Neag School’s Educator Preparation Program Receives National Recognition

Posted on December 8, 2015March 23, 2021 by

The Neag School of Education at the University of Connecticut has been reaccredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). The Neag School received national recognition in October for its commitment to producing quality educators for the nation’s children by continuously improving its diverse clinical and field experiences for students in its educator preparation programs. The accreditation is good for five years and is a joint accreditation with the Connecticut State Department of Education.

“I am extremely pleased with the results of our NCATE report,” says Richard L. Schwab, dean of the Neag School of Education. “In all cases, we have met or exceeded the rigorous standards set by NCATE. This report is a testament to the dedication and scholarship of our faculty and staff over the past few years in preparing the next generation of highly effective P-12 teachers and other school specialists, and strengthening student learning.”

The NCATE’s site examiners focused on a conceptual framework, establishing the shared vision for a unit’s efforts in preparing educators to work in P-12 schools. According to NCATE’s website, the accreditation standards focus on six strategic areas: candidate knowledge, skills, and professional dispositions; assessment system and unit evaluation; field experiences and clinical practice; diversity; faculty qualifications, performance, and development; and unit governance and resources.

“A clinical-based educator preparation program enables us to know that our children’s teachers enter the classroom ready to stimulate their interest in learning.”

– Yuhang Rong, Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation

“Teacher quality is the most important factor in P-12 student achievement,” says Yuhang Rong, assistant vice provost for global affairs at UConn and a commissioner of the Accreditation Council at the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP). “Research indicates that a key element for successful learning is the opportunity to apply what is being learned and refine it. Carefully constructed clinical and field experiences can enable students in educator preparation programs to reinforce, apply, and synthesize concepts that they are learning in coursework.

“A clinical-based educator preparation program enables us to know that our children’s teachers enter the classroom ready to stimulate their interest in learning,” adds Rong.

CAEP, which is the new accrediting body for educator preparation, was formed through the consolidation of NCATE and the Teacher Education Accreditation Council (TAEC). CAEP advances excellence in educator preparation through evidence-based accreditation that assures quality and supports continuous improvement to strengthen P-12 student learning.

“CAEP-accredited schools stand on a strong foundation and rich history of accreditation in teacher and educator preparation,” says Christopher A. Koch, interim president of CAEP. “CAEP seeks to increase the value of accreditation and to increase participation, building on the decades of institutional knowledge of education’s previous accreditors.”

In the 2013-2014 school year, 164 out of 166 school districts in Connecticut employed a total of 3,100 Neag School graduates as educators. A Neag School internal study indicates a majority of its teacher preparation graduates (73 percent) stay in the classroom for 10 years or more and in far greater numbers than their colleagues nationwide (50 percent).

Desi Nesmith, who was recently selected as chief school turnaround officer for the state Department of Education, completed his elementary teacher preparation and administrator preparation programs at the Neag School. Nesmith was recognized as a Milken Family Foundation Educator in 2014 while serving as principal of Metacomet Elementary School in Bloomfield, Conn.

“Teacher candidates must have in-depth knowledge of the subject matter that they plan to teach, as well as the skills necessary to convey it so that students learn,” Nesmith says. “As a graduate from two programs at the Neag School of Education, I know it has a dedicated faculty who carefully assess knowledge and skill of its candidates. The Neag School partners with Connecticut P-12 schools to design and implement the clinically based preparation, which has enabled me to develop the skills necessary to help students learn.

“I can tell you from my own experience that the graduates of the Neag School are prepared to understand and work with diverse student populations,” says Nesmith.

For more information about the Neag School of Education at the University of Connecticut, visit education.uconn.edu. More information about CAEP is available at caepnet.org.

Neag School Professors Renzulli and Beghetto Receive Grant from UPenn’s Imagination Institute

Posted on December 4, 2015February 16, 2023 by

Members of the imagination, creativity, and innovation (ICI) research team discusses the project. Pictured (L-R): Laurel Brandon, Ron Beghetto, Andrew Cochran, and Joseph Renzulli. — Members of the imagination, creativity, and innovation (ICI) research team discuss the project. Pictured (l-r): Laurel Brandon, Ron Beghetto, Andrew Cochran, and Joseph Renzulli. (Photo: Shawn Kornegay, Neag School of Education at UConn)

Professors Joseph Renzulli and Ronald Beghetto of the Neag School of Education have been awarded a $175,000 grant from the Imagination Institute at the University of Pennsylvania.

The grant will fund their research into creativity, imagination, and innovation as vital outcomes of schooling, and will include the development of a new series of validated instruments, a portfolio that documents schools’ outcomes, and a guidebook for schools to develop and extend their imagination, creativity, and innovation (ICI) resources. Once implemented, the researchers’ School Imagination, Creativity, and Innovation Index and Portfolio would be the first ICI instrument and formative evaluation process to exist in American schools.

According to Renzulli and Beghetto, both researchers at the University of Connecticut’s Neag Center for Creativity, Gifted Education and Talent Development, many schools may be overlooking opportunities to develop students’ skills in the area of ICI – skills the researchers deem essential to the nation’s future economic and cultural prosperity. Ultimately, the School ICI Index and Portfolio is intended to give educators the tools they need to infuse ICI activities into academics – and, in turn, develop more imaginative graduates, who are in increasingly high demand in today’s society.

“In the modern global economy, industry leaders are increasingly looking for personnel with skills in imagination, creativity, and innovation,” says co-principal investigator Renzulli. “Educational leaders in the United States and around the world have put an emphasis on creativity and are looking for ways to assess its promotion in schools.”

The first stage of the research project will include collecting data from more than 400 schools. From there, the ICI instrument “will be developed and validated with input from experts and practitioners over two years,” Beghetto says. “The guidebook and accompanying opportunities for professional development associated with this project will emphasize leadership, services, resources, and ongoing assessment designed to change the entire culture of a school.”

