Southeastern Louisiana University

College of Education and Human Development invited to join "Learning Network"

Contact: Christina Chapple

2/14/06

       The network is supported by the Carnegie Corporation of New York and the Annenberg Foundation and builds on “Teachers for a New Era,” a 2001 Carnegie initiative that initially involved 11 American colleges and universities. Through the Learning Network, Southeastern and institutions such as Johns Hopkins University, Vanderbilt University, and Arizona State University have now been included in the initiative.

       “This is a very big honor,” said Diane Allen, dean of the College of Education and Human Development. “The fact that we did not apply, but were invited to be a member of the network speaks volumes about Southeastern’s national reputation for being on the cutting edge in preparing good teachers.”

       Allen, along with Shirley Jacob, head of the Department of Teaching and Learning, and Rebecca Kruse, an assistant professor of chemistry, represented Southeastern in November at the first meeting of the Learning Network, held in Chicago under the auspices of the Academy for Educational Development.

       Allen said factors that led to Southeastern’s invitation likely included the college’s participation in the work of the National Commission on Teaching and America’s Future (NCTAF), its strong partnerships with area schools, and its recent implementation of redesigned teacher training programs in elementary and secondary education.

       Allen said the College of Education and Human Development listed examples of  “why we are cutting edge” in a narrative submitted to the Learning Network.

       Those examples include Teacher Scholars, an accelerated master’s degree program with extensive mentoring for participating first year teachers; the Master of Arts in Teaching, an alternative pathway to teaching program for non-certified teachers that includes 100 percent on-line coursework; and collaboration with arts and sciences colleagues to strengthen field assessment and area content.

       “Southeastern is committed to the best pedagogical practices, student achievement and program accountability,” Allen said.  “While being included in the Learning Network is a great honor, at the same time it challenges us to continue to move forward and work on new ideas for positively impacting classroom teachers and the children they teach.”     

       According to the Carnegie Corporation, the Learning Network’s goal is to increase the number of institutions actively engaged in transforming teacher pedagogy in accordance with the design principles of the Teachers for a New Era initiative.

       Those principles include “grounding all elements of the teacher education program on sound evidence, including reliance on measuring the learning gains of pupils; effective engagement of the disciplines of the arts and sciences; and understanding teaching as an academically taught clinical practice profession, including continuing support during the first two full years of professional teaching.”

       For more information on the Learning Network and Teachers For a New Era, visit www.Carnegie.org.