TU Educ@tion

Last fall Dr. Diane Beals, Associate Professor and Director of the School of Education, had the pleasure of working on the accreditation process for the School of Education. She met with representatives from both the State of Oklahoma and the Teacher Education Accreditation Council (TEAC) during their reviews of the school. The process went smoothly and the School of Education is currently enjoying Candidate Member Status and should receive final approval in June of this year. (For more on the accreditation process, see the related article in this newsletter.)

Dr. Beals also had to opportunity to travel extensively this past year; she traveled to Even Start programs around the U.S. as a speaker and consultant, training program personnel in the links between children’s early oral language experiences and later literacy development. Even Start is a federally-funded program that focuses on disadvantaged families with young children. The program provides adult basic education, English as a second language, and parenting education for parents, while at the same time providing high-quality early childhood education for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. Even Start is designed to provide services to families based on Dr. Beals’ and others’ research on early family interaction that supports language and literacy development, helping parents talk, work, and play with their children in ways that will develop the skills that they need to succeed in reading and writing. Her research focuses on the interaction between parents and children (ages 3 to 5) that supports children’s literacy development. She presented a paper, with Cindy Lance, a Tulsa Public Schools Even Start program coordinator, titled “Parents and Children Together: A Method for Studying Effects of Parenting Education in Even Start Programs” at the biennial meetings of the Society for Research in Child Development.

Dr. David Brown, Associate Professor of Education, received tenure in December of 2005. In addition to this outstanding achievement, Dr. Brown published research in two publications. In March, he presented a paper which was published in the proceedings of the Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education, 16^th International Conference, held in Phoenix, Arizona. The paper was entitled Technology and Ethics: Teachers playing Catch-up with their Students. A second paper was published with co-author Alex Wiseman entitled, Does Teacher Preparation Really Matter? The Influence of Teacher Preparation on Student Achievement in the United States and Abroad. This paper was published in The Journal of the Oklahoma Association of Teacher Educators, 9, 20-31.

Dr. Brown also presented papers at three academic conferences during 2005. The first was with co-presenter Tao Wang entitled, Internet safety issues: Increasing safety awareness in students through chat room activities. This paper was presented at the Fall 2005 Conference of the Oklahoma Association of Teacher Educators, in Edmond, OK. The second was with co-presenters Tao Wang and Alex Wiseman and won Outstanding Paper Award at the 2005 College Teaching Methods and Styles Conference held in Reno, Nevada. The paper was entitled, Cyber-ethics: Using TIMSS data to identify ethical decisions by middle school students. The third presentation was also with Drs. Wang and Wiseman. The paper was entitled, The Role the ISTE National Technology Standards Will Play in the Success of Our Future Teachers: What Technologies are Mandatory for Our Pre-service Teachers?, and was presented at the Fall 2005 Conference of the Oklahoma Association of Teacher Education, in Stillwater Oklahoma.

Dr. Brown continues to receive funding for his summer GIS technology academies for K-12 students and teachers. Two awards of $158,000 (form the Oklahoma Regents of Higher Education) and $153,000 (from the National Science Foundation and EpSCOR) will fund five technology academies this summer. The academy websites can be located at www.orgs.utulsa.edu/tec and at www.orgs.utulsa.edu/ttec.

Dr. Shirley Robards, Associate Professor and Director of Field Experiences, was awarded continuing funds on a major grant from the U.S. Department of Education for continuing the Tulsa GEAR UP (Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs), a program that encourages disadvantaged middle and high school students from Tulsa Public Schools to prepare themselves for college (and perhaps a career in teaching). This new grant, for $6 million, will run from 2005 to 2011 and will focus on improving student achievement in math, science and reading for 1200 sixth and seventh graders from the following middle schools: Cleveland, Clinton, Gilcrease, Hamilton, Madison, and Monroe. Other partners in the Tulsa GEAR UP include Tulsa Public Schools, Tulsa Community College, Oklahoma State University, Langston University – Tulsa, Tulsa Urban League and the Tulsa YWCA.

Prior activities for the first Tulsa GEAR UP program, which concluded last year, included Saturday Academies for 11^th graders, teachers, and parents, 2000 hours of tutoring for 11^th graders, a field trip to the Kansas Cosmosphere for GEAR UP students, and a summer academy for 10^th graders focusing on “First in Flight.” She presented a paper on this topic titled “Best Practices for GEAR UP Students, Teachers and Parents,” with Barbara Jackson at the annual meetings of the National Council Community and Education Partnerships. In addition, she traveled with 20 high school seniors who have participated in GEAR UP from Webster High School, Will Rogers High School, Central High School and Tulsa Science High School to California for GEAR UP, where they visited Edwards Air Force Base, Borax Manufacturing Company, Woodbury University and Universal Studios, Burbank, California. The purposes of the trip were to learn about careers in science and mathematics and have first-hand experiences of the topography of southern California. She is currently awaiting word on a new round of funding to continue this important program.

