22 May2017
By Ciera Simms and Kristin McCabe
As this spring’s graduates march across stages and celebrate their newly earned teaching licenses, 14 students in the College of Education at Rowan University (NJ) still have a few years of work before heading to their first teaching jobs. But as participants in Rowan’s Project Increasing Male Practitioners and Classroom Teachers (Project IMPACT), they are well on their way to not only graduating but also remedying the persistent shortage of male teachers of color.
Majoring in education fields from early childhood to music, math, science, and more, these young men from the South Jersey area receive an annual $4,000 scholarship, mentoring and study supports, and hands-on experiences in schools in exchange for their commitment to return as teachers for at least 3 years in high-need public schools. The program is designed to equip candidates with the skills and supports to persist in their high-attrition field while effectively enhancing student learning.
11 May2017
By Zachary VanHouten
Today, the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) released the second installment of its now-segmented Teacher Prep Review, this time grading undergraduate programs preparing secondary teachers based on a document review of their admission standards, content requirements, and field experiences.
Out of the 717 programs reviewed across the country, the new report says “adequate” content knowledge requirements are in place in approximately 81% of programs for candidates in the sciences and in 65% of social studies programs, while nearly all programs provide adequate preparation for English and math teachers. About three quarters of the evaluated programs require subject-specific methods courses, and less than half of those require student teaching in connection with that course work.
28 Apr2017
By Sungti Hsu
To understand more about attitudes toward professional ethics in preservice educator preparation, AACTE is collaborating with the National Council for the Advancement of Educator Ethics (NCAEE) to conduct a brief survey this spring. We invite you and your colleagues in both PK-12 and higher education to complete the survey by May 15, 2017.
This survey is intended to gather information regarding teacher educators’ beliefs about professional ethics as well as practices in educator ethics preparation across the nation. Responses will inform the future work of NCAEE, which was created following the 2015 release of the Model Code of Ethics for Educators (MCEE) by the National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification.
24 Apr2017
By Rebecca Gutierrez
Education Talk Radio, an online radio show airing PK-12 and higher education discussions for education professionals, hosted AACTE members last week for the first of several monthly segments that will highlight aspects of members’ teacher preparation work.
Diane Fogarty from Loyola Marymount University (CA), John Henning from Monmouth University (NJ), John Jacobson from Ball State University (IN), and AACTE’s Rod Lucero joined Larry Jacobs, host of Education Talk Radio, for the April 17 show.
The discussion centered on clinical practice models employed by these three institutions to provide teacher candidates not only strong classroom experience but also an understanding of the context of students’ local communities.
21 Apr2017
By Zachary VanHouten
AACTE congratulates 2017 National Teacher of the Year Sydney Chaffee, who teaches 9th-grade humanities at Codman Academy Charter Public School in Boston, Massachusetts. (See AACTE’s press release issued today.)
Chaffee, who has been a teacher for a decade, earned her bachelor’s degree in women’s history and writing from Sarah Lawrence College (NY) and her master’s degree in curriculum and instruction from Lesley University (MA).
18 Apr2017
By Shalander Samuels
Congratulations to April Holmes Scholar of the Month Dwayne Cormier!
Cormier is a second-year Ph.D. candidate in the College of Education at Pennsylvania State University, studying curriculum and instruction with an emphasis on curriculum and supervision. His research interests include how culture and context influence engagement in educational settings, as well as the impact of memes on the thoughts and ideals of citizens.
A military veteran and former executive director of a nonprofit organization that changed the lives of young people through the game of golf, Cormier recognized the need to aid students of color in the education system and vowed to make an impact in the classroom through science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education. Over the years, his experiences in and outside of the classroom have given him insight on the inequities facing students, preservice and in-service teachers, and administration in educational organizations.
11 Apr2017
By Melissa Heyeck
The views expressed in this post do not necessarily reflect the views of AACTE.
As the seniors in your college of education gear up for graduation, encourage them to check out the free resources offered through Education Week’s TopSchoolJobs website:
07 Apr2017
By Zachary VanHouten
In an announcement on the Federal Student Aid website, the U.S. Department of Education has outlined cuts to this year’s award amounts for TEACH Grants, reducing grants by 6.9% for the year that started October 1, 2016.
