practice from a school, college, or department of education demonstrating outcomes and advocacy related to various activities, practices, programs, pedagogies, systems and/or policies that lead to or is likely to lead to, an increase in educator diversity.
Since 2000, the CUE has focused on preparing teachers who are culturally, racially and linguistically responsive to build a workforce that mirrors the demographics of the learners in Denver. With over 70% of its teacher candidates being individuals of color, the center equips educators to make a meaningful impact in diverse urban settings. Through the center’s Grow Your Own (GYO) program, teacher candidates work as paraeducators in local schools during the mornings and complete their teacher prep courses in the afternoons and evenings setting them up for success in the classroom.
10 Jan2024
By AACTE
AACTE (American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education) today announced Kimberly A. White-Smith, Ed.D., as the 2024 recipient of the AACTE Edward C. Pomeroy Award for Outstanding Contributions to Teacher Education. White-Smith is the dean and professor at the School of Leadership and Education Sciences (SOLES) at the University of San Diego (USD) and vice president of the California Council on Teacher Education.
The Pomeroy Award recognizes outstanding contributions to educator preparation, either through distinguished service to the educator preparation community or through the development and promotion of outstanding practices in educator preparation at the collegiate, state or national level. The award is named in honor of former AACTE Executive Director Edward C. Pomeroy who served from 1952 to 1980. White-Smith will be presented with the award during AACTE’s 2024 Annual Meeting Feb. 16–18, 2024, in Aurora/Denver, Colo.
10 Jan2024
By AACTE
AACTE (American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education) today announced that the article, “Developing an Equity-Centered Practice: Teacher Study Groups in the Preservice Context,” has been selected to receive the 2024 Outstanding Journal of Teacher Education (JTE) Article Award.
This award, cosponsored by Sage, recognizes exemplary scholarship published in the Journal of Teacher Education (JTE) in the area of educator preparation or teaching and learning with implications for educator preparation. The authors will be presented with the award during AACTE’s 2024 Annual Meeting Feb. 16-18, 2024, in Aurora/Denver, Colo.
