GSTEP at Albany State University

During the past 5 years, Albany State University (ASU), through its Colleges of Education and Arts and Sciences, has made many changes in curriculum, early school experiences, and curriculum reform aimed at improving education in southwest Georgia through teacher preparation. These initiatives have been nurtured through the cooperation of various school systems located in Dougherty, Lee, Worth, Mitchell-Baker, Terrell, and other counties.

The Georgia Systemic Teacher Education Program has enabled Albany State to successfully: 1.) enhance programs related to teacher improvement through National Board Certification Program; 2.) establish a database for student assessment through TK-20 portfolio software; and 3.) create a unique student teacher and clinical experiences for students through the Barrow Project. Other examples of initiatives brought about through GSTEP are the REFTEN project, Reality Check, curriculum revisions to improve Praxis II performance for students in ASU’s College of Education, and the enhancement of Teacher Support and Destination Teaching at Albany State.
GSTEP has provided the impetus for establishing Albany State University as one of three state resource centers for National Board Teacher Certification provided by the Georgia Professional Standards Commission. Through this initiative, 100 teachers have participated in the accomplished teacher program at Albany State University. This program leads to candidacy for National Board Certification. Prior to the program’s inception, Dougherty County had only one National Board Certified Teacher.

TK-20 portfolio software has proven to be a valuable assessment tool in Albany State’s continuing certification by NCATE. Through TK-20, the College of Education can monitor and evaluate all students who have declared themselves as Education majors as well as students who have been admitted to Teacher Education. Specifically, through electronic means and technology, students’ records are maintained including GPA, test performance, progress towards degree requirements, hours and locations of clinical experiences, résumés and portfolio artifacts, including class assignments and visual documentation.

The Barrow Project is another aspect of ASU’s work with GSTEP. This program was designed and nurtured by the Barrow County School System and started with Albany State University senior students. Through curriculum changes and a collaborative effort between ASU and Barrow County, some students spent as much as a full year under the direction and mentorship of the Barrow School System to complete their clinical and capstone experience in student teaching. Interns were compensated for their experiences during clinical and student teaching experiences. Several ASU graduates who have completed this program have been hired by the Barrow System.

The REFTEN initiative is a Reading First Project supported by GSTEP to improve reading skills for the area school systems and develop and improve the curriculum. This year marked ASU’s first involvement in REFTEN with a kickoff project called “Telebration.” “Telebration” engaged teachers and student from Morningside Elementary School and faculty and students from Albany State in demonstrating reading skills leading to dialogue among all participants. The need for improvement in ASU curriculum offerings is now being met by adding reading endorsement certification. The initial letter has been submitted to the Georgia Professional Standards Commission and the reading endorsement certification should begin Spring Semester, 2006.

Project Reality Check is another unique idea that emerged through curriculum review designed to strengthen student achievement though the Professional Education Unit faculties, in the Colleges of Education and Arts and Sciences. Several years had passed since many of ASU’s faculty had had direct contact with the public school student who we are preparing our students to teach. To ensure that our faculty is connected to the changing classroom in the public schools, ASU faculty participated in a pilot study, which permitted the ASU faculty to teach in the public school classroom, reconnecting with the reality of the changing public schools.

Additional curriculum revision has resulted in much improved Praxis II performance. Praxis II performance in the last several years has increased from 50-60% to over 82% for the last reporting period. Improved teaching strategies and curricula alignment, textbook selection, and supports from Student Support through the Teaching and Learning center have all assisted in improved test scores. Without the support of GSTEP, this significant increase in test performance would have been likely been slower to evolve.

The Destination Teaching program is sponsored by the Georgia Board of Regents and is a part of the GSTEP initiative. Albany State University chose to identify para-professionals and other non-certified school employees primarily from the Dougherty County School System and move them toward full teacher certification. Why the para-professional? Our data indicates that the para-professional enrolled in our program has an average of 13 years classroom experiences, lives in the community with families, and is a proven professional in the classroom setting. In addition, each para-professional must have a minimum of two years of prior college experience. Developing professionals who have already shown a dedicated commitment to improving the education of children is a wonderful way to improve the number of certified teachers in a community.
Most of the projects cited above will be sustained through funds directly evolving from GSTEP. GSTEP provides the catalyst and framework for providing and improving the quality of education for both pre-service and beginning teachers through curriculum development, early school experiences, mentoring and professional growth. Through the BRIDGE, knowledge and support for the pre-service and beginning teacher will continue.

—Wilburn Campbell, ASU GSTEP Project Director