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University Systems
Unite to Strengthen Teacher Education
AUSTIN
- Chancellors of the three largest university
systems in Texas signed an agreement recently
to create a collaborative research center for
the enhancement of teacher education programs
across Texas.
A three-year $2.9 million grant from Houston
Endowment Inc., a private philanthropic organization,
will be used to establish the Center for Research,
Evaluation and Advancement of Teacher Education,
to be known as CREATE. The center will involve
a partnership among the Texas A&M University
System, the Texas State University System, and
the University of Texas System.
The center's mission will include promoting
research on the education of teachers, sponsoring
research fellowships, disseminating research
findings and undertaking other activities to
help institutions develop more effective teacher
preparation programs. The institutions have
not yet determined a location for the center.
George Grainger, an official of Houston Endowment,
said in a statement: "Houston Endowment
is excited to provide funding for the establishment
of this new collaborative center. Together,
these three great university systems have 23
colleges of education and annually account for
more than 60 percent of all the new teachers
produced by higher education institutions in
Texas, so they have a tremendous impact on public
education in our state. This new partnership
will focus an extraordinary assemblage of talent
on one of the most urgent issues in Texas -
the need to produce excellent teachers for a
growing and diverse population."
Howard Graves, chancellor of the Texas A&M
University System, said: "We enthusiastically
support this new collaboration, and we are grateful
to Houston Endowment for making it possible.
Research on the preparation of new teachers
is vital if we are to continue to improve our
preparation programs and to provide teachers
for Texas who can impact high levels of student
achievement. This center will bring together
top-flight researchers from all three systems
to define and deliver high-quality educational
research. Working together to integrate this
teacher-education research in our separate systems,
we will be able to advance this critically important
mission much further and much faster than would
otherwise be possible."
Lamar G. Urbanovsky, chancellor of the Texas
State University System, said: "Allow me
to add my thanks to Houston Endowment for their
generosity and vision in supporting this new
multi-system collaborative center. Few issues
are as important to Texas as preparing new teachers
for successful careers in the elementary and
secondary classrooms of the state. The center
that we are endorsing today is a vehicle for
meeting that challenge by creating synergies
among the on-going research and reform initiatives
within our three university systems."
Mark G. Yudof, chancellor of the University
of Texas System, said, "Through its generous
support of this new collaboration, Houston Endowment
has again demonstrated its clear vision for
a Texas in which all young people have an opportunity
for an excellent education. The education of
excellent teachers is essential for creating
that opportunity, and we are pleased to join
in this partnership to accelerate the achievement
of our common goal."
The leaders said that as the center undertakes
its work, the other university systems in Texas
will be invited to join, as well as professional
associations and government agencies.
Contact
person: Emily
Battle, (903) 565-5604
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