Newsletter Team August 2011 Education Department Over the past decade, educators have been asked to scale seemingly insurmountable obstacles that include state and federal man- dates with fewer and fewer funds. Public school system administrators are expected to navigate the landscape of unfunded man- dates and increased accountability measures through strategic decision-making and a net- work of community support. As a former prin- cipal, navigating the landscape began with providing meaningful and relevant instruc- tional experiences for my students every day. Recruiting, hiring, and supporting new teach- ers were essential to ensuring the diverse needs of every student were addressed. A partnership with the Roanoke College Educa- tion Department assisted me by providing access to the best new graduates as well as to professional develop- ment for new and veteran teachers. Amidst high-stakes accountability and edu- cation reform, Roanoke College’s Education Department remains on the cutting edge as evi- denced by its endorse- ment from the Teacher Education Accreditation Council. Honored to be one of the constituents interviewed as a part of the accreditation proc- ess, I could attest to the high quality profes- sional development partnership and effective- ness of the teachers who graduate from the education program. John Baker, Stephanie Doyle, and Andrew Sayers are three graduates from the Educa- tion Department who were among my most effective teachers. As novice teachers, all were masters of their subject matter and delivered engaging and effective lessons that promoted student learning. Instructional leaders new to teaching in an urban environ- ment, their students loved them and veteran teachers respected their work and opinion. From over 18 years of experience in public education, I have learned that improving instruction does not end with hiring the best teachers. Specifically, novice and veteran teachers flourish in professional learning communities that include opportunities for meaningful dialog and leadership develop- ment. Annually since 2000, Drs. Murrill and Reynolds have co-directed the teacher pro- fessional development Copenhaver Institute for PreK-12 teachers and administrators. Held in high regard by area school divisions, the three-day summer Copenhaver Institute fills quickly as partici- pants know they will learn best practices from the nation’s lead- ing educational schol- ars and practitioners. Collaboration with the Education Department extends beyond the Copenhaver Institute. Its team of professors recognizes the impor- tance of facilitating on- going, meaningful dia- log that is guided by the love for children and evidence-based practice. The foundation for this collaboration includes, but is not limited to, on-site observations, targeted assistance, master teachers as clinical faculty members, and curriculum development. Recognizing and supporting the call for teaching with heart and expertise, I salute the Roanoke College Education Department for its continued educational leadership locally, nationally and internationally. An Administrator’s Perspective on Roanoke College Teacher Candidates by Asia R. Jones, Ed.D Executive Director for Student Support Services, Roanoke City Public Schools Dr. Tim Reynolds, Chair Prof. Katie Elmore, Editor Linda Lindsay, Assistant Editor Inside this issue: Message from the Chair 2 Staff news 2 Special Thanks 3 News from Alumni 4 Teachers of Promise 4 KDP News 5 Guest Alumnus 5 Literacy Project 5 Important Dates 6 Copenhaver Institute 6
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Education Department
Newsletter Team
August 2011
Education Department
Over the past decade, educators have been asked to scale seemingly insurmountable obstacles that include state and federal man- dates with fewer and fewer funds. Public school system administrators are expected to navigate the landscape of unfunded man-dates and increased accountability measures through strategic decision-making and a net-work of community support. As a former prin-cipal, navigating the landscape began with providing meaningful and relevant instruc-tional experiences for my students every day. Recruiting, hiring, and supporting new teach-ers were essential to ensuring the diverse needs of every student were addressed. A partnership with the Roanoke College Educa-tion Department assisted me by providing access to the best new graduates as well as to professional develop-ment for new and veteran teachers. Amidst high-stakes accountability and edu- cation reform, Roanoke College’s Education Department remains on the cutting edge as evi-denced by its endorse-ment from the Teacher Education Accreditation Council. Honored to be one of the constituents interviewed as a part of the accreditation proc-ess, I could attest to the high quality profes-sional development partnership and effective- ness of the teachers who graduate from the education program. John Baker, Stephanie Doyle, and Andrew Sayers are three graduates from the Educa-tion Department who were among my most effective teachers. As novice teachers, all were masters of their subject matter and delivered engaging and effective lessons that
promoted student learning. Instructional leaders new to teaching in an urban environ-ment, their students loved them and veteran teachers respected their work and opinion. From over 18 years of experience in public education, I have learned that improving instruction does not end with hiring the best teachers. Specifically, novice and veteran teachers flourish in professional learning communities that include opportunities for meaningful dialog and leadership develop-ment. Annually since 2000, Drs. Murrill and Reynolds have co-directed the teacher pro-fessional development Copenhaver Institute for PreK-12 teachers and administrators. Held in high regard by area school divisions, the three-day summer Copenhaver Institute
fills quickly as partici-pants know they will learn best practices from the nation’s lead-ing educational schol-ars and practitioners. Collaboration with the Education Department extends beyond the Copenhaver Institute. Its team of professors recognizes the impor-tance of facilitating on-going, meaningful dia-log that is guided by the love for children and evidence-based practice. The foundation
for this collaboration includes, but is not limited to, on-site observations, targeted assistance, master teachers as clinical faculty members, and curriculum development. Recognizing and supporting the call for teaching with heart and expertise, I salute the Roanoke College Education Department for its continued educational leadership locally, nationally and internationally.