Additionally, the researchers plan to establish a summer institute in which district leaders converge to learn how to build an ICI culture within their school systems.

Renzulli and Beghetto’s proposal was one of 16 selected for funding by UPenn’s Positive Psychology Center. UPenn chose proposals that would examine and measure imagination and creativity in innovative ways.

A small but growing number of states are paving the way in developing creative opportunities for students. For instance, although leaders in Massachusetts, Oklahoma, and California are working toward evaluating schools statewide in their effectiveness in developing and assessing ICI among K-12 students, “research-based instruments and procedures have not yet been developed,” Renzulli says. The School ICI Index and Portfolio will therefore be “designed to assess and provide guidance for promoting ICI in schools and are based on a fundamental premise: That which is evaluated gets done.”

“Large numbers of young people are clearly capable of developing ICI skills, but it will not happen without a concerted effort and specific reward system that nurtures these talents,” Renzulli and Beghetto state in their research proposal. “Schools that place a premium on developing these potentials may be those that are most likely to prepare students that one day develop miraculous cures for disease, launch new businesses, … invent technological marvels, and contribute to the arts, sciences, and humanities in ways that will improve efficiency, effectiveness, aesthetics, and the quality of life for countless generations to come.”

Visiting Professor Speaks on Challenges of Undocumented Students’ High School-to-College Transition

Posted on December 2, 2015February 16, 2023 by

For undocumented students in the United States, each step in the college application process can pose a challenge, says University of Hartford faculty member H. Kenny Nienhusser.

H. Kenny Nienhusser, assistant professor of educational leadership at the University of Hartford, presents in November at UConn’s Puerto Rican/Latin American Cultural Center about undocumented students’ transition from high school to college. Photo Credit: Ryan Baldassario

Nienhusser, an assistant professor of educational leadership at the University of Hartford, met last month with students in the Neag School’s higher education and student affairs program as part of assistant professor Milagros Castillo-Montoya’s multicultural course. Nienhusser focused his discussion on the need for high school and college faculty and administration to reshape their behavior in order to help make college a reality for undocumented students.

Many high school and college educators, he says, have not been trained in how to counsel undocumented students in transitioning to college. This lack of training, he adds, often creates an absence of empathy for these students as they face the challenging college application process.

“If you’re not mindful and aware of what it means to be an undocumented student, you won’t be able to translate this concept of understanding into your practice,” Nienhusser says.

From the Student Perspective
Nienhusser’s most recent study examined the types of microaggressions undocumented students face during the college-choice process. The qualitative study zeroed in on 15 New York City high school students from Hong Kong, South Korea, Mexico, and Latin America in their high school-to-college transition.

The research found each microaggression – typically initiated by guidance counselors, admission and financial aid representatives, teachers, and administrators – to be a subtle denial of a student’s college opportunities.

Four UConn students representing CT Students for a Dream (C4D), an organization working to grant undocumented students Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) status and make attending college more attainable, supported Nienhusser’s research findings with their firsthand experience.

“It’s hard to complete the [college] application and tax information when your parents can’t help you because they don’t speak English,” C4D member Eric Cruz-Lopez ’18 (CLAS) says. “You’re forced to make this life-changing decision on your own, without help from the institution you’re applying to.”

It is also harder for undocumented students to afford college. While many states grant in-residency state tuition, not many grant financial aid. In Connecticut, however, students must be enrolled in high school for two years (not four years, as the law stood previously) to be eligible for in-state tuition, a policy changed with the help of C4D.

Being active in the policymaking process is something C4D member Renato Muguerza ’17 (CLAS) says is essential to improving the future for undocumented students.

“Undocumented people need to be present at the table when making decisions,” Muguerza says.

Held at UConn’s Puerto Rican/Latin American Cultural Center, Nienhusser’s talk was titled “Undocumented Students’ Postsecondary Education Access: The Role of Policies and Institutional Agents in High Schools and Higher Education Institutions.”

University of Missouri Athlete Activism Dispels the Myth of a Post-Racial U.S. Society

Posted on November 20, 2015December 31, 2020 by

Too often, Black college athletes are referenced in negative commentary, whether in relation to low-graduation rates or NCAA sanctions. Contrary to commonly distorted perspectives, the University of Missouri (UM) football players’ actions in recent weeks epitomize the purpose of higher education, which is to stimulate critical thought and cultivate change.

The protests by the UM football players – and subsequent resignation of UM President Tim Wolfe – also bring to the forefront several realities about U.S. society.

One, the protests highlighted the vast power individuals involved in sport, particularly athletes, possess to ignite social change. The actions by the UM football players come on the heels of Northwestern University football players’ efforts to secure unionization status to increase their rights as college athletes within the exploitive structure of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). As recently as 2013, Grambling State football players sat out of athletic activities until their concerns about working in outdated athletic facilities were fully recognized and addressed.

In all three instances, a small group of college athletes decided to take a stand for their rights, and national media attention followed shortly thereafter. Rather than remain silent, these courageous athletes decided to be more than glorified entertainers as Division I football players and instead used their high visibility, platform, and agency to draw attention to the various racial issues on their campus.

Similar to their predecessors and former athlete activists such as Muhammad Ali, Arthur Ashe, Bill Russell, Jim Brown, and Jackie Robinson, the UM football players used their platform as athletes to engage in social activism.

Another reality the UM students’ protest revealed was the power of unified and organized actions. One of the most powerful strategies of the Civil Rights Movement was the use of peaceful protests and organized leadership that outlined clear and tangible goals. The collective influence of Jonathan Butler’s hunger strike, the UM football players’ decision to not participate in athletic activities, and the various other student protests at UM signified how concerted, multifaceted efforts can lead to change.

In addition, the clear and tangible goal presented by the Concerned Student 1950 – an activist group named for the year African-American students were first admitted to UM – of demanding President Wolfe’s resignation as result of his lack of responsive leadership was another key strength of this movement. In this unified effort, Black students at UM leveraged their respective influences to ensure their concerns about the racial climate on campus no longer went overlooked.

