Perry Township Schools and Marian University are pleased to announce our newest partnership, which will help our district develop a new generation of excellent educators. Marian University‘s Fred S. Klipsch Educators College is offering a trailblazing clinical experience and residency opportunity to future teachers.
The program allows students to earn a bachelor’s degree in four years and a master’s degree in five years in special education, elementary education, or biology and secondary education. As part of the curriculum, future teachers will gain real-life classroom experience by tutoring, as well as observing our teachers and their classroom strategies in action. Aspiring teachers, with coaching and supervision from our experienced teachers, will also lead lessons. The program will conclude with a year-long residency in our schools under the guidance of one of our master teachers, who is tasked with implementing best practices, as well as leading professional development and coaching of fellow teachers.
Our Marian University partnership is an intentional relationship that fits perfectly with our current guidelines for building teacher effectiveness and improving student performance. Marian University is educating its student teachers with National Institute for Excellence in Teaching (NIET) standards – the same framework our administrators and teachers use to raise student achievement by putting teacher leaders at the forefront of school improvement.
Our teacher leaders coordinate weekly collaborative, professional learning tailored to the needs of teachers and students, provide an instructional rubric and training on best classroom practices, and create a culture of continuous improvement through regular coaching and feedback. As our teachers thrive, so do our students. Each month, teachers are able to confirm if students are becoming more proficient in a subject via monthly assessments called Evaluate. The results reveal whether students are excelling in a subject or whether teachers must adjust instruction, so students can grow academically.
We strive to enhance our students’ mastery of subjects rather than simply rewarding their ability to memorize a set of facts. We want them to take what they learn in our classrooms and create solutions to real-world problems. We are thankful to Marian University for training and teaching the next generation of educators who will meet this need in Perry Township Schools and other schools around the state. It is our hope that aspiring teachers will leave us as high school graduates and return to our district as well-equipped, highly trained educators. For more information, visit marian.edu/educators-college.