An Administrator’s Perspective on Roanoke College Teacher Candidates
by Asia R. Jones, Ed.D Executive Director for Student Support Services, Roanoke City Public Schools
Dr. Tim Reynolds, Chair
Prof. Katie Elmore, Editor
Linda Lindsay, Assistant
Editor
Inside this issue:
Message from the
Chair 2
Staff news 2
Special Thanks 3
News from Alumni 4
Teachers of
Promise 4
KDP News 5
Guest Alumnus 5
Literacy Project 5
Important Dates 6
Copenhaver
Institute 6
Page 2
Staff News Message from the Chair
Reader Beware: Uncovering Efforts of False Reform
A s I reached the podium to hand out end-of-the-year promotion certificates, the sixth-grade class broke into applause. I stood surprised and honored, saying to myself, “I don’t know what you
learned this year, but I learned a whole lot.” It was the end of my first year of teaching — a year that had begun in fourth grade, and because of unexpected enrollment numbers, had ended with me teaching sixth grade. What a year it was. I taught at an inner city school with a provi-sional teaching certificate. Thrilled and excited, I started the year know-ing nothing about the classroom, except what it was to be a student. I knew zilch of curriculum or pedagogy or the dynamics of multicultural students. By mid-year I was sinking and didn’t even know the feeling was to be expected by a first-year teacher. In June, I dragged myself to promo-tion day. Thinking back to 1986, I’m confident the students left knowing that I genuinely cared for them and I had tried my best, but I’m troubled that these bright minds had a year where a teacher left too many things undone and sent them on without really knowing if they had learned or not.
Fortunately, the uncertainty in my teaching practice began to change. By the next year I had started a master’s in curriculum and instruction. It was amazing how my classroom began to shift as I learned theory and practice. In addition, my philosophy began to take root and flourished with student achievement, a result of academic study – of applying the research and science of teaching. It was such an invigorating and exciting time that after I received my master’s degree, I continued studying pedagogy and curriculum, eventually earning a Ph.D. in the field and sharing my work with young aspiring teachers – “teacher wanna-bes.”
In the ensuing years I’ve seen a great deal of changes, most troubling a tendency among some reform agents to denigrate and negate teachers. Instead of asking how the U.S. poverty rate for children (the highest of all industrial nations) is impacting learning, they are asking how stan-dardized test scores compare with nations whose children’s poverty rate is 10-15% lower than the U.S. (The Flat World and Education, Darling-Hammond, 2010). Instead of exploring working conditions in schools and employment patterns of young workers, they are blaming teacher col-leges for 50% of new teachers leaving the field within the first five years. Instead of recognizing that high performing nations are de-emphasizing standardized tests in favor of assessments that measure students’ depth of content knowledge, reformers are demanding more standardized tests which often measure superficial knowledge and encourage teachers to cover the breadth of content versus teaching students to understand and apply a subject area (The Flat World and Education, Darling-Hammond, 2010). Instead of turning to a century of research in student learn-ing and effective teaching, they are embracing rote learning and instructional materials that re-quire teachers to march students through a curriculum adhering to a timetable, not to the learn-ing needs based on student differences. And, by not acknowledging the glaring economic segre-gation embedded in our school system, the critics are failing to acknowledge the causes of our nation’s achievement gaps for African-Americans and Latinos. Is it then surprising that a recent report by the National Center on Education and the Economy describes American education re-form as being “out of sync with high performing nations”? (Education Week, May 2011) But unfor-tunately, many of our nation’s public education policy makers are unaware or are ignoring such reports and the deficits in the last dec-ades of school reform.
