Deans for Impact (DFI)

Welcoming new colleagues to our growing team is always a joy. Jessica Hagaman and Kathleen Castillo-Clark, Ed.D, NBCT recently joined DFI as Senior Program Directors. They’ll be leading our work with #edprep program leaders, teacher-educators, aspiring teachers, and state and national partners to support the implementation of evidence-based literacy instruction. Get to know Jessica, Kathleen, and our team: https://lnkd.in/dBvMRbXr

Not all tutoring programs are created equally. In the national expansion of #tutoring as a key solution for accelerating post-pandemic student learning recovery and strengthening the educator workforce, there’s been a surge in the number of tutoring providers – but also, immense variability in program quality. At National Louis University, an #edprep program in our Learning by Scientific Design Network, Dean Carolyn Theard-Griggs and her team are thankful to have found a quality tutoring partner in Reading Power Inc., a community-based early literacy nonprofit. This past academic year, NLU and Reading Power piloted a partnership that mobilizes NLU aspiring teachers as high-impact tutors for PK-2 students in northern Illinois. Lisa Bulzoni, CEO of Reading Power, shares: “Our goal is that every child feels successful at the end of every day, and we want to make sure that these aspiring teachers have those moments.” Read on to learn how this partnership centers program and tutor quality – so that PK-2 students, aspiring teachers, and their communities succeed. https://lnkd.in/gMvr6TXU

When school districts and teacher-preparation programs work closely together to provide evidence-based instructional support for aspiring and early-career teachers, both students and teachers win. These instructionally-focused partnerships contribute to improved student learning outcomes and stronger novice teacher efficacy. Over the last year, we’ve supported Frederick County Public Schools and Hood College to do exactly this through the Learning Science Consortium: a partnership to foster a continuum of instructional support for teachers grounded in the science of learning. In this introductory video, hear about the what, why, and how of this consortium: https://lnkd.in/gbsTh--x “When Hood [College] expressed interest in learning alongside us, we quickly realized that we had an opportunity to bring two worlds together that often don’t talk about teacher preparation.” -Margaret Lee, Frederick County School District Interviews from district and school leaders, college faculty, and teachers will be released every week throughout July. Subscribe to our YouTube channel to hear different perspectives on the community-wide impact of this consortium. 💡 Want to learn more? FCPS’s Meg Lee and DFI’s Dr. Jim Heal also recently shared about this work on educator Zach Groshell’s podcast: https://lnkd.in/gG7zS39C.

We’re hiring a Director of People and Operations! Join our team and help us ensure that every child is taught by a well-prepared teacher via strong internal people and operations systems. This role will lead team learning and culture, hiring and onboarding processes, human resources management, and more. Apply today: https://lnkd.in/gP7Wi2cg

We are thrilled to welcome our ninth cohort of Impact Academy fellows – the most programmatically diverse group of leaders in the fellowship’s history. From traditional four-year programs to teacher residencies to new teacher initiatives housed in K-12 school systems, our 2024-25 cohort reflects the wide range of present-day programs that prepare aspiring teachers. These leaders represent programs that serve 19 U.S. states and a broad diversity of geographic and institutional contexts from coast to coast. Forty-seven percent lead institutions that serve a majority of aspiring teachers of color, and 41 percent are leaders of color themselves. Six are Minority-Serving Institutions, including Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Predominantly Black Institutions, and a Hispanic-Serving Institution. Our 2024-25 Impact Academy fellows are: Aaron Kuntz, Florida International University Alexis Esslinger, Cooperative Educational Services Amy Smith, University of St. Thomas Aubrey Schabowsky, College Unbound Beth Quick, The University of Alabama in Huntsville Denelle Wallace-Alexander, Ph.D, Norfolk State University Derrick Smith, Auburn University at Montgomery Kimberley Davis, Ph.D., University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Laura Dinehart, Western Michigan University LaVada Taylor, Chicago State University Lourdes Sutton, New Jersey City University Marisa Bier, Seattle Teacher Residency (Alliance for Education) Mark McDermott, University of Iowa Nelly Lejter, PhD, Touro University Sarah Hunt-Barron, Lander University Thomas Owenby, University of Wisconsin-Madison Tiffany Labrie, YES Prep Public Schools Read the announcement: https://lnkd.in/emb7y3eb