“Society not only pays attention when Black athletes score touchdowns and make tackles, but also when they take a stand to fight for social justice and racial harmony.”

– Joseph Cooper, assistant professor of sport management

A third reality the UM students’ protest situation revealed was this: We still do not live in a post-racial society. Despite the fact that we have elected our first biracial president to two consecutive terms, the U.S. continues to struggle with the vicissitudes of racism. Butler, the graduate student who spearheaded the protests with his self-imposed hunger strike, cited how during his student tenure at UM he had been called “nigger” on multiple occasions, as well as experienced physical altercations that were racially driven. Although these instances were reported by one individual, in no way are they isolated. Similar experiences were highlighted in the Concerned Student 1950 grievances.

Furthermore, similar instances are experienced by Black students at historically White institutions of higher education across the U.S. and have been since schools were racially integrated in the mid-20th century. The problem with racism not only lies in persistent overt acts of hatred and discrimination, but also in the passive acceptance or laissez-faire response to these occurrences by those in leadership positions.

Sports do not operate in a vacuum. It is not a coincidence that UM is located in the same state as the recent Ferguson tragedy and protests. Although Columbia, Mo., and Ferguson, Mo., are two different places, similar racial issues are present. For example, the racial demographics of the leadership in Ferguson – namely, the police force – are eerily similar to the leadership at UM; both are predominantly White. Also similar to Ferguson, the persistent racial issues at UM did not receive widespread media attention until large protests ensued. In other words, racism is a lived reality for many American citizens – the Black students at UM and the Black citizens in Ferguson among them – and it takes demonstrative efforts to prove to others that we do not live in a post-racial society.

One lesson we all can learn from the UM student protest is society not only pays attention when Black athletes score touchdowns and make tackles, but also when they take a stand to fight for social justice and racial harmony.

Joseph Cooper is an assistant professor of sport management at the University of Connecticut’s Neag School of Education in Storrs, Conn. His areas of expertise include gender and race in sport and racism, and his research agenda focuses on the nexus between sport, education, race, and culture with an emphasis on sport as a catalyst for holistic development and positive changes in society.

Neag School Launches Student Scholarship Fund to Honor Longtime Colleague

Posted on November 16, 2015December 7, 2021 by Musa Jatkowski

For nearly 20 years, Valerie Pichette served as executive assistant at UConn’s Neag School of Education – first with Dean Richard Schwab and later with former Dean Thomas DeFranco – as well as a longtime mentor to innumerable students and friend to many colleagues campus-wide. Pichette passed away on Sunday, Nov. 15, 2015. In remembrance of her longtime dedication to the University, the Neag School announces the launch of a new endowed scholarship in her name, the Valerie J. Pichette Scholarship Fund.

Established with the support of her family, friends, colleagues across the Neag School and the larger University, as well as students past and present, this fund honors Pichette’s 30 years of service to the state of Connecticut and will offer financial assistance to students enrolled in the Neag School’s teacher education program.

“This scholarship serves to honor the hard work and steadfast service of Val as much as that of her fellow colleagues across this University – the professional team members who are always here for our students, and who play such an invaluable role in carrying out the mission of this institution,” says Dean Schwab. “All of us here at UConn have indeed lost a very dear friend. We are immensely grateful for this opportunity to celebrate her commitment to, and fondness for, our students in this meaningful way.”

Upon hearing of the creation of the scholarship fund, former students of Pichette shared words of appreciation for Pichette’s impact on their lives and careers.

“In working for five years with Val, she not only shaped my trajectory professionally – where she first encouraged my pursuit of academics and facilitated my becoming a teacher – but also personally,” says Lauren Evanovich, former student employee in the Neag School’s Office of the Dean, now a doctoral candidate at the University of Louisville. “I count myself beyond lucky to be influenced and loved by Val. This scholarship will no doubt embody all that Val is and will continue to provide her love and support to every student who receives it.”

Desi Nesmith, a three-time Neag School alum and chief school turnaround officer at the Connecticut Department of Education, describes Pichette as “everybody’s mother.” “When you’re doing well, she let you know it. When you’re not, she let you know that, too!” he says. “She always looked out for us, and saw us as her own.”

“She challenged me and made me work hard because she knew I could be better. She gave me endless opportunities to grow and understand the little importances in life,” says UConn graduate Katie Histen, a physical therapist and a former student employee in the Neag School.

“I quickly realized that Val was the clock spring of the college; the internal mechanism that maintains balance and keeps everything running smoothly,” says Laurie Henry, a former graduate assistant in the Neag School, now associate dean at the University of Kentucky’s College of Education. “Val always made time for faculty, staff, and students, and easily shared her lighthearted humor, bubbly personality, and her love of life and family.”

Others across the University are mourning the loss not only of a longtime colleague, but also a friend.

“Working with Val for over 15 years, you couldn’t help notice that she was a bright and strong woman, had a strong work ethic, was respectful to others and had a strong moral compass for right and wrong,” says former Dean DeFranco. “In speaking with her every day, it was clear that her inner strength grew out of her love of her family. What I will miss most is her laughter and her smile. I lost one of my best friends.”

“I joined the UConn family as the new dean of the School of Education in 1997,” Dean Schwab adds. “One of my first decisions in this role turned out to be the smartest thing I have ever done in my professional career: That was hiring Valerie Pichette as our executive assistant. So many of the successes we have celebrated as a school over the years – from receiving the largest gift ever given to a school of education to rising from unranked to one of the top schools in the country – have been due, in significant part, to Val’s hard work, support, dedication, and heart. In addition to the great things she has done for the Neag School, she served as the mentor and protector for countless numbers of Neag School students.”

