3 schools pilot prep program

40-plus students chosen as cadets for training as teachers

Three Arkansas high schools this year are piloting the Arkansas Teacher Cadets program offered through the Arkansas Department of Education.

More than than 40 students in 11th and 12th grades in the Warren, Conway and Southside (Independence County) school districts are participating this year in the teacher preparation program that was developed by the Center for Educator Recruitment, Retention and Advancement in South Carolina and is used in 36 states.

The cadets are taught teaching practices. They also observe classrooms and prepare and teach lessons.

To be eligible to participate in the course for which they will have the opportunity to earn college credit, high school juniors and seniors must have a B average, be enrolled in a college-preparation curriculum, provide at least three teacher recommendations, submit an essay and complete an interview.

Program instructors must be experienced teachers who hold a master’s degree, are approved to teach concurrent high school and college credit classes and have completed a three-day program certification training provided by the Education Department.

The state agency is seeking to expand the Teacher Cadets program next year to other high schools, charter schools, and career and technical centers. Participating schools are eligible for grants from the state agency for purchasing curriculum materials.

Arkansas, Pages 16 on 01/07/2014

Upcoming Events