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Florida Initiative for the Advancement of Teaching

A proposal presented by

Florida Atlantic University’sCollege of Education

Gregory F. Aloia, Ph.D.Dean and Professor

777 Glades RoadBoca Raton, FL 33431

561-297-3564gfaloia@fau.edu

10-15-2006

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PBCC – FAU Collaboration

Dr. Dennis Gallon, President – PBCC

Dr. Beverly Robinson, Provost – Belle Glade

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FIAT Provides

Increased Realistic Classroom Experiences

Continual and Intensive Mentoring Direct Support for Teacher Education

Majors

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Mission FIAT

Florida Initiative for the Advancement of Teaching (FIAT) will provide practical, research-based, and scalable solutions for improving Florida’s PK-20 educational system by recruiting, preparing, and retaining quality educators in sufficient numbers to meet the needs of Florida schools.

IFAS Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences http://www.ifas.ufl.edu/

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Primary Functions

1. Expanding the Potential Teacher Pool (Long-term)

2. Educator Training Initiatives (Ongoing)

3. Research and Evaluation Initiatives

4. Organizational & Strategic Planning Activities

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1) Expanding the Potential Teacher Pool

Project Good FIT (First Introduction into Teaching)

Places college freshmen/sophomores into schools as Instructional Interns one day a week with model classroom teachers and principals who mentor the students during their induction into teaching. Project Good FIT is designed to work collaboratively with community colleges . Each Good FIT student is paid a stipend.

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2) Educator Training Initiatives (Ongoing)

Project SMaRT

(Substituting with Mentors and Realistic Teaching)

Places college juniors/seniors into schools as substitute teachers one to two days a week under the supervision of a university Master Mentor who supports the learning experiences of substitute teachers. Each SMaRT student is paid a stipend.

Accelerated Induction into Teaching Program (AIT)

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2) Educator Training Initiatives (Ongoing)

Project AIT (Accelerated Induction into Teaching)

Places highly qualified student teachers in their own classrooms for one semester as the instructor of record under the supervision of a university Master Mentor who works with the AIT teacher every day. Each AIT student is paid a stipend. Expand the Accelerated Induction into Teaching Program (AIT) to two additional Florida universities with partner school districts.

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Continuous Teacher Induction Program

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3) Research and Evaluation Initiatives - Part 1

Initial questions identified for further investigation are:

Research Initiative Para’s to Teachers:

What is the most effective way to enable highly qualified paraprofessionals (especially bilingual and rurally located) to complete their degrees and obtain initial teacher certification?

Research Initiative HOME: Home Ownership and Mortgages for Educators

What strategies can be implemented to address the cost of housing in many Florida counties for individuals relying on teacher salaries?

Research Initiative International Teacher:

What is the most effective way to recruit and support foreign-born nationals with expertise in critical shortage areas (e.g. math and science) and train them to be successful in managing a Florida classroom?

Research Initiative teacher longevity :

What are the reasons that teachers stay instead of leave the profession after five years?

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4) Organizational and Strategic Planning Activities

Establish a statewide commission representing all PK-20 institutions and agencies to…

1. Develop a five-year strategic plan for FIAT.

2. Provide program oversight and accountability.

Create an accountability and performance incentive system for participating consortia members and individual prospective teachers.

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Innovative Principles of FIAT :

1. Provides practical and realistic, professional experiences for prospective teachers (FIT, SMaRT, and AIT)

• Total Professional Experience Days (FIT = 72, SMaRT=108, AIT=90) = 270

2. Reinvests millions of existing public dollars into effective teacher recruitment, training, and retention. Paid Internships

• (FIT= $4,320, SMaRT= $6,480, AIT=$5,000) = $15,800

• 73% of $15,800 Reinvested = $11,534

3. Provides performance based scholarships for pre-service teachers who demonstrate a professional commitment to teaching and an academic commitment to earning their degree.

Cost of replacing a teacher = $12,000-14,000* (American Management Association 2004) Tuition FAU $13,200 4-years

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Florida Initiative for the Advancement of Teaching

FIAT

Let it be done!