Deans and Leaders Nationwide Gather for Discussions on Program Reform

On August 20-21, 2015, CEEDAR professionals partnered with colleagues from the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE) to host a leadership institute for deans, department chairs, and program leaders at institutions of higher education (IHEs) in CEEDAR states.

The purpose of this convening was to provide opportunities for participants to network and collaborate with other leaders to improve their efforts to support faculty in developing teachers and leaders who can successfully prepare students with disabilities to achieve college- and career-ready standards. More than 20 leaders from 13 states attended the event in Indianapolis, Indiana.

At the day-and-a-half convening, panels of experts presented on a variety of topics, including preparation reform, collaborative teacher preparation, and leadership preparation. Rich, interactive group discussion followed the panel presentations. The convening concluded with leaders completing action plans detailing next steps and the ways in which they will bring information acquired from the convening back to the colleges at their IHEs. Participants most highly valued “planning time” and “time for participants to problem solve.”

This institute strengthened the partnership between CEEDAR and AACTE, and there are many plans for collaboration in the works. First, the organizations are discussing creating a new AACTE Topical Action Group (TAG) for CEEDAR leaders and those committed to ensuring that teachers and leaders are prepared to meet the needs of students with disabilities and other struggling learners. Also, AACTE is planning with CEEDAR professionals to incorporate content from the leadership institute into the leadership academy it conducts annually for new education deans.

Dr. Tom Bellamy leads discussion

Dr. Tom Bellamy leads a discussion on the role of leadership in teacher and leader preparation reform.