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RWT: Teacher academy curriculum and resources

RWT is an opportunity to support students holistically in their academic, emotional, social, professional, and cultural identity development, while guiding their exploration of careers in education. This grow-your-own program is one way of working to align the diversity of educators and students. Research on the RWT program from 2007 to 2014 shows program participants consistently have higher than both local and state averages for high school graduation and acceptance to college rates. Details can be found on our RWT reports page.

 

Graphic showing the Recruiting Washington Teachers Curriculum. Curriculum Units: Healthy Learning Communities. Culture and identity. Equity and opportunity. Equity pedagogy. College access. Practicum. Core elements: 1. Partnerships with Higher education a. Articulation for college credit b. Summer visits to college campuses c. Interaction with partners college students 2. Alignment with Standards a. Educator rising standard alignment b. CTE, common core state, and 21st century standards. c. Standards mapped against curriculum units 3. Pathways into careers as educators a. Making use of alternative routes b. Paraeducator certification through course c. District HR support for students who want to return to home district
Click to view the Curriculum infographic,

 

Curriculum Units, Information, and Supports

Students’ lives and their educational experiences are at the center of the RWT curriculum. The teacher’s role in this approach is one of a knowledgeable and skilled facilitator–designing the learning experiences to actively connect students’ prior knowledge to the academic and professional content, skills of equity pedagogy, and culturally relevant practice. It also asks for the commitment and ability to learn from and with their students in a shared dialogue of what it means to be a culturally responsive teacher. The curriculum directly ties to the priorities of RWT, which include:

  1. Actively recruiting and supporting students from backgrounds underrepresented in teaching to careers in education.
  2. Teaching a curriculum that reflects current Washington Teacher Education standards with the focus on equity pedagogy and differentiating instruction to support all learners.
  3. Supporting students to be college-ready to pursue a pathway to higher education and into teaching.

This curriculum is largely inspired by the work of veteran RWT teachers, Carla Smith of Renton High School and Michael Sampson of Burlington-Edison High School (BEHS). Michael Sampson served as co-author of the curriculum with Dr. Marilyn Chu and Dr. Maria Flores, teacher educators and researchers at Western Washington University.

If you have comments, questions, or suggestions, please don’t hesitate to contact us at pathways@k12.wa.us!

Footnotes

!González, N., Moll, L. & Amnati, C. (2005). Funds of knowledge: Theorizing practices in households, communities and classrooms, Mahwah, N.J.: Lawrence Erlbaum.

!Villegas, A.M. & Lucas, T. ( 2014) Preparing culturally responsive teachers: Rethinking the curriculum. Journal of Teacher Education, Vol. 53, No. 1, January / February 2002 20-32.

Lampert, M., & Graziani, F. (2009). Instructional activities as a tool for teachers’ and teacher educators’ learning in and for practice. Elementary School Journal, 109(5), 491-509. McDonald, M., Kazemi, E. & Schneider Kavenaugh, S. (2013). Core practices and pedagogies of teacher education: A call for a common language and collective activity. Journal of Teacher Education. 20(10), 1-9

Banks, C. & Banks, J. (1995). Equity pedagogy: An essential component of multicultural education. Theory into practice, (34) 3, Special Issue on Culturally Relevant Teaching (Summer, 1995), pp. 152-158. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Newmann, F. M. & Associates. (1996). Authentic achievement: Restructuring schools for intellectual quality.

Thompson, J., Windschitl, M., & Braaten, M. (in press). Developing a theory of ambitious early-career teacher practice. American Educational Research Journal

Chu, M., Timmons Flores, M., & Hillis, M. (2013, August). Report, executive summary and talking points. Professional Educator Standards Board.

Chu, M., Timmons Flores, M., Nourse, S., & Schmitz, S. (2011). Recruiting Washington Teachers final report, executive summary and talking points.

Chu, M. & Carrol, D., et al. (2010). Fostering a culture of learning that advances knowledge, embraces diversity, and promotes social justice: A report of the teacher education San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Chu, M., Carroll, D., Timmons Flores, M., & French, K. (2011). Critical inquiry and collaborative action: Transforming a college of education to recruit and retain underrepresented populations to teacher education. The Northwest Passage, 9(2), 60-71. http://web.unbc.ca/~kitchena/NWATE/NorthwestPassageJournal2011_Fall.pdf

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