College of Education and Human Services

PI 34 new teacher licensure initiatives

Description

Identify pilot districts to work with and develop PI-34-related programs that would assist those districts with professional development. Develop a long-term program in collaboration with the Division of Lifelong Learning and Community Engagement to manage PI 34 professional development for our own teacher graduates from initial licensure to master teacher status.

Update

During summer 2008, superintendents in all of the school districts in our service area were visited; PI 34 and teacher professional development were discussed. As a result, the college has to retrench its approaches to the consequences of this four-year-old DPI mandate.

The college is exploring new collaborations with CESA’s rural schools and non-credit teacher professional development. The college has spent the greater part of 2008 preparing for its continuing accreditation visit from DPI, which occurs in spring 2009. The visit will review that the college’s licensure programs meet the requirements of PI 34 in preparing new and advanced teachers.

Refinement of student portfolio assessment process

Description

Strengthen a new performance-based, portfolio-driven assessment process to better focus on learner outcomes by refining admission, transition and program completion requirements for students.

Update

The Portfolio has been completed in a draft form and is being piloted for 2008- 2009. It will be an essential part of the college’s state continuing accreditation, will form the basis for a longitudinal assessment of candidate performance as to the 10 Wisconsin Teaching Standards (PI 34) and forms the core of the college’s new Integrated Assessment Plan.

Develop alternative licensure programs for teachers

Description

Respond to the needs of P-16 partners (e.g., local school districts and UW Colleges) in working collaboratively to develop new program options (e.g., compressed, experientially sensitive and integrated preparation) for underserved constituency groups (e.g., career change, nontraditional students).

Update

The college has a number of alternative licensure programs, some based on undergraduates and others on prior baccalaureate degrees. Initial degree/license programs, such as the Accelerated Early Childhood collaboration with Fox Valley Tech, is initiating its third cohort. The program has produced about 40 new teachers through its accelerated approach.

The ESL/Bilingual program is for current teachers and post-bachelor degree holders and prepares them for initial and additional licensure in the much-needed area of ESL and Bilingual. The program also is linked to a five-year, $1.5-million federal grant called ESTRELLA. Special Education is currently revamping its alternative licensure program in that subject and will be reporting early in spring 2009 on its new configuration.

Lastly, the ACT! alternative program for initial science and math teachers is in its second year, has more than 100 students and is in the process of extending the current collaboration (UW-Fond du Lac, UW-Fox Valley, UW-Manitowoc and UW-Sheboygan) to four other UW campuses with the assistance of UW-Extension.

Change structure to foster collaboration with COLS

Description

Develop an improved governance structure to more fully integrate the COLS voice in decisions about the University-wide preparation of teachers.

Update

The college has continued the Prof. Education Council, has worked with COLS departments on collaborative grants and worked closely with many departments to prepare the program review reports for the upcoming DPI continuing accreditation visit.

Expand diversity initiatives with English language learners and Native American students

Description

Expand the impact of Project Adelante and related initiatives to better serve English Language Learner (ELL) populations and collaborative efforts with College of Menominee Nation to better serve Native American populations.

Update

The primary efforts have been in two areas: First, the successful acquisition and initiation of Project ESTRELLA. The grant already has funded one major regional conference on culture and language, has increased the number of teachers being prepared in ESL and Bilingual areas, and will continue for four more years to have a major impact on the region.

Second, the Dept of Curriculum and Instruction has acquired through its faculty several grants to investigate math education among Native students and schools as well as a DPI grant to further the campus’ efforts to bring Native students to campus in the summer. Both efforts have long histories and are being continued through the efforts of individual faculty.

Expand initiatives with other educational agencies

Update

First, the college, with the help of the Chancellor and Provost’s offices, launched its first off-campus center, the Excel Center. Responding to the growing national concern about science and math in our schools, the center is the first STEM Education site among the comprehensive colleges in the UW System and perhaps the state.

The center will be responsible for recruiting, retaining and graduating increased numbers of students to become science and math teachers in Wisconsin. In addition, it will use faculty and others to work in local elementary, middle and high schools to attract young people to college and teaching, specifically science and math. The Center also will work with districts to help teachers acquire additional licenses, thereby assisting districts, especially high-need and rural schools, to increase professional development.

Second, the college is part of a collaboration with several CESA offices and school districts in rural areas of the state to help create a rural schools emphasis in Wisconsin, one of the few states to lack a rural education support organization. The first conference sponsored by education agencies on rural school issues will occur in March 2009; the college will continue its involvement in rural school improvement.

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