And, as Dana Wilder, assistant vice provost for academic affairs, shared: “‘A friend is a person with whom you dare to be yourself.’ I miss my friend Val.”

Pichette began her service with the state of Connecticut in 1985 at UConn’s Office of the Provost. At Quinebaug Valley Community College in Willimantic, Conn., from 1989 to 1997, she served in a number of roles, including as student advisor, adjunct faculty member, and coordinator for special programs. In 1997, with the appointment of Dean Schwab, Pichette then joined the Neag School of Education. She earned her bachelor’s degree in education in 1990 from Eastern Connecticut State University and a master’s degree in teaching from Sacred Heart University in 1999.

To make a donation to the Valerie J. Pichette Scholarship Fund, please visit s.uconn.edu/pichette. Read her obituary here.

Neag School Hosts Inaugural Educational Leadership Alumni Forum

Posted on November 4, 2015November 25, 2024 by

Before an audience of more than 125 friends, colleagues, Neag School graduates, students, and faculty, two high-profile Neag School alumni took to the stage this Tuesday at UConn’s von der Mehden Hall in Storrs to share their insights on leadership, as well as their own preparation program experience at UConn, as part of the School’s inaugural educational leadership alumni forum.

Desi Nesmith Ed Leadership Event — “You were never on an island by yourself,” says three-time Neag School alum Desi Nesmith of his time in the UConn Administrator Preparation Program (UCAPP) at the Neag School. Nesmith served as one of the featured speakers at the Neag School’s inaugural educational leadership alumni event, held at von der Mehden Hall this past week. (Photo Credit/Shawn Kornegay)

‘Leadership Is Not About You’

Three-time Neag School alum Desi Nesmith ’01 (ED), ’02 MA, ’09 UCAPP, now chief school turnaround officer for Connecticut’s state Department of Education, spoke in part about some of the challenges currently facing many school districts – particularly large, urban districts – across the country, including negative perceptions, teacher turnover, and the ever-present pressure to raise student achievement.

“Because the pressure to perform becomes so great, we oftentimes forget what we need to focus on in the classroom at the student level,” said Nesmith, who has previously served as an elementary schoolteacher and principal in Connecticut, and in 2014 received the prestigious Milken Educator Award. “As school and district leaders, what are we going to do about it? The keyword there is ‘we.’”

“Good leaders don’t do it alone. They create a community of leaders around them – people they want to support, people they want to empower.”

–Desi Nesmith ’01(ED), ’02 MA, ’09 UCAPP

According to Nesmith, being a skillful educational leader is about far more than “having a business card and your name plate on the door.” It requires collaboration – successfully getting parents, students, as well as teachers to “buy into your vision and help you move it forward.” Leadership, he added, “is not about you.”

Nesmith also emphasized the time and investment it takes to shape qualified educational leaders, and credits the UConn Administrator Preparation Program (UCAPP) with providing the vision and robust set of learning experiences – including a cohort model and thoughtful internship placement – that he believes are necessary to creating well-rounded leaders.

“Good leaders aren’t made in a day, a week, or a month,” he said. “It takes time. It takes experience. Good leaders don’t do it alone. They create a community of leaders around them – people they want to support, people they want to empower.”

Evolution of a Leader

Garth Harries ’12 ELP, superintendent of New Haven Public Schools, also spoke about how his Neag School experience, as part of the Executive Leadership Program (ELP), helped shape his own evolution as a leader.

Harries shared a story from his time in a previous role in New York City, where he led a controversial decision to close Bushwick High School in Brooklyn. Though he initially faced great opposition from the community, Harries ultimately opened three new, successful small schools in place of Bushwick High, and the graduation rate tripled.

“When I left New York – before I went through the Neag program – I had one perspective on that: It was a lesson in what is possible, on the urgency of the work we do,” he says. “It was a lesson in the inevitability of controversy as we try our mightiest to provide the education we believe our students deserve.”

Now an ELP grad and a third-year superintendent, Harries says: “I’ve come to see other layers of that story.”

In part, he told the audience, “Where I once may have taken a somewhat paternalistic sense [that] we did what was right, and in the end we were successful, what I’ve come to understand is … the need to engage the full community.” Harries talked about bringing the lessons he learned at the Neag School with him to New Haven – for instance, involving the teacher’s union in education reform efforts, acknowledging the importance of the instructional core, and coming to the understanding that “students are not just evidence of success; they are agents of success.”

Following their talks, Nesmith and Harries together fielded questions from the audience.

Are you an aspiring school leader? Find further information about the Neag School’s Executive Leadership Program (ELP) or UConn Administrator Preparation Program (UCAPP) today.

Neag School of Education Selected as Connecticut Sponsor for Library of Congress’ National “Letters About Literature” Contest

Posted on November 3, 2015February 16, 2023 by

The Neag School of Education is proud to announce its selection as the Connecticut sponsor for the Letters About Literature (LAL) writing contest for students in grades 4-12. The Neag School was awarded the sponsorship as a result of its sustained commitment to educational outreach in the areas of literature study, reading, and writing.

LAL is a national contest in which elementary, middle, and high school students are asked to read a book, poem, or speech and write a personal letter to that author (living or dead) about how the text affected them personally.

Wendy Glenn, a Neag School professor and the LAL faculty representative for Connecticut, says the Neag School’s involvement will help foster students’ literacy skills and promote professional development opportunities for educators. Graduate students from the Neag School teacher education program, along with schoolteachers from across the state, will also serve as judges at the state competition.

“Through advertising and advocacy, the Neag School will share information about the program among classroom teachers in the state and increase opportunities for young people to participate,” Glenn says. “Additionally, the School’s sponsorship will provide professional development for teachers serving as judges. Upon the selection of the Connecticut state winners, the Neag School will celebrate and share the success of these young writers, highlighting the value of reading and writing.”

The Neag School is Connecticut’s first state-level sponsor of the LAL program in five years. Glenn says sponsoring the program is important in that it gives students the opportunity to write authentically and think creatively about literature.

