Signature Partnership Initiative
A University-wide initiative that focuses on enhancing the quality of life and economic opportunities for residents of West Louisville.
Highlights of Signature Partnership
Jefferson County Public School’s Cochran Elementary and the University of Louisville College of Education and Human Development partnership includes reciprocal learning opportunities among our partner schools' Teacher Staff, UofL students and UofL Faculty. Some initiatives include professional development (Collective for Effective Educator Development, Accountability, and Reform (CEEDAR) work and book study), UofL Literacy, Science and Math content methods courses; UofL content methods students spending one to a half day per week in school classrooms with mentoring teachers; and UofL student teachers collaborating every day with P-12 mentor teachers.
Summer Boost, Summer Flight, and Enrichment Camps
The Summer Boost program got its start at J.B. Atkinson Academy and has expanded to Westport Middle School, (Summer Flight), and Cochran Elementary. The program was created to reduce the 'summer dip' that many students experience during the summer months, especially those living in economically depressed areas.
The Dynamic Classroom
The Dynamic Classroom professional learning conference introduced teachers to the philosophy and practices we believe will engage and challenge students to achieve at high levels. The first conference was held at Westport Middle School, and teachers utilized work plans and menus, a professional library, and technology to investigate four modules: The Dynamic Mindset, The Dynamic Learner, The Dynamic Environment, and The Dynamic Teacher. The conference is structured to simulate what a student should experience in a dynamic classroom--choice, higher order thinking, differentiation, use of technology, and feedback and reflection.
Clinical Model Partnerships
The Clinical Model of Teacher Preparation in an integral part of the CEHD's work through SPI. Funds from the Mary K. Oxley Foundation helped establish the first CEHD clinical model site at J.B. Atkinson Academy for Excellence in Teaching and Learning. In this model, CEHD faculty members teach content methods courses on-site in a designated University of Louisville classroom. They assist with K-12 teacher professional development at the school and collaborate with the teacher candidates' experiences in their classrooms.
The Oxley Foundation funds support the clinical models at J.B. Atkinson Academy, Cochran Elementary School, Portland Elementary, Westport Middle School, and The Academy @ Shawnee.
In 2014, the Mary K. Oxley Foundation followed their original gift of $1 million to the CEHD with a new donation of $5 million (the UofL Foundation provided an additional $2.5 million endowment to match the Oxley gift).
A significant addition from the new funds included financial support for the Summer Boost and Summer Flight programs, which are held in the SPI partner schools.
Schools and Academies (Clinical Model Partnerships)
Assistant Principal: Dr. Arrivia Parks
Professor-in-Residence: Amy Seely Flint, PhD
Teacher-in-Residence: Christopher Arrington
Having a literacy focus, Professor-in-Residence Amy Seely Flint in partnership with JBA, teaches the undergraduate reading methods course, EDTP 320. Prior to COVID-19, UofL courses took place onsite at JBA, with UofL students participating in mediated field experiences, whereby they observed guided reading and engaged JBA students in informal reading assessments, conducted reading conferences, and implemented reading strategy lessons. Amanda Shaw, reading interventionist, was a guest lecturer each semester.
During the 2020-21 academic year, UofL students completed their formal field experiences at JBA. The leadership team was instrumental in allowing UofL students to meet with JBA teachers and students during NTI instruction. UofL students observed whole class instruction, guided reading, and grade level Professional Learning Communities. When teachers and students returned to the building in late March, UofL students were provided opportunities to continue working with their mentor teachers and engage in-person field experiences.
Spring 2021 Teacher-in-Residence Christopher Arrington met weekly (virtually) with UofL students to debrief their field experiences. Dr. Flint and Wanda Jaggers, Grade 1 Teacher, are engaged in a longitudinal study examining culturally sustaining practices in literacy. Thus far, two publications and five conference presentations (state, regional, and national) have resulted from this research. Additionally, Andrea Thompson, Grade 5 teacher, is currently pursuing her MEd in Literacy, with support from the Nystrand Center of Excellence in Education.
