AACTE Launches Online Professional Development Series for Teacher Prep Professionals
Washington, D.C. (PRWEB) August 06, 2015 -- On August 10, the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE) launches its first in-depth Online Professional Seminar (OPS), “Creating a Quality Assurance System.” Offered through AACTE’s Quality Support Initiative, which provides resources and support to educators interested in assessment and/or accreditation, this seminar is part of a series sharing innovative, timely resources and an invaluable peer-to-peer exchange of ideas in a flexible, convenient format.
“AACTE developed the OPS series in response to members’ interest in using data effectively to document success and drive improvement,” said Sharon P. Robinson, president and chief executive officer of AACTE. “We’re thrilled by the interest and participation we’ve received thus far and look forward to further engaging groups to participate in the new in-depth seminars.”
The seminar “Creating a Quality Assurance System” is the third in a series of six and builds on two introductory-level courses, “Building Quality Assessments” and “Using Data for Improvement,” which drew strong enrollment earlier in the summer. The two introductory seminars continue to be available at no cost to participants—from both member and non-member institutions—with sessions scheduled through the fall semester. For the four in-depth seminars (OPS #3-6), AACTE members receive a significant discount on the registration fee. Seminars are 3- to 4-weeks long, and are interactive—designed to apply to the specific audience using them.
“The OPS modules helped me improve my working knowledge of assessment and rubrics, even though I already have a solid understanding,” said Trish Parrish, assistant vice president and regional accreditation officer at Saint Leo University in Florida, who helped pilot-test the seminars in her role as chair of AACTE’s Committee on Professional Preparation and Accountability. “The modules include practical information combined with formative evaluation and community interaction. I would recommend them to anyone involved in the work of educator preparation.”
The OPS series currently includes six courses: 1) Building Quality Assessments; 2) Using Data for Improvement; 3) Creating a Quality Assurance System; 4) Making the Case for Accreditation: Standards and Evidence; 5) Preparing for Accreditation; and 6) Leveraging Accreditation for Quality Improvement. The seminars may be taken in any sequence and have sessions beginning every few weeks. See the Quality Support Initiative web page for details on the schedule.
Registration for the in-depth seminars costs $50 per course for each participant from AACTE member institutions and $125 for nonmembers. Discounts are available for groups of more than five registrants from the same institution or organization.
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AACTE: The Leading Voice on Educator Preparation
The American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education is a national alliance of educator preparation programs dedicated to high-quality, evidence-based preparation that assures educators are ready to teach all learners on Day 1. Its over 800 member institutions represent public and private colleges and universities in every state, the District of Columbia, the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and Guam. AACTE leads the field in advocacy and capacity building by promoting innovation and effective practices as critical to reforming educator preparation. For more information, visit http://www.aacte.org.
Jerrica Thurman, American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, http://aacte.org/, +1 (202) 478-4502, [email protected]
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