FAU
Receives $1 Million in Teacher Quality
Partnership Grants to Implement ‘iTeach
Partnership Projects’
Source:
Press Release, FAU
BOCA
RATON, FL (March 22, 2012) – Florida
Atlantic University’s College of
Education and Harriet L. Wilkes Honors
College have received two $500,000
grants from the Florida Department of
Education for an iTeach Geometry
Partnership Project and an iTeach US
History Partnership Project to be
developed and implemented in partnership
with the School District of Palm Beach
County. The grants will provide funding
for comprehensive professional
development and teacher education
projects with the ultimate goal of
increasing student achievement.
The iTeachprojects will address the
needs of high school geometry and U.S.
history teachers with professional
development and university coursework
designed to strengthen Next Generation
Sunshine State Standards-based content
knowledge and develop more effective
pedagogy to support student learning and
achievement. Each teacher will receive
125 hours of graduate level coursework
designed by FAU in consultation with the
school district’s curriculum
specialists. Courses will be offered on
FAU’s Jupiter campus and at Palm Beach
district lab rooms.
“These grants provide an exceptional
opportunity to address the urgent and
critical needs of high school geometry
and American history teachers,” said
Valerie J. Bristor, dean of the College
of Education at FAU. “Through high
quality, sustained professional
development and university coursework,
teachers will become even better
equipped to support student learning and
achievement on the high stakes geometry
and U.S. history end-of-course
examinations.”
Barbara Ridener, chair and associate
professor in the department of Teaching
and Learning at FAU, will serve as the
FAU project team’s principal
investigator for both geometry and U.S.
history. Bristor will serve as a
co-principal investigator for both
projects. Warren McGovern, assistant
professor of mathematics in FAU’s
Harriet Wilkes Honors College will serve
as co-principal investigator for
geometry, and Christopher Strain,
associate professor of American studies
and history in the Honors College, will
serve as co-principal investigator for
U.S. history.
Each project will provide professional
development and teacher education to 26
teachers per year for three years — 20
from high poverty schools and six new or
struggling teachers. Student achievement
will be continually evaluated and used
to make informed decisions and program
modifications. Each year, teachers from
the project will be selected to serve as
lead teachers and mentors who will
participate in “train the trainer”
activities to strengthen and extend the
impact of the programs.
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