Much-Needed STEM Teachers are Focus of Accelerated Certification Program Expansion

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Students working outside in a science/lab class at Avery Point campus. Photo credit: UConn
Students working outside in a science/lab class at Avery Point campus. Photo credit: UConn

To help meet the national demand for certified science, technology, engineering and math teachers that will engage and inspire young people, the Neag School of Education is expanding its one-year accelerated Teacher Certification Program for College Graduates (TCPCG) to UConn’s Avery Point campus.

Like the TCPCG programs already in place on regional campuses in West Hartford and Waterbury, the Avery Point program will allow qualified undergraduates to earn a master’s in education and Connecticut teacher certification in just 12 months. Classes at Avery Point, however, will only be open to those looking to enter STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) fields.

“School systems in Connecticut and throughout the nation are scrambling to find qualified STEM teachers—there’s a critical shortage—so this program meets a crucial need,” said Michael Alfano, executive director of UConn teacher education programs.

National education officials estimate that to properly educate and engage students in these fields—as well as inspire them to pursue related careers— U.S. colleges and universities need to graduate as many as 25,000 new STEM teachers each year.

President Barack Obama has called meeting this number a “national imperative” and challenged the U.S. Department of Education to spearhead efforts to train 100,000 STEM graduates over the next decade.

“Traditionally, math and science majors go into industry jobs—a math major becomes an actuary, a science major goes to work for a lab,” Alfano said, “but we’re hoping to change that and inspire more STEM undergrads to become teachers, as well as professionals who’ve worked in the fields for a while. Clearly, the need is there, and this new program at Avery Point will make the process of becoming a certified teacher that much more convenient. Neag’s TCPCG program really is a natural fit for professionals looking to make a career change and become teachers.”

Each year, 70-80 new certified teachers graduate from UConn’s accelerated TCPCG program. Another 120-130 graduate annually from the UConn Storrs campus’ traditional Integrated Bachelor’s/Master’s Teacher Education Program. The Avery Point program will lead to an additional 20 teachers certified annually in one of the STEM fields.

An Information Session for those looking to learn more about the program will take place from 6-8 p.m. Wednesday, May 16, at Branford House on the Avery Point campus. Participants will get the opportunity to learn not just how UConn’s TCPCG program effectively integrates school-based experiences with seminar and core coursework, but see the sophisticated marine studies facility and other laboratory and research facilities that make up much of the Avery Point campus.

“It really was the logical place for the STEM expansion because of the big focus on science that’s there already,” Alfano added.

Applications for the STEM/Avery Point program will be accepted in the fall of 2012, from Sept. 1 to Dec. 1. The first class of 20 will enter the following summer and attend full time. Part time students are not accepted.

“It’s a rigorous program, but the benefits are clear,” Alfano said. “Not only is UConn’s Neag School of Education the No. 1 public school in the Northeast, but we frequently get feedback from superintendents who say Neag grads are their first choices for hires. Our graduates are exceptionally educated and tend to stay in education far longer than the state or national average. What we do for teachers, students and really education as a field is pretty special. There’s definitely a Neag difference.”

For more information or to register to attend the May 16 open house, contact Monica Gat at monica.gat@uconn.edu or 860-570-9266.

A Corporate Educator Comes Back to Storrs

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Paula SingerPaula R. Singer, president and CEO of the Laureate Global Products and Services Group, came back to campus recently to speak about online learning. She leads Laureate’s U.S. campus-based and online higher education business, serves as chair and CEO of Walden University, and oversees development and marketing of the company’s distance-learning offerings and partnerships around the world. Singer, who hadn’t been to campus in 30 years, earned a B.S. in education from the Neag School of Education, where she was the first education major to be selected for the prestigious University Scholar program. She spoke with the editor of Spotlight about teaching and online learning.

What should people know about online learning?

What’s most important is that research shows that online learning is as effective and, in many cases, more effective than face to face. So the verdict is in, and that was based on a metastudy that was done by the Department of Education. I also think people should know that online learning is not for  every student or every subject. It is a modality that should be used when it’s best for the student.

How is Laureate Education impacting online learning?

We were really the founders of distance education, starting back in 1998. And our flagship institution, Walden University, was one of the first three institutions in the U.S. to be accredited by regional accreditation bodies and be fully online and fully distanced delivery. We’ve really been the pioneers of distance education in many ways. So, in distance education in 1998, was focused on video, focused on satellite delivery — there have been a number of different modalities — now it’s online. But, even in online, it’s moving from computers to mobile devices as people start using those modalities.

Where do you see online learning going from here?

It’s going to become very a commonplace tool that is used for our students at all levels. I think it’s going to be embraced as a modality that’s used by all faculty and teachers at all levels. Because of that, we’re going to be able to use it in more prescriptive ways, especially with math and science activities. It’s become more sophisticated in its use, is more widespread, and I think students are going to demand that continues.

As a former classroom teacher, what do you see as challenges facing teachers today?

There are many challenges facing teachers today. One of the big challenges that we have are the outputs. Because if you look at the participation rates of high school graduates in higher education in the U.S., we’re ninth in the world for graduating and going to college. When I look at the broad challenges for K-12 teachers, we have to help the students be more competitive in a country that’s more competitive. One of the big challenges is we have to attract the best and brightest into teaching. We also have to prove to the public that we are doing a good job. We have to be willing to be measured as classroom teachers in the same way we measure our students every single day. I don’t think we should have a dichotomy that says students should be evaluated, but teachers shouldn’t. Evaluations should be seen as a way to identify areas for improvements, not as an “I gotcha.”

