Clinical Partners Overcome Obstacles, Aspire to Future Successes

By Sarah Verneret

Three new videos are available this week in AACTE’s Research-to-Practice Spotlight Series highlighting clinical preparation and partnerships of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) College of Education. The latest videos focus on the importance of building clinical partnerships around “natural connections” with the community, the key challenges to keep programs going, and aspirations for the future of the UNLV-Clark County School District partnership.

The University of Las Vegas (UNLV) and its clinical partners, including the Clark County School District (CCSD) and the on-campus CSUN Preschool, have cultivated strong relationships that allow them to weather obstacles together and share hopes for the future.

Research Brief Explores Using ESSA Funding to Support Community Schools

By Sarah Verneret

On November 14, the Learning Policy Institute (LPI) held a briefing to share research-based findings and recommendations on investing in community schools as a means to school improvement. The briefing was based on a study LPI recently conducted with the National Education Policy Center and highlighted community schools – that is, schools that partner with local agencies to provide integrated academic, health, and social services to the community – as a school improvement approach that meets the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) requirement for “evidence-based” interventions.

At the briefing, panelists included representatives from community schools and other supporters. Community School Director Shanelle England described her work at Baltimore’s Forest Park High School, which consists of supporting her students, their families, and the school staff, as well as developing relationships with community agencies. The panelists all advocated for continued funding for the integrated models.

Shared Vision Advances Teaching, Learning for District-University Partners

By Sarah Verneret

Three new videos are available this week in AACTE’s Research-to-Practice Spotlight Series highlighting clinical preparation and partnerships of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) College of Education. The latest videos focus on creative approaches to addressing teacher shortages, the importance of a shared strategic vision, and the simultaneous renewal that benefits all parties in the clinical partnership.

A shared vision is the cornerstone of the multifaceted partnership between the College of Education at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), and the neighboring Clark County School District. Thanks to the strength and clarity of this vision, the partners have been able to take risks and innovate in ways that advance the work of all involved.

Radio Recap: The Clinical Preparation of Special Educators

By Sarah Verneret

In a recent Education Talk Radio program, host Larry Jacobs interviewed members of AACTE’s new Special Education Task Force about how best to prepare special educators—particularly in light of their current shortage around the country.

Jacobs’ guests for the October 26 show included AACTE Vice President Rodrick Lucero; Brian R. Barber, assistant professor of special education at Kent State University (OH); Valeisha Ellis, assistant professor and edTPA coordinator at Spelman College (GA); and Karmen Kelly, business officer in the School of Social Work at Colorado State University. All are members of the new AACTE task force, which is supported by a grant from the Collaboration for Effective Educator Development, Accountability, and Reform (CEEDAR) Center.

How Do High-Performing Education Systems Develop Their Principals?

By Sarah Verneret

A new international-comparison study sheds light on important factors in the development of school leaders in selected "high-performing" systems around the world. The study, sponsored by the National Center on Education and the Economy’s Center on International Education Benchmarking, highlights commonalities in principal preparation among the systems whose students scored highest on the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) survey: Hong Kong, Ontario, Shanghai, and Singapore.

Australian researcher Ben Jensen authored the report, Preparing to Lead: Lessons in Principal Development From High-Performing Education Systems. Its overarching message is that successful education systems provide current and future school leaders with preparation that is specifically tailored to the real-world problems and contexts they will face in their work environments.

“The best programs combine a detailed understanding of principals’ roles and responsibilities with a deep grounding in the system’s particular philosophy and objectives for how schools get better,” Jensen said.