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NEWS ADVISORY: 350+ University, K-12 Officials To Meet Thursday & Friday in Baton Rouge for National Clinic on Teacher Quality – Sep 3, 2002

Quick Facts
* Today in Louisiana, about 100,000 elementary and secondary students are taught by unqualified or uncertified teachers
* Nationally, at least two million more teachers will be needed in six years
* Shortages exist in science, math, special ed and foreign languages

Louisiana’s entire education community will meet this Thursday and Friday, Sept. 5-6, in Baton Rouge for a hands-on training to help universities meet tough, new standards designed to produce more, high-quality teachers.

“Our goal is to guarantee that every child in Louisiana has a motivated, high-quality teacher who knows the subject matter, presents it effectively to each student in the class and infuses technology to raise student achievement,” said Dr. Sally Clausen, President of the University of ������ο��Ƶ.

The clinic is the first in Louisiana and one of the first in the nation. It is timely as education officials work to tie Louisiana’s teacher preparation initiatives and recommendations of the Blue Ribbon Commission on Teacher Quality with national initiatives, including President Bush’s “Leave No Child Behind.”

The clinic is designed to 1) ensure that recently redesigned teacher preparation programs meet new national standards, 2) afford opportunities for national officials to work with universities to plan for upcoming accreditation visits, and 3) ensure that Louisiana is at the forefront in placing quality, caring teachers in every classroom.

The two-day clinic at the Claiborne Building will feature presentations by national experts on teacher quality and the standards adopted in 2000 by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), the national accrediting body for teacher preparation. Presentations include:
* Dr. Donna Gollnick, NCATE senior vice president, “The Power of Title II Report Card Data: Unraveling the USDOE Recommendations to NCATE,” Sept. 5, 9 a.m.
* Dr. Susan Sclafani, counselor to the U.S. Secretary of Education, “Teacher Quality as a National Priority,” Sept. 5, 12:30 p.m.
* Dr. Antoinette Mitchell, NCATE associate vice president, “Assessment of NCATE 2000: What NCATE Has Learned from Pilot and Other Early Site Visits of Institutions,” Sept. 5, 1:45 p.m.
* Kati Haycock, director of The Education Trust, “Good Teaching Matters…A Lot,” Sept. 6, 12:30 p.m.

The ������ο��Ƶ System initiated the “NCATE 2000 Clinic” in partnership with the Board of Regents, Louisiana State University System, Southern University System, Louisiana Community and Technical College System, Louisiana Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, Department of Education, and Board of Elementary and Secondary Education.

Please visit for the full clinic agenda and for a schedule of NCATE’s accreditation visits to Louisiana’s universities.

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For More Information Contact:
Catherine Heitman
225/342-6950