Making Waves in Maryland

1. Making Waves in Maryland Lessons Learned from the First State to Develop the AAT

2. Welcome • Do you have a teacher education degree? • What is the transfer experience your students have when they move to the 4-year school? • What do you hope to learn from this session?

3. AAT = Associate of Arts in Teaching • New transfer degree in 2002 • Added to state regulations • Result of teacher shortage state task force • Concerned about students and parents who complained to legislators about transfer difficulties • Recognized 50% of state teachers began their education at a community college

4. Purpose of the AAT • Ease student transfer • Increase pipeline • Increase diversity • Nontraditional students • Mature students • Students of color • Students with disabilities

5. Steps to Establishing the AAT • United state education groups to acknowledge need for seamless transition • Recognized that there are model programs/best practices of programs • Determined who the stakeholders were (state dept, university system, public and private institutions, higher ed commission, community colleges). Considered the make-up of the group (50/50 2 & 4 year schools)

6. Steps to Establishing the AAT • Developed a new degree/pathway (AAT) • Determined certification area to consider first • Discussed make-up of program (courses vs. outcomes) • Considered national standards (ACEI, NCATE, NAEYC, CEC, etc.) • Advocated for EDU courses & fieldwork • Built consensus in determining the outcomes - committees were chosen for general ed and teacher ed outcomes

7. Steps to Establishing the AAT • AAT planning committee developed a template to be used by all committees • Each committee of 10 met often to define the outcomes based on professional organizations’ standards • Community colleges built programs from outcomes • Developed new courses as needed (CC’s shared syllabi) • Designed field experience component/partnered with LSS • Built campus awareness; complete college processes • Developed crosswalks and programs of study for approval by MHEC and review by all higher education institutions

8. Continuous Review AAT Oversight Committee (2003) • Forum to discuss issues and concerns • Determine adding new AATs • Continuous Review (2009) • Reviewing first AAT (elementary ed) • Reviewing transition process

9. Available AATs • Early Childhood/Early Childhood Special Ed • Elementary/Elementary Special Ed • Secondary Chemistry • Secondary English • Secondary Math • Secondary Physics • Secondary Spanish

10. Requirements in all AATs • Program of study • Passing basic skills test • GPA – 2.75 • Fieldwork – 45 hours

11. Lessons Learned • Early informed career choice • Rigorous program (screening incorporated) • 5 education courses plus field experience -students feel better prepared • Community college students are at least as successful as native students • Community college directors unite through MADTECC to advocate as a group

12. Hurdles • Process was laborious • Changing faces in teacher education departments, advising and admissions • Understanding not at all levels – lack of buy-in throughout university education departments • Misunderstanding of seamless transition • Misunderstanding of the pipeline issue • Flexible CC programs that fit nontraditional students; no flexibility at 4-year institutions

13. Why your state needs the AAT? • What are your next steps? • What can you do to get the process going? • What connections do you already have in your state? • What advice can we provide you to help?

14. Colleen Eisenbeiser Director, TEACH Institute & Parenting Center Anne Arundel Community College 410-777-1963 ckeisenbeiser@aacc.edu Linda Gronberg-Quinn Director/Department Chair, Teacher Education    The Community College of Baltimore County 443.840.4153  Lgronberg@ccbcmd.edu Fran Kroll Director of Teacher Education Howard Community College 443-518-4854 FKroll@howardcc.edu