UNG's College of Education was one of 32 programs nationally to earn the Frank Murray Leadership Recognition for Continuous Improvement in 2021-22.
Article By: Clark Leonard
The University of North Georgia's (UNG) College of Education was one of 32 educator preparation programs nationally to receive the Frank Murray Leadership Recognition for Continuous Improvement from the Council for the Accreditation for Educator Preparation (CAEP) for 2021-22. It is reserved for those institutions that achieve the gold standard in teacher preparation accreditation with a clean review.
Dr. Sheri Hardee, dean of the College of Education, said the recognition is a testament to the dedication of faculty and staff of using data to improve the programs and training they offer students.
"You can collect data all day, but how are you using it to make your program better for your students?" Hardee said. "Our faculty does a great job of that."
Other schools to earn the Murray recognition included Rutgers University, Oral Roberts University, Virginia Commonwealth University, Clemson University, UNC Greensboro, Furman University, and Mary Baldwin College.
A previous area for improvement — recruiting more diverse students to the college — was a strength for UNG this time around. The Realizing Inspiring and Successful Educators (RISE) program with Hall County Schools and Aspiring Teachers Program (ATP) with the Gainesville City School System implemented within the past few years have been instrumental in that process.
The whole process is about continuous improvement and providing quality education programs for our community and our stakeholders in north Georgia. We do everything we can to make evidence-based decisions to support our students better
Dr. April Nelms
College of Education associate dean and professor
Both school systems supply the tuition and salaries for the students' paraprofessional positions while UNG provides students in these programs with faculty mentors, advisement, program events, funding for certification requirements, and supplies. The Hall County program focuses on creating a pipeline of Latinx teachers, while the Gainesville program is open to all students of color.
Dr. April Nelms, associate dean of the College of Education and professor, credited UNG's faculty and staff, mentor teachers, and principals at partner schools for their collaboration that has helped UNG uphold such high standards.
"The whole process is about continuous improvement and providing quality education programs for our community and our stakeholders in north Georgia," Nelms said. "We do everything we can to make evidence-based decisions to support our students better."
Another example of UNG's close connection with its partner school districts is its residency program that officially launched this fall with 33 seniors working as teachers in the Forsyth, Gwinnett, Hall, and Stephens county and Gainesville City school systems.
The program allows preservice teachers enrolled in a UNG teacher preparation program to be hired by school districts to be full-time teachers during their senior year. The program is meant to replace traditional student teaching, and these students are paid half the standard teaching salary, which amounts to about $23,000 annually.
"It's a great example of a mutually beneficial partnership," Hardee said. "They have a teacher shortage, and we are able to help. And it provides our students with unparalleled teaching experience and financial support."
Between RISE, ATP and the residency program, Hardee said, UNG's teacher preparation partner schools have invested about $1.3 million in UNG students for the 2022-23 academic year.
