Mar 03, 2014 |

St. Bonaventure University’s School of Education is being lauded for the innovative ways it is preparing the next generation of teachers. 

The American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE), a national alliance of educator preparation programs, is shining a spotlight on St. Bonaventure and 24 other institutions as examples of programs that have demonstrated a positive impact on teacher candidates. The 25 institutions were selected to be highlighted on the AACTE’s website based on the responses to an “Innovations Inventory” survey.

“The survey of innovations in teacher preparation aims to create a resource database that will highlight the innovative practices AACTE members are using to give their teacher candidates a competitive edge in the marketplace,” said Alicia Ardila-Rey, Ph.D., director of Research and Dissemination at AACTE.

“This recognition highlights what we have known for a long time: Our teacher preparation programs give students a distinctive advantage when it comes to employability right out of college, in particular,” said Joseph E. Zimmer, Ph.D., dean of the School of Education. “Our students know how to manage a classroom and achieve learning outcomes because they’ve had the classroom experience and several cycles of feedback and evaluation before they graduate.” 

AACTE will also use the survey to identify current trends and issues in educator preparation as well as examples of practice that can be shared with members and other constituents to inform their work.

St. Bonaventure embraces a clinically rich apprenticeship model for teacher preparation, where the programs exceed the minimums for field experiences, students finish programs classroom ready, and links with local public schools provide a wonderful incubator for collaboration and cooperation in the training of teachers.

For example:

• Candidates for initial teacher preparation in all programs spend approximately 1,000 clock hours in schools prior to program completion.
• The pre-student teaching clock hours are approximately 300 hours, which is more than double the minimum (125) hours required by New York state.
• Candidates in SBU’s undergraduate teacher certification programs spend two full days per week for two full semesters with university faculty teaching courses in Professional Development Schools.
• Pass rates in state licensure tests are between 90 and 100 percent for all programs. Pass rates for most programs are higher than the overall pass rates in the state.

The School of Education also utilizes cross-campus and community partnerships, digital video projects, and a Technology Enhanced Collaborative Classroom (TEEC). The school strives to match and lead the public schools in current and new technologies for teaching and learning, and partners with other schools and organizations to provide technology and other professional development opportunities to their faculty and staff. 

Its TECC — or “classroom of the future” — allows faculty to creatively break the boundaries of traditional instruction and flip their classrooms. In addition, through internal and external granting opportunities, SBU faculty purchase and use new technologies such as tablet computers, video recording equipment, student responders and device applications that prepare students to teach in the 21st century classroom.

The campus has state-of-the-art lecture capture equipment and software, and students have access to recording hardware and software to complete digital video projects in their classrooms. 

The “Innovations Inventory,” along with a few other new projects, are part of a new microsite that was unveiled at the AACTE Annual Meeting Saturday, March 1, in Indianapolis. The site includes a short summary of each innovation, with links to the institution’s website and related resources, and can be viewed online here.  

AACTE has a membership of 800 public and private colleges and universities and a history of advocacy, leadership and service on behalf of the professional development of educators. 

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About the University: The nation’s first Franciscan university, St. Bonaventure University cultivates graduates who are confident and creative communicators, collaborative leaders and team members, and innovative problem solvers who are respectful of themselves, others, and the diverse world around them. We are establishing pathways to internships, graduate schools and careers in the context of our renowned liberal arts tradition. Our students are becoming extraordinary.