How can we reform education from your perspective?

We need to make sure to focus on early childhood education. Starting early is really important in setting that foundation, as is making sure that the requirements for those teaching students at the earliest stage are stringent, and then really prepare them.

We also need to be sure we are balancing this need for metrics. The other reasons creative learning is so important are that 1) students stay more engaged when they’re involved with that kind of problem solving; and 2) employers are not looking for individuals who score 95 percent on standardized testing. Although that may be nice, they’re looking for people who can help solve real issues.

How can a school like the Neag School impact the future of education?

The Neag School does a very good job in a number of areas. I’m very impressed with the quality of student that’s here. Neag is attracting the best and brightest into the profession. I’ve been very impressed with the students that I’ve seen and how the faculty is dedicated; to make sure they are the kind of professionals who make a difference in the classroom. I’m also impressed with the stats in terms of retention, where the teachers are still in the classroom. Neag students are way above the national average (50 percent), in that about 70 percent of them are still teaching after 10 years.

We’re doing something right at the Neag School. The importance of that continuity can’t be over-emphasized, because in the first five years, teachers are still learning. So as they become more of an expert, this stage is so critical. I’m also very impressed with the work that’s being done by Gifted & Talented. They have a lot of expertise that can be shared with the rest of the country – what they know and how they are helping children who are high performers in the classroom.

What did being the first education major to be awarded UConn’s prestigious University Scholar program mean to you?

I do recall it as if it were yesterday. I came on campus as a freshman. I was called to visit the Honors Program. I latched onto the program and became focused on becoming a University Scholar my sophomore year. Through this, this program helped me early on. Without it, I may have not have had the same focus.

I had no idea that education majors had not previously been part of the honorees. I let the dean know my plans. He was proud of me, but he didn’t want me to get my hopes up (since there had never been an education major). That was probably the best thing he could have told me, because it really  encouraged me to go after the honor. It became a challenge. It was not just about me being acknowledged, but about having the school acknowledged.

What is your favorite memory as a student?

Oh my goodness, the jungle is still here. We had a blast living in there; it was fun for freshman. I did chuckle a bit, as I came around and saw that.

One of my biggest memories is of the library. That’s the old library now. I went to see it today, along with the new one. I was impressed with what they had done. As a freshman, I had a lived at the North Campus and spent a lot of time at the library. I had my special place in the stacks and studied there. While it’s changed, it’s much better and useful for the students  — they kept a portion of the library that still allows students to find that special spot to sit down and study.

I expected the campus to look a lot different. I hadn’t been back in 30 years; I’ve been living in all different parts of the country. As I was driving down the 195, it didn’t change at all there. I turned on the street with all the churches. I was pleased coming back here, seeing the expansion of the university and the buildings. It’s great to see all the expansion, but the buildings have a consistency with the images and architecture of being in New England, being at UConn, and not trying to make it look too crazy. It’s fun to see all the expansion, to see the progress.

Who was your favorite professor?

Dr. Meagher. I remember the very first  words she said to me. The first class I had with her was about teaching reading, and she said: “Good morning, my name is Dr. M-e-a-g-h-e-r, so much for phonics.” That really rung in my head, not that we didn’t believe in teaching phonics.

I remember my first stint in the real world. I had the fortune of four separate student teaching experiences, all very different. In one case, I had a group of students who didn’t qualify for special education, but weren’t functioning well in the classroom. I said to her, “Where do I start?” Dr. Meagher said, “You start first by assessing.” I remember that: You can’t know where to start if you don’t assess first. She was someone who was very knowledgeable, but very open to the students. She was the perfect teacher-mentor and gave me the confidence I had by the time I graduated.

IB/M Alum Works with Troubled Youth

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Aaron Clark
Aaron Clark demonstrates math terms in his classroom. Photo credit: Shawn Kornegay

As an undergraduate at the University of Connecticut, Aaron Clark began pursuing a career in sports broadcasting, but quickly discovered that all the traveling and unpredictable hours were not aspects of a lifestyle he wanted. Instead, Clark switched gears, working toward a profession that afforded a reasonable and balanced schedule for athletics, family and work that makes a difference.

In his quest for a new career path, Clark emphasized his presentation and public speaking skills, alongside his passion for kids, and decided that becoming a teacher would best suit all that he was looking for.

“I loved the idea of working with troubled youth,” says Clark, who has been employed at the Connecticut Juvenile Training School for young men for over three years now. “It was a challenge I knew I would enjoy and thought would be fun.”

Soon enough, Clark enrolled in the Neag School of Education’s rigorous five-year Integrated Bachelor’s/Master’s Teaching Education Program (IB/M), where he gained real world exposure to school system affairs and was engrossed by the professors’ level of expertise.

In particular, the lessons Clark took away from the required Positive Behavior Support and Interventions for Students (PBIS) with Disabilities course his junior year are some that have benefited him the most in his current role as a math teacher, working with a troubled population.

“It’s all about reward. They want to be given something. They’re dealmakers. A lot of them are there because they’re trying to do what they need to survive. Sometimes that meant making deals with people to get by,” says Clark. “PBIS is about rewarding positive behavior, which is something a lot of kids in my population get excited about.”

The PBIS approach is part of Neag’s Center for Behavioral Education (CBER), which was spearheaded in 2005 by Dr. George Sugai to research and teach in the areas of positive behavior support, behavior disorders, literacy, school psychology and special education.