“Through this process, young people think deeply and critically about a text that matters to them,” she says. “This element of choice fosters engagement and encourages both skill development and play.”

Winners from each state for each of contest’s three categories (grades 4-6, grades 7-8, and grades 9-12) will receive a cash prize and state recognition and advance to the national competition. Tens of thousands of students nationwide are expected to enter the 23^rd annual LAL contest, made possible by a grant from the Dollar General Literacy Foundation. The theme of the 2015-2016 competition is: “How did an author’s work change your view of the world or yourself?”

Entries are due by Dec. 4, 2015 for students in grades 9-12 (Level 3) and by Jan. 11, 2016 for students in grades 7-8 (Level 2) and students in grades 4-6 (Level 1). National winners at each level will receive a $1,000 cash award, and national honor winners will receive a $200 cash award. Prizes for winners at the state level vary.

For more information, visit s.uconn.edu/NeagLAL.

Q&A With an Alum from the Neag School’s Teacher Certification Program for College Graduates

Posted on October 30, 2015December 8, 2016 by Shawn Kornegay

Neag alumnus, Zato Kadambaya, teaches a math lesson at New London High School in New London, Conn.

Zato Kadambaya ’01, ’04 came to the U.S. from Africa, studying with the intention of going into electrical engineering. Returning to Africa, he was inspired to help people receive a better education and decided to become a teacher. The Teacher Certification Program for College Graduates (TCPCG) through UConn’s Neag School of Education helped him fulfill his dream.

Kadambaya became a teacher in one year, and currently serves as the math department chair at New London High School in New London, Conn. Spotlight recently connected with him about his experience with TCPCG.

Q: What are the strengths of the TCPCG program?

A: For me, TCPCG stands for Total and ComPrehensive Curriculum Guaranteed for successful teaching. As a school leader, I have recruited, trained, and worked with many teachers from different teachers’ training programs.

TCPCG makes it easy to transit from one nonteaching career background to a successful teaching career. This is very important as an alternative, nontraditional pathway to teaching.

TCPCG’s graduates are professional teachers, equipped to embrace the teaching profession with strong classroom management and effective content delivery skills.

TCPCG has unmatched resources and experienced faculty to train and mentor future teachers.

More importantly, TCPCG keeps in touch with alumni.

Q: What was the program’s impact on your career path?

A: TCPCG gave me a second chance – with confidence. I was a successful engineer (plant assistant manager), but I was not fulfilled in my career. With TCPCG’s strong preparation, I hit the teaching ground running, needing little or no assistance (which is very common for many TCPCG’s colleagues I know and work with). Effective in classroom management and lesson development, I scored 4/4 on the State BEST program in my second year of teaching. As a result, I was asked by the state to present to second-year teachers. Thank you, TCPCG.

Q: How did the program help you to become a teacher?

A: TCPCG gave me the training I needed to be effective in the classroom. TCPCG showed me how I can bring my engineering skills into the teaching profession. This is the key, since TCPCG uses diverse backgrounds as an asset for success – and not a liability.

Q: Why did you want to go into teaching?

A: I have a strong belief that a successful life is not measured by the job title, but by how one is able to positively impact other people’s lives. With this as my moral compass, I find it natural to embrace the teaching profession where I will have the opportunity to help shape our future minds – our children.

Neag School of Education’s TCPCG program is accepting applications until Dec. 1. Check out this video from other TCPCG alums describing their experiences.

Measurement, Evaluation, Assessment Doctoral Students Test-Drive Their Future Careers

Posted on October 29, 2015December 7, 2021 by Shawn Kornegay

UConn students across the University, including those from the Neag School of Education, are gaining valuable experiences during summer internships. In the the measurement, evaluation, and assessment (MEA) program at the Neag School, several doctoral students spent the past few months test-driving their future careers, working hand in hand with such prestigious organizations as the College Board, the Law School Admissions Council, and the U.S. Governmental Accountability Office.

Yujia “Eva” Li

This summer, MEA doctoral student Yujia “Eva” Li, received firsthand experience in the social science field through her internship at the College Board Psychometrics Department in Newtown, Pa. Li says she pursued the internship in order to see what it is like to “work outside of academia and meet some professionals in the field.”

Li was part of a research team studying whether participation in advanced placement science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) programs predicts STEM success in college. She focused on reviewing literature, analyzing data, writing about the results, and putting together a presentation, along with submitting an journal proposal to the American Educational Research Association to share the findings.

“They made an effort to ensure that it was a positive experience,” Li says. “They invited me to team meetings, so I was able to see a little bit about other people’s projects.”

She says she also appreciated that the internship “gave her some freedom to choose which part of the project to work on – and how to do it.”

Learning that “it is important to communicate effectively with people, and remain flexible through changes,” Li found the internship an invaluable opportunity to see how people work in the industry and to make professional connections.

Tanesia Beverly

Tanesia Beverly first became interested in the field of educational measurement and psychometrics after taking the Law School Admissions Test a few years back. She was intrigued by the security measures implemented to maintain the integrity of the test. “Similar to airport security, examinees were only permitted into the testing site with a plastic Ziploc bag with certain items: identification, one bottled water, a few pencils, and a snack,” she recalls.

Beverly, who is considering a future career as a psychometrician at a testing company, subsequently decided to pursue an internship at the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) in Newtown, Pa. She wanted an opportunity to work with experts in the field of statistical methods to detect cheating on standardized assessments.

“LSAC is conducting cutting-edge research in this area,” she says. “LSAC’s internship is project-based; however, they allow their interns to carve out a project that is of interest to both parties – the intern and the organization.”

Beverly submitted a proposal for the National Council on Measurement in Education about minimizing errors when using different answer-copying statistics. “We were looking to control the Type I error rate so that the cheating statistics are able to detect cheaters, but not accuse a noncheater of cheating,” she says.

