The Work of the UCF Academy

 

The UCF Academy is responsive to the needs of educators working with diverse populations in a changing world. The initiatives, programs and centers of excellence in education currently focus on reading, writing, science, mathematics and technology, social responsibility, exceptional education, and leadership.

 

 

www.ucfed.ucf.edu/flare/

 

The Florida Literacy and Reading Excellence project was established in 2000 through a Florida legislative appropriation and has become a literacy center for professional development currently operating as a part of the Just Read, Florida! initiative. FLaRE supports the Florida Department of Education initiatives by disseminating information about literacy instruction and assessment statewide. Through professional development in Florida Reading Competencies Four, Five and Six, the FLaRE website, dialogue with literacy professors at Florida universities, and staff development initiatives in individual schools and districts, FLaRE strives to meet the literacy professional development needs of Florida’s teachers and administrators.

 

The FLaRE Center serves as…

 

• a statewide system for providing literacy professional development.
• an information clearinghouse for scientifically based literacy research.
• a development center for educator professional development materials.
• a linkage for school districts, institutions of higher education, community organizations that have a vested interest in literacy and reading excellence.
• a lighthouse for disseminating information on successful projects.

Reading First

http://rfpd.ucf.edu/

 

To successfully meet the reading goals for all students (K-3) in Florida, a federal grant was awarded to the state of Florida from the No Child Left Behind legislation. It outlines a comprehensive plan to ensure that teachers in the K-3 classrooms implement scientifically based reading research. Research, professional development, high quality classroom instruction, and continuous progress monitoring of student results are critical components of this initiative. Reading First Professional Development, the Florida Center for Reading Research, and the Just Read, Florida! Office at the Department of Education collaborate to develop, implement, and sustain this initiative. Eligible elementary schools, in coordination with their school districts, apply for funds to support the professional development efforts.

 

Professional development through regional Reading Academies for Reading First schools will be provided to K-3 teachers, reading coaches, and administrators in schools receiving funds through Reading First. The content of the Reading Academies focuses on the five components of reading: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. In addition, the Reading Academies will also focus on the four important types of assessment to guide reading instruction: screening, diagnostic, progress monitoring, and outcome measures.

www.itrc.ucf.edu/forpd/

 

Florida Online Reading Professional Development (FOR-PD) is an online staff development project designed to help teachers improve reading instruction for learners in grades preK-12. The project is funded through the Florida Department of Education.

 

The FOR-PD project is developed collaboratively with literacy and technology experts, school districts, professional organizations, and teacher educators across the state of Florida. This project is housed at the University of Central Florida and functions as a primary delivery mechanism for improving teaching methods in preK-12 reading instruction to teachers across the state of Florida.


http://nwp.education.ucf.edu

The National Writing Project at the University of Central Florida based on the principles established by the National Writing Project which was founded 1974 at the University of California, Berkeley. The organization's mission is to, "... improve the teaching of writing and improve learning in the nation's schools" (National Writing Project). The National Writing Project at the University of Central Florida, previously the Central Florida Writing Project, was founded in 1992 and provides high quality, research-based professional development programs for Central Florida's teachers. The National Writing Project at the University of Central Florida is supported by the College of Education and the UCF Academy for Teaching, Learning and Leadership at the University of Central Florida.


http://pegasus.cc.ucf.edu/~lmacad/

The Lockheed Martin/University of Central Florida Academy for Mathematics and Science is an education/industry/community partnership aimed at improving mathematics, science and technology education in central Florida. This unique partnership serves as a model for the educational reforms proposed by both national and state agencies by providing schools in Orange, Osceola and Seminole counties with teacher-leaders who initiate, implement and sustain mathematics and science reform efforts. This innovative model could only be initiated and sustained through the visionary leaders at Lockheed Martin and the University of Central Florida.


MSPD-2
http://edcollege.ucf.edu/mspd/

The Mathematics and Science Professional Development-2 program provides quality professional development in mathematics and science for elementary and secondary teachers. The primary focus is on institutional affiliations with interested schools, learning communities and districts to provide professional learning experiences that are based on scientific research related to content knowledge and pedagogy focused on problem solving in mathematics and inquiry in science. This fee-based professional development program is grounded in the belief that "Since teachers have the most direct, sustained contact with students and considerable control over what is taught and the climate for learning, improving teachers' knowledge, skill and dispositions through professional development is a critical step in improving student achievement"(King, B. & Newmann, E. (2000).


