04 Sep2024
By AACTE
Early bird registration for the AACTE 2025 Annual Meeting, set to take place February 21-23 in Long Beach, CA, has officially opened. This year’s theme, “Beyond the Horizon: Charting the Course for Educator Preparation,” promises to be a transformative event, reflecting AACTE’s ongoing commitment to revolutionizing education for all learners.
The Annual Meeting will bring together educators, researchers, policymakers, and thought leaders from across the nation to explore and address the critical advancements in educator preparation. The meeting will delve into innovative strategies and practices designed to enhance educator preparation programs and, ultimately, improve educational outcomes for students.
04 Sep2024
By AACTE
As the nomination deadline for the AACTE Awards nears on Sunday, September 15, it is essential to consider the benefits of showcasing your institution’s achievements.
Specifically, the Best Practice category of AACTE Awards Program highlights the collective efforts institutions are making to progress teacher preparation to create more inclusive and high-quality programs for students.
“It is an honor to be recognized by AACTE,” said Dawn Williams, Ph.D., dean of Howard University’s School of Education, who won the 2024 AACTE Best Practice Award in Support of Global and International Perspectives. “This collective effort to foster cross-cultural understanding for our pre-service teachers underscores the importance of interconnected education in our increasingly interconnected world.”
03 Sep2024
By Mike Krings
Teachers who work with young children with high-intensity support needs play a critical role in important stages of neurodevelopment and educational trajectory. But they need support, as well as training in the latest research and practices that best serve students at the critical early phase of their education. University of Kansas (KU) researchers are in the second year of a project to train future and working educators in the latest supports for early childhood special education, while making the practices and supports available for educators nationwide.
KU faculty are beginning year two of Project MounTaiN, also known as Meeting the Need, a five-year $1.1 million grant project funded by the Office of Special Education Programs. The project has developed new curriculum to train educators who work with infants, toddlers, and young children in special education and is partnering with public schools, early intervention systems, and local early childhood centers in Kansas City, Lawrence, and Topeka to provide applied learning opportunities in a wide cross-section of schools and educational settings. The faculty has also published a manuscript outlining effective intensive intervention competencies for educators who will work with these children and their families.
Read the full story on the University of Kansas website.
03 Sep2024
By Lenoir-Rhyne University
The National Science Foundation (NSF) awarded Lenoir-Rhyne University a grant through the Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program. The award, totaling $1.2 million, will fund eight scholarships each year over the next five years for Master of Arts in teaching students pursuing careers teaching science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) at the secondary level.
“We designed this grant to tackle the dual challenge of addressing STEM teacher shortages – particularly in high-need schools – and creating pathways for underrepresented students to become STEM educators,” shared Hank Weddington, Ed.D., dean of the College of Education and Human Services.
General teacher shortages have made news nationwide in recent years, and those shortages are even more pronounced in the STEM subject areas. By 2028, North Carolina is projected to require more than 300,000 workers to fill critical roles in STEM professions. Sustained economic growth is dependent on the educators who prepare their students to enter those professions.
03 Sep2024
By Louisiana Department of Education
The Louisiana Department of Education (LDOE) is equipping educators with resources to harness the power of artificial intelligence (AI) in the classroom. The LDOE has developed a comprehensive new guide on the safe, ethical, and effective use of AI. Based on recommendations from the LDOE’s Artificial Intelligence Task Force, the guidance can be used by school systems to create their own AI policies.
“As the impact of artificial intelligence grows, it’s important we provide information on effective and safe utilization,” said Louisiana State Superintendent of Education Cade Brumley, Ed.D. “I’m excited to share the first edition of a living document we will update as this transformative technology evolves.”
03 Sep2024
By U.S. Department of Education
The U.S. Department of Education (Department) announced today more than $80 million in grant awards to 26 grantees to improve access to postsecondary education for students from low-income backgrounds. The grants are being provided under the Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) program, which aims to significantly increase the number of students from low-income backgrounds who are prepared to attend and succeed in postsecondary education.
27 Aug2024
By Tyler Pointer
“As a leader, I think it’s important to know your values and where you stand… For me, educational equity has been the cornerstone for my work as an educator in all the different roles that I’ve had,” said AACTE President & CEO Lynn M. Gangone, Ed.D., CAE.
Gangone was recently featured on EDUP Xcelerated Excellence‘s episode “Dr. Lynn M. Gangone—Leading for High Quality Educator Preparation,” where she engaged with host, Jacob Easley II, Ph.D., PMP, on the history of AACTE and her legacy as she prepares for retirement.
Gangone assumed the role of AACTE president and CEO during a turbulent period in education and intensified by the COVID-19 pandemic. Her commitment to the association’s well-being drove key strategic developments, with a strong focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion.
27 Aug2024
By U.S. Department of Education
On Tuesday, September 3, U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona will launch the 2024 Back to School Bus Tour from Sept. 3 to Sept. 6. The week-long, multi-state road trip will showcase the many ways schools, families, and communities are doubling down on accelerating student achievement and raising the bar in public education with investments and other support from the Biden-Harris Administration.
