You may have heard about AACTE’s Topical Action Groups (TAGs), a valuable member program that provides an AACTE-sponsored forum for peers to work together on a common professional topic of interest.
Now we’ve made it even easier for you to connect with TAGs! Simply click here to identify your areas of interest and expertise through AACTE’s Profile Manager—it won’t take more than a minute.
Did you attend the edTPA-related sessions at AACTE’s Annual Meeting this year? If not, here’s a taste of what you missed! Click here to view a list of the descriptions and presenters for the various sessions that provided attendees the opportunity to converse with other users of edTPA.
A highlight of the conference was the edTPA breakfast hosted by SCALE, which drew more than 200 attendees. In her opening remarks, AACTE President/CEO Sharon P. Robinson championed edTPA, emphasizing that it was developed by and for the people in the room. She also encouraged audience members to advocate for edTPA in their communities. Afterward, Ray Pecheone, SCALE’s executive director, described in detail the developmental process of edTPA. He explained topics such as standard setting and state policy and announced that SCALE would conduct validity and consequential studies in the weeks ahead. Finally, attendees engaged in a question and answer session with Andrea Whittaker, SCALE’s director of teacher performance assessment, and other representatives.
AACTE is pleased to offer the State Chapter Support Grant Program for a 4th year, directing member dues toward strengthening the relationship between the state chapters and AACTE and supporting the development of state chapters through their initiatives. Since the creation of the program, AACTE has dispensed $150,000 in grants to 26 states to support chapters’ advocacy, professional development, and capacity-building efforts.
After successful AACTE Holmes Scholars® preconference events in Indianapolis, AACTE and the National Association of Holmes Scholars Alumni (NAHSA) are planning a number of exciting activities for Holmes Scholars and Scholar alumni in the upcoming months:
April 1: Proposals Due for Diversity Conference—NAHSA and the College of Charleston (SC) are inviting Holmes Scholars and alumni to submit proposals for presentations at their 2014 Diversity Conference, which will take place in Charleston, South Carolina, October 11-12. Proposals for presentations should address research-based pedagogy that helps children reach their academic potential; how partnerships among K-12 educators, schools, school districts, and/or institutions of higher learning have demonstrated success with underrepresented groups; and how language, culture, or race impact the achievement of youth of promise. The call for proposals is available here.
The Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) has released draft evidence guides along with an application for educator preparation providers (EPPs). The evidence guides are designed to provide practical advice for EPPs as they structure their self-study under the CAEP standards and prepare for a site visit.
The following drafts are available:
The call to “take charge of change” drew nearly 1,900 of you to Indianapolis last week for an exciting professional experience at AACTE’s 66th Annual Meeting. Videos of the general sessions are now available in AACTE’s Learning Center, and more recordings will be added in the coming days.
The Welcoming Session officially kicked off the conference March 1 with the announcement of AACTE’s new Innovation Exchange, presentation of several awards, and a keynote address by Diane Ravitch of New York University.
The AACTE Board of Directors met February 28 immediately prior to the Annual Meeting in Indianapolis. The meeting agenda, led by outgoing Chair Fayneese Miller (University of Vermont), ranged from Innovation Exchange projects and state chapter relations to the awards program and various governance issues, including election of a new Executive Committee.
Effective March 1, the new Executive Committee of the Board includes Chair Julie Underwood (University of Wisconsin-Madison), Past Chair Fayneese Miller, and Secretary Tim Wall (Northwest Missouri State University) along with the newly elected Chair-Elect Mark Ginsberg (George Mason University) and at-large representatives Jane Bray (Old Dominion University, with a 2-year term) and Dwight Watson (University of Northern Iowa, with a 1-year term).
On February 27, the U.S. House subcommittee on elementary and secondary education and the subcommittee on higher education held a hearing titled “Exploring Efforts to Strengthen the Teaching Profession.”
Witnesses included Marcy Singer-Gabella, professor of the Practice of Education at Vanderbilt University (TN), along with two officials from state departments of education and the director of an alternative-route program.
Close to 60 AACTE Holmes Scholars® and program alumni met in Indianapolis February 28-March 3 in conjunction with the 2014 AACTE Annual Meeting. The Holmes Scholars preconference event offered dedicated networking, mentoring, and professional development opportunities to the Scholars. This year we welcomed six new institutions to the program, as well as 25 Scholars who were attending the event for the first time.
Do you know an individual with broad or deep experience in the field of educator preparation? Do you think someone’s guidance would benefit the educator preparation community nationally? Nominate that person (or yourself!) by May 9 to serve an important role in the governance of AACTE.
AACTE is currently accepting nominations for the AACTE Board of Directors and standing committees, which are the committees on:
A news crew has captured highlights of the 66th Annual Meeting, producing a series of brief videos that convey the feel of the event. Click here to watch session footage, interviews, and more from the JW Marriott in Indianapolis, where the conference is wrapping up today.
Video recordings of the general sessions and major forums will also be posted as soon as they are available. Stay tuned for details!
AACTE is now accepting proposals for the 2015 Annual Meeting in Atlanta, February 27 – March 1.
“As our profession embraces change, we must be mindful of forces that enrich as well as interfere with its development. National, state, and local efforts to improve multiple dimensions of the educational process provide the impetus for practitioners, researchers, and community leaders to re-examine challenges that address our purpose and our intentions. These challenges include strengthening professional preparation; making the moral commitment to educate all individuals to develop their abilities; attending to emerging organizational structures; harnessing technologies that support the teaching and learning processes; modeling inclusive practices; and engaging in research focused on impactful practices that nurture student learning.” – 2015 Call for Proposals
The annual vote by AACTE members on changes to the Association’s bylaws will occur March 10-24 via online ballot. The proposed changes were approved by the AACTE Board of Directors at its February 28 meeting and are now available for member review.
The amendments to the bylaws will update Article II, Section 2 (Member Meetings/Quorum), and Article VI, Section 1 (Appointments to NCATE). Click here for the proposed bylaws changes.
AACTE today announced the official launch of an initiative to support innovation in the professional community and speed the pace of change in university-based educator preparation. The Innovation Exchange will serve as a forum for AACTE members, partners, and other constituents to share experiences and findings as they work together to address the most urgent issues of student achievement, curriculum reform, and educator preparation program advancement.
Through this national initiative, AACTE will seek to strengthen educator preparation, demonstrate the necessity and effectiveness of educator preparation, and enhance members’ opportunities to collaborate on key issues.
When Mary Brabeck, dean of the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development at New York University, agreed to grant me a recorded in-person interview (see link below) regarding her new role as board chair of the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP), I was thrilled.
It is fair to say that I have a long-standing relationship with Mary Brabeck. In 2005, Dean Brabeck chaired the Board of AACTE when I was selected to be the president and chief executive officer.