25 Oct2021
By Stephen R. Levine
From left, Ben Wilner, Terry Nguyen, Monika Williams Shealey, and John Woodruff, director, Accessibility Services
This article originally appeared on the Rowan Today news website and is reprinted with permission.
On October 20, Rowan University announced an expansion of support and services, establishing a first in New Jersey Center for Neurodiversity on the Glassboro campus.
Rowan’s expansion of services for neurodiverse students stems directly from President Ali A. Houshmand’s commitment to access and inclusion throughout the University.
25 Oct2021
By Grady Wilburn and James Elias
The reading and mathematics scores of 13-year-old students fell between 2012 and 2020—the first time in the almost 50-year history of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) long-term trend (LTT) assessment—according to results released today by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). The performance of 9-year-olds remained the same in both subjects compared to 2012.
In both age groups and subjects, the scores of lower-performing students declined since 2012, the previous assessment year, mirroring patterns observed in other subjects assessed by NAEP, also known as The Nation’s Report Card.
25 Oct2021
By Jane E. West and Kaitlyn Brennan
This blog post is written by AACTE consultant Jane West and is intended to provide updated information. The views expressed in this post do not necessarily reflect the views of AACTE.
As you will recall, in July the House Appropriations Committee approved the FY 2022 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies appropriations bill . The bill included historic increases for education from the FY 2021 level—a 41% increase for the Department of Education, which would bring the Department’s total budget to $102.8 billion. This week, a bit unexpectedly, Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Patrick Leahy (D-VT) released drafts of the nine remaining fiscal year (FY) 2022 Senate appropriations bills, including the Labor-HHS-Education bill. This is an unusual move, as we usually don’t see bills until they have gone through the Subcommittee markup. These drafts have not been approved by either Subcommittees or the full committee. Rather, they are intended to be a marker to keep the process rolling.
22 Oct2021
By Camille Carskadon
Mississippi State’s College of Education is announcing the newest MSU alumni among this year’s Mississippi Association of Colleges for Teacher Education award winners.
“I would like to congratulate the college’s 2021 MACTE award winners. These outstanding educators are making a difference in the lives of students and families across Mississippi,” said MSU College of Education Dean Teresa Jayroe.
Honorees
22 Oct2021
By David Hoppey
The University of North Florida is a proud partner of the AACTE Holmes Program and recently expanded its Holmes cohort to include five new doctoral students pursuing degrees in education. Read their bios below to learn more about the Holmes scholars’ backgrounds and research interests.
22 Oct2021
By Jane Fusco
The University of Rhode Island’s Alan Shawn Feinstein College of Education and Professional Studies will represent the state as a lead institution in the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education’s Consortium for Research-Based and Equitable Assessments, an initiative funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation that engages 14 states in a study of state-level tests and qualifying scores for entry into educator preparation programs.
URI will collaborate with the Rhode Island Department of Education, Rhode Island College, Central Falls School District, and Pawtucket School Department to examine state data and practices, as well as engage in quarterly convenings to inform guidelines and recommendations for setting qualifying cores for educator preparation program entry and exit.
19 Oct2021
By John Blackwell
As the door closes on another successful State Leaders Institute (SLI), I want to thank all the attendees and participants for helping make 2021 SLI the enjoyable, informative, and successful event that it was. Thank you to AACTE for renewing their commitment with the new State Affiliate Agreement. We look forward to many years of advocacy and collaboration.
SLI is one of the few occasions when state leaders can come together as a physical group and discuss best practices, learn about the latest developments in educator preparation, and fellowship. The demands placed on all of us as professionals and individuals over the past couple of years have made gatherings such as SLI especially meaningful. I miss meeting as a group and look forward to seeing everyone next year in person. Though this year’s SLI had to be virtual, judging from the energy and comments, everyone enjoyed themselves and took full advantage of the occasion.
19 Oct2021
By Kim Creasy
The University of Northern Colorado (UNC) is hosting its National Field Experience Conference April 3 – 5, 2022. The purpose of the conference is to share information, practices, policies, and research pertaining to teacher candidates’ experiences in school settings. Presentations will address the preparation, supervision, and evaluation of teacher candidates for their knowledge, skills, and dispositions. Logistics and management of these placements will also be addressed.
Proposals are being accepted through January 1.
