FACULTY FOCUS

Jim Hiebert, the Robert J. Barkley Professor of Education, answers questions about some of his recent research on classroom teaching and learning in mathematics, including a study that used video to compare teaching methods in countries with high mathematics achievement.

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ALUMNI ACCOLADES

Rudolph Karkosak, '91EdD, was one of four alumni of the College of Education ad Public Policy honored with the 2009 Outstanding Alumni Award at a dinner held Friday, June 5, as part of the University of Delaware's first-ever Forum and Reunion Weekend.

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STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

When Samanta Lopez, central complex coordinator for University of Delaware Residence Life and graduate student in the School of Education, was in seventh grade, a teacher and mentor told her, "You are going to make a difference" and that has been her goal ever since.

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NEWS

Strategic Plan Outlines a Path to Prominence™ for the School of Education

festival of words

In May 2008, the School of Education unanimously approved a strategic plan that articulates the contributions of our school to the University of Delaware’s Path to Prominence.™ The following is excerpted from the introduction to our strategic plan:

The value of a university’s school of education derives from its ability to study education rather than just do it. The faculty of the School of Education at the University of Delaware do not simply educate. We systematically study how to educate and how to design evidence-based improvements. In other words, our work is the scholarship of education.

At its core, the scholarship of education focuses on teaching and learning, the nature of educative opportunities, and the factors that influence students’ ability to benefit from them. We also recognize that conflicts over values create intense educational controversies regarding the goals of education that can rarely be settled empirically. Enriching debates over the goals of public education with reasoned analyses is also part of the scholarship of education.

The School of Education has a history of excellence in the scholarship of education. Grounded in this scholarship, we have designed excellent academic programs. Our commitment to meeting the needs of today’s schools prompted our requirement that teachers seeking elementary teacher certification must also be prepared to teach in a high-needs area such as special education or in a middle-school content area like mathematics, science, English, or social studies. A number of our professional programs have a national reputation while also serving the needs of the state and region for well-prepared professionals. Our Ph.D. program is highly selective and places its graduates in faculty positions as well as in educational research organizations.

Our faculty are leaders. Throughout Delaware, our faculty offer advice on important educational problems, from early reading to school climate to special education reform. In addition, many of our faculty are national leaders who impact educational policy. This leadership is possible only because of our commitment to the systematic study of education in ways that can inform improvement efforts.

Building on our past, we now prepare for a new era. As the University of Delaware implements its strategic plan for becoming one of the world’s great universities, the School of Education has also developed a strategic plan to articulate our contributions to this effort. The School of Education’s stewardship of resources — both in terms of personnel and budget — requires clear goals. We see our pathway to prominence to include leadership in the university, the local schools, the nation, and the world. As such, we propose the following interrelated initiatives:

  • Leadership on the University of Delaware campus
  • Knowledge-based partnerships with public schools
  • Public education leadership and policy
  • Nationally prominent, evidence-based programs
  • Diversity informed by global perspectives

For a PDF file of our full strategic plan, ( click here).

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