Minority Serving Teacher Preparation Programs Working Effectively with Minority-Serving School Districts: How do innovations facilitate a more diverse teacher pipeline and facilitate success for all P-12 students?
Guest Editors
  • Loleta D. Sartin, Mercer University
  • Sharon L. Hixon, Dalton State College
Overview

“As MSIs have come into focus, little attention has been paid to their roles in preparing and educating our nation’s teachers” (Petchauer & Mawhinney, 2017, p. 4). Research on teacher education has often lived in the realm of teacher preparation programs that have predominately white candidates (Petchauer & Mawhinney, 2017; Marchitello &Trinidad 2019); thus, a focus on MSI teacher preparation programs is needed. MSI teacher preparation programs have contributed much to the field of teacher education that goes beyond producing teachers of color. Teacher preparation programs in minority-serving institutes (MSI) have found success preparing their candidates to work with students of color. They also believe that teacher preparation programs in colleges and universities with predominately white students seeking a future as teachers could benefit by understanding what the MSI teacher preparation programs are doing to help their pre-service teachers successfully work with students of color. Petchauer and Mawhinney (2017) further suggest that MSIs come from historical backgrounds that have provided them with experiences that possibly situate them “ahead of the curve” (p. 6) as teacher preparation programs are faced with current-day challenges.

Marchitello and Trinidad (2019), through their research of several successful programs and their interviews with experts across the country, concluded that field experiences that are developed in partnership with local schools and communities could “provide an opportunity for community perspectives to be included and to ensure teacher training programs adequately reflect their needs and values” (p.25). They also suggest that innovations in teacher preparation curriculum and a more diverse candidate and faulty pool are needed to address success for P- 12 students. Furthermore, they argue that white teachers can be more successful working with students of color if they participate in teacher preparation programs that include “diverse perspectives throughout the curricula; providing candidates with multiple field experiences across a variety of settings; and diversifying program faculty and candidates” (p. 36).

The theme of this special, online issue of the School-University Partnerships journal is devoted to highlighting the manner in which minority-serving teacher preparation programs work effectively with minority-serving school districts to create a diverse teacher pipeline and facilitate success for all P-12 students. The issue will illustrate how MSIs have strengthened the teacher pipeline, made curricular innovations, and/or found collaborative partnerships that facilitate field experiences or other endeavors for pre-service teachers.

Proposed topics for this special issue could include, but are not limited to, the following:

Strengthening the Teacher Pipeline

What innovative strategies has the teacher preparation program used to recruit and support pre-service teachers of color?

Examples could include, but are not limited to: Noyce Scholars, expanded pathways to teacher certification, grant initiatives, and relationship-based recruitment.

  • How might teacher preparation programs with varying demographics apply these strategies in their work?
  • How have partnerships with minority-serving public-school partners impacted this work? What barriers or successes have minority-serving institutions experienced with their endeavors?
  • How has the pandemic affected efforts to strengthen the teacher pipeline?
  • How has the current political dynamics affected efforts to strengthen the teacher pipeline?
Curricular Innovations

What curricular innovations have supported students’ academic growth leading to college and career readiness?

Examples could include, but are not limited to: literacy innovations, STEM integration, implementing high leverage practices, or implementation of school reform models.

  • How have teacher preparation programs and public-school partners worked together to support students’ academic growth?
  • What barriers or successes have minority-serving institutions experienced with their endeavors?
  • How have teacher preparation programs worked with public school partners to make curricular changes in the current political climate?
  • How has the pandemic affected the partnerships’ curricular changes?
Teacher and Leader Professional Development Supports

What innovative professional development has been used to increase the knowledge and skills of in-service educators to work with diverse students?

The topics could include, but are not limited to: linguistic justice, restorative justice, social- emotional learning, and culturally responsive pedagogy.

  • How have teacher preparation programs worked with minority-serving school systems to help educators in minority-serving school districts better serve their students?
  • What barriers or successes have minority-serving institutions experienced with their endeavors?
  • How has the pandemic affected teacher and leader professional development supports? How has the current political climate affected teacher and leader professional development?

Collaborations that Support the Work of the PDS

How have teacher preparation programs and/or school districts leverage existing community programs and partnerships and tailored them to address the needs of the respective student population?

How did partners utilize community resources in a tangible way to promote student achievement?  The topics could include, but are not limited to: increasing financial supports through grant initiatives, community collaborations that include businesses and organizations, and professional and leadership development programs for parents.

  • How were barriers overcome to broaden the PDS partnership to include community partners or resources?
  • How have the collaborations worked to ensure that all students have equal access to educational opportunities?
  • How has the pandemic affected the teacher preparation program and/or the school system’s ability to leverage community resources and partnership?
  • How has the current political climate affected the teacher preparation program and/or the school system’s ability to leverage community resources and partnership?
Publication of the Themed Issue: Winter 2023 Submission/Author Guidelines

Articles should be a collaboration between PK-12 school-based staff, students, university faculty, and/or student interns. Authors must identify at least one of the National Association for Professional Development Schools (NAPDS) “Nine Essentials” addressed by the submission. Article authors do not have to be NAPDS members. Article submission indicates that the authors have not submitted substantially similar reports to any other journal or publication.

Because this will be a fully online issue, we encourage submissions that utilize multimedia approaches. While all articles will be posted as PDFs, if submitters enhance the article, there is an opportunity to include hyperlinks to pertinent information, embedded images, video footage, or other resources. It is the responsibility of the submitters to obtain the necessary consent for any multimedia features used in an article.

For full consideration, articles must be submitted to the Guest Editors by September 6, 2022.

Option One: Longer papers of 2,000 to 3,000 words. Typically, these submissions may include but are not limited to a detailed description of the PDS Initiative.

Option Two: Provides an opportunity for shorter submission of 750 to 2,000 words. The primary purpose of this option is to illustrate the importance of specific efforts of PDS partners. Both options may include multimedia links.

Submission Guidelines

12 pt. Times New Roman font, double spaced Follow APA 7 guidelines

Submissions must be blinded, including a blinded title page and abstract, and a cover page with 30-word biographies for all authors.

Tentative Schedule for Publication
  • Call for manuscripts: February 2022
  • Intent to Submit: Deadline extended to August 1, 2022
  • Provide support for authors via email and video conferencing as needed: May-June 2022
  • Submission of full articles: September 6, 2022
  • Authors will be notified of publication decisions and receive feedback through a double- blind peer review process: November 4, 2022
  • Final article revisions submitted: December 16, 2022
Call for Reviewers

The editors need your help to make the 2023 winter SUP journal a success! Please volunteer to review submitted articles. Reviewers are vital to the integrity of the journal. We hope that you will unreservedly consider giving a bit of your time.

 Volunteer to Review: Deadline extended to August 1, 2022

Address questions related to this issue to Sharon L. Hixon or Loleta D. Sartin.