T.E.A.M.:
Teaching for Equity, Achievement, and Meaning
“PARTNERING TO MAKE THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE”
These words
greet those who enter the Tom and Betty Petway Hall on UNF’s campus, the home
of the College of Education and Human Services. These words also greet those
who visit the college’s website. The
faculty, staff and students live these words on a daily basis.
The College’s Professional Development School
partnership has been working to make the world a better place for more than 25
years. Its purpose is to recruit and
prepare a diverse cadre of well-trained, knowledgeable teachers who are
invested in providing equitable, high quality educational experiences for every
student. The curriculum prepares UNF
graduates to positively impact PK-12 students’ learning, developmental growth,
and academic achievement in order to prepare them to be engaged, responsible
citizens within their community in an increasingly diverse world.
CAMPUS COMPACT PARTNERSHIP AWARD
In 2017 Florida Campus Compact awarded
this partnership second place among statewide partnerships; this is especially
impressive, given that Florida Campus Compact has more than 50 institutional
members.
CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT
Based on student data, the college is intentionally reimagining the PDS
model to meet 21st century school needs. Faculty are revising and updating programs
for an even more cohesive learning experience for undergraduate students.
Recent improvements to the curriculum include the revision of the Pre-K Primary
Teacher Licensure program, leading to a bachelor’s degree in education for
students who seek to work with children and families in non-school settings.
IMMERSION IN THE COMMUNITY
Those outside the College of Education
and Human Services might think, “of course, education majors work in schools,”
but UNF does not limit student experiences to nationally required “Field I and
Field II.” Students take four or five pre-service learning
courses in Title I schools before they do their traditional field experience.
THE EFFECTS OF THE COMMITMENT TO THE COMMUNITY
In both breadth and depth, UNF students have
a powerful impact. This partnership places on average 500 students in PK-12
schools throughout northeast Florida. To
focus on just one example, each semester 130 UNF students provide over 2,500
hours of extra human capital for one elementary school. That number does not include
the impact of students enrolled in field classes or internships. This immersive
preparation works and the data shows it. In 2013, state tracking found that approximately
50 percent of new teachers leave their jobs within the first five years, over
85 percent of UNF PDS graduates hired five years earlier were still teaching.
For more information on the Urban Professional Development School Partnership (UPDS), please visit: https://www.unf.edu/coehs/cuep/Educator_Professional_Learning.aspx
