BREAKOUT SESSION II
Monday, 11:15 am-12:00 pm
SESSION: 2A
Room: Spring Lake C
Type of Session: Roundtable Session
Our Journey Towards National Accreditation: Lessons Learned
Veronica Estrada, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
Alma Rodriguez, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
Presenters will describe one EPP’s journey in pursuit of national accreditation by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP). Lessons learned leading to key elements for a successful accreditation site visit will be shared.
Certification Office Document Repository
Misti Corn, Texas A&M University
Kim Kuklies, Texas A&M University-Central Texas
This session will present the general structure of an online document repository for certification office documents for all programs to share access, use with permission, and gather input, ideas, and feedback. If there is support, we will continue to build, monitor, and support.
Common Reader Uncommon Differentiation: Creating an Inclusive Opportunity for Students to Respond to SHSU's Common Reader
Alma Contreras-Vanegas, Sam Houston State University
Jaime Duran, Sam Houston State University
Lautrice Nickson, Sam Houston State University
Rebecca Wentworth, Sam Houston State University
This session will present our process of conceptualizing, presenting, and drafting a scholarship competition and a differentiated rubric regarding a differentiated scholarship competition. Topics will include the creation of the purpose, format, and rubric associated with this project. We will use the roundtable format to elicit discourse and feedback regarding our process and products.
Innovative Pedagogy in the Traditional Context of Academia: Better Together!
Kylah Clark-Goff, Howard Payne University
Innovation is critical to the future of higher education, and specifically, educator preparation. The pipeline of teachers is broken, and demand far outweighs the supply of teachers across the country. Educators often lack support, adequate compensation, or the respect that makes the profession attractive to new teachers or sustainable to veteran educators. This context necessitates that we break out of the “how we’ve always done it” mentality and pursue pedagogical excellence through increased innovation. Receiving and refining new ideas and inputs through collaboration is a proven means of promoting innovative practice. The purpose of this roundtable discussion is to share our questions, struggles, and successes and collaborate on current and potential transformational efforts, including course or policy redesign, field experience approaches, implementation of technologies, recruiting strategies, or other innovations that will help us all in our work in educator preparation.
SESSION: 2B
Room: Veramendi Salon A
Type of Session: Multi-Topic Session
Preparing Anti-Fragile First Year Teachers - The Why, the What, and the How: A Contemporary Capstone Course in an Online Format
Darla Baggett, LeTourneau University
When your students walk into their first classroom as the teacher, are they prepared to pull all the pieces together from your EPP curriculum? A capstone course can require them to demonstrate readiness throughout a semester-long course with specified students with identified needs. Students draw upon what they have learned in every course previously taken and are also exposed to nuances of the classroom and campus from a slightly more mature perspective. Planning and instructing in a virtual format are included with scenarios for short-term and long-term expectations. The online format has every student fully engaged in every activity.
Barriers that Obstruct the Teaching of Cultural Heritage
Pedro Garcia, Region One Education Service Center
In this session, we will consider the state requirements regarding the linguistic, cognitive, and affective needs of students. The focus will be specifically on the needs of Emergent Bilingual students in Texas. Discussions will include topics such as the standards of beauty in the world and barriers that obstruct the teaching of cultural heritage. The presentation will entertain second language acquisition methods and research-based routines for instruction in the content and cultural areas. We will drive theory on instilling confidence, self-assurance, and a positive identity with students’ cultural heritages.
SESSION: 2C
Room: Veramendi Salon B
Type of Session: Single-Topic Session
Beyond Classrooms and Schoolyards: Empowering Educators as Advocates to Affect Change
Helen Berg, Sam Houston State University
Lory Haas, Sam Houston State University
Abbie Strunc, Sam Houston State University
Educators are tasked with teaching to develop a wide range of skills and competencies for students to be successful, productive members of society. One aspect of #Heartwork is teachers as frontline advocates for their students as they are in a unique position to identify the individual needs and support of students. The #HeartWork most teachers engage in often leaves little time for teachers to advocate for education beyond the classrooms and schoolyards. Thus, it is important to prepare preservice and in-service teachers to advocate for educational change on a broader scale by engaging the community, policymakers, and society.