Her colleagues at LSAC, she says, proved supportive and “ensured that I had everything necessary – including the latest cheating detection books – to be successful.” In addition, she received

one-on-one assistance with most of LSAC’s psychometric research team and had the opportunity to network and bounce ideas off of different people. For instance, she says, “We ran our ideas by two prominent researchers in educational measurements, which provided helpful feedback on our research.”

Laura Yahn

As an MEA doctoral student, Laura Yahn identifies most strongly with the “E” in MEA. “I’m particularly interested in accountability and the intersection between policy and evaluation,” she says. Her summer internship with the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) in Boston was a natural fit for her interest.

With a background in higher education administration, having previously served as a director of online and hybrid programs at Nichols College in Dudley, Mass., Yahn was assigned to the GAO’s education, workforce, and income security team.

“I assisted a team of analysts and methodologists in conducting an in-depth study of a gender diversity issue in response to a Congressional request,” she says. She assisted in collecting, coding, and analyzing data, and in developing data-based findings and conclusions. She also drafted a portion of the final report, which will be publicly released in December by the GAO.

Yahn commends the “incredibly smart, dedicated people at GAO, who are committed to improving the performance, and ensuring the accountability, of the federal government.”

She had the opportunity not only to learn about the GAO’s efforts to promote good government, but also to contribute as a fully integrated team member. Her responsibilities, and the expectations placed on her, were exactly the same as those of a professional analyst. “Because GAO treats interns like regular staff, it didn’t feel like an internship. It was more like I was test-driving a professional position,” she says. “They made me a better researcher.”

She also learned about effective techniques for construction and supporting arguments, for working with data, and for indexing source material. “These skills are going to make writing my dissertation an infinitely smoother process,” she says. “I’ve also been inspired with several ideas for future research.”

Accolades: Read About the News and Accomplishments from our Students, Alumni, and Faculty/Staff

Posted on October 16, 2015February 10, 2022 by Shawn Kornegay

Accolades Below are news and notes from our alumni, faculty, staff, and students. We are proud of all the amazing accomplishments by our Neag family. If you have an accolade to share, we want to hear from you! Please send any news items (and story ideas) to neag-communications@uconn.edu

Alumni

Kathy Andrade `13 MA received the William R. Butler Administrator of the Year Award from the University of Miami. Each year, members of the University of Miami Student Government recognizes a staff member for excellence as an administrator and for their support of student success. Andrade formerly served as assistant director of student activities and student organizations at the University of Miami.

Javier Barragan `15 (ED) is working in video and scouting for the Staten Island Yankees.

Danny Buzzell `14 MA, Ashley Combs `09 (BA), `14 MA and Emmanuel Omokaro `11 (BA), `12 MA joined the incoming class of sport management master’s students for a panel discussion designed to share experiences and advice from the field. This panel was part of the master’s program orientation in August.

Robert Cole `15 (ED) completed a 10-month internship in the Harvard University athletic department.

John J. Connolly `63 MA was recognized as a “Top 50 Leader in Healthcare & Life Sciences” by Irish America Magazine. Connolly, the nation’s foremost expert on identifying top physicians, is the president and CEO of Castle Connolly Medical Ltd., publisher of America’s Top Doctors and other consumer guides to help people find the best healthcare. He is also vice chairman of Castle Connolly Graduate Medical Ltd., which publishes review manuals to assist resident physicians and fellows in preparing for their board exams. In 2015, he received the Distinguished Alumni Award from the Neag School of Education Alumni Society.

Kevin Corn `12 MA received the On Campus Service Award from Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education (NASPA)’s Men and Masculinities Knowledge Community. The award recognizes the honoree’s efforts in making positive impacts for college men on campus and increasing college men’s involvement and engagement.

Scott Dempsey `14 (ED) `15 MA is an elementary teacher at Wilton Public Schools in Wilton, Conn. He previously worked for New Canaan Public Schools.

Thomas “TJ” Faeth `13 (ED) youth programs director for the Cheshire YMCA in Chesire, Conn., brought 50 students to UConn for a tour and a sport and nutrition clinic as a collaboration with Husky Sport staff and students.

Steven R. Frazier `00 Ph.D. was appointed interim president for Northwestern Connecticut Community College in Winchester, Conn. He was most recently the college’s dean of administration. Frazier brings 26 years of community college experience, and he served in his most recent position since 1995. He was also NCCC’s acting dean of students and an adjunct professor. At NCCC, Frazier supervises more than 50 budget, finance, and administrative personnel, while overseeing financial aid, purchases, budgets, and contracts. He has developed and implemented NCCC’s facilities master plan; established college policies on budget development; and successfully managed student affairs.

Robyn Kaplan Ginese `08 MA presented with Genius Labs in March at the 2015 American College Personnel Association (ACPA) National Conference in Tampa, Fla. Genius Labs selects experts to share their insight and knowledge about new technology in the field, and Ginese was selected due to her expertise with social media. She serves as director of leadership and experiential learning at Rutgers University.

Juliane Givoni `11 6^th Year is assistant principal at Weston High School in Weston, Conn. She previously served as the instructional leader for humanities, fine, and performing arts at Joel Barlow High School in Redding, Conn., where she also oversaw the curriculum. The 2015 Region 9 Teacher of the Year, she also was a finalist for the Connecticut Teacher of the Year.

Sutha Kanagasingam `13 MA recently finalized her first research poster in relation to her doctoral studies at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Kanagasingam presented this body of research at the Great Lakes Counseling Psychology Conference at Ball State University in Muncie, Ind., in March.

Michael Mudrick `15 Ph.D. started his first year as an assistant professor at York College of Pennsylvania in York, Neb.

Desi Nesmith`01 (ED), `02 MA, `09 6^th Year, a nationally recognized principal from Bloomfield, Conn., is now the chief school-turnaround officer for the Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE).