Clark has come to understand that reinforcing positive behavior and academics boosts his students’ confidence, leading to higher success rates. By buying into what aids in good behavior, his students are more task-oriented, disciplined and inclined to focus on their schoolwork. Clark continues to learn, yet admits that this has been one of his biggest challenges so far.

Instilling the message that these youth do not have to revert back to whatever circumstance that originally put them in the facility is also key. Clark hopes that by relating to his students as much as he can, he will inspire them to discover a personal strength or skill they can use to better themselves after they serve their time.

“I struggled, too, but I knew what my goal was and worked hard to get that accomplished,” says Clark, who exemplifies how both persistence and determination pave the way toward success.

According to Clark, most of the youth he works with lack significant role models in their lives. They are desperate to talk about their lives, recapping sporting events and discussing their most recent art projects. Clark has tried to fill that need.

“[Teachers] need to be a guidance counselor, academic—not a friend, but a big brother/big sister at times,” says Clark. “You need to read your kids minute by minute, especially at my school. Anything can set them off. A lot lack any structure at home. They need some pushing toward what they’re going to do the rest of their lives.”

Although he currently is teaching algebra, geometry and intervention math, Clark hopes to soon teach his favorite subjects, social studies and history. Regardless, he is working with juvenile offenders and having a positive impact on them, just as he had hoped as a graduate student at UConn.

Clark also made a difference as a Neag School graduate student, exemplifying his leadership and dedication to creating change. In his graduate year, Clark took a lack of classroom diversity into his own hands and became  a minority recruiting graduate assistant. This opportunity to create positive change within Neag was one of his fondest memories.

“I was the only male minority in all of Neag my senior year,” Clark recalled. “I’m glad to hear that the minority enrollment is a lot higher now.”

According to Academic Advisory Center Director Ann Traynor, Clark compiled information on prospective minority students interested in teaching and contacted students to answer any questions about the programs Neag offers, encouraging them to apply. He also reached out to Neag alumni to collect feedback on their experience in the IB/M and TCPCG (Teacher Certification Program for College Graduates) programs.

“This feedback helped us to improve our efforts to support, encourage and retain minority students in our teacher preparation programs,” says Trayor.

Although he may not have had the same classic teaching career path as many of his Neag counterparts, Clark has surely accomplished his original ambition of working with others in a challenging environment and has already seen great success.

“Aaron is a great young man with a strong moral compass and an engaging personality,” says former Neag School Dean Richard Schwab, Ph.D. “When he was a student at the Neag School, he was always someone who we could count on as an engaged and positive student leader. He is now a young alum who we will be reading a lot about in the future, as I see him building on his talents from his experience in this challenging classroom environment and becoming a key leader in school reform in our state.”

For more information about the IB/M Teacher Preparation Program, visit http://www.education.uconn.edu/howtoapply/ibm.cfm. To hear more, watch this video with Aaron talking about his experiences at the Neag School.

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

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104516017-hands-clapping1-300x2001Accolades – 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 shawn.kornegay@uconn.edu.

PROGRAMS

Husky Sport was one of 13 organizations recognized with a 2011-2012 Extended Schools Hours Grant Program from the Hartford Public Schools. Extended School Hours Programs are intended to provide opportunities for academic improvement, which include the provision of instructional services to help students meet state and local performance standards.

ALUMNI

Maurice Doolittle (B.S. physical therapy ‘65) has retired after working as a physical therapist in five different states. He is looking forward to his retirement in Louisiana with his wife, Sunnie.

Craig Esposito (Ph.D. educational administration ‘10) won a spot on the Town of Stonington’s school board.

Theresa (Dombrowski) Forbes (B.S. elementary education ’97, M.A. curriculum and instruction ’98, Sixth-Year Certificate in educational psychology ’05) and Sean Forbes announce their marriage on July 16, 2011, in Manchester, Conn. Theresa is a teacher in Glastonbury, Conn.

Greg Fuller (B.S. sport science ’97) and Nicole (Perras) Fuller ’98 (RHSA) announce the birth of their second child, Evan, on July 15, 2010. He joins older brother Jackson, 4.

Carol (Ewing) Garber (B.S. recreational service education ’75, M.A. sport and leisure studies ’83, Ph.D. sport and leisure studies ’90) is associate professor of movement sciences and education at Teachers College, Columbia University in New York, N.Y. She serves as vice president of the American College of Sports Medicine. She recently returned to campus as a guest speaker.

Bridgette Gordon-Hickey (M.A. in special education ‘05, Sixth-Year Certificate in educational administration ‘08), associate director of Regional Multicultural Magnet School (RMMS) in New London, was selected as the 2012 CAS Elementary School Assistant Principal of the Year.

Allen R. Jones Jr. (B.S. physical therapy ’87) opened Dominion Physical Therapy & Associates’ seventh office, in Norfolk, Va. Dominion specializes in sports, work, and personal injuries.

Marianne Kennedy, Southern Connecticut State University’s Interim Provost, served as the lead campus administrator until Southern’s new President, Mary Papazian, arrived on February 1. During her 17-year career as a faculty member, department chairwoman and administrator at Southern, Kennedy has attained a wealth of institutional knowledge and earned a reputation as an active scholar, an excellent communicator, and an effective collaborator. Kennedy earned her Ph.D. in special education from the Neag School in 1994 and joined Southern’s Communication Disorders Department in 1994.

Peter MacGillis (B.S. in exercise science ’93, MBA ’98) was featured on the Travel Channel’s “Man v. Food Nation” on Aug. 18, 2011.

