Lurie College Accepts the Christa McAuliffe Excellence Award in Teacher Education

San José State University’s Connie L. Lurie College of Education Receives Christa McAuliffe Excellence in Teacher Education Award

SJSU Lurie College Dean Heather Lattimer (left) and SJSU President Cynthia Teniente-Matson onstage at the AACSU summer meeting. Photo courtesy of Sara Hertwig Photography for AASCU.

Introduction

This July, San José State University’s Connie L. Lurie College of Education was awarded the Christa McAuliffe Excellence in Teacher Education Award from the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU), an organization of state-supported colleges and universities that offer degree programs leading to bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degrees.

SJSU President Cynthia Teniente-Matson, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Vincent Del Casino, Jr. and Lurie College Dean Heather Lattimer were in attendance. The award was given in recognition of SJSU’s commitment to diversifying the teacher workforce.

“San José State is bridging the persistent diversity discrepancy between students in P-12 education and those who educate them,” Teniente-Matson stated at the conference. “SJSU’s Connie L. Lurie College of Education is leading the way in program implementation aimed at increasing the diversity pipeline within the education workforce. As an anchor institution of Silicon Valley, we embrace pedagogy that ensures our graduates are role models as transformative educators, counselors, therapists, school and community leaders.”

Acceptance of the Award

Heather Lattimer (HL): This award is a fantastic recognition of the tremendous work of our students, faculty, staff, alumni and community partners to grow and diversify our educator preparation programs. Over the past six years we’ve grown our outreach, increased scholarship support, strengthened student success supports, built new partnerships with P-12 school districts and community-based organizations, and launched specially designed initiatives such as our Ethnic Studies Residency Program, Bilingüisimo y Justicia bilingual education program and our Male Educators of Color Initiative. This work has led to significant growth in our program overall, with the highest rates of growth coming from students who identify as first generation and/or students of color. We’ve seen a 27% increase in Asian student enrollment; a 63% increase in Latinx/Hispanic student enrollment; a 293% increase in bilingual authorization enrollment, a 195% increase in Asian completers; a 357% increase in Latinx/Hispanic completers; and a 300% increase in Black/African American completers.

The Christa McAuliffe Award celebrates the power and impact of this work and recognizes SJSU and the Lurie College of Education as a national leader.

Feelings about Accepting the Award

HL: It was an honor to be in Denver at the AASCU Summer Meeting to accept the award on behalf of the Lurie College of Education and SJSU. It is particularly noteworthy that this is one of only four Excellence and Innovation Awards that AASCU presented at the 2024 Summer Meeting. The prominence of the award speaks to the critical role that teacher education plays in the work of our state colleges and universities nationally in leading P-20 [preschool through higher education] educational ecosystems and advancing educational equity and economic opportunity.

Importance of Diversifying the Teacher Pipeline

HL: All children deserve to have teachers who understand their lived experiences, recognize their strengths, celebrate their successes and share their joys. There is a substantial body of research that consistently shows that our P-12 students and communities thrive when the diversity of our educators reflect the diversity of our communities.

Additional Information

HL: Our students are amazing! Choosing to be an educator — especially at a time when we see increasing politicization of our classrooms and are experiencing the weight of decades of underfunding of our schools — is a bold and courageous commitment. They deserve our full support while they are here with us at SJSU and we must continue to support and advocate for our graduates when they are in their P-12 classrooms.

To fully realize the successes recognized by this award, we need to have systems, structures, and funding support in place to retain our P-12 teachers, providing them with the salary and resources needed so that they can confidently commit to a career in education and invest their time and talents in their students and families.

Learn more about the Lurie College of Education.

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SDGs, Targets, and Indicators Analysis

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 4: Quality Education
• SDG 5: Gender Equality
• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
• SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions

The article discusses San José State University’s Connie L. Lurie College of Education’s commitment to diversifying the teacher workforce, which is connected to SDG 4. By increasing diversity in the education workforce, the college is promoting quality education and ensuring that all children have access to teachers who understand their lived experiences.

The article also mentions the importance of diversity in the education workforce, which aligns with SDG 5 on gender equality and SDG 10 on reducing inequalities. By diversifying the teacher pipeline, the college is working towards achieving gender equality and reducing inequalities in education.

Additionally, the article highlights the college’s efforts to support and advocate for graduates in their P-12 classrooms, which relates to SDG 16 on peace, justice, and strong institutions. By providing support and resources to teachers, the college is contributing to the development of a strong education system and promoting justice in the field of education.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

• Target 4.c: By 2030, substantially increase the supply of qualified teachers, including through international cooperation for teacher training in developing countries.
• Target 5.c: Adopt and strengthen sound policies and enforceable legislation for the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls at all levels.
• Target 10.2: By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic, and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion, or economic or other status.
• Target 16.7: Ensure responsive, inclusive, participatory, and representative decision-making at all levels.

The article highlights the efforts of San José State University’s Connie L. Lurie College of Education to increase the diversity of the teacher workforce. This aligns with Target 4.c under SDG 4, which aims to increase the supply of qualified teachers. By diversifying the teacher pipeline, the college is working towards achieving this target.

The college’s commitment to diversifying the teacher workforce also contributes to Target 5.c under SDG 5, which focuses on promoting gender equality. By ensuring that teachers reflect the diversity of communities, the college is promoting gender equality in education.

Furthermore, the college’s efforts to support and advocate for graduates in their P-12 classrooms align with Target 10.2 under SDG 10, which aims to promote the social, economic, and political inclusion of all individuals. By providing support and resources to teachers, the college is empowering them and promoting their inclusion in the education system.

Lastly, the college’s commitment to program implementation and increasing diversity in the education workforce contributes to Target 16.7 under SDG 16, which focuses on ensuring responsive, inclusive, participatory, and representative decision-making. By actively working towards diversifying the teacher pipeline, the college is promoting inclusive decision-making in the field of education.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

• Increased enrollment rates of Asian, Latinx/Hispanic, and Black/African American students in the educator preparation programs.
• Increased completion rates of Asian, Latinx/Hispanic, and Black/African American students in the educator preparation programs.
• Increased enrollment rates in bilingual authorization programs.

The article mentions significant growth in the program overall, with specific increases in enrollment and completion rates for Asian, Latinx/Hispanic, and Black/African American students. These indicators can be used to measure progress towards Target 4.c under SDG 4, as they reflect an increase in the supply of qualified teachers from diverse backgrounds.

In addition, the article highlights a significant increase in enrollment rates in bilingual authorization programs. This indicator can be used to measure progress towards Target 4.c under SDG 4, as it reflects the college’s efforts to increase the supply of qualified teachers with specialized skills in bilingual education.

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators Table

Source: blogs.sjsu.edu