College of Education hosts summer institute on teacher quality project
Educators from across the state attended the 2010 NET-Q Summer Institute on June 16 to discuss an expansive new program aimed at improving teacher quality and student achievement, starting with new initiatives rolling out this fall.
The NET-Q program, which stands for Network for Enhancing Teacher Quality, is made possible thanks to a five-year $13.5 million grant that the College of Education received last fall from the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Innovation and Improvement.
At the institute, Georgia State met with its NET-Q partners, which include six metro Atlanta school districts - Atlanta, Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Fulton and Gwinnett county public schools - and Albany State University and Columbus State University. The 150 educators focused on preparing and developing teachers in their first through third years of teaching, as well as pre-service teachers, particularly in the areas of special education and English Language Learners.
"Basically, our institute was a multi-faceted approach to bringing the NET-Q partners together and providing information that will guide and foster plans for the next grant year," said Dee Taylor, NET-Q project director. "It was about focusing on the preparation, development and retention of teachers that will lead to higher student achievement."
Institute attendees also discussed the launch of the new Teacher Residency program this fall in which GSU students will work alongside veteran mentor teachers in metro Atlanta schools. The seven GSU students currently selected to be teacher residents attended the institute and met with the experienced teachers who will provide them ongoing instruction, feedback and guidance throughout the next academic year.
Additionally, novice and experienced teachers attended sessions on Cross Career Learning Communities, school-based learning communities where educators of various ages and teaching levels can share and solve classroom issues. GSU professors also met with educators from partner schools, where faculty will provide long-term, on-site coaching for teachers.
The institute's guest speakers were Mark Wilson, national principal of the year, and Betty Achinstein, nationally recognized researcher with the Center for Educational Research in the Interest of Underserved Students at the University of California, Santa Cruz.
