Partnership Spotlight
September 2023
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:
- Bachelor of Science in Elementary and Early Childhood Education (P-5)
- Bachelor of Science in Education in Secondary Education (BSED) (6-12)
Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT):
- Secondary Math (6-12)
- Secondary Biology (6-12)
- Secondary Chemistry (6-12)
- Secondary Physics (6-12)
- Special Education (PK-12) - General Curriculum
Master of Education (MED):
- Master of Education in Secondary and Middle Grades Education (6-12)
- Master of Education in Special Education (PK-12) - General Curriculum
Check out the KSU and Paulding press releases.
August 2023
Future Misters Academy and the Cobb County School District
The 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
Congratulations 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
Congratulations 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
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 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 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
Congratulations 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.
-
Spotlight Year 2022
December 2022
Asian American Studies Teacher Workshop with Gwinnett County Public School District
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
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.
September 2022
School of Instructional Technology & Innovation & 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
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.
