McKay School of Education > News > Setting our CITES on a New Structure
Setting our CITES on a New Structure
With the goals of reaching out to the community and increasing the extent and efficacy of education research, the Center for Improvement of Teacher Education and Schooling (CITES) is undergoing a structural renovation. As of July 1, the office of CITES has three divisions: Education Support, Education Research, and Professional Development.
CITES Director Steven Baugh believes the change better aligns the CITES Department with the entire McKay School. “The Dean has communicated to us his vision that the McKay School become the best for the world,” Baugh said. “We hope to contribute to this vision.” The new structure will allow increased involvement in education research as well as in community service. “We believe we can provide some important services to families and we can partner more effectively with community leaders in government and business,” Baugh explained.
Baugh will be leading the Education Support division under the new structure. He explained that the mission of CITES is “to assist in bringing about the simultaneous renewal of educator preparation and schooling.” In the past, the education support provided by CITES operated through three entities, known as the “tripartite”: the School of Education, the arts and sciences colleges and departments at BYU involved in secondary teacher education, and schools in the five districts comprising the BYU-Public School Partnership. “In the past few months we have been envisioning what we are calling the ‘new tripartite,’” Baugh stated.
Under the new structure, two of the previous ”partners” will be considered as one and a third will be added: families and the community. Thus, the three major contributors in the new tripartite will be the university (made up of both the McKay School and the arts and sciences units), the public schools in the five partnership districts, and families and/or the community. “A major thrust of the Education Support area, which has not had much emphasis in the past, will be an outreach to families and community,” Baugh explained.
In addition to reaching out to the community, the Education Support division’s primary concentration includes the Associates Programs, the Partnership Governing Board, the University Council on Teacher Education, the Central Utah Science and Engineering Fair, and the National Network for Educational Renewal. The Education Support division will also oversee communication and product development for each of these sub-units.
The Education Research division, which will be directed by Professor Tim Smith, will focus on research in teacher education, assessment/evaluation, student services, and positive behavior support. Paul Caldarella and Lynnette Christensen will also be active in the work of this division.
Tiffany Hall will be leading the third division, Professional Development, which encompasses the arts and mathematics initiatives, the Instructional Leadership in the 21st Century Conference, the Literacy Promise Conference, the Principals Academy, and Utah state teacher endorsements.
26 October 2009