Message from EPP Associate Dean Gina Anderson |
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Happy New Year, Colleagues!
My hope for each of you as 2022 begins is that you enjoy a sense of renewal and fresh perspective, along with a greater sense of safety and diminishment of the stressors we all have faced over the last two years.
At Texas Woman’s Educator Preparation Program (EPP), our commitment to renewal will encompass assessment processes designed to strengthen a culture of continuous improvement, as well as one which provides equitable, effective pedagogy to all its students. Thus, we are beginning this new year with our highest ends in mind.
To forge the path towards these goals, TWU’s EPP is partnering with Branch Alliance for Educator Diversity (BranchEd) for a Critical Friends Review and Virtual Site Visit. In addition, we are fine-tuning the timeline and continuing activities that will support a decision to seek national accreditation through the Association for Advancing Quality in Educator Preparation (AAQEP).
BranchEd defines a critical friend as “a trusted person who asks provocative questions, examines data through another lens, and offers critiques of a person’s work. A critical friend takes the time to fully understand the context of the work presented and the outcomes that the person or group is working toward. The friend is an advocate for the success of that work.” BranchEd is the only non-profit organization in the country dedicated to strengthening, growing, and amplifying the impact of educator preparation at Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs), with the longer-range goals of both diversifying the teaching profession and intentionally addressing critical issues of educational equity for all students.
With roots in critical pedagogy, the BranchEd Critical Friends Visit meets client EPPs where they are, bringing tools like training and technical assistance to support continuous improvement and sustainability. At Texas Woman’s, all 33 initial teacher and professional certification programs in the EPP are participating in the two-part process, which includes an extensive document review and a virtual site visit. The latter comprises focus group meetings, interviews, student observations, and TWU foundations and methods class observations. High engagement speaks to faculty members’ commitment to our EPP’s goals, and their willingness to extend the effort to achieve them. We are all eager to learn BranchEd's findings and continue the conversation.
As always, thank you for your support of our candidates and the EPP as a whole. We welcome your reflections and ideas. Please continue to stay in touch with us via our newsletters and the web page – and don’t forget to follow us on social media.
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The Road Ahead
Taking the Risk of Optimism
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Finding inspiration in Simon Sinek's playbook, I am looking forward with great hope for the College of Professional Education (COPE). The launch of a new year and a new semester always gives wings to our aspirations, and to the resolutions we hope to improve and achieve. I am proud to report that, in all of COPE's departments, such hopes and intentions manifest in demonstrably positive ways. The EPP is no exception.
Programs like these — along with the success of our alumni, relationships with school districts, and the dedication of faculty members to current students — have led to a significant milestone. Increased interest in EPP pathways has made the Bachelor's Degree in Education TWU’s degree with the second-highest enrollment for Spring 2022.
While we are progressing, we do not intend to relax our efforts. In fact, the EPP continues its commitment to continuous improvement by developing an evaluation mindset across its many facets while preparing to seek national accreditation through the Association for Advancing Quality in Educator Preparation (AAQEP). The EPP is already a member of AAQEP and has contributed many hours to assessing other programs around the country. We are readying the program to undergo its own process. Please stay tuned for more news on that front.
Thank you for your interest in our work! We all look forward to sharing more good news with you.
Warm regards,
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Dean, College of Professional Education |
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Education & Community Leadership Degree
ELO Doctorate with Pioneering Distinction
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Embracing the opportunity to contribute to the Texas leadership pipeline for educational and community organizations, the College of Professional Education (COPE) has created a new, fully online doctoral program to meet the needs of students and the institutions they will serve.
COPE is thrilled to announce the launch of the new Ph.D. in Education, Leadership, and Organization (ELO) in January 2022, with an initial cohort of 15 students. Demand for the degree is high, evidenced by approximately 60 prospective students interested in joining in future semesters.
A 75-hour (45-hour post-master's), fully online program, the ELO doctorate offers a selection of three tracks:
- Track 1 – Superintendency
- Track 2 – Higher Education
- Track 3 – Interdisciplinary Nonprofit
A required core of courses for all ELO tracks grounds students in leadership, organizational health, and research. No matter the area of specialization, the program is designed to prepare students for success in a range of settings. We anticipate students will find opportunities in the following — and many other — roles:
- ISD Superintendents and administrators
- Leadership positions at 2- and 4-year colleges
- Chief executives of nonprofit organizations
- Leadership roles in public agencies, NGOs, and policy organizations
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Council for Educator Preparation
Stakeholders Offer Invaluable Insights
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The CEP functions as the governing body for the EPP at TWU. It is responsible for reviewing and making recommendations on matters affecting the university’s educator preparation programs, promoting pedagogical excellence while supporting compliance with professional standards. Educator Preparation is represented in multiple colleges across the university, and the involvement of faculty is crucial. Equally important is the perspective offered by leaders in the field who serve as external stakeholders, bringing current concerns from lived experience to the table.
At the CEP’s most recent stakeholder’s meeting in November 2021, participants delved into important areas surfaced by an EPP survey. Topics included how to address the statewide teacher shortage and the need for teachers with expertise in early childhood. Stakeholders offered ideas on innovative approaches to recruiting and certifying teacher candidates. They joined us in brainstorming ways Texas Woman’s EPP may collaborate with community colleges, districts, and state organizations to promote the value of a career in education. One critical area, from the principal’s point of view, involved the increasing importance of professional dispositions for teacher candidates.
