Evaluating Teacher Preparation

U.S. News and World Report has recently partnered with the National Council for Teacher Quality (NCTQ) to "rank" the nation's teacher education programs. While Schools and Colleges of Education are open to valid and rigorous external review, recent experiences with NCTQ have shown that this organization fails to adhere to even the most rudimentary practices in valid research design. NCTQ is, in effect, grading teacher education programs based solely on syllabi and handbooks, ignoring the most fundamental component of actual program effectiveness--the success of graduates once in the classroom and their impact on student learning. The fact that NCTQ has stated that it will not be evaluating alternative certification program clearly identifies a primary agenda and bias of this association.

Various professional organizations in the state of Illinois, and across the country are collaborating to share a consistent message that "enough is enough." We look forward to the continued dialogue on best practices in program evaluation and the opportunity to embrace rigorous and fair external review. We also look forward to hearing from our constituents what teacher education programs are doing right--and areas where we need to improve--so that we can work together in enhancing the educational opportunities for ALL children.

Success in Higher Education

I've had the opportunity to gather ideas from some of the School of Education's student leaders regarding the elements of success in higher education. Here are some of their thoughts:

• Find something you like, and run with it.
• Never be afraid to ask for help.
• Get involved in campus and/or community activities.
• Establish effective study skills.
• Participate in class discussions.
• Prioritize tasks, and keep an updated calendar.
• Set deadlines.
• Hone skills in written communication.
• Use all available resources, including Blackboard and other web-based tools.
• Identify mentors, both in and out of the classroom.
• Live on campus.
• Treat every class project as if you are already out in the professional world.
• Develop a list of post-graduation goals.

I'd love to hear what you think contributes to success and retention in higher education!

Charter School Conference

I had the opportunity to attend the National Public Charter School Conference in Chicago with a team from the SIUE East St. Louis Charter High School and SIUE Provost's Office. The messages from the conference included the importance of highly qualified and effective teachers and school leaders, a sharp focus on accountability (including closing down ineffective schools), and sharing best practices in curricular reform across all public schools.

Bill Gates opened the conference with an interesting keynote address. His address can be accessed from the following site: http://www.chicagopublicradio.org/Content.aspx?audioID=42913.

SOE Annual Report

The School of Education's Annual Report is now available online on the School's website. The SOE had a terrific year, as evidenced by the many successes of its faculty, staff, and students. The SOE is very proud of the quality of its academic programs, rigorous scholarship, and outreach into the community. We would love to hear from you how we can continue to provide academic excellence for the Metro East region!http://www.siue.edu/education/about/pdf/SOEannualreport10.pdf

Generation Y Teachers

How are Generation Y teachers different from their "Baby Boomer" colleagues, and what implications does this have for teacher preparation? Interesting information is provided at www.retainingteachertalent.org.

Race to the Top: Round Two

The State of Illinois has submitted its application for Round Two of federal Race to the Top funding. This process has already had an impact on educator preparation in the state, including new laws allowing alternative providers to offer programs separate from universities and substantial changes to programs for school building administrators. Also new are the state's teaching standards and a proposed "code of ethics."

To learn more about the state's "Race to the Top," you can access their proposal online at http://www.isbe.net/racetothetop/PDF/phase2_app.pdf.

Charter High School Seniors Celebrate Upcoming Graduation

I had the opportunity to attend the SIUE East St. Louis Charter High School's Senior Dinner, and celebrated a very special evening with students' family, friends, and community members. Inspirational opening remarks were provided by Senior Class President Terrell Gilkey, Acting Director Willis Young, and Executive Director Patricia Harrison.

After dinner, we enjoyed a fantastic “Cultural Music Review” which included musical and dance performances from students of the school as well as members of the East St. Louis Center for Performing Arts. The talent shared by the students was amazing! The evening concluded with a hilarious remake of “Thriller” performed by Charter High School Staff.

Graduation is scheduled for Tuesday, May 18th at 6:30 in the Multipurpose Room, Building D, at the East St. Louis Higher Education Center. I hope you can join us!

ASCC Bowling Event

I had the wonderful opportunity to join our Association for School and Community Careers (ASCC) students for an on-campus bowling event! (Although I enjoyed my time watching the fun, and not actually bowling... which would have been amusing at best!) ASCC is a new student organization in the School of Education that provides students with the chance to learn about a range of careers and majors offered through the SOE. Our Dean's Dozen students have served as the leaders of this association this year, and have done a tremendous job getting the group up and running, and we are looking for great things from ASCC next year! If you do have any questions about ASCC, don't hesitate to contact me or Gretchen Fricke, the ASCC advisor.