Dr. Tao Wang, Assistant Professor, is new to the School of Education. Before joining the faculty last fall, Dr. Wang attended Harvard where he received a Masters in Human Development and Psychology and earned an EdD from the Graduate School of Education. He also spent seven years attending East China Normal University in Shanghai to complete both his undergraduate and Masters in psychology. Dr. Wang’s interests include classroom discourse analysis, teaching elementary mathematics, teacher training, early child development, and cross-cultural studies on child development. In April, he will travel to San Francisco, CA, to present his paper, “Choral Response in two Six-Grade Mathematics Classrooms in China: From Discourse, Pedagogical, and Cultural Perspectives” to the American Education Research Association at its annual meeting. The paper looks at the phenomenon of choral response in communicating mathematical ideas while teaching and learning math in China.

Dr. Wang returned to China for a week in December to study certain aspects of the pre-school boarding system. He observed the daily life of the children in the system, looking for differences between the boarding students and the students who attended school only during the day and looking for how the boarding students adjusted their behavior at night. Dr. Wang also interviewed parents and teachers on several issues, including why they chose to send their children to boarding school, what advantages they have seen for the children so far, and what, if any suggestions they had for improvement. He finds the pre-school boarding system extremely interesting and hopes to devote more time to this research in the future.

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Student Updates

Two graduate students are currently working on their thesis papers. Indira Acharya, who received a Bachelors in Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics and Education and a Masters in Education from the University of Mysore, is examining whether a scarcity of school resources influences parental involvement in schools. She is undertaking a cross-national analysis of the relationship between school resources, parental involvement and student performance. Ms. Acharya’s abstract states,

Prior research shows that unequal distribution of school resources could have negative consequences for the school achievement. The proposed research will study whether increased parental involvement can overcome the negative effects of shortage of school resources on students’ achievement. The proposed study examines the relationship between availability of school resources and parental involvement across nation. Data from a cross national representative sample of over 360,000 8th grade students participated in the TIMSS 2003 mathematics achievement test will be analyzed using multiple regression models. The proposed research suggests that increased parental involvement in students’ academic activities is in indeed a powerful tool to overcome the negative effects of shortage of school resources on students’ achievement, and that educator and policy makers should work to nurture and increase such involvement.

Ms. Acharya is working toward completing her Masters of Science in Math and Science Education and will graduate in the spring. She plans on teaching in Dallas, Texas following graduation.

Ivette A. Chavez, who received her Bachelors in Sociology from Hunter College in New York City, is researching the impact of communication between latino parents and children on native language retention. Ms. Chavez’s abstract explains that

This proposed study explores the impact of communication between Latino parents and children on native language retention. The researcher will conduct an exploratory analysis in order to determine why some Latino children are able to retain their native language. The researcher will survey Latino families and conduct language assessments with children from these families, at two different elementary schools locations. The researcher will examine the level of communication between parent and child, and if the communication levels are affected by the child’s gender. The researcher will also analyze other factors that may contribute to language retention among Latino children in this study.

Ms. Chavez will receive her Masters of Arts in Education this spring. After graduation she plans to pursue a Ph.D. Sociology or Education.

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Brock International Prize in Education

The 5^th Annual Brock Symposium on Excellence in Education was held at The University of Tulsa on March 27^th. The Brock Family Community Foundation (an affiliate of the Tulsa Community Foundation) awards the Brock International Prize in Education to recognize an individual’s specific innovation or contribution to education that results in a significant impact on the practice or understanding of education. The innovation or contribution must have the potential to provide long-term benefits to humanity through its impact on education, such as new teaching methods, new school or school system organizations, insights on learning processes or other ground-breaking ideas. The Foundation awards the Brock International Prize in Education each year; it consists of a monetary award of $40,000, a certificate of the accomplishment, and a bust of Sequoyah, the only Native American known to have created an alphabet.

The Brock Prize Executive Committee selects and the presidents of The University of Tulsa, Oklahoma State University, and the University of Oklahoma approve a nine-member jury that determines the recipient of the award. Jurors include educators, university officers, professors, business and government officials and others committed to furthering the excellence of education. This year’s recipient of the Brock International Prize in Education was Douglas B. Reeves, Ph.D. Dr. Reeves is chairman of the Center for Performance Assessment, an international organization dedicated to improving student achievement and education equity based in Englewood, Colorado. He is also a frequent keynote speaker, a faculty member of leadership programs sponsored by the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and the author of nineteen books and many articles, including the best-selling, Making Standards Work.

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New Mission Statement

The School of Education at The University of Tulsa has recently articulated a new mission statement that reflects the importance placed upon producing solid educators prepared to act as competent public servants.

Mission of the Teacher Education Program

The School of Education

Teacher Education Program seeks to develop

graduates that, as professional educators:

· Are experts in their subject areas;

· Know how to teach;

· Act as public intellectuals.