TATS
http://tats.ucf.edu

The TATS (Tech. Assist. and Training Sys. for Programs Serving Pre-K Children with Disabilities) is a statewide project which supports programs serving prekindergarten children with disabilities by providing training and technical assistance. The primary recipients of services are the prekindergarten coordinators for programs serving children with disabilities in each of Florida’s 67 school districts. The project is based at the University of Central Florida with two Project Coordinators, an Office Manager, and a Coordinator of Technology Applications. Additionally, nine regional facilitators are based at each of the nine Comprehensive System of Personnel Development (CSPD) Partnerships throughout the state to provide direct services to the districts within their region. The purpose of the project is to develop a coordinated technical assistance and training system to respond to district needs for technical support in providing services to prekindergarten children with disabilities and their families.


http://pegasus.cc.ucf.edu/~csrce/

The Consortium for the Social Responsibility and Character in Education focuses on the rising need for increased emphasis on social responsibility, character  development and law-related education (LRE) for new and experienced teachers. In addition to its training of new teachers, the Consortium provides in-service training to practicing teachers through workshops, lectures, and summer or evening courses in conjunction with program activities of the UCF Academy for Teaching, Learning, and Leadership. CSRCE serves as a hub for state, national and international partnerships, promotes excellence through research, evaluation and synthesis of proven and promising practices in character education, and focuses on the development of social responsibility through lifelong learning. http://academy.ucf.edu/

During the 2000 Legislative Session, through the efforts of Florida State Senate President Toni Jennings, funding was allocated to develop an Exceptional Education Institute within the University of Central Florida’s Academy for Teaching, Learning and Leadership. The Toni Jennings Exceptional Education Institute supports teacher development and provides educational and clinical services for children and adults with exceptional needs and their families through interdisciplinary research, practice and partnerships.


http://reach.ucf.edu/~CENTRAL/index.html

This comprehensive, statewide project is a continuation of the Effective Instructional Practices project, entitled Project CENTRAL. This project enhances and continues to identify and disseminate information about resources, training, and continuous improvement through evaluation and research related to current and emerging effective instructional practices. The work of Project CENTRAL helps to assure that these practices are available, implemented, and evaluated by teachers and administrators in the state of Florida. The ultimate goals are to provide appropriate training, products, and other resources that provide benefits and appropriate outcomes for all students, including students with disabilities.

 

The immediate target groups are special and regular education teachers of students with disabilities served in exceptional student education programs, students with disabilities eligible under Section 504, and students at risk for referral to programs for students with disabilities and diverse learning needs. Project activities have a direct impact on school personnel and staff developers. However, the ultimate beneficiaries will be the students themselves.

http://www.peli.education.ucf.edu

The purpose of the Progress Energy-UCF Leadership Institute is to strengthen and support school and districtleaders in their efforts toimprove student achievement. The goals of the Progress Energy-UCF Leadership Institute are to :

• provide research-based leadership training and materials for school and district leaders
• facilitate team collaboration
• encourage the implementation of a standards-driven instructional process

The HAPPY (Having Active Participation Prepares You) Hour Workshops were conceived in Fall 2004 by faculty in the Department of Teaching and Learning Principles in the College of Education at the University of Central Florida for the purpose of enhancing the university’s initial certification teacher education program. The workshops focus on the professional development of UCF’s undergraduate education majors. The HAPPY Hour Workshops, which last 1 – 1 ½ hours, are scheduled monthly throughout the year. They feature university faculty and K-12 personnel who have expertise in areas of interest to students aspiring to become educators. Past topics include Literature Circles in Action; Taking the Fear out of the FCAT; Fun With Fluency; ESOL: Make it Pop!; The Big3 Media: Media Specialists, Media Services, Media Resources; and You’re Not In It Alone. Upcoming workshops will focus on topics such as innovative and humorous grouping strategies, parent-teacher conferences, tips for interviewing for a teaching position, professional organizations, electronic and on-line databases, and classroom management.

One of the best ways to grow professionally is through participation in professional conferences. Thus, in 2005-2006, the HAPPY Hour Workshops will be expanded to include a HAPPY Hour Student Showcase. On Saturday, January 28, 2006, students will be able to share their best work with their peers in a mini-conference venue at the HAPPY Hour Student Showcase in the Teaching Academy. This will be a tremendous opportunity for professional development in which students can enhance their scholarship and presentational skills. For additional information about the HAPPY Hour Student Showcase, download the Showcase Guidelines.

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