The College of Education
 

College of Education Fiscal Year 2004 Accomplishments

The 2004 accomplishments were in the following areas:

Provide State and National Leadership in Education

Renew National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) accreditation for teacher education and obtain national recognition and state approval of education programs at Illinois State University.

  • The University hosted the November 2003 on-site joint visit for NCATE accreditation and Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) program approval. The Board of Examiners Report indicated that the team found all standards met, and no areas for improvement were cited. The Board of Examiners voted for Illinois State University's full accreditation on April 2, 2004.

Influence creation, revision, and implementation of state and national requirements and standards that impact teacher and administrator preparation and professional development.

  • The Center for Education Policy influenced state and national policy and practices regarding school administrator identification, selection, development, evaluation, and working conditions through leadership in the State Action for Education Leadership Project (SAELP) Grant, with funding from the Council for Chief State School Officers and Wallace Foundation.
  • College of Education (COE) influenced teacher preparation and professional development in Chicago Public Schools through targeted programs (e.g., Future Teachers, Professional Development Schools [PDSs], National Board Certification, doctoral programs).
  • COE influenced state policy regarding preparation of special education teachers through leadership of an ISBE invited team to study changes to special education teacher preparation in response to No Child Left Behind (NCLB) and Corey H lawsuit.
  • COE nominated individuals to serve as NCATE Board of Examiners members, ISBE accreditation team members, and national SPA or state content area program reviewers.

Demonstrate implementation of our Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE) mandate to provide statewide leadership in education through cohort development, a significant Chicago presence, and impact on emerging educational issues.

  • The Department of Curriculum and Instruction (C&I) and COE supported Chicago initiatives focused on teacher recruitment, preparation, and professional development: National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) Chicago Public Schools' teacher induction program, Future Teachers of Chicago, Multicultural Mentorship, urban bus trips, PDS at Hayt School, Reading cohort delivery, and exploration of additional PDS sites.
  • Departments completed coursework for three doctoral cohorts in Chicago.
  • Departments developed a long-range plan for off-campus graduate cohorts.
  • Special Education Department (SED) received a grant from the U.S. Department of Education to deliver a Learning Behavior Specialist II Technology certification program in Peoria.

Develop a national reputation in teacher and administrator education, education research, and education policy.

  • COE and C&I leveraged membership in the National Network for Educational Renewal and Holmes Partnership to improve and expand school-based partnerships and preparation of teachers for hard to serve populations.
  • The COE, through federal funding of the Illinois Professional Learners' Partnership (IPLP) project, established a national model for statewide collaboration to support innovative teacher education.
  • COE ranked among the top ten producers of teachers by American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE).
  • COE ranked in the top third of graduate schools of education by U.S. News and World Report.
  • Educational Administration and Foundations Department (EAF) actively participated in University Council for Educational Administration efforts to influence national policy and practice regarding quality and integrity of educational administration programs.
  • SED's Autism Spectrum Institute hosted conferences for educators, teacher candidates, and parents.
  • The Special Education Assistive Technology (SEAT) Center provided workshops for teachers and administrators.
  • The Dean served as commissioner of the National Commission on the Future of Educational Administration.
  • The Dean served as Illinois representative to the National Commission on Teaching and America's Future.

Utilize our Centers to produce and disseminate nonpartisan research reports and publications to inform policy, legislation, and practice.

  • The Center for Education Policy (EAF) and the Laboratory Schools are taking the lead in Illinois as part of a major national effort by the National Center for Educational Accountability (NCEA) to promote higher student achievement based on improved state-level data collection and use of achievement data for decision-making.
  • The Center for Reading and Literacy edited and published the Journal of Reading Education, a SIG journal of the International Reading Association.
  • The Center for Education Policy led efforts to change state policies and practices regarding administrator selection, preparation, evaluation, and development through statewide non-partisan coalition (SAELP and Wallace grants).
  • The Center for Reading and Literacy published a four-page brochure about teacher education in literacy which was distributed to Illinois legislators, members of the Illinois Business Roundtable, and local businesspeople.
  • The Center for Education Policy surveyed Illinois principals, teachers, and school technology representatives on technology usage patterns and conducted parent focus groups at schools across the state to understand communication issues of concern to parents.
  • The Center for the Study of Education Policy conducted conferences and workshops, submitted grants, and disseminated reports.
  • The SEAT Center entered into an agreement with the Assistive Technology Industry Association (ATIA) to edit and publish a quarterly professional journal.

