Education Award Given to UNF's College of Education and Human Services and Duval Public Schools

March 5, 2003 (For immediate release)

JACKSONVILLE -- The University of North Florida’s College of Education and Human Services and Duval County Public Schools received the 2003 Distinguished Program in Teacher Education award from the Association of Teacher Educators.

The award recognizes the Urban Professional Development Schools project between UNF and Duval County Public Schools.

The project places nine to 12 teaching interns from UNF at Duval schools and provides the interns with support and supervision through a master teacher at each school site. The master teachers work with interns and classroom teachers and assists the schools with initiatives to improve education.

The joint project has worked with Sallye B. Mathis Elementary for three years and West Jacksonville Elementary and Woodland Acres Elementary for six years. Each school is in a poor or deteriorating neighborhood and serves a high percentage of low-income families and minorities. The student turnover rates can exceed 50 percent in a year.

More than 200 College of Education students in elementary education, primary education and special education have completed internships at these schools during the past six years. Other UNF teacher education candidates also are placed in the schools to gain early field experience.

In addition to the UNF students, these schools each have a UNF professor in residence who teaches a methods course at the school and whose students work with the schoolchildren as part of UNF class activities. The professors also help supervise intern teachers, work with classroom teachers and serve on leadership teams.

Of the 246 UNF graduates who participated in the project from 1997 to 2001, 172 have accepted jobs in Duval County schools.

ews The award was presented Feb. 25 in Jacksonville during the Association of Teacher Educators’ 83rd annual meeting.

The association presents the award to an exemplary program in teacher education that is a cooperative effort between a university and a local education agency.

“This award is validation of our work by our colleagues in teacher education and, thus, particularly special,” said Katherine Kasten, dean of the College of Education and Health Services.

Kasten noted that a rigorous process was used to select the 2003 winner from those nominated for the award.

For more information about the project, contact UNF’s Office of News and Publications at (904) 620-2140.
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