Race issues, the role of the media in 21st century politics and public perceptions of President Barack Obama’s communication style are all examined in a recently published book by Dr. Mark P. Orbe (M.A. in professional higher education and administration ’90), Western Michigan University professor of communication. “Communication Realities in a ‘Post-Racial’ Society: What the U.S. Public Really Thinks About Barack Obama” was published by Lexington Books. The first book its kind, it draws from a large national qualitative data set generated by 333 diverse participants from 12 different U.S. states across six regions and provides comprehensive, in-depth coverage of the similarities and differences that exist among diverse groups of everyday Americans.

Louise Tarnowski Plack (B.S. elementary education ’84, M.A. special education ’90) is a special education teacher at Marlborough Elementary School and executive board member of Pocketful of Joy, a nonprofit organization that provides health care and education opportunities to children in northern Tanzania. From January to March 2011, she worked in Tanzania with educators at the local and district level to improve education for primary and secondary schoolchildren.

The Future of Diplomacy Project at the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, announced that Tim Shriver, president and CEO of Special Olympics, is a 2012 Fisher Family Fellows. Shriver earned his Ph.D. in Education from the Neag School.

Lois Greene Stone (B.S. ’55) and her husband, Dr. Gerald E. Stone, celebrated 55 years of marriage and welcomed their 15th grandchild this spring. Lois, a writer and poet, is syndicated worldwide.

Tiffany Violette (B.A. journalism, sociology ‘93; Sixth-Year Certificate in educational administration ‘02) associate principal of South Windsor High School was named the 2012 CAS High School Assistant Principal of the Year.

James Zullo (B.S.’66) retired as a high school basketball coach in New York with 528 wins.

Several English Education Neag graduates and students traveled to Chicago in November to participate in the 2011 Workshop of the Assembly on Literature for Adolescents of the National Council of Teachers of English.

  • Ricki Ginsberg (Rockville High School, Vernon) and Tiffany Smith (Parish Hill High School, Chaplin) presented a breakout session entitled, “Forging Ahead: Proposing, Designing, Teaching and Defending a High School Young Adult Literature Elective.” Ricki also serves as an elected Director on the ALAN Board.
  • Kelly Thurston (Francis T. Maloney High School, Meriden) and Ethan Warner (O.H. Platt High School, Meriden) shared their expertise in a panel, “Using YA Literature to Bridge the Gap for Male Readers.”
  • Cleo Rahmy (Portland Middle School), Emily Hernberg (New Canaan High School), and Claire Peyser (Westwood High School, MA) examined the challenges faced by teachers new to the profession in their presentation, “Young Adult Literature As A First-Year Teacher: A Second-Year Retrospective.”
  • Danielle King (East Hampton High School) chaired an author panel entitled, “Middle grade titles: In those in-between spaces.”
  • Elizabeth Stagis (East Hartford High School) was named the 2011 recipient of a Gallo Grant awarded to a talented early career teacher for attendance at his/her first ALAN Workshop.

Mike Hurst (West Hartford Middle School) and Marisa Ives (UConn) were both first-year attendees who represented UConn well with their passion and professionalism.

FACULTY

The University’s Research Advisory Council selected the following Neag faculty members as Fall 2011 Faculty Large Grant Award recipients:

  • Michael Faggella-Luby, Project VISIBLE: Validating Implementation of Secondary Instructional Behaviors in Literacy & English, $24,898
  • Lisa Sanetti, Evaluation of a Planning Protocol on Teachers Implementation of a Classroom Management System in an Alternative School Setting: A Pilot Study, $24,966
  • Megan E Welsh, Validation of Student Learning Objectives as a Teacher Evaluation Tool, $22,084

The Dept. of Kinesiology hosted Neil Walsh, Ph.D., head of research at Bangor University’s School of Sport, Health & Exercise Sciences, as a four-week guest professor. Dr. Walsh provided two university-wide lectures and had opportunities to interact with both students and staff through small group seminars, lectures, presentations and research discussions. Dr. Walsh’s visit was under the auspices of the Guest Professor award program, Office of the Vice President for Research.

The Neag School welcomed high school teachers and administrators from Shuicheng, Shandong Province in China, who were here visiting with teachers and administrators in Haddam-Killingworth School District (Region 17).  Shandong is Connecticut’s ‘sister province’ and we have been entertaining visitors from Shandong for many years.

Steven Adamowski, who is the former superintendent of the Hartford Public Schools, is joining the EDLR department in the Executive Leadership Program working with Bob Villanova.

Lawrence Armstrong and Richard Schwab were elected as Faculty At-Large to UConn’s University Senate. Schwab was also elected to the Faculty Review Board.

Scott Brown was a co-author on two recent publications, Expanding the science and writing curricular space: The GlobalEd2 Project and Impacting middle school students’ science knowledge with problem-based learning simulations, for the IADIS International Conference Cognition and Exploratory Learning in Digital Age (CELDA). He also participated in the following presentations: “Impacting middle school students’ science knowledge with problem-based learning simulations”, IADIS International Conference Cognition and Exploratory Learning in Digital Age, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; “Impacting science knowledge through an educational game: The GlobalEd2 Project” Northeastern Educational Research Association Conference, Rocky Hill, CT; “Intention-based web browsing: Characteristic browsing patterns of student inquiry” Northeastern Educational Research Association Conference, Rocky Hill, CT.

Doug Casa is being inducted into the University of Florida Alumni Hall of Fame in April.

