Elmhurst College
ACI Member Partnership Case Studies: Elmhurst College
By Brian Kahn and Judith Kaminski
Author Biographies:
Brian B. Kahn managed the Elmhurst College TQE grant project from 2005-2008. Currently he is an assistant professor in the teacher education program at the University of Illinois Springfield where he teaches middle school and social studies methods courses for elementary and secondary candidates.
Judith Kaminski is Director of Field Experiences and the Satellite Program at Elmhurst College.
Abstract:
This article describes how the education department of Elmhurst College used TQE grant funds: to sustain and create new partnerships in five area school districts. The activities included tutoring of special education and general students; emergent literacy in the K-3 setting for ELL learners; a science practicum for elementary students; and middle school observation/Participation in Berwyn Middle Schools. Teacher candidates reported a greater awareness of high-need schools and the high-need population that has assisted them in developing specific strategies to use in the classroom. The candidates’ perspectives on these issues have been altered, and they have been able to transfer what they have learned in the college classroom to their work in the field.
Introduction
In the 1990’s many reforms were taking place in the field of education, including the initial and continuing education of teachers. In a 1996 report issued by the National Commission on Teaching and America’s Future, one major recommendation called on universities to focus more on building strong clinical training and induction programs. Previously, in the report entitled “Restructuring the Education of Teachers,” the Association of Teacher Educators recommended that part of the redesign of teacher education include more extensive field experiences along with more collaborative efforts linking the schools with the schools of education (ATE, 1991). A number of researchers including Cornbleth & Ellsworth (1994), Zimpher & Sherrill (1996), and Imag & Switzer (1996), describe the changing role of public school teachers in the teacher education process, one in which teachers play a much greater role in clinical experiences. Coupled with these changing roles is the significance placed on greater collaboration between public schools and universities as more meaningful field experiences for pre-service candidates are designed and implemented.
Today, as educational reform moves into the 21st century, public school and university educators continue to extol the benefits of positive school-university partnerships. In an article entitled “Greater Expectations for Student Learning: The Missing Connections,” Linda Darling-Hammond noted that improving student learning “will require not only partnerships between schools and universities—particularly in those places where new and more powerful schools need to be invented—but also policy and action on the part of the higher education community…” (2000, p. 35-38). Similarly, Wise & Levine (2002) contend that the school-university partnership is one of the most important steps to raise achievement among low-performing students in high-need schools because it enables university academic knowledge to join forces with the more day-to-day needs of the public schools.
Considering Elmhurst College's long tradition of working with local school districts, the decision was made to use TQE grant funds to sustain and create new partnerships in five area school districts: Villa Park School District 45, Addison School District 4, Leyden Consolidated High School District 212, Berkeley School District 87, and Berwyn School District 100. Four out of the five districts serve grades K-8, and one district consists of two high schools, grades 9-12. All five school districts have seen an explosive growth in their Hispanic population over the last nine years, some growing as much as 25%. Each of our school partners is identified as high-need and thus at a greater risk for failure. All but one of the partner districts have improved their test scores in mathematics and reading by at least 10% since 2004.
Project Overview Although Elmhurst’s ACI Center partnership project has undergone some changes over the past five years, the original aims remain constant, including better preparation of our teacher candidates to work in high-need schools, greater inclusion of high-need teaching practices throughout our teacher education program, and development of meaningful and lasting partnerships with local schools and school districts to facilitate greater attention to actual field experiences for our teacher candidates as they work with students in the schools. We strive for all of our teacher candidates, regardless of their program (secondary, elementary, early childhood, special education), to participate in well-structured, mentored, and hands-on experiences working with students in diverse settings.
The Elmhurst TQE project pursued five project goals:
1. To improve the mastery of content through collaboration of teacher education and arts
and sciences faculty in designing and delivering pre-service curricula.