This cut, which brings the maximum TEACH grant award down from $4,000 to $3,724, is due to the federal budget sequester. (See this helpful FAQ on what sequester means for the federal budget, or this report from the Congressional Research Service for much more technical information.) Along with other sequestration-mandated cuts in federal funding, the TEACH grants have undergone reductions since 2013 ranging from 6.8 to 12.6%. An e-mail to financial aid administrators last year spelled out the most recent cuts.
27 Mar2017
By Christopher Koch
The following text is reposted with permission from the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP). The views expressed in this post do not necessarily reflect the views of AACTE.
My colleagues and I were pleased to attend the AACTE Annual Meeting. It was an opportunity to meet with, and listen to, many of you. Thank you for sharing your support, questions, and guidance with us.
We compiled answers to recurring questions we received during those conversations. We encourage you to share these answers with your teams and colleagues.
27 Mar2017
By Tim Finklea
It’s not just AACTE that needs your expertise as a volunteer (and we do – see our current call for volunteers!). The Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) is also looking for volunteers for various roles in the agency’s work. The CAEP applications are open now through April 1.
Please note that the CAEP call for service seeks a diverse population of educators, not only faculty from accredited programs; read more about the varied perspectives sought here. You can help represent the voice of educator preparation by applying for one of the following roles (links will open a PDF position description):
27 Mar2017
By Adrianne Taylor
Congratulations to March Holmes Scholar of the Month Frank Conic!
Conic is a doctoral candidate in higher education administration at the University of Florida (UF), where his research and professional concentration is focused on developmental mathematics education, policy, and reform. His other research interests include the achievement gap for minority students and the “school-to-prison” pipeline.
Conic, who has been a Holmes Scholar since 2011, exemplifies the tenets of scholarship, research, leadership, and mentoring both in his studies and professionally. He is a graduate assistant for the UF/Santa Fe College Faculty Development Project, serving as an adjunct instructor in the mathematics department at Santa Fe College. He is also assistant program director for the Community College Futures Assembly, an independent policy forum in the Institute of Higher Education at UF. Additionally, Conic serves as a mathematics coach for the National Achievers Society at the Santa Fe College Center of Excellence, a multifaceted program to motivate elementary and secondary students to prepare for and ultimately enter college.
21 Mar2017
By Jolanda M. Westerhof
The American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) invites applications by April 21 for the 2017 Christa McAuliffe Excellence in Teacher Education Award. Only public colleges and universities that are members of AASCU are eligible to apply for the award, which honors exemplary teacher preparation and professional development programs.
To win this award, teacher education and professional development programs must –
17 Mar2017
By Julie Evans
AACTE is collaborating with Project Tomorrow to support that organization’s survey of preservice teachers, “Tomorrow’s Teachers Speak Up.” The views expressed in this post do not necessarily reflect the views of AACTE.
Tomorrow’s Teachers Speak Up is a unique opportunity for America’s next generation of teachers to share their ideas about how to leverage technology within learning, how they are being trained, and what they expect when they enter the classroom. The national data findings will be used to inform national policies on technology use in education, and to inform K-12 school and district leaders on the aspirations of tomorrow’s teachers.
Colleges, universities, and programs that register and promote the surveys to their students will receive the national data findings as well as their own institution’s results in June – for free.
14 Feb2017
By Kristin McCabe
A new report from the Teacher Education Task Force of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) makes a compelling case for quality teacher preparation, capturing the key challenges that make the current context complex but also offering recommendations for both university leaders and policy makers to move the field forward.
The task force conducted a survey last year of presidents, provosts, and education deans at state colleges and universities to gauge the current state of educator preparation. (The survey results are included as an appendix to the new report.) The responses informed conversations among task force members to distill the core themes, debate their implications in light of the latest research, and determine consensus recommendations for priority actions by higher education administrators. The results were combined to craft the new report, and the AASCU policy team added a set of priorities for federal and state policy.
10 Feb2017
By Adrianne Taylor
Congratulations to February Holmes Scholar of the Month Desmond Hodge!
Hodge is a 4th-year educational leadership doctoral candidate at Florida A&M University (FAMU). He also serves as clinical services coordinator at the FAMU Center for Disability Access and Resources, where he conducts educational evaluations to identify factors that contribute to students’ learning difficulties.
Hodge’s dedication to scholarship is evident within the Holmes Program and his university. His passion for research permeates all aspects of his professional and educational experiences. He embodies the “growth mindset” that frames his research and serves as a source of support and advocacy for K-12 students as well as for undergraduate students at FAMU.