Tutita Casa had an article published in the NCTM journal Teaching Children Mathematics entitled “Connecting class talk with individual student writing.” The article was published with one of her former students and an intern who worked on the Project M2.

Craig Denegar, Maryclaire Capetta and Nancy Craven were recently elected as officers for the CT Physical Therapy Association. Denegar is president, Capetta is chief delegate and Craven is secretary.

Odvard Egil Dyrli, emeritus professor of curriculum and instruction in the Neag School of Education, was elected to a third four-year term on the Board of Trustees of Messiah College, Grantham, Pa. Dyrli serves on the executive council, chairs the education committee, and is on the steering committee for re-accreditation by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.

M. Kathy Gavin received the Distinguished Alumna Award from Emmanuel College, Department of Education (May 2011). She also had a book in the Practical Strategies Series in Gifted Education entitled Identifying and Nurturing Math Talent published by Prufrock Press.

M. Kathy Gavin, Tutita Casa, Suzanne Chapin, Linda Sheffield, Janine Firmender & Catherine Osiecki received the National Association for Gifted Children Outstanding Curriculum Studies Award for the Project M2 unit, Exploring shapes in space: Geometry with Imi and Zani.

Robin Grenier was elected to the Academy of Human Resource Development Board for a three-year term. AHRD is a global organization made up of, governed by, and created for the Human Resource Development (HRD) scholarly community of academics and reflective practitioners and has over 500 members worldwide.

Jason Irizarry was one of two featured speakers at the CSDE and SERC 2011 Black & Hispanic/Latino Male Statewide Forum, held in December at Central Connecticut State University.

Tom Kehle was awarded the Outstanding Contribution to Training by the National Association of School Psychologists. He was recognized at the NASP National Awards Lunch in February.

Catherine Little, Sherryl Hauser, & Jeffrey Corbishley received the Linking Research and Practice Outstanding Publication Award – Mathematics teaching in the middle school, for article “Constructing Complexity for Differentiated Learning,” from the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics.

Melissa Madaus was invited to submit an online article for Psychology in the Schools with her graduate assistant, Laura Ruberto. The article “Application of self-modeling to externalizing and internalizing disorders” appeared online in Dec.

Joseph Madaus was just elected vice president of the Division on Career Development and Transition, which is a chapter of the Council for Exceptional Children. It’s a four-year term – one year as VP, one as President-Elect, one as President, and one as Past-President.

Alan Marcus has been awarded an Office of Global Programs Global Partnerships Faculty Travel Grant for his project “Developing Global Citizens: Teacher Education and Museum Education in the US and the US.” The award is intended to deepen and expand existing relationships with our international partners in a larger effort to help internationalize our university.

Betsy McCoach and Del Siegle have been selected as the next co-editors of Gifted Child Quarterly, NAGC’s scholarly journal beginning with the winter 2013 issue. (2013-2017).

Linda Pescatello and Blair Johnson have conducted a series of meta-analysis resulting in three publications in the literature and one out this month on exercise and cancer – “Exercise interventions for cancer survivors: A meta-analysis of quality of life outcomes” Ann Behav Med; “Efficacy of exercise interventions in modulating cancer-related fatigue among adult cancer survivors: a meta-analysis” Cancer Epidemiol, Biomarkers; and “The efficacy of exercise in reducing depression among cancer survivors: A meta-analysis” PLoS ONE.

Joe Renzulli was the keynote speaker on “Nurturing Creative Talent in High School Students.” The conference was sponsored by East China Normal University, Shanghai, China. He was also the keynote speaker on “A Technology Based Program That Matches Enrichment Materials With Individual Student strength Areas” for the International Center For Innovation In Education, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Yuhang Rong is the chair of the AACTE Global Diversity Committee, effective Feb 16, 2012 through Feb 2013. He also served as a panelist on “The Policy and Politics of Global Teacher Education” for AACTE in Chicago.

Sue Sanders has been appointed a director of professional development for the ACPA-College Student Educators International.  American College Personnel Association, headquartered in Washington, D.C. at the National Center for Higher Education, is the leading comprehensive student affairs association that advances student affairs and engages students for a lifetime of learning and discovery.

Del Siegle received the 2011 NAGC Service Award from the National Association for Gifted Children.

Brandi Simonsen and George Sugai published an article in the recent edition of the Journal of Positive Interventions, “Schoolwide PBS ‘Hi-Fi’ “. Simonsen also co-published an article “Don’t Forget” with Aimee Faul (IB/M alumnus) and Karoline Stepensky (IB/M alumnus) in the same journal.

Diane Ullman who is the superintendent of the Simsbury Public Schools and received the Superintendent of the Year Award from the Neag Alumni Society is retiring from her current position and will be working in a similar capacity as Bob Villanova. She will become director of UCAPP and continue her involvement in the ELP program.

Michael Young has been elected to the Board of Education for the Town of Ellington.

STUDENTS

Janine Firmender and Lisa Rubenstein each won a 2011 Doctoral Student Award at the National Association for Gifted Children.

Kendrick Henes, a secondary science major, has been invited by Liz Buttner of the State Department of Education to serve on the committee reviewing drafts of the Next Generation Science Education Standards – the only student pre-service teacher to serve in CT and nationally.

Nicole LaPierre and Melanie Rodriguez would like to thank everyone who “liked” the photo on Facebook of Clark Elementary and Middle Academy. They won the “We Give Books” contest and will now receive a library of books for Clark School in Hartford! They are renovating and reopening the currently closed school library in Clark for their Masters Inquiry Project and these books will help immensely. They are appreciative of the support.