19 Oct2021
By SD State News
South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem has appointed Kay Schallenkamp to the Board of Technical Education effective November 1. A former AACTE Board Chair, Schallenkamp will replace Scott Knuppe. She was appointed along with local township board member Brad Greenway.
“The new members of the Board of Technical Education will ensure that South Dakota’s technical colleges remain the very best in America,” said Governor Kristi Noem. “Kay and Brad’s expertise will help put our kids and grandkids on a path to lifelong success.”
18 Oct2021
By Leslie Ekpe
Congratulations to Diana Gallardo Holmes Scholar of the Month for September 2021. Gallardo is currently a doctoral student in the counselor education and supervision program at The Pennsylvania State University. She is an alumna of Northwestern University where she obtained her master’s in Mental Health Counseling. She has extensive experience in bilingual therapy, leadership, and psychodynamic oriented group work.
18 Oct2021
By Jacob Easley II
The New York Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (NYACTE) is hosting its annual conference jointly with the New York State Association of Teacher Education. The 2021 conference is entitled Educational Innovation for Equity and Excellence. Progressively delivered in a virtual format September 30 through November 2, all events are free of charge. It is not too late to join us for an interactive member presentation that will take place on October 21 from 1:00-3:00 p.m. EST. In addition, asynchronous (pre-recorded) paper presentations are also available.
The conference highlights the ways in which New York educator preparation programs (EPPs) and PK-12 engage in partnerships and innovations for advancing educational equity. The conference addresses ways in which state level policy and local practices address programming for greater outcomes among diverse student populations and school communities. The conference concludes with our keynote speaker Elaine Gross, who will challenge the profession in its efforts for racial justice.
18 Oct2021
By Linda Minor
Many of you have admitted to being “all zoomed out” by attending virtual meetings over the past year and half. AACTE is looking forward to seeing you in person next year for the 74th Annual Meeting in New Orleans, March 4-6. Please know that we are continually following the COVID protocols and guidelines set by the CDC, as well as the state of Louisiana. All safety measures will be put into place during the meeting to ensure safety so that you may enjoy the conference sessions, connect with friends and colleagues, and grow your professional knowledge and network.
18 Oct2021
By Jane E. West and Kaitlyn Brennan
This blog post is written by AACTE consultant Jane West and is intended to provide updated information. The views expressed in this post do not necessarily reflect the views of AACTE.
Congress has been working hard this week, even though they are out of session. Negotiations on the reconciliation bill continue intensely behind the scenes, and next week promises to be action packed when they return.
Default Averted: President Biden Signs into Law Short-Term Measure to Raise the Debt Ceiling
On Thursday, President Biden signed into a law a bill to raise the debt ceiling, averting a default on the nation’s financial obligations through at least December 3. The House interrupted their scheduled recess and voted on the Senate passed measure earlier in the day. As you recall, last week the Senate passed the short-term debt ceiling extension with a party line 50-48 vote–though 11 Republicans ultimately joined with Democrats to get the required 60 votes to overcome the legislative filibuster.
14 Oct2021
By Rachel Walker Bowman
When Mildred Boveda, associate professor of special education at Penn State University, was filling out some basic forms required for an academic appointment, she came to a question that made her pause:
Which of these best describes your race/ethnicity?
- White/ Non-Hispanic
- Black/ Non-Hispanic
- Hispanic
The list went on.
Boveda, an Afro-Latina woman of Dominican descent and complex intersecting identities, had always felt more at home in the Black community. But the erasure of her Latina roots, even just through a checkmark, was not something she could reconcile with.
She checked Hispanic.
11 Oct2021
By Jane E. West and Kaitlyn Brennan
This blog post is written by AACTE consultant Jane West and is intended to provide updated information. The views expressed in this post do not necessarily reflect the views of AACTE.
It’s been a tense week in Washington as a vote to save the nation from default hovered on the horizon. With a temporary solution in place, the rest of the year promises to be a continued set of cliff hangers.
First Log Jam Broken in Congress—More to Come
Last week, President Biden signed into a law a Continuing Resolution to fund the government through December 3, thus avoiding a government shutdown. The stopgap measure was the first of four major pieces of legislation on Congress’s agenda. At the start of this week the other three—bi-partisan infrastructure, reconciliation, and legislation to raise the debt ceiling—remained in limbo. But, on Thursday evening 11 Senate Republicans joined with all Democrats to pass a short term solution to the debt ceiling.
