THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT SAN ANTONIO

1

• THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT SAN ANTONIO
• College of Education and Human Development

2
The Academy for Teacher ExcellenceA Promise in
Progress

• Interdisciplinary Learning Teaching Department
• Department Chair
• Belinda B. Flores, Ph.D.
• College of Education and Human Development

3
Participating School Districts

• UTSA will partner with
• San Antonio ISD
• Edgewood ISD
• Harlandale ISD
• Southwest ISD

4
Targeted

• Recent graduates in math and science related
  fields
• Mid career graduates, including retired military
  personnel
• Immigrants who are legally in this country hold a
  math or science related credential equivalent to
  a bachelors degree

5
Teacher Certification Steps - A-TEP Accelerated
Program

• Recruit from a pool of second career, recent
  graduates and legal U.S residents
• Select participants using stringent criteria that
  includes English language proficiency, content
  area, fitness-to teach requirements
• Enroll at the university and take 27 hours
• Participate in 10 days of intensive survival
  before being placed in a high need school
• Attend program workshops through out the year.
• Interview at local school district for teacher on
  record position
• Be employed by school districts and placed in
  high need school
• Complete university preparation program that
  includes an intensive, sustained system of
  support
• Provide continuous teacher evaluation and design
  one to one support
• Provide preparation support to take the state
  certification exams
• Teachers will receive intensive mentoring support
  for the next two years

6
The Science of Teacher Selection and Interviewing

• The Haberman Educational Foundation A
  not-for-profit foundation which provides training
  to principals, school boards parent/teacher
  councils, teacher unions, and superintendents in
  how to interview teachers to identify those who
  will succeed with even the most challenging of
  students.
• The Star Teacher InterviewThe instrument boasts
  a 95 accuracy rate in predicting which teachers
  will stay and succeed and which ones will fail or
  quit. High success rates results from the ability
  of the scenario-based interview to give a clear
  picture of the candidates beliefs about
  teaching at risk youth, and to predict how a
  candidate will behave on the job. Which ones will
  be able to handle the stress? The discipline? The
  unmotivated students? Those who learn
  differently?

7
The Science of Teacher Selection and Interviewing

• Eliminating Teacher Turnover Avoiding
  DeselectionThe interview has been researched and
  replicated for over three decades by Dr. Martin
  Haberman, Distinguished Professional of Education
  at the University of Wisconsin in Milwaukee. Dr.
  Haberman recently described the characteristics
  of successful teachers for children and youth in
  poverty in Kappa Delta Pis all time best seller,
  Star Teachers of Children in Poverty.

8
Teacher Certification Steps - A-TEP Accelerated
Program

• Be employed by school districts and placed in
  high need school
• Complete university preparation program that
  includes an intensive, sustained system of
  support
• Provide continuous teacher evaluation and design
  one to one support
• Provide preparation support to take the state
  certification exams
• Teachers will receive intensive mentoring support
  for the next two years

9
Program Criteria

• A bachelors degree in math or science from a
  accredited university
• Two letters of recommendations that speak to the
  stability, work performance and interpersonal
  relationship in the work place
• A cumulative grade point average of 2.5 overall
  or 2.75 on the last 60 semester hour
• 2.75 for participants selecting the graduate path
• Completed application form

10
Program Criteria

• Documentation of reading, writing, and math
  abilities (THEA or equivalent)
• Acceptable scores on the self reporting portion
  of the Fitness for Teaching instrument
• Passing score in a content area test (practice
  content area test of TeXes exam)
• Obtaining an acceptable score in the
  TOEFL(graduates from foreign universities)

APPLICANTS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED UNLESS ALL
CRITERIA HAS BEEN MEET
11
Program Goals

• Cohort 1
• 25 participants will be recruited and selected
  and will begin training during the first year
• Cohort 2
• 25 participants during the second year
• Cohort 3
• 25 participants during the third year
• All Cohorts will sign a two-year contract

12
Program Goals

• Fourth and Fifth Year
• All participants will receive induction services
  at one time

13
Project Activities

• Participants will
• Volunteer or substitute in participating school
  districts during the Summer session
• Attend the beginning teacher orientation (30
  clock hrs) during the Summer I session
• Enroll in University-based courses
• Summer I 6 hours
• Summer II 6 hours

14
Project Activities

• Field-based Courses
• Fall semester - 3 hours
• Spring semester - 3 hours
• Summer - 3 hours
• Internship all year round - 6 hours
• Total Field-based Courses - 27 hours

15
Project Activities

• TeXes Preparation Course
• Spring Semester (6 hrs)
• Field Enhancement/Experiences Activities
• Model Classroom observation (6 hrs)
• Team Teaching with Master teacher (15 hrs)
• Assignment of Mentor (8 hrs a month)
• Conduct parent training session (3 hrs)

16
Advisory Committee

• Project Director (1)
• Department Chair (2)
• Administrative representative from each school
  district (4)
• Math Science participant (2)
• Community Member (1)
• Recent Alternative Certification Teacher (1)

17
Support Services

• Supervisory and Counseling Support
• Classroom observations (10 hrs - one per month
  by project staff)
• Debriefing and coaching
• 10 hrs of debriefing
• 10 hrs of coaching
• Staff will be available to offer solutions to
  problems related to teacher efficacy,
  teacher/student relationship, teacher/parent
  relationship and other issues that may affect the
  performance of the teacher.

18
State Certification Exams

• Summer I
• Pedagogy and professional responsibilities
• Summer II
• Content Area
• Mentoring and other Support Activities

19
Role of Partners

• Assist project staff in recruiting, identifying
  and selecting participants
• Hire participants as teacher of record
• Assist project staff in evaluating teaching
  quality
• Evaluate participants in the classroom using the
  States teacher evaluation process
• Evaluate the training program and make
  recommendations

20
Tracking of Teacher Placement

• Maintain an electronic file

21
Incentives

• Participants can
• Receive 4,000 to cover tuition, books, and
  supplies and testing fees
• Check out laptops
• Use professional literature library
• Participating LEAs will
• Receive an average of 345 per participant for
  teaching and learning supplies.

22
Project Personnel

• Project Director Abraham Dominguez M.Ed
• Principal Investigator Betty Sue Polly Ph.D
• Principal Investigator Belinda Bustos Flores
  Ph.D
• Prof. Dev. Specialist Karrie ONeal
• Admin Associate I Julieta Gonzales
• Mentors

23
For More Information

• Contact us at210.458.6170
• Visit our websitehttp//educ3.utsa.edu/grants/at
  e/index.html

24
The University of Texas at San Antonio

• 6900 N. Loop 1604 West
• San Antonio, Texas 78249
• Office 210.458.6170
• Fax [phone]