Marquette Leads New National Online Teacher Training Partnership
Program will help curb the national teacher shortage

April 14, 2004

Milwaukee - Marquette University 's School of Education , a leader in online education and distance learning programs, has created a first of its kind partnership with Loyola University Chicago and St. Joseph 's University in Philadelphia to help them develop an online accelerated teacher certification program for adults who already have a bachelor's degree and now want to become teachers. The initiative is designed to attract new teachers to the field by making the education and certification process more accessible for working adults. This effort is part of an ongoing focus on stemming the teacher shortage that is plaguing school districts, particularly in urban areas, across the country.

Beginning May 13, the three schools will launch a joint online master's degree teacher certification program, lead and taught by Marquette faculty on the Marquette server. This will allow faculty from Loyola Chicago and St. Joseph's to observe the online instruction program, and become familiar with the technology before hosting their own programs this fall . Fifteen students, 5 from each university, will participate in the pilot program this summer. Each university will then host its own individual program beginning in the fall 2004 semester. The program incorporates coursework and student teaching, culminating in teacher certification and a master's degree.

“The bottom line is that we have to get more highly trained teachers into the classroom. Here at Marquette we've made real progress in providing quality online programs to the students who want them. Loyola University Chicago and St. Joseph's University share our commitment to outstanding teacher education, and we are proud to partner with them in this effort to curb the teacher shortage that is stifling urban school districts across the nation,” says Dr. Heidi Schweizer, associate professor in the School of Education and director of the Center for Electronic Learning at Marquette . “This online degree program will be a model for others as many states and universities develop new ways to meet the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) law for a quality teacher in every classroom,”

Kate Geenen, a student in the program, is one example of the many professionals who are leaving their current careers for one in education due to the structure of this online program. Geenen was working for the Milwaukee Brewers in its Minor League Department when she decided to make a career change in order to have more time with her young family. “As a working parent with two small children, the online format made graduate school a more accessible option for me,” she says. “While I take the classes on my own computer, I still benefit from the experience of my professors and fellow classmates. I'm getting the knowledge and teaching strategies I will be able to use effectively in the classroom.”

NCLB law requires new approach to teacher certification

 The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) law, passed in 2002, has forced states and universities to develop ways to meet new requirements to hire more qualified teachers and show academic improvement each year.

Marquette 's Center for Electronic Learning, the university's hub for Internet course development and technology-based training, was the first in Wisconsin to launch an online master degree program in instructional leadership three years ago. Last year, it received a grant from the U.S. Department of Education to address the critical teacher shortage for n ew and qualified K-12 teachers, particularly in math and science . According to the Urban Teacher Collaborative supported by the Carnegie Corporation and the Ford Foundation, urban school districts have been hit hardest by this teacher shortage; 98 percent of urban school systems have an immediate need for science teachers.

Marquette University has already responded to t he enormous demand for new teachers by extending teacher certification and post-baccalaureate degree programs to a larger audience, launching its online teaching certification program last fall. Dr. Schweizer says that the desire among professionals to change careers and teach is increasing as well, and with it comes the demand for more flexible degree and certification options. The three universities hope that by focusing on the design, development and delivery of educationally sound online courses, they will be able to provide the critical link between school districts that desperately need new teachers and the professionals who want to join them. All three universities are located in urban centers, ideally positioned to train professionals to be new teachers in high-shortage areas. The program will also place a strong emphasis on recruiting teachers of color. The goal of the program is to recruit 35 teachers from each of the universities with a minimum of 20 teachers of color.

Marquette builds on public and private support

Federal funds will comprise 51 percent of the total cost of the new project. The U.S. Department of Education's grant is for $428,150 over a three-year period.

In 1999, the AT&T Foundation awarded a two-year, $200,000 grant to Marquette University to support the development of online courses by the Center for Electronic Learning. Because of this initial grant and AT&T's renewed support totaling $150,000 over the past two years, the Center for Electronic Learning successfully completed the development of many of the online courses that will be incorporated into this new program. The combination of public and private support has resulted in this innovative new approach designed to stem the critical teacher shortage, provide professionals with a new rewarding career opportunity, and ensure higher education options continue to keep pace with today's technological advances and the lifestyle demands of working students.