Lora Parisi `14 6^th Year is assistant principal at Eastern Middle School in Danbury, Conn., after serving in the role in an interim capacity since the start of the 2014-15 school year.

Thomas B. Roberts `67 MA is the co-editor and author of two chapters in The Psychedelic Policy Quagmire (ABC-CLIO, August 2015).

Christopher J. Silver `93 (ED) is the new director of leisure, families, and recreation for the Town of Manchester in Manchester, Conn. Silver had been the director of the office of neighborhoods and families since 2010. A major part of Silver’s new role will be collaborating with the school system on activities and programs.

Elizabeth Stagis ’06 (ED),’07 MA, an English teacher at East Hartford (Conn.) High School, received the Ann Garland West Excellence in Teaching Award from the National Association of Teachers of English (NEATE) in October. The award recognizes an educator with at least seven years of English/language arts teaching experience who exhibits extensive knowledge of his or her discipline, involvement in professional organizations, and an interest in challenging students.

Michael L. Vose `15 Ph.D. is the new director of instructional technology at Bethel Public Schools, in Bethel, Conn. Vose has extensive experience and expertise in the integration of technology into teaching and learning. A seasoned administrator from the Killingly Public Schools, Vose has served as an assistant principal and data team leader focusing on instructional design. Prior to his administrative position, he was a teacher for students requiring an alternative education, teaching English and social students at the secondary level.

Alicaa Waring `11 MA is an alternative education teacher, leading an in-school suspension program at a Wisconsin middle school.

Faculty

Five CBER researchers – Michael Coyne, Jennifer Freeman, Devin Kearns, Natalie Olinghouse, and Brandi Simonsen – are participating faculty members with the National Center for Leadership in Intensive Intervention (NCLII). The NCLII, a new consortium funded by the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), will prepare special education leaders to become experts in research on intensive intervention for students with disabilities who have persistent and severe academic (e.g., reading and math) and behavioral difficulties. Participating institutions include Vanderbilt University, Southern Methodist University, University of Connecticut, University of Illinois at Chicago, University of Minnesota, University of Texas at Austin, and Virginia Commonwealth University. NCLII scholars will participate in a core curriculum focused on intensive intervention and will contribute to the Intensive Intervention Network, a website designed to advance research on and implementation of intensive intervention.

CommPACT Schools received continued state funding for two more years.

The Neag School co-hosted a lecture with the Center for Health Intervention and Prevention (CHIP) on “Interconnecting School Mental Health and Positive Behavior Support” at the Storrs Campus in October.

The Neag School hosted a wrap-up celebration in September at Manchester Community College on Main for Bridging Practices among Connecticut Mathematics Educators (BPCME), a math-science partnership grant funded by the Connecticut State Department of Education. The partnership brought together educators from Hartford, Manchester, and Mansfield school districts with UConn faculty, doctoral students, and master’s interns to create a regional learning community to build teachers’ and teacher educators’ capacities to meet the Common Core State Standards.

Husky Sport hosted a panel of practitioners about trauma-sensitive practices across disciplines at Parker Memorial Center in Hartford, Conn., in August. The event included more than 50 representatives from Husky Sport and other community partners, gathering to discuss and better understand trauma in their work.

Alexandra “Sandy” Bell presented “Adult Learning: Considerations for Certification Exams and Applicator Training” at the 2015 Pesticide Safety and Applicator Training (PACT) conference in Philadelphia in August. She also co-presented “It’s What’s Inside That Counts: Brain-based Best Practices for Extension Education” at the 22nd European Seminar on Extension and Education, at Wageningen University in the Netherlands in May.

Eric Bernstein served as guest moderator for a Twitter chat in October, in which he and Marijke Kehrhahn engaged preservice teachers enrolled in the Neag School’s educational leadership graduate course “Teacher Leadership and Organization” (EDLR 5015). The educational Twitter chat, #edtherapy, focuses on educators supporting one another through the challenges of the profession in a safe, positive space. Chat co-founder Matt Mingle, an assistant superintendent in New Jersey, credited the Neag School’s student participants with helping to make it one of the most successful #edtherapy chats since its launch last year.

Laura Burton presented “Women in Leadership: Stereotypes and Gender Roles” at the University of Connecticut Women’s Advancement Conference in May. She also co-presented “Intersectorial Partnership in Disability Sport: A Case Study Examination” and “Only in Crisis? Leadership Selection in Intercollegiate Athletics After an Ethical Scandal” – both at the North American Society for Sport Management, in Ottawa, Canada, in June.

The Neag School welcomed colleagues from across the country who have been invited to serve on the NSF-funded Task Force on Conceptualizing Elementary Mathematical Writing: Implications for Mathematics Education Stakeholders. Tutita Casa is leading the task force – composed of school- and university-based educators whose expertise includes mathematics education, mathematics, writing education, science education, gifted education, special education, English language learners, and assessment and curriculum development – in discussions centered on identifying the types of and purposes for mathematical writing at the elementary level. The task force ultimately will prioritize the forms of writing they identify to guide those involved in this work and provide recommendations for future directions in this area.

Milagros Castillo-Montoya, Erica Fernández, Xaé Alicia Reyes, and Blanca Rincón received an El Instituto Grant of $1,500 from the University of Connecticut, to provide funding for Latinos in Education Foco – a community of scholars dedicated to the advancement of Latinos in education.

Milagros Castillo-Montoya has served as a reviewer for the Review of Higher Education and College Student Affairs Journal. She also served as a proposal reviewer for the Association for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE) 2015 conference as well as proposal reviewer for the American Educational Research Association (AERA) 2016 annual meeting. In addition, she started serving this summer as a co-chair of the UConn Intergroup Dialogue Taskforce – a group comprising EDLR faculty, a HESA student, and Division of Student Affairs staff charged with attending the Michigan National Institute on Intergroup Dialogue and considering how this model can be applied to EDLR and Division of Student Affairs.

