Partnership Spotlight

September 2023

Bagwell College of Education and the Paulding County School District

KSU's Bagwell College of Education and the Paulding County School District

The Bagwell College of Education is excited to partner with the Paulding County School District to boost teaching within the critical areas of math, science, special education, and elementary education. The Paulding Degree Advancement Program (DAP) is uniquely tailored to the district's strategic priorities and will provide undergraduate and graduate degrees for paraprofessionals and certified teachers in the Paulding County School District in the following areas:

Undergraduate:

Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT):

Master of Education (MED):

Check out the KSU and Paulding press releases.


August 2023

Future Misters Academy and the Cobb County School District

Future Misters Academy and the Cobb County School DistrictThe Call ME MISTER (Mentors Instructing Students Towards Effective Role Models) program of KSU has partnered with Cobb County School District for the annual Future MISTERs Academy. The Future MISTERs Academy is a three-day on campus experience that recruits male students of color who are interested in pursuing the field of education. This past June, 11 middle and high school students from Cobb County met current faculty/staff members in the Bagwell College of Education, toured the campus of KSU, and engaged in enrichment activities. These experiences provided the students with valuable information about careers in the classroom and the importance to increase the pool of available teachers from a broader more diverse background. This year the Future MISTERs Academy was featured in the news twice - 11 Alive and WSB-TV. Through this collegiate experience, students learned what it means to become a teacher and a mentor in the classroom.


July 2023

The IRML Lab and the Georgia Department of Education

July SpotlightCongratulations to the Interactive Research Methods Lab (IRML) for its partnership with the Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE) to develop a rubric for the Georgia Teacher Induction Certification Program. Dr. Ivan Jorrin Abellan and Dr. Traci Redish worked with a statewide GaDOE task force to facilitate the development of a rubric that includes the seven required components of a Georgia Certified Teacher Induction Program. The seven components include:  Roles and Responsibilities, Leadership and Organizational Structures, Mentoring, Orientation Ongoing Performance Assessment Professional Learning, and Program Evaluation.  A training video was also developed that explains the different components of the rubric. The rubric will be piloted by school districts throughout Georgia in Fall 2023.


June 2023

Rivers 2 Reef: A Partnership with the Georgia Aquarium and KSU Elementary Education Science Professors

Drs. Jessica Stephenson Reaves, Rasheda Likely, and Anna Maria AriasCongratulations to the science professors in the Department of Elementary Education for their partnership with the Georgia Aquarium on the Rivers 2 Reef Professional Development Program. Drs. Jessica Stephenson Reaves, Rasheda Likely, and Anna Maria Arias are partnering with Molly Johnson from Georgia Aquarium to facilitate the Rivers 2 Reefs Workshop for Georgia science teachers. During the week-long professional development workshop, the teachers will follow the Altamaha River watershed to see how water flows from the city of Atlanta all the way to the Grey Reef along the coast of Georgia. The workshop hosted by the Georgia Aquarium involves water testing and investigation of Georgia ecosystems at multiple sites through activities such as kayaking, hiking, wetlands walks, and trawling in the ocean. Drs. Stephenson Reaves, Likely, and Arias will facilitate aspects of the professional development focused on investigating water quality and pollution, as well as how to support students learning about water in the ecosystems of Georgia. The KSU team is conducting a research study to understand the teachers’ motivation and learning during the Rivers 2 Reefs workshop and to examine how the teachers use the ideas and resources from the workshop within their classroom to support student learning.


April 2023

The Avatar Lab and the Georgia Department of Education

The Avatar Lab and the Georgia Department of Education

Congratulations to the AVATAR Lab for its ongoing partnership with the Georgia Department of Education on the Model Induction Program for Special Education Teachers. This program is designed to improve the retention of new special education teachers through high quality mentoring, coaching, and induction support. The AVATAR Lab is providing train-the-trainer materials and support for mixed reality simulation professional learning on High Leverage Practices and IEP development and implementation. This partnership is part of a USDOE Georgia Teacher/Provider Retention Grant awarded on September 28, 2020 to the Georgia Department of Education, Division for Special Education Services and Supports. The award is for $500,000 per year for up to five years to address the retention of special education teachers and early intervention providers that have the necessary skills, knowledge, and support to effectively serve children with disabilities and their families. One of the participating districts, Marietta City Schools, recently celebrated their induction cohort completing the year-long professional learning using the AVATAR Lab .


March 2023

Korean-English Dual Language Bilingual Education and Gwinnett County Public Schools

Dr. Jayoung Choi and Dr. Tuba Angay-Crowder Dr. Jayoung Choi has established a partnership with the Korean-English Dual Language Bilingual Education (K-E DLBE; commonly known as Dual Language Immersion, DLI) program at Parsons Elementary School in Gwinnett County Public Schools since 2020. She works with her postdoctoral researcher Dr. Tuba Angay-Crowder and her colleagues from other universities to enhance the effectiveness and equity of the K-E DLBE program. Dr. Choi and her research team have helped build bilingual instructional materials in second and third grade STEM classes and solidify the curricula in the Korean Specials class that teaches Korean culture to all Parsons students, not just to the K-E DLBE students. Dr. Choi’s team has also led two virtual and global exchange projects where Parsons students created and exchanged videos in collaboration with elementary students in South Korea. Dr. Choi’s partnership with Parsons is continuing, and more impactful activities are being planned and unfolded. For instance, they are planning workshops and professional development for teachers and parents in the program. Dr. Choi’s team is committed to supporting the K-E DLBE program as they see it as an innovative solution to injustice multilingual learners of immigrant origin have long endured in the English-only education system in the U.S.