Melissa Collier Meek who was awarded a $500 professional development award due to her excellent scholarly record. She was selected as a recipient of Pearson/Trainers of School Psychology Professional Development Scholarship for graduate students.

Jessica Raugitinane is a recipient of the Alma Exley Scholarship and will be recognized in May.

Kim Adler, from Westport, CT, was a participant in the 2011 Mentor Connection program and she worked with Dr. Cynthia Peterson, a professor of physics. She competed in a local science fair, Southern Connecticut Invitational Science and Engineering Fair, and won first place for a physical science project. She will be presenting at the JSHS in March at UConn.

The Neag School of Education Wants to Hear From You!

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Stock image -- surveyOn behalf of the Neag School of Education’s Alumni Society, we invite you to participate with the below survey. It will only take a few minutes. We will use this information to provide better communication and to better serve our alumni and frieinds. Your feedback and input is greatly appreciated. We’ll also have a drawing for a free Neag Swag Bag or a $25 Starbuck giftcard for those who participate (you must provide your email at the end to have a chance in the drawing). Deadline to respond to the survey is Thursday, April 12. Thank you!

Survey has now closed.

Provost Dr. Peter Nichols to Join Neag School Faculty

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Provost Nichols Peter J. Nichols, Ph.D., UConn’s provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs, has served in major academic leadership roles for the past 20 years. He is the University’s chief academic officer and is responsible for all academic programs, including the regional campuses, School of Law and schools of Medicine and Dental Medicine. Reporting to him are deans of the schools and colleges, along with other high-level academic leaders, such as the vice president for Student Affairs. He’s had a long, successful career in administration and seven successful years at UConn as provost, but something else was calling him–a desire to return to teaching and research.

On May 31, Dr. Nichols will step down as provost and join the Neag School of Education faculty of the Department of Educational Leadership, helping graduate students and working education professionals prepare for key educational leadership positions.

The move was a natural one for Dr. Nichols, who over the years has regularly interacted with the “diverse, wonderfully talented and practitioner-oriented” students in UConn’s Higher Education and Students Affairs (HESA) program overseen by Vice President for Student Affairs John Saddlemire.

As provost, Dr. Nichols also regularly kept in contact with undergraduate students through teaching a First Year Experience class, which he typically did in the fall.  “Honestly, this was the best part of the work week for me, serving as a reminder of what we are all about as an institution,” Dr. Nicholls said, adding that he enjoyed the freedom of selecting an academic topic that interested him and interacting with a small group of freshman students for lively discussions.

In reflecting about his role as provost, Dr. Nichols said: “Being the provost at UConn has been a wonderful opportunity to help shape the academic direction of a major university. To be able to choose a leadership team of vice provosts and deans to help direct the expenditure of UConn 2000 funds, and to develop programs such as Study Abroad, the Honors Program and Living/Learning Communities, have all been activities with a big impact for the academic mission of the University. It’s all been exciting and stimulating work.”

A mathematics professor in his earliest professional days, Dr. Nichols cites a deep interest in higher education policy, leadership and government issues as a big part of his reason for requesting to join the Neag School of Education’s Educational Leadership Department.

In a written communication to the University community, President Susan Herbst responded to Dr. Nichol’s request with encouragement. “While I’m happy for Peter and understand his desire to return to teaching following a long career in administration, it would be difficult not to feel a sense of loss at the departure of such an outstanding leader, colleague and friend.

“Anyone who has worked closely with Peter knows that he maintains a reserved equanimity (and dry wit) as he carries out the work of what is a highly demanding and stressful position,” President Herbst continued. “Peter cares deeply for our students and our mission as a public higher education institution, and he has a great respect for our faculty and staff. On behalf of this entire institution, I extend my most heartfelt thanks to him for his outstanding and lasting contributions to the University of Connecticut.”

Dr. Nichols said “the highest level of admiration” and strong, professional associations with several members of the Neag community– specifically Richard Schwab, Sally Reis, and Thomas DeFranco –also led to his decision to join the School of Education.

“I’m delighted that Dr. Nichols will be joining the Neag faculty,” wrote Dean DeFranco in an announcement to the Neag School. “Under his strong leadership, academic programs across the University are at their strongest, and our national visibility as a University has soared to where we are now recognized as one of the best.

“He brings a wealth of experience as an administrator and faculty member to the HESA program. We are very fortunate to have an individual of his talent and experience join us.”

Dr. Nichols said he is “looking forward to joining the Neag School and getting back more directly into academic pursuits.” The students and faculty will benefit immensely from his desire to return to teaching, and the educational community will benefit from his exemplary service to academic leadership.

No Clear Winner Yet in “Race to the Top”

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Stock image -- classroom Establishing “Innovation Funds” for community partnerships that enhance learning, creating professional development programs more aligned with federal education expectations, and establishing new frameworks for teacher evaluations are among the ways states awarded Race to the Top (RTT) grants have begun to used their share of the $4 billion given by the federal government in 2011 to improve K-12 school quality and effectiveness.

First-year state progress reports were released by the U.S. Department of Education in January. But according UConn’s Tammy Kolbe, an assistant research professor at the Neag School of Education’s Center for Education Policy Analysis, it’s far too early to speculate on the effectiveness of these or any reforms funded by the one-time grants—though it’s not too early to create an RTT evaluation plan. In fact, it’s essential.

“Winning states came up with plans for change, but do they have the capacity to implement that change, or ensure that it’s meaningful, long-term change, rather than just a short-term fix?” said Kolbe, lead author of “And They’re Off: Tracking Federal Race to the Top Investments From the Starting Gate.”