This goal is also intended to strengthen the links between instructors teaching general education courses, instructors teaching secondary certification courses, and the education faculty. All members of the college community are crucial to the preparation of the teacher candidate and, while all play slightly different roles, it is imperative that we continue to recognize the need for this collaboration as we assist these candidates to better understand the connections between education courses and more traditional content area courses.
2. To increase exposure of teacher candidates to the economic, social, familial, and
ethnicity issues present in high-need schools and their communities.
This goal required a “curriculum transformation” process within the education department. Candidates require theoretical as well as practical knowledge as they strive to better understand strategies and practices for working with children and families in high-need communities. We initiated our consideration of curriculum transformation as a way to create more opportunities for our students to be exposed to high-need issues and teaching strategies. Education faculty members examined the content of their courses to increase candidate exposure to high-need strategies and practices as well as social and economic implications of working in high-need schools and communities. Syllabi were reworked to assure that teacher candidates, regardless of program level, would have consistent encounters with these high-need issues on campus as well as in their field experience in the schools.
3. To provide significant on-site instruction and clinical experiences for teacher candidates,
taught collaboratively with area classroom teachers.
Through the project, a number of clinical experiences and collaborative partnerships have been established to provide teacher candidates with significant clinical experiences. Five of these clinical experiences continue beyond the five-year project grant period.
4. To assess the effectiveness of our teacher preparation programs in addressing issues of
high-need students and to conduct semiannual and annual evaluations of project
activities. Throughout the project, the College has arranged “End of the Semester
Celebrations” to bring together teacher candidates, classroom teachers, and university
faculty. During these events, roundtable discussions are held to examine the
effectiveness of the partnerships. Useful suggestions for project improvements came
from these sessions. We also surveyed teacher candidates at the end of each semester
as well and conducted up to 10 one-on-one interviews with some.
5. To create a campus infrastructure and school district support to sustain the partnerships.
Both college and school personnel are committed to maintaining project partnerships and funding the programs for at least one year after the grant expires. Partnership continuation will be evaluated annually. As schools and communities change, it is important to recognize that not all partnerships last forever, and conditions may dictate a change in relationships.
In an effort to achieve these goals, the Elmhurst Department of Education embarked on a plan to establish and nurture a number of initiatives in these local school districts. The “best fit” for Elmhurst College appeared to center around a number of new field experiences for pre-service teacher candidates. As our students were already completing several of field experiences, it made the most sense to refocus a number of these in a few of the high-need districts in close proximity to the college. The following section describes in detail the nature of our TQE initiatives.
General Tutoring Services
Implemented at East and West Leyden High Schools, this initiative is an ongoing part of the Secondary Methods (SEC 410) course offered on campus. Each teacher candidate in the course is expected to complete at least 10 hours per semester at one of the two schools working one-on-one and/or in small groups with students. Originally, this program targeted students at the freshman and sophomore levels who were failing two or more classes. Several teachers at the school sites were hired with grant funds to coordinate the tutoring sessions. Attendance was low the first year but has grown considerably today as failing students are required to attend after-school tutoring sessions. Presently, there are 25 participating students per teacher supervisor in four different classrooms, mostly sophomores and juniors.
The tutoring program has become part of the school improvement plan. It has given rise to other school programs, including the Freshman Study Program at West with more than 100 freshmen participants. Although tutoring is offered in only four core subjects, students needing tutoring in other electives are also encouraged to attend. Teachers at the partnering high schools also serve as temporary mentors for Elmhurst teacher candidates and share a variety of teaching strategies with them prior to and during the students’ work at the school. In addition to tutoring at the school, teacher candidates are required to journal their experiences weekly and track their progress with students. Their reflections are then shared in a student teaching seminar on campus.
