Clemson to Use $2.39 Million from Department of Education to Expand Teacher Residency Across the State

By Michael Staton

The Clemson University College of Education’s teacher residency program will expand to school districts in the Pee Dee region thanks to a $2.39 million award from the U.S. Department of Education. The project will place 16 teacher residents in participating districts in the region each year for four years, paying each a $25,000 living stipend during their residency year when the students are placed with mentor teachers.

College leaders expect that most of the educators taking advantage of this stipend will be those pursuing a Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) online from Clemson. These students — often career changers coming into education with a bachelor’s degree in another field — will be afforded the same opportunity as undergraduate students in the residency program and enjoy additional support to spend a year with a mentor teacher while earning their MAT degree.

The students will spend a full academic year of residency with an experienced mentor teacher who continuously gathers data about a resident’s progress to provide targeted support and feedback. Teacher residents in the Pee Dee districts will receive the $25,000 stipend and move from a collaborative, co-teaching role in the classroom to an increasingly responsible, lead-teaching role.

Teaching Innovators: A Spotlight on Special Education at Clemson University

By Michael Staton

This article was originally published by Clemson News and is reprinted with permission.

Catherine Griffith serves as a clinical associate professor of special education in the Department of Education and Human Development at Clemson University. She coordinates the Master of Education program in Special Education with emphases in academic and behavioral interventions and teaches coursework on individuals with learning disabilities and emotional and behavioral disorders, intensive academic interventions, and applied behavior analysis.

Clemson’s College of Education Adopts Four-Year Undergrad Advising Model Amid Enrollment Gains that Defy National Trends

By Michael Staton

This article originally appeared in the Clemson University Newstand  and is reprinted with permission.

This fall, Clemson’s College of Education has become the first on campus to adopt a college-wide, four-year advising model for its undergraduates. College leadership and student advisors worked collaboratively to develop this approach, which they say aligns the college more closely with the Clemson Forward strategic plan.

This model positions academic advisors to manage all tasks related to student scheduling and degree completion, while faculty members become involved once students transition to the professional level of their respective program area. According to Michelle Cook, associate dean for undergraduate studies in the college, the move will be a true “win-win” for faculty, staff and students in the college as well as the college’s partner school districts.

“Our college prides itself on the personal attention we