ASU Teaching Fellows offers paraeducators accelerated degree pathway

This fall, Arizona State University’s Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College will welcome the first ASU Teaching Fellows cohorts. The initiative offers an accelerated and supportive pathway for paraeducators, who are school employees that assist certified teachers, to earn their own elementary education or special education certification and bachelor's degree while continuing to work in Arizona classrooms. 

ASU Teaching Fellows is part of the college’s wider efforts to partner with districts and schools to support education workforce needs through initiatives such as the Next Education Workforce and Mesa Public Schools’ Path2Teach program.

MLFTC is working directly with interested districts in the Phoenix area to lay the groundwork for the expansion of ASU Teaching Fellows. Carlyn Ludlow, MLFTC clinical associate professor and  associate director of undergraduate programs in the division of teacher preparation, oversees the initiative. She shares insight into how the ASU Teaching Fellows initiative provides value to school partners interested in recruiting and retaining teachers through this tailored “learn as you earn” opportunity.

What is the ASU Teaching Fellows initiative?

This initiative was developed to address a need among school districts that have shared with us their interest in attracting quality teachers, creating internal career pathways and strengthening retention. The ASU Teaching Fellows initiative creates a pathway for paraeducators who are already working in instructional support roles to become credentialed teachers. We have done that by designing a program for working adults that is based on academic rigor and the high-quality education supports offered by MLFTC. 

Where is this launching?

We are launching this effort first with schools and districts in the Phoenix metropolitan area, and we have capacity for up to 150 students across the elementary and special education pathways. However, we are open to expanding the initiative to other schools and regions in the future.

What are the benefits that MLFTC is able to provide to districts and schools through this initiative?

Through MLFTC, students and schools have access to faculty that bring a strong pedagogical and applied approach to teacher preparation. MLFTC builds strong relationships with its partner schools, and the college is regularly ranked among the top schools of education in the country by U.S. News and World Report for its programs and education-related funded research.  

The program helps Arizona public schools develop and retain talent, developing valued staff members who want to pursue degrees and advance in their careers. This is job-embedded education that works for employees, employers and the kids they serve.

What are the program’s benefits to students?

We understand that ASU Teaching Fellows have busy lives working, raising families and juggling other responsibilities. With that in mind, student teaching is embedded into the program and they do not need to leave their job. They also benefit from a specially-designed educational format that aligns academic learning with classroom practice and reduces time to completion. 

We are able to do that through our integrated “supercourse” format. What that means is that students can immediately apply what they learn into the classroom. For example, a student learning about math pedagogies may be assigned to create a math lesson. They receive feedback from their instructor and then apply what they have learned into the classroom, and that can all happen within days. This highly-integrated approach to learning means we are able to deepen learning while reducing time to degree completion by five months. Most students will be able to complete the program in 16 months.

Do students learn in person or online? 

Students benefit from a combination of online and in-person formats that are designed to support meaningful interactions with instructors and peers. The online approaches include scheduled evening courses that bring together students and instructors for interactive discussions and lessons via Zoom once per week. During the summer months, students take courses online that allow for more self-paced learning. Once a month, the cohorts will meet in person at ASU for a professional day of learning that is led by ASU faculty with the support of participating schools and districts.

How do students qualify to be an ASU Teaching Fellow?

In order to participate, students must be part of a school or district that is willing to collaborate  with MLFTC on this initiative. Qualified students serve in an instructional support role (e.g.,  paraeducator, instructional aide) with the majority of time dedicated to classroom and instructional duties. They must have an associate’s degree or equivalent of 60 credit hours, including general studies coursework, and a minimum 2.25 GPA. We are committed to educational access and are actively identifying funding mechanisms for participating students.

How does MLFTC work with districts?

In this initial phase of the ASU Teaching Fellows initiative, we are working with schools and districts that are doing their own direct outreach to student candidates to develop a list of interested and prospective student candidates. These schools and districts have agreed to match the students with an on-site mentor and to support the paid professional development experiences that allow for the monthly in-person learning days, as well as access to school-based meetings and additional professional learning. We are open to hearing from schools or districts interested in establishing ASU Teaching Fellows now or in the future. ASU Teaching Fellows is one of many collaborative efforts MLFTC is developing with schools and districts to help support the development of high-quality educators.

District administrators and prospective students can learn more about ways that MLFTC is helping educator paraprofessional students earn a degree, or at upcoming webinars, including one scheduled for April 26, 2023, at 4:30 p.m. Arizona time.