Written with University of Maryland education policy studies professor Jennifer King Rice and published in the January issue of Educational Policy, the article examines the influence of federal education priorities on grant proposals, explains grant parameters and how funds were awarded, outlines both winning states’ and the government’s intents, and stresses the need for a benchmarked evaluation system.

“Five to 10 years from now, we’ll need to have a tool that allows us to determine whether these grants made a difference; whether this money mattered. Establishing baseline expectations will be key to determining whether states achieved the significant and comprehensive education innovation, reform and improvements that RTT  grants were intended to provide,” Kolbe said. “This was no small lump that was distributed. It was a significant—historic—distribution of grant funds larger than any state has ever seen before.”

Funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, and managed by the U.S. Department of Education, RTT  was designed to “reward” states with concrete plans and actions to:

  • Significantly improve student outcomes
  • Close achievement gaps
  • Improve high school graduate rates
  • Better prepare students for college and career success

Forty-six states (including Connecticut) and the District of Columbia competed for the funds which, when the 12 winners were chosen, led to grants of between $20 million and $700 million distributed over a four-year period. The application process was extensive and the competition fierce, with some states going as far as to change laws, regulations and teacher contracts to make themselves eligible to apply, or more likely to win, an award.

Winners were Delaware, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Rhode Island and Tennessee.

“But is competition the best way to award funds designed to improve poor educational systems? States with more resources are very likely going to have the ability to put together better grant proposals than those with less resources,” Kolbe explained, “which means the needier state may not get the grant—though one of the hopes for RTT is that it will have a trickle-down effect. That non-RTT states will see what RTT states are doing, and then look at how they can make similar changes in practice within their cost and resource restraints.”

Tracking states’ RTT fund plans and progress is the federal education department’s Implementation and Support Unit, but local leaders need to track and monitor states’ progress, too, Kolbe said.

“If RTT pans out as it was intended, local districts and states will have effective best-practices and programs to use as models to meet specific needs,” Kolbe said. “But we need time to watch and see. Several RTT states plan to use the funds on short-term projects, but will that allow them to sustain needed educational improvements over the long haul? Also, will continued economic challenges affect states’ abilities to sustain long-term change?”

“There’s also the issue of whether this kind of sizeable federal investment in education reform was a good one to make,” Kolbe added. “Can large grants better move states and localities closer to achieving national goals for public education?”

CAPSS/Neag Early Career Superintendent Institute an Invaluable Resource for Individual, School District Growth

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New Connecticut Regional School District 14 Superintendent Jody Goeler credits the Advanced Leadership Development Institute for Early Career Superintendents at the Neag School of Education with giving him not just the tools, support and opportunities needed to better manage the practical, day-to-day aspects of his job, but also to tackle the unavoidable sticky—and inevitably unexpected—situations.

“When you’re the superintendent of schools, you’re literally the only one in town, and it sometimes can be a lonely position,” said Goeler, who was assistant superintendent in Avon before becoming the head of District 14, which covers Bethlehem and Woodury, in August. “But the Institute has given me the opportunity to develop strong networks and relationships with others doing similar work. It challenges my thinking and has given me real-experience answers to challenges related to all matter of my work.”

Created as part of an ongoing partnership with the Connecticut Association of Public Schools Superintendents (CAPSS), the CAPSS/Neag Early Career Superintendent Institute provides superintendents who’ve been at the job three years or fewer the opportunity to actively participate in purposely structured seminars with other early career superintendents, said Robert M. Villanova, Ph.D, who co-facilitates the Institute with Diane Ullman, Ph.D., Simsbury’s superintendent of schools and adjunct faculty member at the Neag School of Education.

“Even experienced leaders require a network of support and continuing education,” said Dr. Villanova, a professor in the Neag School of Education’s Department of Educational Leadership and former schools superintendent himself. “Learning and the need for ongoing professional development doesn’t stop because you’ve been appointed superintendent, and the truth is that there’s a big difference in the scope of responsibility between serving as an assistant or deputy superintendent and the one with the ultimate responsibility for leading school district improvement.

“The position of superintendent is unique, and the benefits associated with participating in an ongoing professional learning community made up of other superintendent colleagues cannot be overstated,” he continued.

Focused on providing the kind of strategic leadership support that can help a superintendent stay focused on district leadership work that has the best chance of improving district effectiveness and performance, the Institute meets roughly nine times during the school year at the CAPSS headquarters, 26 Caya Ave., West Hartford. Based on past participants’ feedback, classes take place on either a Tuesday or Wednesday from 9:30-11:45 a.m., after which superintendents can either stay and network in small groups over lunch or head back to their districts.

Neag faculty and experienced CAPSS superintendents often participate and help guide Institute sessions. Each session is organized around the following activities:

  • Problems of Practice Analysis. Either facilitators or Institute participants introduce a timely district leadership “problem of practice”—authentic district leadership challenges that superintendents face in leading school districts. Institute facilitators or other invited, experienced superintendents present specific examples of district leadership challenges, such as how to work with the board of education in developing and presenting the district budget; strategies to use in supporting and developing the instructional leadership capacity of principals; and successful strategies used to develop a collaborative and results-oriented partnership with the board of education. Other topics addressed in recent seminars have included ethics and decision making in district leadership, creating the conditions for transparency and accountability, and strategies to engage the full range of community stakeholders.
  • Collaborative Inquiry Around a Particular Problem of Practice. A superintendent presents a real and pressing problem he or she is facing that is directly related to improving district performance. Through a structured, reflective protocol, colleague superintendents then offer analysis, suggestions and a practical take-aways for the presenting superintendent to consider. These take-aways most often result in new perspectives and learning for each superintendent in the group.
  • “Pressing Issue” Roundtable. Each participant briefly shares a current and “pressing” district leadership challenge, and members of the group both give and receive feedback. These pressing issues often become the focus of future practice problem analyses.

