- WP, The Magazine of
- William Paterson University
- P.O. Box 913
- Wayne, NJ 07474-0913
- (973) 720-2967
- We welcome letters to the editor.
- Drop us a note via eamil at
- wpmag@wpunj.edu
- William Paterson University
New College
of Education Master's Degree
Stresses Leadership
Educational leadership is the focus of a new 36-credit master's degree offered by the University's College of Education.
Collaborative in design, the M.Ed. in educational leadership is a new program which places the participants into a cohort to underscore the value of teamwork. Members of the cohort work together in micro and macro groups through the time it takes to complete the twelve three-credit courses. Two classes are held per semester, one weekend per month, and the program includes one weeklong summer course. The program is geared to the educators' existing work schedules and completion of the courses leaves participants eligible for a principal's certificate.
For additional information about the master's degree, contact Michael Chirichello, department chair, at 973.720.2130 or via e-mail at chirichellom@wpunj.edu.
University
Works With Three High-Need School Districts
On Teacher Quality Enhancement
The University is collaborating with three high-need local school
districts- Paterson, Passaic and Garfield-in a federally funded
project designed to integrate curriculum reform, teacher preparation,
and educational policy activities.
The project is funded by
a five-year $8 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education
to the New Jersey Statewide Teacher Quality Enhancement Consortium,
a partnership including William Paterson University, Kean University,
Rowan University, three local school districts, seven other school
districts in central and southern New Jersey, and corporate and
parent partners. The grant was awarded under a new program created
to prepare new teachers to meet the many demands of today's classrooms.
The New Jersey Consortium was one of 25 awardees across the country.
"Over the next ten years, New Jersey will need more teachers, as well as teachers who can better prepare the state's students for the challenges of the next century," says Leslie Agard-Jones, dean of the College of Education. "To meet this demand in New Jersey-the most urbanized and culturally diverse state in the nation-institutions of higher education and the K-12 school districts must work in partnership in order to effect real changes in teacher education. We believe our work through this consortium can serve as a model for the rest of the country."
The University will work on initiatives involving all areas of teacher training and quality, as well as issues critical to its partner districts that lead to increased student achievement. Specific activities will focus on curricular reforms in the areas of world languages, health and physical education, and technology, as well as the New Jersey Core Content Curriculum Standards.
Other activities include
professional development opportunities for K-12 and higher education
faculty that not only include core standards, but also best practices
and mentoring for student teachers and first-year teachers, and
the establishment of institutes designed to help teachers meet
the state-mandated 100-hour professional development requirement.
The project also calls for the establishment of at least one
Professional Development School in each partner district during
the first two years of the grant. The Professional Development
School will be based on a clinical model in which William Paterson
College of Education faculty and the liberal arts content specialists
will work with teachers in the selected school.
