The College of Education and Human Development graduated its first cohort of teacher candidates who participated in the U.S. Prep Teacher Transformation pilot which required teacher candidates to complete a one-year clinical residency instead of the traditional one-semester teacher preparation internship. The pilot was made possible due to the College of Education and Human Development’s status as a member of the U.S. Prep National Teacher Preparation Transformation Center funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
Associate dean of the College of Education and Human Development, Dr. Tamika Bradley, said: “Our U.S. Prep Scholars are exemplary educators who reflect the caliber of teachers we aim to produce. They are the best and brightest and are equipped with the skills to immediately impact the learning and development of the students they serve. We celebrate our graduates and look forward to working with the next group of teacher candidates in our U.S. Prep endeavors.”
JSU is the only HBCU in the consortium of universities that comprise the national center. Participation in the pilot was voluntary, but students had to meet the criterion for selection. Dr. Chandar Lewis was site coordinator for the members of the cohort. Lewis also served as their clinical field-based instructor and coach throughout the experience.
Members of the cohort received weekly intensive feedback and instruction. They were also afforded the opportunity to attend several conferences at local, state and national levels. Five of the six students graduated with select honors and were highly recruited by districts in and out of state. Several members of the cohort have applied to graduate schools and are priority candidates to receive the Thurgood Marshall Scholarship to continue the development and enhancement of their professional credentials.