Michelle Tarpy has been secretary in the Roanoke College Edu-cation Department for the past 12 years. Origi-nally from Norman, Okla., she graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a B.A. in business administration. Since then, she has lived and worked in Oklahoma, Kansas, Pennsylvania and Virginia.
Michelle and her hus-band, Mike, live in Roa-noke with their teenage daughter, Mikala. The family enjoys hiking, vacationing at the beach and attending Mikala’s volleyball and soccer games.
The education faculty depends on Michelle’s organizational and management skills everyday and gratefully acknowledges the gift of her cheerful presence to the department!
… “I’ve seen a great deal of changes, most
troubling a tendency among some reform
agents to denigrate and negate teachers.” (cont. on page 3)
Page 3
(cont. from page 2)
Now another special interest group, The National Council
of Teacher Quality (NCTQ), is positioning itself to rate the
nation’s colleges of teacher education. The organization,
publicly known for its anti-teacher education stance, aligns
itself with the failed reformed efforts of recent decades. In
collaboration with U.S. News and World Report, NCTQ pro-
poses to review the course descriptions, syllabi and text-
books of the nation’s teacher education programs and
then rate the programs by standards which fail to adhere
to the current cognitive science research on teaching and
learning. NCTQ’s review will not explore the outcomes of
teacher education programs such as employer satisfaction
or graduates’ impact on student learning. Its review does
not require a site visit to institutions or to the schools
where graduates work. Why is this? Because NCTQ is start-
ing its “research” with a fore-drawn conclusion: “teacher
education is broken.” It masks its agenda behind broadly
subjective standards not vetted by external, impartial refe-
rees. In addition, NCTQ refuses to follow research protocols
assuring the public its methodology is valid and reliable.
This should sound alarms across
our entire field for not only is it an
attack on the professional careers
of the nation’s teachers, it also
threatens the research that will
prepare today’s youth for jobs that
do not even yet exist. It’s a men-
ace to teacher preparation pro-
grams because NCTQ denies our
programs provide rich content
knowledge and strong pedagogical training. It leads the
nation down a path of avoidable teacher shortages that
are caused by inadequate investments in teacher prepara-
tion and limited incentives for entering teaching.
With these factors in mind, Roanoke College Teacher Edu-
cation Program will not collaborate with NCTQ in its review
of education programs. We are joined by many other insti-
tutions across the country, and at this writing, NCTQ does
not report any Virginia schools as participants. Across the
nation only four states have all their schools of education
participating and only two state superintendents have
endorsed the project. Roanoke’s education faculty has
made this decision in careful consultation with the College
administration, our state and national professional associ-
ations, our national accrediting body, and the Association
of American Universities. We will continue our current
means of public accountability, including program reviews by
the Virginia State Board of Education, biennial reports to the
U.S. Department of Education, and a rigorous accrediting proc-
ess by the Teacher Education Accrediting Council.
Initially, NCTQ threatened to fail institutions that did not partic-
ipate in the project. In more recent months, they have backed
off this coercion strategy, but it remains unknown how they will
label those of us who choose to remain on course with account-
ability methods established by professional organizations and
by state and federal departments of education. The NCTQ/U.S.
News and World Report ratings are projected for fall 2012. When
released, remember the conclusions are questionable at best.
For reliable and valid measurements of our program outcomes,
see our reports at the Commonwealth of Virginia’s Department
of Education and the Teacher Education Accreditation Council.
