Partnership Spotlight
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.
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.