“Every student has brilliance. But you cannot love students into proficiency. I believe 100% that my success, and students’ success, is from being taught at a high academic level.” -Missy Testerman, 2024 National Teacher of the Year We welcomed #NTOY24 Missy Testerman as the keynote speaker at our third annual Leadership Collaborative Convening for #edprep deans and leaders. Testerman shared her perspective - and provided calls to action - on how teacher preparation programs can contribute to educator resilience and success. An alumna of East Tennessee State University, Testerman was also joined by Janna Scarborough, Dean of ETSU's Clemmer College of Education, and Valerie Sakimura, DFI Executive Director, for a fireside chat on how her preparation experience at ETSU shaped her first years and trajectory in teaching. The Leadership Collaborative Convening is an annual two-day, invite-only gathering of DFI's national network of leaders in educator-preparation programs to collaborate on addressing the biggest challenges facing the field. These leaders are alumni of DFI’s Impact Academy fellowship, which supports them with the tools and resources to foster more equitable systems of teaching and learning. (First picture: Testerman with deans and leaders of Tennessee #edprep programs represented at our Leadership Collaborative Convening) Learn more about Impact Academy: https://lnkd.in/dgfNWjHn Learn more about Council of Chief State School Officers #NTOY24 Missy Testerman: https://lnkd.in/g67ci6bz

📍 Cullowhee, North Carolina On our next stop of partnership kickoffs for the third cohort of our Learning by Scientific Design (LbSD) Network, we visited Western Carolina University and partnering school district Cherokee County Schools. Serving a primarily rural student population in western North Carolina, WCU and CCS are working together through LbSD to strengthen the pipeline of rural teachers, grounded in evidence-based instructional preparation and practice. WCU and CCS currently partner to support aspiring teachers with early field experiences. Faculty have also served as coaches for CCS beginning teachers through the North Carolina New Teacher Support program. During our visit, high school English teacher & beginning teacher coach Caesar Campana reflected on the complexity of teaching, saying: "There's a real need for teachers to be artists and innovators." The goal of the network is to equip new teachers with a deep understanding of how learning happens, so they are well-prepared to honor and nurture the brilliance of all students. Learn more about WCU & CCS's partnership: https://lnkd.in/gSgnhXvs Learn more about the third cohort of LbSD: https://lnkd.in/gieJENTb Kim K. Winter Adina Lopatin Mark Getchis Amber Willis, PhD

Teacher induction and mentorship are invaluable supports for aspiring and early-career teachers. Research tells us that when implemented effectively, these experiences can bolster teacher confidence, instructional quality, and student achievement—all of which contribute to teacher retention. Thanks to National Louis University Dean Carolyn Theard-Griggs, DFI Impact Academy alumna and coach, for highlighting an important component of teacher preparation and development.

"Because education is a complex, multifaceted system, decision-makers need to adopt a systems perspective, recognizing that failure of one component can impact the effectiveness of the entire ecosystem." We're working with the Evidence Action Center (EAC) and mission-aligned partners to build a sustainable, equitable, and high-quality education system, by grounding policies and practices across the field in scientific research and data. The Reading League CORE Learning The Science of Math Center for the Collaborative Classroom The Path Forward at The Hunt Institute National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) Keys to Literacy National Center on Improving Literacy Fulcrum Neuhaus Education Center Learning Disabilities Association of America COUNCIL FOR LEARNING DISABILITIES 95 Percent Group Learn more from EAC Chair Douglas Carnine: https://lnkd.in/eHvxxgpe

What factors contribute to the retention of diverse educators — and what's the specific role teacher preparation plays? On June 12 at 2pm EST, hear from DFI Executive Director Valerie Sakimura and other leaders in education on the One Million Teachers of Color webinar "Refining Retention: The Best Recruitment Strategy." The conversation will explore the unique challenges faced by diverse educators in the workplace and present effective strategies to overcome these barriers. Gain valuable insights and actionable strategies to ensure educators of color thrive and continue to enrich the educational experiences of all students. Register here: https://ow.ly/UAxE50S8Ykm