School of Education NEWS Release

UNCG TEACHERS ACADEMY TRAINS TEACHERS,
EXPANDS SERVICES FOR SCHOOL SYSTEMS

By Steve Gilliam

GREENSBORO—It came more as a validation--and not really a surprise--to Dr. Ceola Ross Baber when The University of North Carolina at Greensboro led the state’s 47 teacher education programs in the 1999-2000 Institutions of Higher Education (IHE) rankings.

Baber is associate dean for teacher education and school relationships in the UNCG School of Education. Among her duties, she directs the UNCG Teachers Academy, which coordinates all teacher training and other professional education programs across the UNCG campus, along with outreach programs and new initiatives for the School of Education.

The State Board of Education report, released Dec. 7, said that UNCG had scored 138 points out of a possible 150 in 14 categories. Nicknamed the ”report card” on teacher-education, the rankings are prepared in compliance with the Excellent Schools Act of 1997. UNCG and three other schools earned "Exemplary" ratings, requiring a score of 135 or higher. The program rankings were based on compliance with state and national accreditation standards, the quality of graduates and involvement with and service to public schools.

“What this ranking does is reaffirm the very good work we have been doing,” Baber said. “We’ve felt that we were among the state’s top teacher education programs, so this makes it official. Our students already are heavily recruited and this can only help our future recruitment efforts.”

Baber’s title describes the Teachers Academy’s growing program of work. As she ticks off the new initiatives that are under way, Baber says the programs are both preparing teachers, administrators and other special school personnel, and linking UNCG’s professional education programs with the public schools to address shifting issues and new directions in the field.

“Our program has expanded in the school and it’s not just about training new teachers any more,” she said. “We are moving our services out to the school systems and linking the activities and expertise of UNCG’s professional education community with the schools.” In the past year, the Teachers Academy has added personnel and new programs to its responsibilities. Those additions are:

Judy Gilliam

Angela Burroughs

• Dr. Cheryl Greenberg, assistant director of the Teachers Academy. Greenberg also serves as coordinator of the Triad University-School Teacher Education Partnership, or USTEP. A university wide program, USTEP involves the school systems of Guilford and Rockingham counties. Its programs include teacher preparation, school improvement projects, research and professional development. Greenberg is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, where she also received her master’s degree, and holds the Ed.D. degree from UNCG.
• Judith W. “Judy” Gilliam of Reidsville, who is the Coach2Coach mentor teaching coordinator and a teacher-in-residence from the Rockingham County Schools. Coach2Coach is a statewide program funded by the U.S. Department of Education. It enlists master teachers or National Board Certified teachers as clinical faculty to provide support for the state’s 11,000 teachers who mentor new teachers or supervise pre-service teachers. Gilliam is a graduate of Meredith College and holds the M.Ed. degree from UNCG.
• Angela K. “Angie” Burroughs, who is part-time coordinator for the “A” licensure program for teaching. The program is designed for students who have an undergraduate degree but did not seek to be licensed as teachers as undergraduates. The program is coordinated with academic departments in the College of Arts and Science and three professional schools: music, health and human performance, and human and environmental sciences. Burroughs is a graduate of UNCG.
• North Carolina Teachers of Excellence for All Children (known as NC TEACH). Another statewide program funded by the U.S. Department of Education, NC TEACH is designed to recruit, prepare and support college graduates and mid-career professionals who are entering the teaching profession in North Carolina. Greenberg is site coordinator for Triad NC TEACH, which involves both UNCG and N.C. A&T State University.

Baber is no stranger to good teaching, and was recognized with a Teaching Excellence Award in 1993. Her research areas include ethnic minority student achievement, multicultural teacher education and secondary education. She is serving a three-year term on the board of examiners of the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education. She has served on the editorial board of Theory and Research in Social Education, which is the journal of the College and Faculty Assembly of the National Council for Social Studies. She was recently appointed by Gov. James Hunt to serve as the public university representative on the N.C. Commission for Professional Teaching Standards. She holds the Ph.D. degree from Purdue University.

Since the Academy started in 1993, it has coordinated the teacher licensure areas—which now total 31 separate programs and seven special support and service licensure areas—at the undergraduate and graduate levels. State licensure for all graduates is also coordinated through the academy.

Many people think that all the educational programs are concentrated in the School of Education, but that’s not the case, said Baber. In addition to education, the programs are housed in four professional schools (business and economics, health and human performance, music and human environmental sciences) and the College of Arts and Sciences.

During the 1999-2000 year, UNCG numbered over 1,000 students enrolled in its professional education programs, with over 400 undergraduates and 165 graduate students attending full-time. UNCG also has a large Master of Education degree program in which approximately 200 teachers complete degrees and receive licensure each year. During the 1999-2000 year, 254 students completed their basic “A” licensure and another 193 graduate students completed advanced licensure.

All totaled, UNCG’s licensure programs, Baber said, include just about every academic discipline that can be offered in the public schools. They range from birth-kindergarten, elementary and middle grades education to programs in the sciences, languages, history, mathematics, physical education, music, theatre and English. There are also programs in educational technology, school administration, counseling, special education, curriculum and school media.

Another aspect of teacher education at UNCG is the Professional Development Schools (PDS) program. UNCG was a leader in the state in 1991 when it developed the PDS program, which puts teacher-candidates in elementary and middle school classrooms from their sophomore year forward. Students have called it teacher-preparation "boot camp," but all have found it to be an eye-opening experience that exposes them to the realities of classroom teaching. But by the time they graduate, UNCG-educated teachers have spent several hundred hours, including student teaching, in the classroom.

“UNCG has a very large program, with one of the most extensive varieties of subject areas available in the state,” said Baber. “Our teachers are well-trained and they are sought after by school systems both inside and outside the state.”

Back to the Latest News Releases
Return to the University News Service Home Page