NACCTEP Now

Dr. Prentice Chandler, Dean of the Eriksson College of Education at Austin Peay State University, and Dr. Lisa Barron, professor, discuss their apprenticeship program. The program is the first federally registered program of its kind and has been adopted as a model for other programs in the state of Tennessee. Through the use of grants and federal apprenticeship workforce dollars the program is tuition free and compresses a typically 4-year bachelor of science into 3 years. There are 200 current students in the cohort style program consisting of both local cohort groups and cohorts made from consortiums of rural partners. Reliance on community colleges throughout the state is vital to the success of the program that was pioneered in 2018.

In this episode we hear Dr. Dawn Hendricks, Department Chair of Education and Human Services at Clackamas Community College in Oregon, discuss her department's first in the nation Spanish online Early Childhood Education program. From an initial idea to a grant funded opportunity to develop this unique program to best serve the needs of their community, the program offers an affordable way for Latinx students to positively impact the communities they live in. The initial cohort of 68 in Fall 2021 has now grown to over 250 students enrolled in these courses. The strength and success of the program has also resulted in partnerships with local Resource & Referral agencies, high school dual enrollment programs, early learning and Headstart programs in local schools, and funding from the Willamette Velley Wine Association. Another positive result is that Clackamas is now working on turning the original English language Early Childhood Education courses into online 5-week courses.

Dr. Hendrick's article Breaking Barriers: Creating College Pathway for Latinx, Spanish-Speaking Early Learning Providers also appears as a NACCTEP Now blog post.

In this episode of NACCTEP Now we hear from Dr. Andy Torris, education professor at Warner Pacific University in Portland, OR as he discusses the use of large language models, generative AI, and AI in education. Dr. Torris shares how he introduces the use of AI to the teacher candidates in his classes to assist them in creating lesson plans as well as to create example classrooms they can teach to. He advises that "you can't leave your mind at the door when you're using these things," and favors the free site MagicSchool.ai that has over 50 AI tools specific to education to get started with.

NCTR, the National Center for Teacher Residencies, joins NACCTEP Now to discuss the history of the center and why its focus on diversity in the classroom is crucial to the success of students and schools. CEO Dr. Kathlene Campbell shares how their teacher residency cohort model in numerous states has not only supported putting teachers of color in the classroom, but also how many of the teachers from teacher residencies have now become mentors in the program. You can find additional information on NCTR at nctresidencies.org.

Dr. Campbell also recommends Jim Crow's Pink Slip: The Untold Story of Black Principal and Teacher Leadership by Dr. Leslie Fenwick for insight into the unintended consequences of how the Brown v Board decision effected the teacher pipeline. Dr. Fenwick recently presented on this topic at the AERA, American Educational Research Association, as part of their Brown Lecture series.

In this episode we host the Arizona State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Mr. Tom Horne, as he shares the state of Pre-k - 12 education in Arizona. Key amongst his discussion topics is the need for teachers to make more money and how a new free tutoring for all is helping to put additional funds into teachers' pockets while assisting students to achieve better skills and higher test scores. Additionally, Mr. Horne talks about how the state is looking at how the teacher colleges are preparing new teachers to ensure they are day-one ready to be effective in the classroom.

Among the new initiatives within Arizona are partnerships with several of the high-needs industries in the state including the medical field and burgeoning semiconductor industries to provide skilled training for students to enter the workforce career-ready after high school. Another initiative is providing fully enabled tablets to students in the Navajo nation that do not require broadband connections in order to study math, reading, and language skills.

Mark LaCelle Peterson, President and CEO of AAQEP, the Association for Advancing Quality in Educator Preparation, discusses his organization's history as well as the collaborative process they employ as their members move through the accreditation process. He emphasizes that standards should not be a ceiling, not to let "the best we know today stop you from learning the things you need to know tomorrow." He also describes how AAQEP enlarges the circle of learning through regular cohort style meetings for those seeking accreditation before, during, and even after they've completed the accreditation process. To this end, AAQEP will be publishing the first two volumes in a series filled with stories from those who have gone through the accreditation process and what they learned along the way.

Mark's book recommendations include the books Five Dimensions of Quality: A Common Sense Guide to Accreditation and Accountability and Assessing Student Learning: A Common Sense Guide by Linda Suskie who was the keynote speaker at a recent AAQEP event as well as Reclaiming Accountability in Teacher Education by Marilyn Cochran Smith, Molly Cummings Carney, Elizabeth Stringer Keefe, Stephani Burton, Wen-Chia Chang, M. Beatriz Fernandez, Andrew F. Miller, Juan Gabriel Sanchez, and Megina Baker.

In this episode we hear from Tim Finklea, Vice President for Membership Engagement and Board Services at CAEP, the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation, as he shares the history of the organization. Mr. Finklea also shares the importance of accreditation and ways people can volunteer to assist with the numerous virtual accreditation applications each year. Currently there are 33 states that require CAEP accreditation for their educator preparation programs. Additionally there are several community colleges that have begun or are exploring the process to become CAEP accredited.

NACCTEP Educational Partner the IRIS Center is back to share their latest initiatives. Listen as Sarah Semon shares about the recent release of the two-part module series on addressing challenging behaviors at the secondary level, the revised module on Universal Design Learning (UDL), and the IRIS Prep Talks Priority Practice Series, which will be held throughout the fall beginning on September 22, 2023.

Check out the new modules here:

Addressing Challenging Behaviors (Part 1, Secondary): Understanding the Acting-Out Cycle

Addressing Challenging Behaviors (Part 2, Secondary): Behavioral Strategies

Universal Design for Learning: Designing Learning Experiences That Engage and Challenge All Students

For additional information on the IRIS Prep Talks series and to register for upcoming sessions, please visit our News & Events page: https://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/news-and-events/

Join us as Tim Neubert, the Executive Director of the American Association for Employment in Education, AAEE, discusses the history of the organization as well as several upcoming initiatives. This includes their annual conference and career expo being held in Chicago, Illinois October 23rd - 26th this year. Mr. Neubert also shares information on new surveys that have or will be sent out in the next few months related to AAEE's publications surrounding supply and demand in the K-12 realm as well as new work with Youngstown State University in Ohio on what new teachers need for job satisfaction. In December, AAEE will launch their annual teacher scholarships as well as program mini-grants.

Mr. Neubert also talks about why he recommends the book The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates.

Hear NACCTEP Executive Director Julie Ferin and NACCTEP Executive Board President Dr. Lennon Audrain discuss upcoming events and initiatives for the 2023-24 academic year. Items discussed include ways NACCTEP will seek to expand its reach, the 3rd Annual Fall Institute, and the upcoming Pre-Conference ahead of the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, AACTE, annual conference in Denver in February 2024.