The Master of Arts in Teaching graduate program at the University of Central Arkansas is the recipient of the 2010 Association of Teacher Educators’ Distinguished Program in Teacher Education Award.
The national award honors outstanding teacher education programs that exemplify comprehensive and cohesive teacher preparation courses aligned with strong collaboration between local school districts and institutions of higher education in program development.
The program was recognized during the association’s banquet on Feb. 16 in Chicago.
Master of Arts in Teaching program director, Dr. Tammy Benson, and MAT faculty members, Dr. Nancy Gallavan, Dr. Gary Bunn, Dr. Lisa Daniels, Dr. Sharon Otwell, and two MAT graduates, Vivi Bradshaw and Jennifer Merritt, conducted a presentation about the program on Feb. 15 at the annual Association of Teacher Educators Conference.
“It is such an honor to receive this award which is the result of a joint effort throughout our college, the Professional Education Unit and the university and we gladly share this honor with our colleagues,” Benson said. “It has been a great privilege for me to work with the dedicated and talented MAT faculty and over 500 graduate students who have experienced this program. We have so many incredible students who have come back to school to follow their dreams to be a teacher and make a difference in the lives of the children they teach. Helping them to succeed in that endeavor has been a dream job for me.”
The Master of Arts in Teaching graduate program provides teacher candidates with opportunities to obtain an Arkansas teaching license, Benson said. The College of Education offers the five-semester program for individuals without teaching credentials who have earned baccalaureate degrees and want to become classroom teachers within a short period of time.
The program began in the fall of 2006 with 40 students. Currently, MAT has more than 300 graduate students enrolled in the program with 112 of these students currently teaching in Arkansas schools, many in high need geographic areas. This past semester, teacher candidates completed their internships in 52 schools throughout the state.
“UCA has worked with the state to meet the needs of its unique community,” said Thomas Lucey, chairman of the Association of Teacher Educators’ awards committee. “While meeting standards is important, how the standards are met is also noteworthy.”
Dr. Nancy P. Gallavan, professor in the Department of Teaching and Learning, submitted the application for the award.
“The UCA MAT Program encapsulates the dedicated efforts of an inclusive cadre of professional educators from all three departments in the College of Education strengthened with the unwavering support from the administration in the college and across the university campus,” Gallavan said. “Many different creative individuals have endeavored to align the curriculum, instruction, and assessments that contribute to the incredible development of the teacher candidates as they become successful classroom practitioners. I am ecstatic that our professional colleagues in the Association of Teacher Educators recognize our accomplishments and have honored us with this prestigious award.”
Dr. Diana Pounder, dean of the College of Education, commended the MAT faculty for the deserving recognition.
“The College of Education is extremely proud of Dr. Tammy Benson and the MAT faculty for developing and implementing a program that serves large numbers of students who have decided after earning an undergraduate degree to become licensed teachers,” said Pounder. “The MAT program provides an alternative route to teacher licensure while maintaining the rigor and standards expected of high quality teacher education programs. We are pleased to see the program gain national recognition through the ATE Distinguished Program award.”
