The Distinguished Program Award (DPA) in teacher education has been established to recognize and honor a specific “quality” identified from The New York State Regents' Standards for Teacher Preparation. Institutions offering teacher education programs would address ONE of the following specific qualities:

I. Partnership with the liberal arts and sciences
II. Pre-service partnerships with the local school districts
III. Professional Development Partnerships
IV. Programs for Alternative Certification

Inherent to these “qualities” are the criteria recognized by the Association of Teacher Educators' (ATE) award for the Distinguished Program in Teacher Education. The ATE criteria for program consideration are as follow:

• Have been cooperatively developed and administered by
institutions of higher education and local education agencies
along with other appropriate educational agencies;
• Have clearly stated goals directed at the establishment of
identifiable teacher behaviors;
• Have an evaluation protocol that is appropriate, operational,
and directly related to its goals;
• Provide data to demonstrate that after program implementation, goals were achieved; and
• Are based on theoretically sound principles that are adaptable to other teacher education programs.

Institutions achieving the Distinguished Program Award (DPA) will be honored by the NYSATE/NYACTE membership   at the Fall conference. If considered appropriate the Executive Boards of NYSATE/ NYACTE will nominate the program for the Association of Teacher Educators (ATE) Distinguished Program in Teacher Education award in October of the same year.
 


Qualities

I. Partnership with the Liberal Arts and Sciences
To be recognized as being distinguished in this “quality” the NYS certification program must demonstrate collaboration between faculty members in teacher education and liberal arts. Each partner must show the structures and resources to support the work of the collaboration. The attitudes and understandings of the partnership design support major goals of an effective teacher preparation program. The partnership demonstrates sustainability over time.

The collaborative curriculum should address values and goals of each partnership members, and be aligned with partners' subject matter standards. The curriculum should also reflect collaboration across subject areas and among educators who teach in those areas.

II. Pre-service Partnerships with Local School Districts
To be recognized as being distinguished in this “quality” the NYS certification program must demonstrate collaboration between faculty members in teacher education and liberal arts. Each partner must show the structures and resources to support the work of the collaboration. The attitudes and understandings of the partnership design support major goals of an effective teacher preparation program. The partnership demonstrates sustainability over time.

The collaborative curriculum should address values and goals of each partnership members, and be aligned with partners' subject matter standards. The curriculum should also reflect collaboration across subject areas and among educators who teach in those areas.

III. Professional Development Partnerships
To be recognized as being distinguished in this “quality” the professional program must demonstrate compliance with the NYS standards in professional development by showing collaboration between faculty members in teacher education and liberal arts with teachers and administrators in the local school districts. Each partner must show the structures and resources to support the work of the collaboration. The attitudes and under-standings of the partnership design support major goals of an effective professional development program. The partnership demonstrates sustain-ability over time.

The collaborative curriculum should address values and goals of each partnership members, and be aligned with partners' subject matter standards, resulting in a seamless continuum.

IV. Programs for Alternative Certification
To be recognized as being distinguished in this quality the “initial” New York State certification program must demonstrate that compliance has been met the criteria laid down for “alternative certification” programs.

Eligible Applicants

Applicants may be either undergraduate or graduate certification teacher preparation programs or comprehensive programs involving professional development. A current NYSATE member or NYACTE delegate member must nominate the program. Any teacher education or professional development program in New York State can be nominated.

Application Process

Institutions will complete the application process outlined below. Applications need to address the specific program, nominated by a NYSATE or NYACTE member, viewed as “distinguished”.

Application packets must consist of the following documentation:

1. The letter of nomination.

2. Cover sheet including
• Name of program
• Contact person information: Name, title, address, e-mail, telephone and fax
• Brief description of who was involved and the process by which the application
was developed
• Brief description of institutional context and affiliations
3. Maximum ten (10) page response describing what the institution is doing,
based on the “quality” selected for distinction.
4. Three letters of support from colleagues outside the program/institution
specifically addressing the program's relationship to the “quality of distinction”.
5. Signature Page.

Questions, nominations and complete application packets should be completed by MARCH 1 and directed to:

Laura Dorow
President Elect, NYSATE
Utica College of Syracuse
1600 Burrstone Road
Utica, NY   13502
ldorow@utica.ucsu.edu
315.792.3311

Award Process

The presentation of the Distinguished Program Award(s) will be made at the Annual NYSATE/NYACTE Fall Conference.   The winner(s) will be expected to make a presentation to the conference participants.  

Nomination packets must be received by Wednesday, March 1, 2008.

Click here for the The R. Neal Appleby Outstanding Teacher Educator Award