The UABC personnel work with high school community college and university students, as well as practicing educators to provide a personalized preparation for teaching in our hardest to staff schools. As opposed to the traditional Broward county internship model, the UABC distinguish themselves by providing continual support on an individual basis to aspiring educators. Beyond exposing candidates to an urban environment, the UABC equips them with appropriate and effective techniques and strategies that ensure success in teaching positions with what has been traditionally considered the underserved population of students. A description of the three components follows.
The Urban Teacher Academy Program (UTAP) is a rigorous four-year curriculum for recruited high school students aspiring to become educators. The program, which is based on effective teaching practices used by master teachers, is correlated to the curriculum offered at partner higher education institutions and includes dual enrollment credits. UTAP activities include academic guidance throughout high school and college, practical experiences in local feeder school classrooms and exposures to higher education institutions. Upon successful completion of this program, students are guaranteed a debt-free college education through the Broward Teacher Fellowship. The Broward Teacher Fellowship program provides a 2 + 2 Florida pre-paid college tuition scholarship that covers tuition for 60 hours at Broward Community College and 60 hours at one of its participating universities. The Fellowship recipients will meet regularly with a UABC coordinator once the college experience begins. All higher education field experiences occur at UABC sites. Once degrees are conferred, participants are guaranteed employment in urban Broward schools.
Integral parts of this program include all field experience from the introduction level (16 hours) to the practicum level (90 hours and above). The UABC personnel visit the community college beginning education courses each semester introducing the program. More than 570 field experience students were placed at UABC sites over the past five years and were encouraged to continue as volunteers upon completion of their courses. Those students who reach the practicum level are placed with clinically trained educators at UABC sites. More than 365 clinical educators are available to serve as mentors. All on-site coordinators are qualified to serve as adjunct professors at partner institutions, connecting theory to practice.
Interns (full-time student teachers) from partner institutions are strategically placed with high performing teachers based on grade level and subject preference. Value is added to this program through continuous observations, modeling, counseling, mentoring and professional development provided by UABC personnel. The level of communication between college supervisors, cooperating teachers, school administrators and the UABC personnel enhances the experience. Regularly scheduled learning communities emphasizing classroom management, lesson planning and curriculum alignment contribute to the intern's success. After interns secure a teaching position, the UABC will provide follow-up and support through the beginning of their teaching experience.
In addition to prospective teachers, the UABC personnel works closely with the practicing population of the school. Through the support of individual School Improvement Plans, UABC serves as a link for community resources and dissemination of school based projects. UABC personnel also work as liaisons between institutions of higher education and school sites, facilitate the "event to program" staff development model and connect resources to help improve the culture and climate in UABC sites.
Practicing and new educators increase their individual teaching potential through the use of Teacher Learning Centers (observation classrooms) and Distance Learning locations. Through videoconference broadcasts, best practices are shared from school site to university classrooms where future educators discuss effective teaching practices. Not only has this proven successful in improving quality of content and pedagogy, it also serves as an avenue for collegial conversation. Practicing educators observe one another in order to strengthen their own abilities and improve student achievement. Partner institutions of higher education enhance practice through the sharing of expertise and application of research in the areas of classroom management, reading in the content area, classical studies, critical thinking skills, mathematical strategies and parental involvement.
UABC personnel arrange and conduct Clinical Educator training, thereby providing an increasing number of practicing educators ready to mentor interns and field experience candidates.
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