June 14, 2010
Contact:
Elizabeth Klipp, 404-413-1356
University Relations
ATLANTA - Educators from across the state will attend a Georgia State University institute next week to discuss an expansive new program aimed at improving teacher quality and student achievement, starting with new initiatives rolling out this fall.
Georgia State's College of Education is hosting the 2010 NET-Q Summer Institute from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Wednesday (June 16) at the Loudermilk Center, located at 40 Courtland St. Registration is required to attend.
The NET-Q program, which stands for Network for Enhancing Teacher Quality, is made possible thanks to a five-year $13.5 million grant that the College of Education received last fall from the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Innovation and Improvement.
At the institute, Georgia State will meet with its NET-Q partners, which include six metro Atlanta school districts - Atlanta, Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Fulton and Gwinnett county public schools - and Albany State University and Columbus State University. The 150 educators will focus on preparing and developing teachers in their first through third years of teaching, as well as pre-service teachers, particularly in the areas of special education and English Language Learners.
"Basically, our institute is a multi-faceted approach to bringing the NET-Q partners together and providing information that will guide and foster plans for the next grant year," said Dee Taylor, NET-Q project director at Georgia State. "It's about focusing on the preparation, development and retention of teachers that will lead to higher student achievement."
Some of the institute attendees will also discuss launching a new Teacher Residency program this fall in which GSU students will work alongside veteran mentor teachers in metro Atlanta schools. The seven GSU students currently selected to be teacher residents will attend the institute and meet with the experienced teachers who will provide them ongoing instruction, feedback and guidance throughout the next academic year.
"We are confident that our residents will then be prepared to be hired in high-need schools in the partner districts," said Joseph Feinberg, GSU assistant professor of middle-secondary education and coordinator for the Teacher Residency program.
Additionally, novice and experienced teachers will attend sessions on Cross Career Learning Communities, school-based learning communities where educators of various ages and teaching levels can share and solve classroom issues. GSU professors will also meet with educators from partners schools, where faculty will provide long-term, on-site coaching for teachers.
The institute's guest speakers are Mark Wilson, national principal of the year, and Betty Achinstein, nationally recognized researcher with the Center for Educational Research in the Interest of Underserved Students at the University of California, Santa Cruz.
For more information, visit http://net-q.coe.gsu.edu.