Increase Diversity Among Faculty, Students, and within Professional Experiences

Recruit diverse staff, faculty, and students.

  • Appropriate faculty, staff, and administrators completed diversity leadership training.
  • The Development Director implemented the COE Minority Scholarship for Future Teachers. An SED student and two C&I students received awards.
  • C&I promoted and supported the Holmes Scholars program.
  • COE expanded PDSs in Chicago and Springfield based on the "cluster schools" model.
  • COE collaborated with IBHE, Illinois Community College Board (ICCB), and other universities to develop an Associate of Arts in Teaching degree, designed in part to provide increased access by minorities to the teaching profession.
  • COE led development of the Chicago Teacher Pipeline, a collaborative effort of ISU, Chicago Public Schools, and Chicago City Colleges, partially funded by federal funds and an IBHE grant.
  • COE sponsored the TEAM Conference to introduce CPS and CCC future teachers to the campus.
  • Laboratory Schools added one additional minority teacher to their faculty for a total of six.

Provide professional field experiences with students from diverse populations and in diverse settings.

  • COE worked with Institutional Research and the Council for Teacher Education to create a database to analyze teacher candidates' experiences with diversity.
  • EAF expanded Professional Practice opportunities in Chicago, Springfield, Peoria, and suburban and rural areas.
  • SEAT Center provided passport training in the technology standard in which students must demonstrate awareness of "assistive technology devices to work effectively and equitably with students with disabilities for all teacher education majors at the University."

Expand and strengthen programming for undergraduate and graduate students in urban communities, particularly in Chicago and Peoria.

  • COE and C&I provided leadership in the CPS teacher induction program, Future Teachers of Chicago, Multicultural Mentorship, urban bus trips, NBPTS in Chicago, a PDS at Hayt School, Reading cohort delivery, and additional cohorts of field experience students.
  • Departments completed coursework for three doctoral cohorts in Chicago.
  • COE expanded a partnership with Peoria District #150 through delivery of doctoral programming, implemented a Special Education Professional Development Partnership (PDP), and enhanced a Middle School partnership.
  • SED secured funding for an assistive technology partnership in Peoria.

Extend and continue to develop international partnerships and collaborations that are consistent with and contribute to the College mission.

  • COE continued programming with England, Thailand, Japan, and Mexico, and explored new relationships in collaboration with Office of International Studies. Potential relationships include: C&I partnerships in South Africa and Korea, a third EAF doctoral cohort in Thailand, and an international conference in Thailand.

Provide World-Class Instruction for Teacher Education

Create at least one endowed chair in teacher education.

  • SED hired the first Endowed Chair in Assistive Technology.

Develop partnerships through programs and projects that promote collaboration throughout teacher education—across departments, between majors, between faculty and faculty associates, and between University faculty and faculty in our partner schools.

  • COE, through the federally funded IPLP project, continued to foster collaboration among five participating universities, partner schools, community colleges, and programs across member universities.
  • COE led a nine-partner team in submission of a TQE grant to fund teacher preparation reform in Chicago and Springfield.
  • COE led development of the Chicago Teacher Pipeline, a collaboration among ISU, Chicago Public Schools, and Chicago City Colleges.
  • COE continued leadership in a statewide movement to create Associate of Arts in Teaching degrees (AAT) in shortage fields with selected community colleges via the Chicago Teacher Pipeline Project and leadership of IBHE and ICCB.
  • C&I established a student pipeline project between ICC and ISU.
  • SED's Autism Spectrum Institute partnered with Milner Library to secure funding for procuring books and materials related to Autism Spectrum Disorder.
  • Laboratory School faculty and administrators continued to teach courses, serve on doctoral dissertation committees, and supervise as appropriate in all three departments.

Provide significant, extended, and meaningful field experiences in schools.

  • TEC re-examined the field experience descriptions for all teacher education programs.
  • TEC expanded opportunities for performance-based field experiences.
  • C&I re-examined clinical experiences in collaboration with Thomas Metcalf School and University High School.
  • SED implemented all new practicum experiences associated with new curricula.

Develop and implement an Illinois State University model of school partnerships and Professional Development Schools.