Tutoring Services for Special Education Students
The grant also helped us to develop a special education tutoring program for middle school students in response to a request from the principal at MacArthur Middle School in the Berkeley District 87 to assist in the area of reading. This initiative has now been in place for three years. All teacher candidates, regardless of program, participate in one of the portfolio synthesis courses (300 level), which focus on diversity issues in schools, particularly those of high-need special education students. Each candidate completes a minimum of five hours at the middle school, tutoring special education students who have been identified by the building coordinator (funded through the grant). Candidates are introduced to methods of strategic tutoring by special education teachers who provide the instruction on campus during several class sessions. At the school site, candidates work one-on-one and in small groups to assist students primarily in the areas of math and literacy. The number of students needing tutoring varies from week to week. Building coordinators guide candidates as they develop brief but meaningful relationships with the students in the special education classrooms. Like the other initiative, this one is also an important part of the school improvement plans as the schools struggle to meet AYP.
Science Practicum for Elementary Students –“Children Discovering Science”
During the first few years of this hands-on science experience, students from York Center School in Villa Park School District 45 were bused to the Elmhurst campus twice each week for an after school science learning experience. Teacher candidates in the science methods course prepared hands-on science experiments and other learning activities for the students at York Center (grades 3-5). The primary goal is for teacher candidates to practice effective science teaching strategies with high-need students. Students who volunteer for this after school program are largely from low-income families that have a variety of language difficulties. They receive little hands-on science instruction. This program allows them to bring science into their lives in an exciting and meaningful way.
This initiative has undergone a number of changes over the past five years. For the second year in a row, the Elmhurst candidates travel to the schools to work with the students, a more cost-effective plan. Also, two new elementary—Lincoln and Army Trail elementary schools in Addison District 4—have been added to the initiative . Today, all elementary teacher candidates enrolled in Science Methods (EED 326) participate in one of the sessions at the three schools throughout the semester. Prior to each school year, teachers at each site are paid an honorarium to help organize the sessions so that they are aligned with the district’s science curriculum. In addition, several teachers are paid an honorarium to attend the weekly sessions to work with the candidates. The building principal monitors the sessions.
Greater emphasis is now being placed on developing higher order thinking skills in grades 3-5. The teacher candidates execute lesson plans based on the school district’s science curriculum and the recommendations of the teachers serving as on-site supervisors. Besides participating in six hours of after school sessions, candidates are required to write about their experiences in the methods class. This initiative has now become part of the school improvement plan for both school districts.
Emergent Literacy in K-3 Setting for ELL Learners
This initiative teamed teacher candidates in a literacy course with second grade students at Stevenson school in Villa Park. Candidates worked with two classroom teachers to create interactive literacy lessons based in the science curriculum for ELL learners and tutored students several days after school. Topics varied from year to year, including units on magnets, leaves, spiders, and water. Tutors were volunteers to a specific methods course at the college. Due to changes in the district administration and teacher reassignment, this initiative is no longer available.
Middle School Observation/Participation in Berwyn Middle Schools
This initiative is one option for middle school teacher candidates at two possible sites for observing and working with young adolescents. Candidates in the Introductory Seminar (EDU 260), Middle School Philosophy and Methods (EDU 360), and Adolescent Psychology (EDU 361) participate in this field experience. Candidates spend 15-20 hours working in a team setting with students in grades 6-8 and complete field reflections as a course requirement. Both Heritage and Freedom middle schools participate, and typically about ten teacher candidates per year work in each of the two schools.
Project Outcomes
Our project has had substantial impact on the college education department faculty, the teacher candidates, our school partners, and, ultimately, the students in the K-12 classrooms in which we serve. Much of what we have learned focuses on the process of creating meaningful school partnerships and the ways in which we provide meaningful high-need experiences for our teacher candidates.
The education faculty is much more in tune with high-need issues than ever before. Our various initiatives impact the daily experience of all education faculty members as their students participate in these settings. Likewise, high-need issues are a greater part of the overall curriculum for all teacher candidates in the education program. Faculty members have become aware of the workings of ACI and the opportunities available to ACI partner colleges. The department project coordinating committee has helped to maintain lines of communication between the project manager and the department. As a result, more faculty members have gotten involved in ACI Center activities. For example, during the past four years, Elmhurst faculty members have been awarded four ACI innovation grants to undertake initiatives including multicultural experiences in elementary classrooms, early literacy experiences for students and families dealing with ELL issues, and ways in which classroom teachers can begin to play a greater role as mentors to teacher candidates in high-need schools.
