Special Education Teacher Advocates Invited to Second Meeting of AACTE, CEEDAR Collaboration
Championing Special Educators: Strategies for Recruitment & Retention in Educator Preparation, a Collaboration Between AACTE and CEEDAR
On November 30, from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET, special education teacher advocates are invited to attend the second meeting of the new national affinity group, Championing Special Educators: Strategies for Recruitment & Retention in Educator Preparation. The second meeting, Making a Special Education Degree Affordable, will dive into two educator preparation programs that are using Teacher Quality Partnership Program (TQP) grants to financially enable students to pursue a special education degree.
American University’s Carolyn Parker and Sarah Irvine Belson will share information on their recent TQP-funded program, Residency for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (RETL), a master’s program that is being developed through a unique initiative that will leverage the resources and expertise of a partnership between American University’s School of Education, College of Arts and Sciences, and the Friendship Public Charter Schools (FPCS).
Additionally, Kimber Wilkerson (University of Wisconsin-Madison) will discuss her program’s recent TQP grant supporting the University of Wisconsin-Madison Teacher Residency Program. This program helps address the teacher shortage in special education and improves student achievement through a 14-month graduate program serving 36 residents that includes: (1) rigorous recruitment and selection; (2) a graduate teacher preparation program leading to a master’s degree; (3) a full academic year teaching residency in MPS, which is a high-need local education agency (LEA), (4) a two-year induction and professional development program, and (5) a comprehensive formative and summative evaluation plan.
After these presentations, participants will break out into groups to network and discuss other innovative ways to make a special education degree affordable.
Register here for the Championing Special Educators: Strategies for Recruitment & Retention in Educator Preparation group.
For more information, visit the AACTE website or contact Brooke Evans at bevans@aacte.org.
Sarah Irvine Belson, Ph.D.
Professor
School of Education
American University
Carolyn Parker, Ph.D.
Director, Graduate Teacher Education
Acting Director of Academic Programs
School of Education
American University
Kimber L. Wilkerson, Ph.D.
Professor of Special Education
Department of Rehabilitation Psychology & Special Education
School of Education
University of Wisconsin-Madison
To access the first meeting’s recording that focuses on Multiple Pathways into the Profession, please our website.
About:
The affinity group, Championing Special Educators: Strategies for Recruitment & Retention in Educator Preparation, is a national collaboration with 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. At each meeting, this 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.
Tags: events, special education