  • C&I and COE developed a plan to provide a PDS or partnership experience for all COE teacher education candidates by 2008.

Define the role of the Laboratory Schools in teacher education.

  • Laboratory Schools initiated dialogues and parameters necessary to move programs working in the Laboratory Schools from hours-based to a performance-based system of clinical experiences.

Develop and implement within the Teacher Education Center a university-wide system for recording, analyzing, and reporting on the performance of future teachers.

  • TEC completed the first year of the performance-based assessment system across the University.

Refocus the Alternative Route to Teacher Certification to prepare teachers for high needs content and geographic areas.

  • C&I and TEC surveyed Illinois schools/districts to determine staffing needs, focused selection of alternative route candidates on high needs areas, and implemented a revised curriculum.

Create a pipeline of recruitment, preparation (including field experiences and student teaching internships), and placement of teachers in urban areas, particularly Chicago and Peoria.

  • TEC placed field experience students in Peoria and Chicago.
  • COE received federal, HECA, and private funding for the Chicago Teacher Pipeline.

Create a pipeline of recruitment, preparation (including field experiences and student teaching internships) for local schools through Bloomington-Normal Education Alliance (BNEA) and other partners.

  • COE continued collaboration with BNEA to enhance community education, including implementation of standards-aligned classrooms, recruitment and retention of diverse faculty, provision of continuing professional development opportunities for teachers, and state-of-the-art technological innovations for classrooms at all levels.

Admit the most promising students into teacher education.

  • COE continued recruitment of students with 26+ ACT scores.
  • C&I recruited transfer students with a 3.0 GPA and freshmen students with 23 ACT scores into Elementary Education.
  • SED was ranked first out of 205 programs as potential students' first choice of schools to attend for special education.

Manage admissions of native and community college students to address teacher supply and demand trends.

  • COE worked with the Admissions Office to establish admissions standards and admit high achieving internal and external transfer students with particular focus on high needs fields.

Serve as a State and National Leader in Graduate and Continuing Education

Achieve national recognition for our graduate programs.

  • EAF continued to revise K-12 and Higher Education programs to meet changing standards and expectations.
  • EAF used the SAELP/LEAD grant opportunities to implement a nationally recognized, district embedded master's program to prepare principals.
  • SED was recognized for implementing a new masters program as a model program to address NCATE/National Board Standards.
  • COE achieved NCATE recognition for all applicable graduate programs.
  • C&I revised the teacher education sequence in the C&I doctoral program to reflect current research.

Develop and implement a long-range plan for statewide delivery of graduate programs. This plan includes the use of instructional technology and flexible scheduling; extend our partnerships with professional development schools, school districts, community colleges and other educational institutions; commit to programming in Chicago; and develop cohorts in other geographic areas of the state (e.g., Quad Cities, Springfield, Peoria, Joliet).

  • Departments developed a coordinated five-year plan for delivery of off-campus graduate cohorts.

Establish a Chicago site (Chicago Teacher Pipeline) and director to coordinate teacher education, graduate education for teachers and administrators, higher education administrators, professional development, National Board preparation, and grant projects for Illinois State University.

  • COE received federal, private, and HECA funding for the Chicago Teacher Pipeline, one component of a comprehensive Chicago plan.

Serve as a state and national leader in preparation of teachers for National Board Certification.

  • COE served as a National Resource Center for NBPTS. The National Board Resource Center coordinated the work of 35 NBCT leaders to recruit and train 500+ NBPTS candidates, with special emphasis on Chicago, Peoria, and the NBPTS rural initiative.
  • Laboratory Schools had three more faculty members achieve National Board Certification (total of eight).

Integrate National Board standards into graduate programs.

  • EAF introduced National Board standards to students in the principalship and superintendents programs.
  • SED incorporated National Board standards into the graduate program.

Explore a shared curriculum across departments at the doctoral level.

  • Department chairs involved faculty in exploring common needs and potential electives across graduate programs and at cohort sites.

Provide a statewide, comprehensive continuing education program, capitalizing on expertise with faculty associates and our partners in professional development schools.

  • EAF, with funding through the Gates Foundation, provided statewide continuing education for educational leaders.
  • COE, in collaboration with the Laboratory Schools and the Conferencing Unit, offered professional development opportunities (CPDU's).