Another innovation within the department is the creation of TeacherNet, an outreach program that provides in-service opportunities for teachers in all of our partner schools. Each semester, the TeacherNet committee sponsors a different event on campus to assist area teachers to better understand the needs of children in high-need classrooms. Past events have included a workshop on RtI (Response to Intervention), a Golden Apple presentation for beginning teachers, and a multipurpose workshop with breakout sessions on literacy issues, family relationships, and physical and emotional health issues of families living in high-need communities. Our partner teachers attend these sessions without charge while receiving CPU credits and printed materials on the topics presented.
Finally, our teacher education and arts and sciences faculty members have established new professional connections through the ACI Arts and Science colloquium held each fall. Teams of faculty members from across the arts and sciences and education departments create a summer action research project and present their findings at the colloquium on campus and to local teachers. Elmhurst College faculty members have participated in several of these annual colloquiums to present action research project findings. Not only does this assist our faculty to better collaborate across departments but it also exposes them to the work of their colleagues at colleges and universities nearby.
As a consequence, our teacher candidates reported a greater awareness of high-need schools and the high-need population that has assisted them in developing specific strategies to use in the classroom. The candidates’ perspectives on these issues have been altered, and they have been able to transfer what they have learned in the college classroom to their work in the field. Many say that they would now be more willing to work in schools in which students need additional services.
Teachers and principals working with our candidates see positive changes in student attitudes and improvements in their learning. Face-to-face interviews with two of the building principals and the teacher coordinator for the initiative yielded a great many positive evaluative comments including the following:
• “Many of our students are from low-income families and are considered at-risk. They really need these kinds of hands-on science experiences, and this helps bring science alive for them, and they are better able to relate to the material covered in the regular classroom.”
• “These students really enjoy the after school experience—they even call it ‘The Science Club’ and keep asking if they can participate again next semester. Some also call it the ‘Elmhurst College Teachers Club’ as they are aware that they are helping the teacher candidates to become better teachers.”
• “The Elmhurst students get to work with diversity issues as well as lesson planning and the mechanics of teaching. They also get lots of feedback from the mentor teachers involved and, of course, have lots of interaction with students.”
• “The students in the schools see this activity as a privilege and they know they have to be on their best behavior in order to be able to participate.”
• “While there is no real data to suggest that this program directly affects science grades, there is anecdotal evidence to suggest great improvement in attitude towards science and willingness to engage in hands-on activities.”
The teachers in the schools are benefiting along with their students. They are grateful for the program and take personal pleasure in working with our candidates; this initiative has really elevated their attitude towards teaching.
And from the principal at a school partnering in science: “This program is deeply engaging for our students—their scores went up in science at the fourth grade level, and the two teachers really appreciate the program and the level of enthusiasm exhibited by the candidates. This has been part of our school improvement plan for several years now and will remain so even after the grant funds are gone.”
We received comments such as the following from our high school tutoring partners where several hundred students now participate:
• “This initiative provides the opportunity for our struggling students to come after school and get their homework done—many would not if left to their own devices. They can get help with areas in which they are struggling and ask questions.”
• “The teachers at the school realize that this program actually allows them to work with additional students during the day, and they see lots of reward in the level of success on the part of the students. Lots of solid relationships have been built each semester between the high school students and the teacher candidates.”
• “The students truly want their mentors to be there after school, and they have come to depend upon them. Many students go to get help without being assigned.”
• “Now no one is failing six or seven classes—without this program we would have many more failed classes. This program is built into the school day of certain at-risk students, and they even come on Friday if they happen to miss a day during the week. It is also part of the school improvement program and has become part of the overall school culture.”