By being experts in their subject areas, we mean that our graduates master the central concepts of their chosen major and minor, as well as develop the ability to think critically and speak and write clearly in the appropriate genres for their field of study. In addition, they have a foundation in the liberal arts and sciences that allows them to locate their subject area in historical, social, and philosophical context.

By knowing how to teach, we claim that our graduates master the art and skill of teaching through coursework and field-based experiences that integrate theory and practice. This includes general professional knowledge, general skills of teaching (setting up appropriate environments for learning, assessing student strengths and needs, planning for instruction for all students, implementing such plans, assessing student learning as a result of instruction, and reflecting critically on these activities), and specific skills of teaching their subject area.

By being public intellectuals, we intend that our graduates be driven by a reasoned, justified, and articulated philosophy of education and that they be critical and creative thinkers. They take seriously their role as citizens, servants, and leaders in our society, and behave ethically in all aspects of their lives. They also realize that they do not know everything they will need to know to be influential teachers and public intellectuals, and as a result have developed the skills and dispositions for lifelong learning. Most of all, as public intellectuals, they recognize and embrace this calling to create an impact beyond the classroom, one that filters into the broader community over the years.

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Accreditation

Last fall the Teacher Education Program in the School of Education undertook a renewal process for both state and national accreditation. The state process consisted of producing reports, including a lengthy institutional report, to the Oklahoma Commission for Teacher Preparation (OCTP). The report, and a subsequent visit by six representatives from the State Board of Examiners, judged the Teacher Education Program on ten criteria: (1) candidate portfolios, (2) foreign language requirements, (3) annual public forum, (4) content preparation, (5) advisement, (6) field experience, (7) admission requirements, (8) exit requirements, (9) faculty professional development, and (10) alternative placement programs. The state liked what it saw, especially the strong undergraduate and graduate students. It did suggest some tightening up of the assessment system so a new online system was purchased to improve the teacher portfolio process.

The School of Education’s Teacher Education Program also underwent a national accreditation process. Instead of renewing with NCATE, however, the school opted for accreditation with the Teacher Education Accreditation Council (TEAC). TEAC was founded in 1997 and its primary work has been accrediting undergraduate and graduate professional education programs in order to assure the public about the quality of the college and university programs. TEAC is recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation and by the U.S. Department of Education, and is also a member of the Association of Specialized and Professional Accreditation, the American Council on Education, Association of Teacher Educators, and the National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification.

The School of Education sought TEAC accreditation for the Teacher Education Program because TEAC’s structure and policies proved a better fit with its own philosophy of education. The TEAC policy states,

The common purpose of teacher education programs and other programs for those professionals who work in schools is to prepare competent, caring, and qualified educators. The faculty members seeking TEAC accreditation of their program are required to affirm this straightforward goal as the goal of their program.

The TEAC quality principles and standards for capacity are the means by which the faculty makes the case that its professional education program has succeeded in preparing competent, caring, and qualified professional educators.

The University of Tulsa, School of Education is the first institution in the state of Oklahoma to seek accreditation with TEAC. The accreditation process included writing reports concerning the organization’s stated goals, policies and standards. The school then hosted three representatives from TEAC in early November as they evaluated the school. The TEAC representatives looked for a link between the reports and the way the Teacher Education Program was actually aligned with TEAC’s stated goals, policies and standards. Currently, the School of Education’s Teacher Education Program has candidate member status, but it expects to receive member status in June.

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New Kappa Delta Pi Inductees

The Kappa Delta Pi educational honor society formed in 1906 to recognize distinction of both men and women in education. Nomination for membership is based upon academic achievement and leadership qualities. For undergraduate students, a 3.2 minimum GPA is required; for graduate students a minimum GPA of 3.5 is required. The honor society inducted new members [date]; they include:

Ivette A Chavez

Alicia D. Compton

Lauren K. David

Anna D. Eller

Jennifer Freese

Melanie Gillespy

Jennifer M. Sirridge

Joel Sutton

Lindsey Whitham

In addition to inducting new members, the honor society underwent a change of leadership last fall; Melanie Gillespy became the acting president of Kappa Delta Pi when former president Joel Sutton resigned to take a teaching position at Memorial High. The honor society also held a very successful book fair at the Allen Chapman Activity Center in connection with Holiday Happening; another book fair will be held during this event on November 28 and 29, 2006. And finally, the Gamma Kappa Chapter of Kappa Delta Pi, which was installed at The University of Tulsa in 1935, is celebrating its 75^th Anniversary in May. Further details on the celebration are forthcoming.

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Stay in Touch

Let us know what you are doing and where you are. Please send your updates to Robbie Day at robbie-day@utulsa.edu .
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The University of Tulsa

School of Education
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(918) 631-2313
fax (918) 631-2133

Mailing Address:
800 South Tucker Drive, Tulsa, OK 74104