Governor's Academy for Urban Learning
The Governor's Academy for Urban Education provides educators in grades K-8 an intensive, rigorous professional learning opportunity designed to improve teaching and learning in Pennsylvania's urban classrooms.
Successful participants will earn graduate credits, which may be applied to Act 48 re-certification requirements.
Goals
- To facilitate the development of teaching and learning improvement plans, which build upon a school district's strategic plan (with participation of the building administrator)
- To empower alignment of curricula with Pennsylvania's academic standards in reading and mathematics
- To demonstrate effective ways for coping with educational issues in schools, especially those schools in urban settings
- To enable participants to differentiate instructional and assessment strategies
- To enable participants to gain specific knowledge of how to assist students to read critically in mathematics and science content areas, to analyze and interpret literature, and to improve the quality of their reading and writing skills
- To develop and strengthen participants' ability to maximize the effective use of mathematics and technology resources, such as calculators, high-quality Internet web sites to supplement classroom instruction, and computer software
- To reinforce instructional concepts and strategies through an organized follow-up program
- To provide Act 48 hours or graduate credits to eligible participants
Projected Outcomes
Successful participants will earn graduate credits, which may be applied to Act 48 recertification requirements. In addition, educators who attend will learn to:
- Align language arts and mathematics curricula and lessons with Pennsylvania's academic standards
- Write and implement a teaching and learning improvement plan
- Create a responsive classroom
- Integrate the instruction of language arts and mathematics
- Use effective classroom management practices
- Apply effective classroom-based learning strategies in the content areas
- Apply teaching practices that are successful with diverse students especially urban student populations
- Have high expectations for diverse student populations
- Use appropriate instructional technology
Partners
The Pennsylvania Academy for the Profession of Teaching and Learning is a co-sponsor of the Governor's Academy for Urban Education, along with the Pennsylvania Department of Education.
Implementation Strategies
- Accept teams of educators
- Have teams of faculty from higher education and urban classrooms teach mathematics and language arts content sessions
- Provide planning time for teams to develop teaching and learning improvement plans
- Have mentors assist teams as they develop their teaching and learning improvement plans and contact teams throughout the academic year to follow-up on status of plan implementation
- Convene both small and large group sessions
- Provide useful instructional resources
- Provide web resources pertaining to instruction, curriculum, standards, and other sources for educators to build on what they have learned
Contact Information
Dr. Stephen A. Pavlak
Associate Vice Chancellor for School/University Programs
PA State System of Higher Education
2986 North Second Street
Harrisburg, PA 17110
(717) 720-7240
(717) 720-4447 Fax
spavlak@passhe.edu
Governor's Academy for Urban Learning History
Since 2001, over 1700 applications have been received and over 600 educators accepted and have completed the Urban Academy. Two graduate credits were earned by educators, who met or exceeded the established requirements for earning graduate credit; with the remainder earning continuing professional development hours applicable to Act 48.
Instructors served as team mentors and were responsible for assisting teams assigned to them to develop quality Teaching and Learning Improvement Plans. Participants felt prepared to implement their team Teaching and Learning Improvements Plans developed during the week to increase their students' ability to meet the Commonwealth's academic standards.
Participants believed the knowledge they gained justified the time they spent during the Urban Academy. Final Reflection Activity Sheets revealed the Academy's primary goals were accomplished.