Principal: De'Nay Speaks, PhD
Professor-in-Residence: Sherri Brown, PhD
Teacher-in-Residence: Margot Smith
Having a Science Methods focus, the work completed at Cochran Elementary during the 2020-2021 academic year included CEHD students teaching several Non-Traditional Instruction (NTI) science lessons in “real time” to 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade students, in their EDTP 324 Science Methods P-5 course. Additionally, Teacher-in-Residence Margot Smith supervised UofL Elementary student-teachers and the purchasing of supportive STEM educational materials.
In Fall 2021, the field placements for EDTP 324 students were redesigned. Instead of having them obtain their field hours at another location, they were placed with the 3rd and 4th grade teachers at Cochran. This field placement model allows Science Methods students to teach science on a weekly basis and gain more teaching experience prior to student teaching, with those students being placed in groups of 2 or 3 and working together to plan science each week.
The Building Learning Communities course is also taught at Cochran Elementary. This course includes various speakers, and this year those speakers included classroom teachers, a mental health practitioner, an ESL teacher, and school security personnel, with those speakers talking with students about their roles at Cochran.
Principal: Michelle Perkins
Professor-in-Residence: John T. Finch, PhD
Teacher-in-Residence: Sarah Helvey
Portland Elementary is an exciting school in which to learn, work, and discover and connect.
Situated in Louisville’s west end, began as a four-room schoolhouse in 1853 in the historic Portland area making it the oldest school building in continuous use in Kentucky. Portland’s slogan is, “Celebrating Success–Every class, Every Student, Every Day!” and prides itself as an Environmental Magnet School that successfully educates its students in all content areas while integrating environmental studies. Serving a diverse student population in grades K-5, many of the students attending Portland Elementary live in or around the urban Portland neighborhood. Class sizes are small, with a student to teacher ratio of 11 to 1 allowing teachers to focus on individual student needs and achievement in their 14 K-5 classes.
Portland Elementary has been a Professional Development School partnered with UofL since 1993. In 2015, Portland became an Oxley Signature Partnership School under then Principal Angela Hosch. Principal Michelle Perkins, together with Sarah Helvey (Teacher-in-Residence) and Dr. John T. Finch (Professor-in-Residence), work collaboratively to make program decisions mutually beneficial for Portland and UofL students. Writing, Science, Social Studies Methods and Building Learning Communities courses are taught on the Portland campus. UofL pre-service students complete fieldwork on-site, learn from Portland teachers, and apply strategies and methodologies from their courses when working with K-5 students.
Science is taught by Dr. McFadden on Tuesday mornings, where his students teach whole group and small group lessons to 4th graders about magnetism and electricity. Two Social Studies courses are taught by Dr. Finch on Monday and Tuesday afternoons, with his students going into Kindergarten classes to teach small group lessons. Writing is also taught by Dr. Finch, with his students teaching small group lessons to 1st graders on Thursday mornings. Even on NTI days, UofL students have still been able to work with our students by joining in their class Google meets.
Two student teachers hosted a series of Louisville Writing Project “Kid Writing” Professional Development sessions at Portland Elementary as well. Attending these sessions were ECE and ESL teachers from Portland and Cochran Elementary’s Teacher-in-Residence, Margot Smith.
Principal: Jodie Zeller
Professor-in-Residence: Penny Howell, PhD
Teacher-in-Residence: Alice Gnau
In 2013, the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education (CPE) awarded to the CEHD a $500,000 grant to launch the clinical model at Westport Middle School.
Principal: Kymberly Rice
Assistant Principal: Jessica Jones
Professor-in-Residence: Todd Whitney, PhD
Teacher-in-Residence: Kenneth Williams
Prior to the start of the 2015-16 school year, UofL was awarded an additional grant from the CPE, which was used to build a clinical model at the high school level.