College of Education, Clarke County School District sustain partnerships in 2023-24 school year

Students and faculty in the Mary Frances Early College of Education collaborated with Clarke County School District (CCSD) educators throughout the 2023-24 academic year, providing support to PreK-12 students and field experience for College of Education students.

Teacher preparation and observation

Teacher candidates collaborated with district teachers to develop lessons, assist instruction, and gain experience working with K-12 students in the classroom.

• The Center for Autism and Behavioral Education Research (CABER) operated three classrooms serving 17 elementary-aged students with autism and severe disabilities in the 2023-24 school year, continuing a partnership that began in 2016. Twenty-five graduate students in the Master of Science in Applied Behavior Analysis or the Master of Special Education programs provided educational and behavior analytic services to PreK-fifth graders.

 

• Faculty members Kevin Burke and Ruth Harman’s work at Cedar Shoals High School consisted of three facets: Undergraduate students interning in the GEMS program shadowed STEM teachers to gain context for teaching; the continuation of a research fellowship partnership between undergraduate and graduate students in the College working at Cedar Shoals provided insight for both groups; and doctoral students provided support to English language learners (ELLs) and ELL/English and a second language (ESOL) teachers across STEM classrooms through instruction and academic support for students before and after school.

 

• In the spring 2024 semester, students in AnnaMarie Conner’s EMAT 4800 course and the instructional team worked with three Clarke Central High School teachers to aid in teaching geometry concepts to students. EMAT 4800 students worked with Clarke Central students for entire class periods, meeting with classroom teachers prior to develop tasks and after class periods to debrief.

 

• Students taking the EDMG 5035 course worked on-site at Clarke Middle School on Fridays during the fall 2023 semester. EDMG 5035 students visited classrooms covering different grade bands and content areas to observe best practices. Faculty members Hilary Hughes and Amy Murphy, who taught the course, met with students in CMS’s Alliance Organization to discuss inclusivity and ways for middle school teachers to support LGBTQ+ students.

 

• Students in professor Dorothy White’s EMAT 4850/4850L course learned about mathematics teaching methods and classroom management practices through working with sixth-eighth graders at Clarke Middle School. The EMAT 4850/4850L students gained experience differentiating instruction with a diverse student population.

Physical education and athletics

Students in the Department of Kinesiology gained experience through observation or assisting in adapted physical education courses, as well as mentoring and coaching student-athletes.

• Students in assistant professor Nicole Kirk’s KINS 5620/7620 course observed one or more adapted physical education (APE) classes in the district. CCSD students practiced social skills with the KINS 5620/7620 students, while the College students gained an awareness of policies and procedures in the district.

 

• Three graduate students in the sport pedagogy master’s program worked with a CCSD APE teacher to plan lessons, instruct students, and provide behavior support once a week for 14 weeks. The partnership provided practical experience for the graduate students’ future careers in adapted physical education, adapted physical activity research, and physical therapy.

 

• Doctoral students Daphne Schmid and Junhyuk Park, limited-term assistant professor Sophie Waller, and professor Bryan McCullick continued a partnership with Hilsman Middle School. The doctoral students worked with student-athletes in seventh and eighth grades to provide academic mentorship, and either assisted a basketball practice or led a track and field practice for small groups of students.

School support and mentorship

College of Education students and faculty worked with district teachers and administrators to support students, mentor new teachers, and revamp existing collaborations.

• Kelly Edenfield, clinical associate professor in the Department of Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies Education, worked with Cedar Shoals High School and all four CCSD middle schools to provide just-in-time professional development on content and instructional strategies, assisting math instructional coaches with utilizing resources and connecting with teachers.

 

• Morgan Faison, clinical associate professor in the Department of Educational Theory and Practice, worked with an administrator in the Athens Community Career Academy to rebuild the Education as a Profession pathway’s advisory board and provide professional learning to CCSD staff.

 

• A collaborative consisting of CCSD administrators, teachers and College of Education faculty members Hilary Hughes, Sonia Janis, Sara Kajder, Amy Murphy, and Kathy Thompson met primarily in the fall 2023 semester and held the first CCSD Induction Support Team meeting in November, where collaborative members discussed methods to support induction teachers and their mentors.

 

• Emily Adah Miller, assistant professor in the Department of Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies Education, worked with 12 Oglethorpe Elementary School teachers in the spring 2024 semester. Twenty-four undergraduate students and three graduate students planned and taught science lessons with an emphasis on communication between preservice teachers and classroom teachers.

 

• Lou Tolosa-Casadont, clinical professor and world language coordinator in the Department of Language and Literacy Education, worked with two Spanish teachers at Clarke Central High School to develop a Spanish Book Club for students to read and discuss books by and about Latinx people in the U.S. and Spanish-speaking people across the world. Funding from the Glickman Award went toward books, bookshelves, and materials for the Hispanic Heritage Festival, a project in collaboration with Clarke Central’s Fine Arts Department.

 

The College looks forward to continuing these types of robust partnerships in the 2024-25 school year. Thirteen partnerships begin their work this August.