The focus on juniors and seniors was expanded to include the freshman study program, a pilot with more than 100 student participants in 2008-09. Both high schools have hired additional staff to deal with at-risk students in this guided study program for freshmen.
Project Implications and Sustainability
The implications are many and affect the student population at both the college and the district schools as well as the faculties at all sites. Our program is about curriculum transformation. By the fifth project year, these initiatives were imbedded in the education department curriculum. As a result, all education candidates in all our programs will be impacted in some way through their involvement in these initiatives and will have an opportunity to interact with students who have been identified as high-need. Transformation is now a sustainable part of our education curriculum, requiring a commitment from the faculty to this curriculum.
Teacher candidates are talking about the Response to Intervention seminar in their classes and in their field experiences. The department TQE initiatives offer the pre-service candidates opportunities to not only talk about RtI but actually be a part of how it affects students in classrooms by working with in-service teachers. Candidates are better prepared via strategies and observations. There are more sites available for them to practice high-need strategies and experience first-hand how they work. Our partner schools and in-service teachers see themselves as teacher educators. The students in these high-need classrooms benefit academically, and our candidates benefit because they can observe the effectiveness of their work in the changes they observe in their students.
There is a greater awareness on the part of pre-service candidates that our entire department is now working together to meet the needs of diversity in the classrooms of high-need students. Teachers and administrators from our partner schools say they see positive changes in their students because they perceive that what we are doing is making a difference. They cite positive individual student and candidate experiences, and the teachers tell us they can see a difference in their students.
Naturally, sustainability is one of the keys to the future of our initiatives as well as one of our greatest challenges. All of the districts we serve with these programs are high-need, so money is a major issue. Fortunately, our partner districts believe project initiatives are important for their students. Because the programs have become a part of their school improvement plans, we will be able to continue for the near future. Each of the districts has agreed to fund part of its initiative and has worked with us to restructure the initiatives so the districts can continue effectively at low cost. For example, one district will pay for most of the costs of each coordinator at each school; another district will pick up the transportation costs and the planning honorariums for the teachers. Without this support we would not be able to continue with all of our activities. The support of the districts demonstrates the strength of our partnership and the commitment to their students and the teacher education program at Elmhurst College.
Elmhurst College will attempt to sustain the project for the longer term. These initiatives are critical to preparation of our candidates to teach in high-need schools and to the sustainability of the school partnerships. Project initiatives are part of a process; they should be always changing to meet needs of the students at the school sites and the needs of the pre-service candidates as those needs evolve and change. The in-service teachers have also become part of the process, committed to their profession and to the children they teach.
The collaborative partnerships we have formed, and will continue to form, strengthen Elmhurst College in the communities we serve. The perception of the quality of our candidates and what they do demonstrates our willingness to give back to the community. In a discussion regarding reductions in the project budget for the final grant year, a special needs teacher in a high-need school declared that he would even do the work for nothing, saying, “my students get as much [out of this experience] as do the Elmhurst students.” Pre-service teachers consider the initiatives to be professional development, an opportunity not only to grow and learn but to become part of the teacher educator community.
References
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Darling-Hammond, L. (2000). Greater expectations for student learning: The missing connections. Liberal Education, 86(2), 6-8.
Imig, D.G., & Switzer, T.J. (1996). Changing teacher education programs: Restructuring collegiate-based teacher education. In J. Sikula, T.J. Buttery, & E. Guyton (Eds.). Handbook of research on teacher education. New York: Simon & Schuster Macmillan, pp. 213-226.
National Commission on Teaching & America’s Future. (1996). What matters most: Teaching for America’s future: Report of the National Commission on Teaching and America’s Future. New York: Author.
Wise, A.E., & Levine, M. (2002). Ten steps to improve student achievement in low-performing schools in urban districts. Education Week (Feb. 27).
Zimpher, N. (1990). Creating professional development school sites. Theory into Practice, 29(1), 42-49.
