“One Missouri”
Creating School Academies & Community Partnerships by
Expanding Academic Programs Throughout Missouri
I. Purpose.
The “One Missouri” initiative is a proposed MSU COE state-wide school and community partnership initiative that would expand our current academic programs to support education in high need urban and rural areas. The initiative addresses CAEP Standards and would expand our sphere of influence, raise our profile, and contribute to our Public Affairs mission. Areas targeted for this program expansion initiative are urban areas in Kansas City and St. Louis, as well as the Bootheel and the rural Ozarks. These communities and their schools experience high poverty rates, often exceeding 90%, and high rates of cultural and racial diversity ranging from 40% to 99%. Communities and schools have symbiotic relationships, making it important for both to experience success. Our COE programs are expected to increase enrollments by partnering with schools and public support agencies and organizations to provide training to personnel charged with helping children, families, schools, and communities.
II. Project Description.
“One Missouri” would deploy a number of academic programs across three geographic areas, i.e., St. Louis, Kansas City, and the Bootheel by creating School Academies to effect the following goals: (1) improve reading and math skills among low income P-12 students,(2) prepare school counselors to guide low income middle and high school students into college-ready career pathways; (3) increase the number of low-income, first generation college graduates in partnership schools, (4) develop a pathway for low income underrepresented high school students to become teachers, (5) establish and sustain a seamless educational infrastructure in communities and schools by linking child and family development with teachers, COE interns, school counselors, and community volunteers.
Goal 1. COE academic programs will partner with school district and community leaders to provide additional human resources in high need schools in Riverview Gardens, Hickman Mills, and the Bootheel. Co-teaching models and community-based child and family assistance programs will support elementary, middle, and high school student achievement. Evidence shows low income, first generation students who acquire early competency in reading and math are more likely to graduate from high school and attend college. Master Teachers will work in partnership with COE Interns and Academy volunteers to provide direct instruction to P-12 students in partner schools. Various research-based literacy and math curricula and instructional programs will be utilized.
Goal 2. School counselors play an important role in supporting low income, first-generation students. Counselors can be the conduit from high school graduation to college and career ready success. School counselors would work with child and family development faculty and community groups to support students from pre-kindergarten through high school and beyond. School and community-based partnerships would be formed and supervised by COE faculty expert in both child life and school counseling. COE in partnership with school building leaders will establish a school counseling professional development program to support student success. School counselors will use best practices supported by research to improve their professional interactions with students, creating a web of support for students by developing strong parent and teacher networks. The above will be achieved via a multi- day professional development program held during the summer session. School counselors will earn graduate credit for participating in the professional development program.
Goal 3. Americans possessing a four-year college degree have higher incomes and social mobility than others. The Academies established via the “One Missouri” academic program outreach effort would focus on college readiness. Child and family development faculty would help prepare counselors, parents, Interns, and community volunteers to create a culture of college. This goal will also be addressed via the school counseling professional development program.
Goal 4. To develop a systemic system, a major focus of Goal 3 will be to encourage students to pursue teaching as a career. Making a difference in the lives of students and their families frequently depends on creating a passion for careers that can be nurtured and developed over a lifetime. Since approximately 80% of all teachers in Missouri work within 20 miles of their home town, we seek to expand the pool of students from partner communities who seek to become P-12 teachers and educational leaders in their home districts. To address this issue, COE will work in partnership with communities and targeted schools to socialize students and their families to various career opportunities. Primary among these will be careers in education and community agencies. One example of an approach would be to establish a teacher cadet and community services program.
Goal 5. Developing a strong educational resource system is a major building block for creating and sustaining Academies. The newly established COE Master Teacher and Teachers in Residence positions have demonstrated how experience can foster strong teaching and learning environments in the classroom, school, and community. These individuals will serve as the “boots on the ground” to ensure the success of the initiative in all locations. Yearlong internships in lieu of traditional student teaching will ensure the type of continuity necessary to partner effectively with high need schools and communities. Interns will be strategically placed to be considered for permanent teaching appointments following graduation.
III. Budget (tentative & awaiting approval by the COE Budget Committee):
On-going New Funds COE Match Total
Travel (MSU – partner sites) $ 11,895
Personnel
Master Teachers $ 15,000
Interns $ 15,000
Directors (3) $ 30,000 30,000
Principals (9) $ 4,500
Staff (3) $ 40,000 40,000
Supplies $ 9,150
Total $125,545 $ 70,000 $195,545
Travel includes mileage, per diem, and hotel between MSU and partner communities. Master Teachers receive per course rates for co-teaching, supervising, and instructing Interns. Interns will receive stipends of $1,000 each, and we anticipate initially placing 15 Interns across the three partner districts. Academy Directors work 20 hrs. per week and will oversee all academic programs at each site. Their salaries will be $20,000 for one academic year. Principals will receive stipends of $500 each for managing Academies and evaluating Interns. Three principals in each of the three districts for a total of 9 principals will be compensated. Professional staff member will oversee all certification and program requirements and will work collaboratively with Directors and COE faculty to engage community volunteers and parents. Salary and benefits for 3 part-time staff members who will coordinate community agency participation will range from $21,000 to $27,000, depending on location and work effort. COE will cover the cost of benefits. Literacy and math supplies will be purchased at a total cost of $9,150. COE will contribute $150,000 toward reassigned time for academic program faculty, making the total “One Missouri” cost $195,545.
IV. Evaluation.
“One Missouri” would be implemented initially in three high need school districts across three communities in St. Louis, Kansas City, and the Missouri Bootheel. These three locations have schools that have been identified by the State Board of Education as improving districts that need on-going support.
Evaluation of the “One Missouri” program will be an ongoing mixed methods design. Quantitative methods will be used to collect, analyze, and report findings on an annual basis. These will include but not be limited to the following areas of focus: improved P-12 achievement in reading and math, additional classroom teaching, improved pedagogy, on-going community and family support for schooling, increased high school graduation rates, increased career readiness skills, increased college enrollments, five or more Academy graduates from each location who successfully complete the MSU COE teacher or principal certification program and return to their Academy community as career educators.
Qualitative approaches will include interviews, focus groups, and case studies designed to discover most effective delivery systems and project successes as well as areas in need of improvement. Both formative and summative evaluations will be conducted. If the “One Missouri” Academy approach is deemed successful based on the evaluation, COE would seek to expand the model to other urban and rural communities over time, thus fulfilling the MSU state-wide mission in public affairs.