For me, this matter of ratings is not just about the present
urgency of education reform, but it is also about my first group
of students who worked patiently with me as I waited for profes-
sional training and education. Research has demonstrated that
students will not greatly suffer
from one year of working with a
teacher unprepared for the class-
room. However, the research
does indicate that if students
encounter a series of unprepared
teachers, their education is
harmed. For their sakes, I hope
my first students met teachers in
their future years that had mas-
tered content and pedagogy and
were able to make a difference in student learning. I’m grateful I
did not have to continue blundering through the classroom and
curriculum. Instead, a teacher education program provided me
with skills and understandings in content and pedagogy that
made a difference and enabled me to impact student learning.
My goal is to continue providing “teacher wanna-bes” with such
valuable instruction and stand with my colleagues in PreK-12
classrooms as practitioners of a research-based profession.
Special Thanks
The Education Department thanks
Roy P. McKenzie and Bambi C. Sidwell
for their recent gifts to the program.
“My goal is to continue providing ‘teacher
wanna-bes’ with such valuable instruction
and stand with my colleagues in PreK-12
classrooms as practitioners of a research-
based profession.”
Page 4
2011 Teachers of Promise
by Megan Mooney
Nine students chosen for their exceptional qualities as pre-
service educators were named Teachers of Promise (TOP) by
Roanoke College education faculty. They are Megan Corsnitz,
Lucy Crook, Elizabeth Franz, Emily Martin, Paige Mason, Jessica
McArdle, Megan Mooney, Courtney Stinnette and Shannon
Yopp. Franz, Mooney and Yopp attended the annual TOP Insti-
tute at James Madison University in Harrisonburg.
The Institute theme focused on how the best teachers bring out
the magic of learning in their classrooms. During the weekend,
attendees were grouped with award-winning Virginia educators
who acted as mentors. Students also participated in several
workshops about a variety of topics, including classroom man-
agement, differentiation and building individual relationships
with students.
Lorraine Suminski Lange ’69 was named Superintendent of the
Year for the State of Virginia. She was chosen from among 133
superintendents in Virginia. Lorraine began her career as a
teacher and quickly moved to assistant principal and principal
and ultimately to superintendent in 2006. She holds an Ed.D.
from Virginia Tech. Lorraine was the recipient of the Margaret
Sue Copenhaver Institute Education Award for her contributions
to the field and was honored at the Institute’s luncheon in June.
Doug Clark ’72 completed the doctorate program in higher edu-
cation management at the University of Pennsylvania in May
2011.
Steve Franco ’89, a teacher of theater arts at Glenvar High
School, was named among the finalists across Roanoke County
Public Schools for the 2011 Golden Apple Award. Each year
teachers are nominated by students, parents, co-workers and
administrators to receive the highest award presented to a
teacher by the Education Foundation.
Sherri Smith Shupe ’93 has been selected to represent the
City of Salem School Division as the 2011 Teacher of the
Year. A teacher at Andrew Lewis Middle School for 16
years, she was chosen from a list of nominees representing
each of Salem’s six schools. All six teachers were honored
at a special reception last March.
Forest Jones ’95 was appointed principal of Andrew Lewis
Middle School, where he once was a student. He earned a
master’s degree from Hollins University and later received
his K-12 administration degree from Radford. He is currently
finishing requirements for a doctorate degree in educational
leadership and policy at Virginia Tech. Before his appoint-
ment as principal at Andrew Lewis, he served as teacher,
coach and most recently, assistant principal.
Katharine Beatty ’01 was appointed principal of Luther
Memorial School in Richmond. She previously served at the
school as upper school coordinator and upper school
English teacher.
Greg D’Addario ’10 is a first-grade teacher at Long Branch
Elementary School in Arlington.
Elizabeth Franz ’11 teaches eighth-grade math at Cave
Spring Middle School.
P. Alan Moore ’11 teaches math at Cave Spring High
School. He also coaches varsity baseball.
Sam Mullen ’11 is teaching second grade at Roanoke Acad-
emy of Math and Science.
Kari Poage ’11 is a teacher at Pathway Christian Academy.
