FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Date: December 12, 2005

Number nr05-12

Contact: Nan Powers Varoga, Houston A+ Challenge, 713-658-1881

PQE PUBLISHES RESULTS OF FIVE-YEAR COLLABORATIVE GRANT

The Partnership for Quality Education (PQE), a group of 12 Houston area universities, school districts, and a non-profit organization, has published Looking Back, Moving Forward: The Story of A Five-Year Collaboration to Improve Teacher Quality.

The book describes PQE’s progress and success, as well as its plans for continuing the program beyond the five-year collaboration. PQE has successfully implemented changes in Houston education that takes the region closer to its proposed goals. Over the five-year period, PQE has brought one of the teacher preparation institutions from being on oversight review status by the State Board of Educator Certification (SBEC) – fewer than 70 percent passing the state license examination – to 82 to 85 percent of students passing. And introducing wireless computing and other technical training has enabled the seamless integration of technology into teaching and teacher preparation.

Perhaps PQE’s greatest success rests in its field-based training programs. More teachers trained in PQE programs are being hired, especially those who conducted field-based work prior to their teaching assignments. For example, Alief ISD reports saving $5,000 per new teacher trained in PQE programs as a result of their previous professional development.

PQE was designed to confront the major challenges to education in Houston. “The twelve partners were drawn together as a result of the acute shortage of qualified teachers in Houston schools, the changing ethnicity of children and youth (with burgeoning Hispanic, African-American, and Asian populations), and a common desire to improve student achievement for all students,” writes W. Robert Houston, co-editor of the publication and of the PQE initiative.

PQE outlines five main goals to assess and engage these challenges, including: redesigning teacher preparation, providing skills for professional development, offering regional leadership for greater collaboration, emphasizing technology in teacher preparation programs, and organizing PQE leadership to continue work after the grant ends.

PQE consists of four university-school partnerships, including: Texas Southern University with Aldine ISD and North Forest ISD; University of Houston with Spring Branch ISD and Humble ISD; University of Houston – Downtown with Alief ISD; and University of St. Thomas with Houston ISD. In addition, the Houston Community College System worked on arts and science development programs, as well as an alternative teacher certification program. Houston A+ Challenge also contributed to the Partnership, providing professional development for teachers and professors through Critical Friends Group (CFG). PQE’s August 2004 volume, Making the Case for Quality Teacher Education, describes CFG as essential to developing teachers farther and faster.

Looking Back, Moving Forward: The Story of A Five-Year Collaboration to Improve Teacher Quality was edited by Mr. Houston of the University of Houston, Louise F. Deretchin of Houston A+ Challenge, and Cary D. Wintz of Texas Southern University.

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