February 2023

Department of Educational Leadership and Rockdale County Public Schools

Congratulations to the Department of Educational Leadership (EDL) for its partnership with Rockdale County Public Schools Congratulations to the Department of Educational Leadership (EDL) for its partnership with Rockdale County Public Schools to offer embedded leadership development in concert with Rockdale’s ASPIRE leadership cohort and REAL leadership academy. The ASPIRE cohort is competitively geared toward individuals desiring to become entry-level leaders in the school district, such as school-based assistant principals or central office-based coordinators.  The leaders developed in the ASPIRE program and REAL Academy have unprecedented opportunities for learning while doing in real school environments with regular support from seasoned leaders. Strong theoretical foundations and a research-based curriculum within the Tier I Certification programs at KSU bolster this practical experience. Further, each element of this program adheres to the rigorous standards set forth by the GaPSC. The thoughtful and intentional programming in connection with standards-based leadership development across the partnership represents a level of leader preparation rarely matched in any field. The program is rigorous while also remaining nimble to meet the needs of each of its members and respond to the shifting demands of the educational leadership profession.


January 2023

Department of Inclusive Education and Cartersville City Schools

Dr. Nihal KhoteCongratulations to Dr. Nihal Khote and the Department of Inclusive Education for the partnership with the Cartersville City School District to provide a year-long professional development to middle and high school ESOL teachers. The purpose of this professional development is to advance English language reading and writing literacy skills of English learners (ELs) to prepare them for district and state assessments. In this partnership, Dr. Khote and the ESOL teachers will develop an English language learning curriculum that spirals from basic to complex language instruction to apprentice ELs into academic literacy across the content areas over the course of the 2022-23 academic year.


  • December 2022

    Asian American Studies Teacher Workshop with Gwinnett County Public School District 

    December Spotlight - Drs. Theresa Alviar-Martin and Sohyun An

    Congratulations to Drs. Theresa Alviar-Martin and Sohyun An for their partnership with Gwinnett County Public School District and Asian American Voices for Education to offer a year-long professional development workshops for K-12 teachers in the Gwinnett County schools. In the workshops, Dr. Alviar-Martin and Dr. An engage teachers in building knowledge and skills to incorporate Asian American histories and narratives into the district’s social studies standards. They also provide curricular and pedagogical resources to support classroom implementation. Gwinnett County School District provides stipends for all teachers who attend the workshops.


    November 2022

    iTeach & Mississippi Department of Education

    iTeach & Mississippi Department of Education

    Congratulations to iTeach for its partnership with the Mississippi Department of Education (MDE). Beginning in June 2021, MDE partnered with iTeach to implement a comprehensive professional development program focused on supporting Digital Learning Coaches in their practice. Support from iTeach addresses six key areas: (1) one-on-one coaching, (2) self-paced coaching modules, (3) facilitation of collaborative monthly meetings, (4) facilitation of professional development events, (5) delivery of webinars, and (6) monthly consulting meetings with MDE leadership. Through this partnership, iTeach has implemented an effective model for virtual coaching support.


    October 2022

    Interactive Research Methods Lab (IRML) & Underwriters Laboratories Research Institutes

    Congratulations to the Interactive Research Methods Lab for its partnership with the UL Research Institutes for the evaluation of "Xplorlabs Fire Forensics: Claims and Evidence module" adopted in Cobb and Cherokee Counties middle schools. The evaluation will provide an understanding of the outcomes of the Fire Forensics UL Xplorlabs modules for participating teachers, students, and the fire services. Moreover, it will also provide hints on how to create a community education model for Xplorlabs in other areas of the United States.

    This partnership includes collaboration among UL, Cobb County, Cherokee County, Cobb County Fire Department, Woodstock Fire Department, Cherokee Fire Department, the Society of Fire Protection Engineers Greater Atlanta Chapter, and the IRML.

    Partners UL Research Institutes for the evaluation of "Xplorlabs Fire Forensics: Claims and Evidence module" adopted in Cobb and Cherokee Counties middle schools.


    September 2022

    School of Instructional Technology & Innovation & Georgia Department of Education

    School of Instructional Technology & Innovation and the Georgia Department of Education

    Congratulations to the School of Instructional Technology & Innovation (SITI) for its partnership with the Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE) to offer the Personalized Learning Endorsement (PLE) to teachers participating in the GRE4T grant with GaDOE. Teachers take the three courses in the endorsement from SITI and GaDOE pays for the courses through the GRE4T grant--providing this professional learning opportunity free of charge. The PLE endorsement prepares educators to personalize learning for K-12 students through competencies such as executive functioning, learner agency, asset-based dispositions, and growth and mastery mindset.


    August 2022

    Fast Start Academy & Marietta City Schools

    Aug 2022 Spotloght Drs. Sanjuana Rodgriguez and Megan Adams

    Congratulations to Drs. Megan Adams and Sanjuana Rodriguez for their partnership with Marietta City Schools to offer the Fast Start Academy, a 4-week summer program housed in KSU’s Bagwell College of Education. In the Fast Start Academy, KSU students and faculty provide tutoring and educational activities for elementary school children who are below grade level in reading. It is provided at no cost to families in an effort to improve literacy skills and provide positive role models. Marietta  City Schools provides breakfast and lunch for the students. The school district also offers bus service for students to get to and from KSU’s campus.

    Click Here to learn more about Fast Start in a news article by KSU.

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