News from alumni
Students from an Intensive Learning class tour the sites of ancient
Rome during May Term 2011: (l-r back row) Tyler Rinko, Kara
Drabick, Haley Boone, Patrick McDonough and Brittany Guill; (l-r
front row) Shelby Duchow and Virginia Moore
Page 5
Congratulations to 2011 Kappa Delta Pi members: Haley Boone, Phillip Booth, Alicia Clem, Katy Cline, Cynthia Cook, Leah Copeland,
Megan Corsnitz, Kelsey Curran, Jessie Cutts, Ryan Feather, Elizabeth Franz, Ashley Gilroy, Jordan Henderson, Janie Holmes, Courtney
Knowles, John Krippendorf, Rebecca Lemos, Hillary Linkous, Emily Martin, Mariah McMillan, Caitlin Mitchell, Erica Nielsen, Elizabeth
Piecuch, James Riggs, Amanda Sabin, Hana Snowden, Noelle van de Beek, Margaret Wagner and Rebecca Walker
Guest alumnus, Justin Halterman ’04
Justin Halterman is a teacher of modern(1500-present) world history at Salem High School. He chose teaching as a career, he says with a smile, because it combines two of his favorite things– talking and working with young peo-ple. He credits the opportunities offered at Roanoke for giving him “real” experience, and helping pre-pare him as a educator. “I cannot
underestimate the importance of internships and student teaching,” Justin says, “because it gave me a chance to know what is involved with teaching on a daily basis.” He feels that for many college students, these programs can help determine if teaching is the right profession for them.
Justin believes that all students have the right to an excel-lent education and he tries to model that philosophy on a daily basis. He loves his subject and works hard to make it interesting for his students. His goal is to educate them with an understanding of the past so they are knowledge-able about what worked and avoid what didn’t.
When asked if he has advice for students thinking about teaching as a career path, Justin is quick to respond. “Have no delusions: teaching is a tough position; your students are not all going to be like you; they’re not all going to love the subject you are teaching; and they are not all going to be as motivated as you. But also realize that you are in the most rewarding of positions — one that can be instrumen-tal in influencing and encouraging young lives.”
Justin recently completed his master’s degree in history at Virginia Tech. He and his wife Kim (Kidd) Halterman ’01 are proud parents of Elijah.
Professors participate in literacy project
Dr. Maria Stallions and Dr. Leslie Murrill, associate professors of education at Roanoke, are taking part in an “Arts for Learning Literacy Lessons Project,” funded by a five-year, $4 million U.S. Department of Education Investing Innovation grant. The grant was awarded to the Beaverton School District in Oregon, in order to underwrite program development, implementation and evalua- tion of the arts-integrated literacy program. Drs. Stallions and Murrill are training the on-site program assessment researchers.
Murrill also is working on the pre- and post-assessment tools. Stallions is a consultant for second-language learners, instructor modifications and English Language Learners ethnography studies. The program is being implemented in Beaverton’s third, fourth and fifth grades.
“Arts for Learning is such a promising project in literacy educa-tion,” says Murrill. “This is the type of school experience that can turn an at-risk child around and guide him toward future successes as a student and lifelong learner. As a researcher, it’s a real privilege to have a firsthand opportunity to watch this unfold.” In 2009-2010, Roanoke College partnered with a public research and development agency to study the effectiveness of the Arts for Learning program in seven Title I extended-day schools in DeKalb County, Georgia. Both Murrill and Stallions authored the research report. In June 2010, Arts for Learning was the theme for the department’s annual Copenhaver Institute for Teaching and Learning, an event attended by local, state and national educators and pre-service teachers.
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13th Annual
Margaret Sue Copenhaver Institute
Understanding by Design: Prioritizing and Targeting Actions to Improve Student Learning
The Institute will be held on the Roanoke Col-lege campus, June 18-20, 2012. The featured keynote speakers are Dr. Grant Wiggins and Dr. Kay Brimijoin.
The Institute will also offer a range of breakout sessions, technology workshops, ser-vice learning projects, and time allotted for designing programs to implement in schools. There will be opportunities for collegial interac-tion, including breakfasts, lunches and after-noon receptions.
The cost to accepted participants is $120; the fee includes participation in all Institute events, two nights lodging at Roanoke College, and session materials.