PSU Magazine Winter 1989

with more than just bal anc ing the numbers. We all agreed that we had a collecti ve, long-term responsi bility to prepare the next generation of teachers and educators. And, if we were going to change the compos ition of the fu ture teacher pool, we needed to intervene early." From thi s di scuss ion grew the seed fo r a jo int agreement called the Portl and Teachers Pl an (PTP). Meeting twice a month fo r a year, a 15-member planning group fo rged a comprehensive document that became the basis of a grant request. Successful in its first attempt , the PTP received $50 ,000 from the Oregon Commun ity Foundation. The three institutions also demonstrated the ir fonnal support by committing $3 ,000 apiece. "Research shows that there is a direct link between positive role models and the success of students in school. " The Portland Teachers Pl an is a long– range deve lopmental approach to ethnic minority recruitment . It is one of the few programs in the nation that beg ins in the midd le sc hools to make students more aware of teaching as a career cho ice . Under the plan Portland Public Schools ide nt ifies ethn ic minority students in midd le schools and keeps them interested in teac hing through hands-on activ ities. After high sc hool, selected students may enro ll at Portland Community College , where they become part of a spec ial two-year academi c program that prepares them to transfer to Port land State in thei r junior year. When the students enter PSU. they rece ive careful advis ing, tutoring and practicum placements. Students complete their undergraduate degree and one year of graduate work toward a basic teaching ce rt ificate. They also prepare fo r a number of required tests. Once certified , the PTP students rece ive priority consideration fo r ava il able teac hing pos itions in Portl and Publi c Sc hoo ls. " Putting thi s pl an together has been a tremendous cooperati ve effort by people at all three institutions," said Kinnick. "Each instituti on has a key ro le in completing the loop that, in the end , prov ides qualified ethn ic minority teachers for our local PSU 10 Po11land Community College's Ethnic Minority in Education Award program prepares students to complete their teacher education at PSU. schools. For the program to succeed , we all have to live up to our part of the agreement . Working out some of the admi nistrative details between three large bureaucrac ies wasn't easy, but we hurdled them and the pl an is working. We are all greatly enri ched by thi s partnership ." W hile the Portland Teachers Plan was being developed, the three instituti ons also began putting more emphasis on ex isting programs that were des igned to assure the success of ethnic minori ty students and on developi ng new programs fo r attracting them into the fi eld of education. Portland Public Schools, with about 11 percent ethnic minority teachers, funds 10 intern pos itions under its Minority Teacher Intern Program. Students in thi s program work under the guidance of master teachers while compl eting the ir Oregon certification requirement . Another program aids teachers completing a master's degree. At Portl and State, the Center fo r Urban Research in Ed ucati on (CURE), now in its third year, seeks solutions to the educational problems of "at-ri sk'" student popul ations, espec iall y in urban settings. CURE works closely with Portland Public Schools on program area such as dropout prevention , effecti ve in tructional practices, effecti ve school leadership and school system reforn1 to he lp di sadvantaged students succeed . Another PSU program , directed by Joan Strouse, assoc iate professor, Schoo l of Education , concl uded in September. Funded fo r three years by a federal grant , the ESL/Multicultural Education Training Project offered a number of courses on mult icultura l education and bilingual methods for interested students. Portland Community College began an Ethnic Minority in Education Award Program two years ago. The program , which includes six terms of tuition waiver, now has 27 students in the ir fi rst or second year of academic preparation. Students receive personal attention from a special adv isor and encouragement from a monthly support group. Several of these students will be transferring to PSU in the near future. he Portland Teachers Plan got a boost thi s fa ll with a new director T and a federal grant. Debra Cochrane joined the program as PTP d irector in October. She was formerly director of the Wh itney Young Learn ing Center of the Portl and Urban Leag ue. In September, PSU rece ived a two-year grant from the U.S. Department of Education, Fund for Improvement of Post Secondary Education. With firs t-year fu nd ing of $64,000, the FlPSE grant wi ll be used to partiall y o perate a new Academy for Future Teachers. Portl and Public Schools, PCC and PSU are prov iding addi tiona l money z 0 z < :E "' 0 z ~ "' :i: u