The Back to School Bus Tour will feature stops in Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Pennsylvania. This year’s theme, “Fighting for Public Education,” highlights how school communities are using the Biden-Harris administration’s historic investments in public education to implement evidence-based and promising and innovative strategies and accelerate academic success, to support students of all ages and backgrounds. The 2024 bus tour will celebrate public education as the American system that opened the door for so many of our nation’s success stories: from astronauts to astrophysicists, writers to engineers, musicians to mathematicians, innovative entrepreneurs in the private sector to great leaders in the public sector.
27 Aug2024
By Mississippi Department of Education
The Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) released the results from the 2023-24 Mississippi Academic Assessment Program (MAAP), which show student achievement reaching an all-time high in mathematics, English Language Arts (ELA), and science.
Overall, for 2023-24, the percentage of students scoring proficient or advanced reached a record high of 47.8% in ELA, 56.3% in mathematics, and 63.4% in science. U.S. history decreased slightly from 71.4% in 2022-23 to 70.9% in 2023-24.
The 2023-24 assessment results show student achievement continues to exceed pre-pandemic levels. Student achievement in Mississippi and the nation dropped in 2021 due to the pandemic, though Mississippi students mostly rebounded by 2022.
26 Aug2024
By John Hendron
The 56th PDK Poll of the Public’s Attitudes Toward Public Schools finds that Americans’ top educational priorities include the preparation of students to enter the workforce (84%) and the attraction and retention of good teachers in public schools (81%). Other top priorities include an increased focus on student mental health (73%), helping students who have fallen behind academically (72%) and college affordability (70%).
Two other priorities attract smaller majority support for increased federal attention: protecting students from discrimination (58%) and the availability of public pre-kindergarten programs (56%, rising to 67% among public school parents). Just 35% call for an increased focus on the expansion of charter schools.
26 Aug2024
By Deann Gayman
This article was originally published on the University of Nebraska – Lincoln’s website and was reprinted with permission.
Nearly one in four new teachers in the state of Nebraska earn their degree from UNL. Among the May graduates who are now first-year educators is Madison Wosk, a fourth-grade teacher in Sutton, Nebraska, who grew up in Broomfield, CO.
“I’m having a bit of the jitters,” Wosk said from her classroom, as she prepped for the new school year — and her career — to begin. “But the level of preparation at UNL is amazing. I know I have the right tools in my tool belt, and the UNL education program really has prepared me to be the best teacher I could be.”
26 Aug2024
By AACTE
The call for applications for the second cohort of the Journal of Teacher Education (JTE)-Holmes Co-Editorship is now open. Selected scholars will co-author an editorial or manuscript that will appear in JTE’s special anniversary issue on teacher residency programs in 2025. This opportunity is specifically for Holmes Scholars who would like to learn how to write and publish a piece of quality scholarship in a high-impact academic journal.
Through JTE, AACTE is committed to ensuring that the next generation of education scholars, particularly underrepresented scholars, are supported as they advance their research and scholarship. The first cohort of JTE Holmes guest editors will speak about their experiences in a webinar on Thursday, September 5, from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. EST.
19 Aug2024
By AACTE
The United States is grappling with a severe teacher shortage, with a notable deficit of Black male educators. This shortfall is raising concerns about its impact on learning outcomes and the academic potential of PK-12 students across the nation.
AACTE board member and dean of the College of Education at Bowie State University, Rhonda Jeter, Ph.D., shared her insights on the Bowie Black Male Educators Project — a proactive initiative to counter the shortage of Black male educators in the U.S. The initiative is supported by the critical funding of the U.S. Department of Education’s Augustus F. Hawkins Centers of Excellence (Hawkins) Program.
According to Jeter, studies have indicated that having a Black teacher significantly increases the likelihood of Black students graduating high school and enrolling in college.
Read the full post on Diverse: Issues In Higher Education‘s website below.
19 Aug2024
By Jennifer Ginn
Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) team members provided an update on efforts to combat chronic absenteeism during a Superintendents Webcast on August 14.
KDE defines a student as chronically absent if they have missed more than 10% of the enrolled time in school. This includes both excused and unexcused absences. Chronic absenteeism affects nearly 30% of students across the Commonwealth each year.
“When students miss school, they miss out on learning, meaningful relationships, and countless other opportunities that are crucial for their development and future success,” said Commissioner of Education Robbie Fletcher.
19 Aug2024
By AACTE
The AACTE Holmes Scholars Program is committed to providing its members with exceptional professional development opportunities throughout the year. Two upcoming webinars will spotlight the groundbreaking work of the AACTE Holmes Scholars Program and the work of scholars.
Both webinars offer a unique opportunity to gain deeper insights into the Holmes Program and its impact on educational leadership and research. AACTE encourages you to participate in these discussions and explore how these models of mentorship and research can enhance your own professional journey.
