Regent Receives Grant from U.S. Department of Education
July 10, 2007
Through its Transition to Teaching program, the U.S. Department of Education has awarded a $248,000 grant to Regent University to recruit and train teacher candidates from outside the field of education.
Regent is the only school in Virginia to receive this funding, which is part of $22.1 million issued through the Transition to Teaching program.
Called "Refining the Finest," the five-year project is an outgrowth of the Career Switcher alternative route to licensure program. It will focus on preparation of teachers specifically for the Norfolk Public Schools (NPS), especially in the core subjects, with an emphasis on secondary mathematics.
According to Dr. Alan Arroyo, dean of Regent's School of Education, Norfolk Public Schools is a perfect partner for the project. "We have partnered with NPS in the past and have a great working relationship with them," Arroyo says. "Several of our Career Switchers are now employed by NPS and we are honored to be working with them to assure that the best teachers possible are instructing their students."
Dr. Mervyn Wighting, associate professor of education and chair of Regent's Career Switcher program, will serve as project director for "Refining the Finest."
"The award will enable us to expand and improve our Career Switcher program so we can prepare more teachers of high-need subjects," Wighting says, adding that he is honored to be working with Norfolk Public Schools and his colleagues in the School of Education on such a worthy project.
Serving as project co-director is Dr. Lou Lloyd-Zannini, associate professor of education and director of Regent's Master Teacher Program, which serves as the instructional setting for the RU Career Switchers Program. "The new teachers that emerge from our program will take with them not only their own personal and professional training, but also a solid grasp -- anchored in practically-oriented training -- of all major components of the teaching field," Zannini explains. "In the long run, we are working towards creating not only a cadre of excellent teachers, but also a support and incentive system that will keep these teachers committed to their students and the field for the rest of their working lives."
Dr. Alfred P. Rovai, professor of education and director of Regent's Center for Research and Program Evaluation, will oversee the program evaluation.
April 15, 2008: UPDATES
Dr. Gail Derrick currently oversees the program evaluation. Dr. Mervyn Wighting is sole grant director.
PR/NEWS CONTACT: Judy Baker
Public Relations
Phone: 757.509.2692 Fax: 757.352.4888
E-mail: judibak@regent.edu