Whether their vantage point is that of superintendent or principal, regional district administrator or dean of a sister school, our stakeholders’ eyes are trained on the field where our graduates will soon be engaged. The immediacy and relevance of their perspectives cannot be overstated.
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2021-22 Chairperson
Council for Educator Preparation
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Post-Master's Certificate of Advanced Study
Educational Diagnostician - Fully Online
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The Post-Master's Educational Diagnostician Certification Program at Texas Woman's University prepares students to assess the academic, cognitive, social, emotional, and behavioral needs of individuals. The program also prepares students to effectively collaborate with administrators, teachers, and families in recommending accommodations, modifications, and academic and/or behavioral interventions based on assessment results.
The Post-Master's Educational Diagnostician Certification Program is offered in a 100% online format in order to reach communities and districts all across Texas, and can be obtained in only 24 credit hours (8 courses). Offering a rolling admission process, the program allows students to start the certification program in the fall, spring, or summer semesters.
For information regarding the application process and requirements, please visit our website, or contact Dr. Maria Peterson-Ahmad, Educational Diagnostician Program Coordinator.
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EPP's Newest Team Member
Coordinator of Data Systems
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The TWU EPP offers advising and other key services to students to support their success in achieving certification. Staffed by professionals with deep experience in the requirements, pathways, and hurdles students face, the Office of Educator Preparation Services (OEPS) employs a comprehensive data management system essential for the EPP’s continuous improvement efforts.
Of her new position, Dr. Blanchard said, "After working with educators in countries around the world, I am thrilled to have found a home with the Educator Preparation Program at TWU."
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Research, Inclusion & Innovation
New COPE AD Facilitates Meeting at Intersections
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Recently appointed Associate Dean for Research, Inclusion, and Innovation (RII), Jorge Figueroa Flores, Ph.D., serves on the Dean’s leadership team in the College of Professional Education (COPE). An award-winning and dedicated associate professor of bilingual and ESL education, Dr. Figueroa Flores (widely known as Dr. J) is bringing his commitment to students and the TWU community to the next level.
In collaborating with COPE’s department chairs, faculty members, staff, and students, Dr. J promotes inclusive excellence within an impact-driven research culture. Dr. J’s efforts center on facilitating the work of students and faculty partners as they turn research into practice. He oversees several RII initiatives, including the COPE Research, Inclusion, and Innovation Speaker Series, COPE Research Talks, and the Write Spot.
Launched last fall, the COPE RII Speaker Series offers the TWU community opportunities to hear in-depth presentations of research by academicians from underrepresented backgrounds. Goals of the series include forging relationships among TWU students and faculty and these presenting scholars. These scholars' lived experiences frequently mirror that of our students, while their research focuses on the communities they also represent.
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Preparing Teacher-Scholars |
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The Impact of Graduate Education |
As an associate professor in the Department of Literacy and Learning at Texas Woman's, I serve as a principal investigator for two innovative, grant-funded programs focused on language and community skills, Project PIONERAS and ELLevate. My role offers so many opportunities to work with amazing teachers becoming teacher-scholars in their graduate programs. Teachers have the ability to know their students better than anyone, including people like me who often provide professional development. Classroom teachers can use their specific knowledge about students’ lives, language practices, and experiences to curate curriculum and implement a learning environment best suited to their particular students.
This past fall, graduate students found innovative ways to bring learning to life in their classrooms and schools. One class of teacher-scholars pursuing doctorates in Reading Education pushed back against a trend to regulate what they teach by creating units for adolescent students focused on relevant social issues. Their work is published in Engage and Empower: Expanding the Curriculum for Justice and Activism. Elsewhere, teacher-scholars from Denton ISD pursuing the Certificate of Biliteracy shared classroom research from their first graduate course. For example, through implementing a Multilingual Class ABC Book project, Ms. Beth Hughes reported greatly increased family engagement. In Arlington ISD, teacher-scholars who are halfway through the M.Ed. program in Reading Education shared their research-based inquiry into supporting reading comprehension with diverse students. These are just a handful of examples illustrating the empowering experiences teachers can have when advancing their scholarship through a graduate degree.
The evidence is clear: When great teachers become teacher-scholars, they become change agents in their classrooms and schools.
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Associate Professor
Department of Literacy & Learning
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The Quality of Connections
Pioneer Network - TWU's Global Community
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Pioneer Network is an online community where TWU alumni, students, faculty, staff, and supporters can connect. This exclusive platform gives Pioneers a space to support one another away from the noise of other social media platforms.
Pioneer Network offers you the opportunity to grow your professional network with people who share the Texas Woman’s experience. Reconnect with fellow alumni, join a mentoring program, or search for exclusive job opportunities and events. Join the over 1,000 members of the Texas Woman's community who have already connected. Sign up for Pioneer Network today!
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Support Future Texas Educators
Gifts to the College of Professional Education
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Like all departments in COPE, the Educator Preparation Program serves diverse communities working to make a difference.
When you donate to the College of Professional Education in support of the Educator Preparation Program, you become a partner supporting the future of educators and students across Texas.
Your gift strengthens the quality of teaching candidates and other educational professionals at Texas Woman's University. These candidates will fill open positions across the state of Texas. Your contribution supports deserving students, like
- First-generation college students
- Communities of scholar-practitioners
- Teachers of English language learners
- Associate Degree holders & school paraprofessionals completing certifications
- School and district leaders honing their skills
- And so many others!
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Stoddard Hall 211
P.O. Box 425769
Denton, TX 76204-5769
phone 940.898.2735 | fax 940.898.2830
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