“To have a district that values learning, you need to have a superintendent who values learning—and the Advanced Leadership Development Institute for Early Career Superintendents provides an opportunity for superintendents to model that learning; to show that they are committed to their own continual learning and growing, which hopefully will have a trickle-down effect, inspiring other administrators, principals, teachers and students to do the same,” Villanova said.

But it’s more than a belief in education that drives the program, Villanova explained. There’s a real need.

Each year, roughly 39 of Connecticut’s 157 public school districts get a new superintendent, said CAPSS Executive Director Joeph Cirasuolo, which means that at any given time, 25 percent of Connecticut’s educational leaders are facing new challenges and responsibilities—and need a proven resource to turn to for best practices in district leadership.

“The access to experienced superintendents that the Institute provides gives participants years of experience, knowledge and leadership to learn from,” said Wolcott Schools Superintendent Joseph Macary, who’s attended the program since 2009. “The sessions are collaborative, there’s always time for discussions, and you leave knowing that you’re not alone—and that you have colleagues to reach out to, if needed.”

Cost for the program is covered by CAPSS through each superintendent’s membership dues, which means that any Connecticut superintendent who’s been in the role three years or fewer is eligible to attend. Soon-to-be superintendents can also attend—a benefit that Seymour Assistant Superintendent Christine Syriac is taking advantage of right now. She’ll become Seymour’s schools superintendent in July.

“I’m a firm believer that there’s much more to gain from working as a team than as an individual,” Syriac said, “and the Institute team has provided me with so much: a common language, the opportunity for dialogue, access to applied research, and the opportunity to learn from highly experienced and respected educational leaders. Being a part of this team also helps remind me not to get lost in everyday minutia and to keep sight of our goals, our students and our instructional core.”

Although each new program cycle begins in September and ends in May, eligible superintendents may join on a rolling basis and start at any time. However, a commitment to be an active participant is required.

“We come to rely and count on each other—something that I imagine will continue after our time in the program is over,” said Newington Deputy Schools Superintendent Jeffrey Schumann, who on July 1 will become Enfield’s superintendent of schools. “Building these relationships is nothing but beneficial, as is having this direct connection with the Neag School of Education and all of its resources, research and timely information on virtually any topic a new superintendent might face.”

For more information about the program, contact Villanova at (860) 486-4812 or Robert.Villanova@uconn.edu. Register through CAPSS  by calling (860) 236-8640.

Second Edition Helps in Teaching Science to All Learners

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Students are not all on the same playing field in the classroom. They come from different backgrounds, learn differently and therefore, especially when learning science, need teachers who support them through effective instructional approaches with culture as a starting point.

This approach is the foundation of the second edition of Teaching Science to Every Child by Dr. John Settlage, associate professor in science teacher education at the Neag School of Education. The textbook serves as a tool for educators to think about all learners, regardless of abilities or language, with strategies for successful teaching in the subject matter.

“The goal of this book was to infuse student diversity throughout the whole book — in how to ask questions, in how to design assessments and in how to run a classroom,” said Settlage.

Settlage’s research examines the need to teach science so children from any background can be successful. His text is unique to the market, offering an encouraging tone throughout and approaches to making science accessible to all.

Contents of the book include understanding basic science process skills, experimenting as a valuable way of doing science, integrating science with other subjects, among others.

Besides three new chapters, embedded technological tools and an increased attention to the role of theory, a special feature of the second edition is the added artwork as chapter openers.

The contributing artists were fourth grade students from Katie Smith’s class in Manchester’s Waddell Elementary School. Smith, a Neag alumnus, had Settlage as a professor and learned from him the importance of adjusting to meet the needs of every individual in the classroom. Smith used the first edition of the textbook as a graduate student before helping in the contribution of the newest updates.

“The book, as much as it is a tool for teachers to learn science teaching methods, really encourages out-of-the-box thinking,” said Smith. “It’s not about the traditional way of teaching science with a textbook. It’s much more about kids having meaningful experiences exploring with materials, while the teacher provides a venue for them to feel safe, to ask questions, to be curious, and to communicate those feelings with each other.”

“It encourages teachers to think deeply about their own science teaching practices and whether or not these methods are truly helping each member of a diverse classroom to process concepts and extend learning,” Smith concluded.

With the help of Settlage, Smith and her class brainstormed different ways students might think about science with a list of categories like weather and ecosystems. After handing out pieces of paper, the educators gave the children the liberty to draw whatever came to mind that was important to them in terms of the subject.

The focus was not to have correct diagrams or explanations, but instead to illustrate the students’ own authentic opinions and thoughts, which translated well into the book, further emphasizing Settlage’s message.

“I think it’s nice to show thinking from kids in the updated edition, especially for new teachers,” said Smith. “As a pre-service teacher, I always felt more connected to a text in which I could see authentic examples of work being done in the classroom. It helps to contextualize the often-arduous process of teaching a bit more, and it gives teachers a taste of the fun that is to come!”

The book is published by Routledge Press. For more information about the book, check out their website http://www.routledge.com/books/details/9780415892582/.