Support and Extend Research Endeavors

Establish a self-supported, centralized College office to provide support services for funded research (e.g., seek funding sources; provide pre-award incentives; establish and facilitate teams of faculty, faculty associates, and partner schools; and advise on budget preparation).

  • COE supported grant writing teams for submissions to TQE, TQR, OSEP, PT3, OSERS, T2T, and several other large federally-sponsored RFPs.
  • College Research Committee awarded $8,000 in URG grant writing stipends.
  • COE reorganized staff to provide .75 FTE clerical worker for grant development and post-award support.
  • COE submitted an estimated $20 million in external funding.

Extend our school partnerships to include more collaborative research among faculty, faculty associates, and public school faculty.

  • The Illinois State University Partnership received a Kellogg Foundation grant through its National Network for Educational Renewal membership to work with the Wheeling community in a two-year effort to increase the capacity of the community to address their own educational issues.
  • The COE publicized research in the College through publication and nationwide dissemination of Research Reports.
  • The Chairs recommended ways to fund research associated with the preparation of teachers in our partnerships and/or our impact on the students in those schools.
  • The College Research Committee hosted three discussions of current scholarly works led by Distinguished Professor Paul Baker.
  • The College Research Committee continued support of two professional writing groups.
  • The College Research Committee co-sponsored a writing-for-publication workshop and a grant writing workshop.
  • The College Research Committee hosted the annual Day o' Research.

Seek significant grant and campaign resources to provide funding sources for each of the Centers.

  • The Development Director worked with University Advancement via the Campaign to seek external funds to promote each of the Centers.
  • A SEAT Center advisory group was formed with a primary objective of supporting fund-raising activities.

Develop Technological Support for Recruitment and Instruction

Conduct a needs assessment and develop a long-range technology plan for classrooms, offices, and student use in collaboration with the Office of the Associate Vice President of Technology.

  • COE implemented a three-year technology plan.
  • COE installed wireless access throughout DeGarmo.
  • COE installed a SmartBoard in DeGarmo 551 conference room.

Develop a web-presence to meet the needs of multiple audiences, faculty, and current and future students.

  • COE completed a new web-based interactive annual report.
  • COE completed a print-based version of the interactive annual report.
  • COE supported updates and revisions of Web sites in the Departments and College.

Support the development of judicious and appropriate technological support of instruction both on and off campus.

  • EAF integrated appropriate technology support for its on- and off-campus classes through video conferencing and Web-based instruction.
  • TEC facilitated the development of teacher candidates' electronic portfolios.

Support our College Community through Governance, Staffing, Facilities, and Endowments

Integrate the faculty associates into every aspect of the College: governance, curriculum, instruction, research, and service.

  • C&I reexamined clinical experiences in collaboration with Thomas Metcalf School and University High School.
  • Laboratory Schools initiated dialogues to move programs working in the Laboratory Schools from hours-based to performance-based system(s) of clinical experiences.

Reduce the over-reliance on non-tenure track faculty.

  • COE converted selected NTT positions to TT positions where funding was available.

Examine the College structure to determine if reconfiguration is warranted.

  • College Council determined that a reorganization was not desirable at this time.

Provide non-tenure track faculty with a clear sense of community within and contribution to the College.

  • Departments conducted professional seminars for NTT faculty each semester.
  • Departments included NTT in faculty meetings not specifically addressing TT policy issues.

Improve support for faculty and students by increasing the endowment in the College.

  • The Development Director worked with each administrative area within the College to identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward donors to create and maintain endowed scholarships and other endowed funds.
  • The Development Director worked closely with the COE Fund-raising Steering Committee to implement fund-raising initiatives for the COE "mini-campaign" within the overall University campaign.
  • The Development Director worked closely with the Laboratory School Fund-raising Steering Committee to implement a Laboratory School campaign, including "Naming Opportunities" within the Laboratory Schools.
  • The Development Director facilitated eight new endowment funds or scholarships.

Position the College for the development of an Education Commons as described in the Campus Master Plan.

  • The Development Director informed alumni and friends of the campaign and fund-raising activities through COE publications and newsletters.

Provide attractive and functional facilities for faculty, staff, and students.

  • COE worked with Facilities Management and an outside architect to develop plans for completing phase two of the TEC.
  • COE constructed a student organization room in DeGarmo 20J.
  • COE completed a fire safety inspection.