SESSION: 2D
Room: Veramendi Salon C
Type of Session: Sponsor Session
Barrier or Bridge: Can Accreditation Support Access, Equity, and Improvement?
Linda McKee, AAQEP
Jahnette Wilson, University of Houston
Accreditation has historically posed a barrier to diversity and equity in educator preparation through reliance on measures that yield disparate outcomes and insistence on limited program models. Accreditation standards can, however, promote access and support services to marginalized communities and minoritized individuals. These AAQEP case studies illustrate this inclusive potential.
SESSION: 2E
Room: Veramendi Salon D
Type of Session: Multi-Topic Session
Enhancing Advocacy Efforts through Stakeholder Collaboration
Gina Anderson, Texas Woman’s University
Kelsey Kling, Texas AFT
Monty Exter, ATPE
Suzanne Nesmith, Baylor University
Elizabeth Ward, Texas Wesleyan University
Stakeholders across PK-12, higher education, and educator preparation program sectors have a unique opportunity to work collaboratively to support, enhance, and promote the teaching profession through advocacy. In this session, representatives from these sectors will share the “hows” and “whys” of advocacy efforts to raise the profile of the profession throughout the educator pipeline from candidacy, preparation, induction, to career.
The ABCs of Advocacy
Christina Ellis, Safal Partners
Julie Teel-Borders, LeTourneau University
Elizabeth Ward, Texas Wesleyan University
Now more than ever, teachers and teacher educators must advocate for our profession at the local, state, and national levels. This session is designed to provide you with tools and tips to begin or enhance your own advocacy efforts and strategies to empower your students to become education advocates as well.
SESSION: 2F
Room: Veramendi Salon G
Type of Session: Single-Topic Session
Teacher Preparation for Emergent Bilingual Learners
Lidia Herrera-Rocha, University of Texas at El Paso
Erika Mein, University of Texas at El Paso
The University of Texas at El Paso College of Education has made teacher preparation for emergent bilinguals (EBs) a strategic priority, based in part on our location within a predominantly bilingual community on the US-Mexico border. In this session, we will share findings from a professional learning intervention designed to prepare teacher candidates to attend to EBs across the content areas. We will share sample professional learning materials as well as our survey instrument and observational tool for assessing teacher candidate knowledge, skills, and readiness to serve Emergent Bilingual learners.
SESSION: 2G
Room: Veramendi Salon H
Type of Session: Single-Topic Session
Teacher Shortage: Problem, Partnership, Progress, and Potential Research
Tam Jones, Texas A&M University-Central Texas
Jeff Kirk, Texas A&M University-Central Texas
Joseph Vasek, Texas A&M University-Central Texas
School Districts in central Texas, as well as those across the State, are experiencing extreme shortages of certified teachers. Texas A&M University-Central Texas (TAMU-CT) implemented a series of meetings with regional ISDs to gather information regarding local needs related to teacher shortages. As a result of these partner meetings, TAMU-CT and its Educator Preparation Program (EPP) was able to design and implement a “fast-track” teacher certification program to address the teacher shortages in our regional partner school districts. Follow-up survey responses provided information and opportunity for future research.
SESSION: 2H
Room: Veramendi Salon I
Type of Session: Single-Topic Session
Texas 2-Step Teacher Certification Program
Anica Cisneroz, Angelo State University
Scarlet Clouse, Angelo State University
Kim Livengood, Angelo State University
Successful partnerships are imperative when navigating the development of pathways for teacher certification. Prospective candidates are inundated with programs offering a quick and easy route towards certification, and in some cases, the "fine print" keeps growing "finer." At Angelo State University, the College of Education has partnered with Howard College, a local two-year community college, to develop an efficient pathway, specifically for paraprofessionals. At the heart of this program is a trusting partnership that shares mutual responsibility for the success of the teacher candidate. From recruitment to admission and test preparation to certification, communication is honest and transparent between partners and teacher candidates. This shared-responsibility approach to teacher preparation and certification allows the teacher candidate to experience the ultimate continuity in programs, from community college to the four-year university to the classroom.