Casey Cobb, Jennie Weiner, and Richard Gonzales collaborated on an invited chapter for the Handbook of Research on the Education of School Leaders. Casey Cobb and Richard Gonzales also served as peer reviewers for other chapters in the handbook.

Joseph Cooper and Shaun Dougherty published “Does race still matter?: A post bowl championship series (BCS) era examination of student athletes’ experiences at a Division I historically Black colleges/university (HBCU) and predominantly White institution (PWI)” in the Journal of Issues in Intercollegiate Athletics.

Joseph Cooper published “Strategies for student athlete success at historically Black colleges and universities” in Making the Connection: Data-Informed Practices in Academic Support Centers for College Athletes, edited by Eddie Comeaux (Information Age Publishing, 2015). Cooper also co-wrote the chapter “Athletic Migration Experiences of Black Athletes” in The Athletic Experience at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs): Past, Present, and Persistence (Rowan & Littlefield, 2015), for which he served as co-editor.

Michele Femc-Bagwell was an invited panel participant at the 2015 Institute for Educational Leadership’s Family and Community Engagement Conference in Chicago in June. She also was the co-strand facilitator for the Leaders’ Forum at Confratute and a workshop presenter at the Windsor Public Schools Teacher Leadership Corps training for teacher leaders. She completed the Executive Leadership Program in July and is currently collaborating with Erica Fernández on a photo ethnography study, “Do You See What I See: Parents’ Perceptions of Engagement in Schools.”

Jennifer Freeman, Brandi Simonsen, D. Betsy McCoach, George Sugai and Allison Lombardi, as well as Rob Horner from the University of Oregon, co-wrote “An Analysis of the Relationship Between Implementation of School-wide Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports and High School” in The High School Journal.

Rachael Gabriel, along with a colleague, edited Evaluating Literacy Instruction: Principles and Promising Practices (Routledge Publishing, 2016).

Wendy Glenn was a featured speaker at Eastern Connecticut State University’s presentation on “7 Days and Nights to Investigate, Navigate, Debate and Celebrate Banned Literature” at the Willimantic campus, in October.

Robin Grenier, along with adult learning program alum Kevin Thompson and current ALP doctoral candidate Brian Hentz, gave an invited presentation to the Connecticut Training and Development Network in Hartford, Conn. Grenier has taken over courses in the Graduate Certificate in College Teaching. She also co-published “Facilitating Workplace Learning and Change: Lessons Learned From the Lectores in Pre-war Cigar Factories” in the Journal of Workplace Learning, as well as co-published “A Conceptual Model for Eliciting Mental Models Using a Composite Methodology” in the Human Resource Development Review.

Mark Kohan and Susan Payne have been selected as 2015 Office of Public Engagement’s Service Learning Fellows. They have a new service learning course that starts in the Spring of 2016.

Patricia Jepson, director of the Academic Advisory Center in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, received the Outstanding Service Citation from the National Association of Agricultural Educators. The award recognizes current and retired NAAE members who have made significant contributions to agricultural education at the state, regional, and national levels with the Outstanding Service Citation. Jepson has been a partner with the Teacher Certification Program for College Graduates, by overseeing the animal science curriculum in the Program.

Marijke Kehrhahn and Alexandra “Sandy” Bell presented “Measuring Transfer of Training: Employing the Levels of Use Inventory” at the 16th International Conference on Human Resource Development Research and Practice across Europe, at University College Cork, Ireland, in June.

Allison Lombardi gave the keynote speech at the Connecticut Secondary Transition Summer Symposium in West Hartford, Conn., in July. Her presentation, entitled “An Organizing Framework of College and Career Readiness for Secondary Students with Disabilities,” focused on the notion of evolving vocational education and summarized recent transition research, including the development of six constructs of college and career readiness: critical thinking, engagement, mindsets, learning processes, social skills, and transition competencies; as well as multi-tiered approaches to service delivery. In addition, her latest article, “Correlates of Critical Thinking and College and Career Readiness for Students With and Without Disabilities,” is included in the Dec. 2015 issue of the journal Career Development and Transition for Exceptional Individuals.

Jennifer McGarry co-published “A Multilevel Analysis of a Campus-Community Partnership” in the Journal of Service Learning in Higher Education. She also co-presented “Positive Results Still Call for Critical Evaluation: A Post-Event Assessment of a Sport-for-Development Initiative” at the North American Society for Sport Management (NASSM) Ottawa, Ontario, in June.

Jonathan Plucker, Ronald Beghetto, and James Kaufman, along with graduate students Anna Dilley, Joshua Fishlock, and Clint Kennedy, wrote and released a series of research briefs on “4Cs: Creativity, Critical Thinking, Communication, and Collaboration” through the P21 Partnership for 21^st Century Learning.

Jonathan Plucker co-wrote “An Introduction to Replication Research in Gifted Education: Shiny and New Is Not the Same as Useful” in Gifted Education Quarterly.

Blanca Rincón has been selected to join the Review Board for the Research in Brief and On the Campus sections of the Journal of College Student Development.

Students

The Student Association of School Psychologists (SASP) and Neag School faculty member George Sugai co-hosted an afternoon coffee hour with guests featuring Mark Weist, who was a speaker for Center for Health, Intervention, and Prevention (CHIP), in October at the Storrs campus.

Theus McBee, sport management major, completed a summer internship with the NBA.

In Memoriam

Joseph G. Bielawski `55
Bonnie V. Cook `79
Robert A. Fischer Jr. `51
Lois Y. Galbraith `47
Martin D. Godgart `64
Donna C. Hetzel `78
Mary V. Joly `57
Joseph F. Levanto `73
Joe Morrone (faculty emeriti)
Marilyn S. Nesmith `01
Nils G. Peterson `61
Marie A. Ponzillo `74
Eleanor V. Sullivan `59