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About Indianapolis
9:00 – 10:00 a.m.
PAC on Government Relations Session 1 (1 of 2)
A Learning Lab Series to Support Your Pathway to Teacher Preparation Advocacy
The Ohio Deans Compact: A Statewide Collaboration to Improve the Preparation of Educators
The Ohio’s Deans Compact is composed of deans from private and public Institutions of higher education, as well as faculty, PK-12 teachers and school administrators, representatives from the Ohio Department of Education and the Ohio Department of Higher Education, and other stakeholders. Working together, the group focuses as a forum to bridge theory to practice, foster meaningful partnerships and respond to critical issues that impact PK-12 students and higher education programs that prepare PK-12 teachers. Initiatives have focused on preparing all educators to work together to teach and support all children by incentivizing the development of inclusive EPPs, creating pathways for diversifying the educator workforce, advancing postsecondary options for youth with disabilities, improving literacy outcomes for all children, and addressing critical state-identified personnel shortages. Presenters will focus on history of this collaboration, current successful initiatives, and how this model might be used by other states.
10:30 – 11:30 a.m.
PAC on Government Relations Session 2 (2 of 2)
Toward an AsianCrit Exploration of the Experiences of Current and Former Asian/American Leaders in Educator Preparation Programs
The co-presenters of this Learning Lab session, both Asian/American leaders at Educator Preparation Programs (EPPs)—a Department Chair and a Dean of Education—have been working on a collaborative project that explores the experiences of current and former Asian/American leaders in U.S.-based EPPs. The co-presenters use Asian Critical Race (AsianCrit) Theory as a theoretical and analytical tool to make sense of their personal and professional experiences in order to counter the dominant narrative found in the literature that Asian/Americans are underrepresented as leaders of EPPs because of culture and/or lack of desire/interest. This important session shares implications for theory, policy, and practice.
1:00 – 2:00 p.m.
How Developing Effective Principals Can Improve Teacher Retention & Equity Outcomes (Wallace)
This session covers findings from Wallace report Developing Effective Principals: What Kind of Learning Matters?, conducted by LPI and authored by Linda Darling-Hammond, Marjorie E. Wechsler, Stephanie Levin, Melanie Leung-Gagné and Steve Tozer. The report synthesizes peer-reviewed scholarship from 2000 to 2021 that addresses principal preparation and development programs. It also examines survey results and statewide policies to understand the extent to which principals have access to high-quality learning opportunities and the role of policies in increasing access. Co-Author Marjorie Wechsler will present on findings most relevant to educator preparation programs, educator leadership, teacher retention, and supporting diverse educators and students.
11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Deans’ Listening Session with AACTE President & CEO Lynn M. Gangone
Deans are invited to join AACTE President & CEO Lynn M. Gangone for an informal conversation. This is an opportunity to discuss the ways in which each of us are engaged in the work of our profession and what AACTE can do to support you as a leader, and your school or college of education.
Decentering Whiteness to Drive Equitable Outcomes In Educator Preparation Programs, a New AACTE Pilot
This session will cover the premise, goals, and details of a new pilot on Decentering Whiteness in Educator Preparation. Attendees will hear from the creators and facilitators of this pilot, expert deans, and faculty whom AACTE has partnered with. The panel will lead a discussion that touches on several goals of this pilot, including why EPP faculty should have an understanding of Whiteness in relationship to racial and social justice advocacy, how to decentralize Whiteness in daily life, classrooms, and teacher preparation programs through the interests convergence and alignment of contributions, and how that decentralization supports community-based culturally sustaining practices.
Framework for Preparing Educators for Effective Family and Community Partnerships
This session, co-led by the National Association for Family, School, and Community Engagement (NAFSCE) and AACTE creates space for dialogue around innovative strategies for preparing educators for family and community engagement. Research points to family and community engagement as one of the most important predictors of student learning and development. Yet, research consistently shows that educators rarely have opportunities to learn and practice family and community engagement during their preparation and throughout their careers. Over the past three years, NAFSCE has collaborated with AACTE and others to reimagine how educators are prepared for family and community engagement. This interactive session will explore the latest research and promising policies and practices and plan for establishing a Topical Area Group (TAG) on this important topic. All are welcome!
The Use of Improvement Science to Increase Recruitment of Special Education Teachers
This session will highlight the goals, strategies and accomplishments of AACTE’s Special Education Networked Improvement Community (SpEd NIC), an improvement science initiative supported by the CEEDAR Center and implemented by AACTE to recruit special education teachers into postsecondary programs leading to licensure. Of the twelve higher education institutions that participated in the SpEd NIC, three – Boston University, Eastern Michigan University, and Western Kentucky University – will share the primary drivers, change concepts and strategies that they employed to improve the recruitment of special education teacher candidates, as well as the impact these strategies have had at their institutions and others. Each case will be individually analyzed, after which the session will end with Q&A. Attendees will leave this session with a working understanding of NICs as well as how specific IHEs developed, tested, and analyzed the results of strategies aimed at increasing enrollment in their special education teacher preparation program.
State Efforts to Eliminate Barriers Into Educator Preparation Programs and the Profession
This session will spotlight the work of the Consortium for Research-Based and Equitable Assessments (CREA) to address assessment barriers that serve as a gateway to educator preparation programs. Participants will learn about the aims and findings of the CREA project, and the practice and policy changes of individual states to attract and prepare more diverse and skilled teachers for the workforce.
2:15 – 3:15 p.m.
Recommendations on the Preparation of Teachers to Deliver Effective Reading Instruction
The “science of reading” has garnered enormous attention among educators and the general public over the past few years. The research literature about effective reading instruction and intervention and effective teacher preparation should inform program design decisions and teacher education practices. Join our session to explore five recommendations related to the preparation of teachers to deliver effective reading instruction.
Join Us at the Table: Engaging in a Global Education Dialogue
Join the AACTE Global Diversity and AACTE International TAG (Topic Action Group) for roundtable discussions on global/international education topics of interest including Assessing Global Learning, Supporting Immigrant and Refugee Families, and Recruitment & Retention of Int’l Students. Participants will also learn about the aims of AACTE’s new Global Education Faculty Professional Learning Community and how to engage in this new grant-funded effort.
8:45 – 9:45 a.m.
Leading: What EPP Leaders Need to Know During Trying Times
The need for academic leaders to address the challenges facing our schools, universities and communities, including teacher shortages, lack of educator diversity, school violence, political agendas and other divisive issues have escalated in recent years. This session is designed to assist chairs and deans prepare for and address these challenges while providing a foundation to strengthen and build support for their educator prep programs.