SESSION: 2I
Room: Veramendi Salon J
Type of Session: Single-Topic Session
Texas Instructional Leadership (TIL) Coaching Model to Evaluate Pre-Service Teachers
Gilbert Antunez, West Texas A&M University
Janet Flusche, West Texas A&M University
Beth Garcia, West Texas A&M University
Lisa Kennedy, West Texas A&M University
This presentation will illustrate one Educator Preparation Program’s transformational journey in providing quality written feedback to pre-service teacher candidates in their Clinical Teaching or Internship field experiences. Using the Texas Instructional Leadership Model, field supervisors are able to provide “bite-sized” coaching action steps that allow the candidate to immediately implement new strategies and master them in one week. This coaching practice allows a pre-service teacher to immediately make improvements in their teaching and exit the program as a “Day One” ready educator. Participants will be able to hear from field supervisors who have implemented this model.
SESSION: 2J
Room: Spring Lake Salon A
Type of Session: Single-Topic Presentations
The Role of Teacher Education in the Science of Teaching Reading
Emily Binks-Cantrell, Texas A&M University
Alida Hudson,
Texas A&M University
Ramona Pittman,
Texas A&M University
What teachers know (and don’t know) about evidence-based reading instruction has been a topic of study for more than 30 years. Taking lessons learned from research and practice in teacher knowledge and preparation over the last several decades, future directions and recommendations for policy and leadership in the science of teaching reading will be presented. Topics to be discussed include the role of teacher knowledge in structured literacy, areas of strength and weakness in teacher knowledge and preparation through a convergence of evidence, and future directions for teacher education and preparation programs.
SESSION: 2K
Room: Spring Lake Salon B
Type of Session: Invited 2021 Exemplary School Partnership Award Presentation
Advocacy and Community Engagement: Building Partnerships with the Community for Academic Success in K-12 and Higher Education
Patsy Sosa-Sanchez
This presentation will discuss how a university partnered with the Dallas Concilio to create a partnership that allowed for academic growth in two ways: 1) embedding the ESL state standards of advocacy for undergraduate students by serving at partnering districts with the Dallas Concilio; and 2) utilization of partnering school districts to support parent workshops at the Dallas Concilio through a federal grant program, BECAS. The end results provided stronger partnerships that support parent engagement in the community, parent confidence in supporting their child’s educational journey and being engaged in the community, and an understanding of advocacy in the undergraduate level for the EPP students, thus allowing them to continue their engagement in building partnerships with the community they serve as future educators.
SESSION: 2L
Room: Chautauqua Salon A
Type of Session: Sponsor Session
Recruit. Invest. Retain: Ensure Your Teachers Pass Their Tests…the First Time.
Jason, Ampel, The Learning Liaisons
One of the most stressful milestones for new teachers is passing their TExES exams. Help ensure your teachers are prepared and stay in the classroom by helping them prepare for their TExES Exams and pass on the first attempt. We are all looking for ways to address the teacher shortage. Putting our teachers in the best position to pass their various TExES Exams on the 1st attempt is a simple way to help teachers and ensure they stay in the classroom. With an average of 45% of teachers passing their exams on the 1st attempt nationwide (NCTQ, 2021), this not only adds stress to our new teachers but also risks further teacher vacancies. Join me and learn how thousands of teachers a year are passing their exams on the first attempt by gaining the knowledge, skill, and attitude they deserve on their certification journey. Provide your teachers with Texas’ best test preparation solution developed by teachers who have “been in their shoes.” Three lucky attendees will leave with over $5,000 of free premium test prep on The Learning Liaisons platform.
SESSION: 2M
Room: Chautauqua Salon B
Type of Session: Sponsor Session
Fellowship from Afar: Providing Meaningful Remote Support to Educators in the Field
Jennifer Porter, OnRamps-University of Texas at Austin
Dr. Porter will discuss the way OnRamps at The University of Texas provides works with over 1200 teachers in 190+ districts across the state of Texas. This session will focus on strategies and tactics that faculty at OnRamps have used to model, train, coach, and calibrate teacher practice throughout the state without having to be physically present in classrooms. Join OnRamps’ Managing Director, Dr. Jennifer Porter, as she explores the OnRamps model and the impact of virtual communities of practice across our multiple professional learning and development models.