Spring 2011 Blackboard by Debra Beck

College dedicates center honoring Michael, Jane Sullivan THE

Blackboard COLLEGE OF EDUCATION

Fall 2010

College of Education

Debra Beck, editor College of Education Dept. 3374 1000 E. University Ave. Laramie, WY 82071 e-mail: DEBBECK@UWYO.EDU ed.uwyo.edu

Donors Mickey and Jeanne Klein (first and second from left) and honorees Jane and Michael Sullivan take a break during the January dedication of the Sullivan Family Student Center. Thanks to the Kleins’ generosity, College of Education students now have a comfortable, convenient place to meet and study between classes.

state-of-the-art student center located within the College of Education named in honor of former U.S. Ambassador and Wyoming Gov. Mike Sullivan, his wife Jane, and the Sullivan family was formally dedicated in January. “The Sullivan family has been a good friend of the University of Wyoming for many years, and I’m very pleased that this new student center honors their many contributions,” says UW President Tom Buchanan. “It reflects well upon the commitment of the Sullivans to UW and the education of our students. And it is one of the most visually appealing locations we have on campus. Our students will enjoy it tremendously.” The Sullivan Family Student Center will serve as a hub for student activities and is a further renovation and improvement to the UW College of Education Annex that was remodeled in recent years in order to accommodate the development of technologically enhanced model classrooms. The center was created by a gift from Mickey and Jeanne Klein of Austin, Texas, who are friends of UW and of the Sullivans. This gift was doubled by the Wyoming Legislature’s state matching program. “The College of Education is delighted to dedicate this unique space for education students to gather in honor of the Sullivan family,” says Dean Kay Persichitte. “The Sullivan Family Student Center is a one-of-a-kind architectural and artistic wonder. Education students and the university community are grateful for the generosity of the donors and proud of this student center. The legacy of the Sullivan family in supporting the College of Education at UW runs very deep and is greatly appreciated.” The Sullivan family has made tremendous contributions to the university and the future of education in Wyoming. For example, through his office, Gov. Sullivan has had a great impact. His grandfather, father, and uncle all served on the university Board of Trustees. continued p. 2

Center dedication from p. 1

“Jane and I are thrilled with the opportunity to be involved with the University of Wyoming and the College of Education in enhancing the educational environment at the campus in Laramie,” says Gov. Sullivan. “The Sullivan Family Student Center represents a family legacy of four generations of association with, and education by, one of Wyoming’s most important and beloved institutions. We are deeply honored and particularly grateful for the friendship and generosity of Jeanne and Mickey Klein who have made this remarkable space possible. Nothing is more important to the future of the state of Wyoming than educating its young people, and we are confident this center will contribute to that mission for many generations to come.” Speaking at the dedication ceremony were UW President Tom Buchanan; College of Education Dean Kay Persichitte; Paul Lewis, partner in the firm of Lewis. Tsurumaki.Lewis Architects; and Mike and Jane Sullivan. The recent renovation has created a cultural hub for the College of Education - a comfortable gathering place where students can meet, hold informal study groups, and receive important announcements. “On many occasions, contributors want to focus their giving to honor individuals they greatly admire,” says Ben Blalock, president of the UW Foundation. “Such is the case in the Klein’s recognition of the Sullivans. Wyoming’s university is the fortunate beneficiary of the special relationship these couples enjoy.” The gathering space is enclosed by bamboo millwork feature walls and a two-story white raised-relief map of the state of Wyoming. It is furnished with round tables and cherry red modern seating. Ceiling lighting combines naturalistic sinuous fixtures with geometric yellow and orange shades and an exhibition of historic photos line the walls. These elements combine to create a unique space, one of the most visually appealing on campus. The center was designed by Lewis.Tsurumaki.Lewis (LTL Architects), an award-winning architecture firm led by partners Paul Lewis, Marc Tsurumaki and David J. Lewis. The New York-based firm engages in a diverse range of work-from large-scale academic and cultural buildings to interiors and speculative research projectsand has completed academic, institutional, residential and hospitality projects throughout the United States. LTL Architects received the 2007 National Design Award for Interior Design from the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum and was selected as one of six American architectural firms featured in the U.S. Pavilion at the 2004 Venice Architecture Biennale. Their work is in the permanent collections of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and the Heinz Architectural Center at the Carnegie Museum of Art. The building contractor was Elk Ridge Builders & Design of Laramie.

Rising to the challenges for students By Dean Kay Persichitte

Dear Faculty, Staff, and Friends of the College, To s ay i t h a s b e e n a challenging year for all who work in “education” would be an understatement. We have been besieged by one report after another that minimizes the contributions of teachers, administrators, and other Dean Kay Persichitte school personnel at every level. The list of criticisms seems unending. I will argue that the majority of those casting stones were, themselves, educated by the current teaching force with reasonably solid outcomes if public profile is any measure of the quality of their education. Such arguments waste our time, though…and time is our most valuable commodity when it comes to assuring that every student in every classroom at every level of our educational system has access to a quality education. We believe that our work in preparing new personnel for schools is essential to both the economic and the political health of Wyoming communities and this nation. Our communities cannot flourish without productive citizens and our nation cannot flourish without deep commitment to basic democratic principles by all who work in “education.” Neither is possible when our children are not deeply and broadly educated. We believe that the work of teaching and learning is largely a social construct so we must focus on helping College of Education graduates know how to build relationships with broadly diverse students and communities and to understand why they must do so if students are to learn. This, of course, cannot happen without the primary foundation of knowing the specific content that must be learned and how to teach it. We have initiated significant discussions this year about the next steps we will take to strengthen the preparation of our preservice teachers. There is a renewed focus on how we are supporting and measuring the final developmental stage of our preservice teachers: student teaching. Our participation with 20 other states in a national pilot of the Teacher Performance Assessment continued p. 3

Challenges for students from p. 2

(TPA) shines the light on both novice teaching practice and student learning. This is a great opportunity for us to use TPA data for the formative assessment of our student teachers and to document the effect of these student teachers on the learning of their students. The TPA model requires significant partnership with the mentor teachers in our public schools and leverages their practitioner expertise with the contemporary theoretical and research expertise of my faculty. We believe that great outcomes for our children are possible when high expectations are set and met for teachers and students. We have undertaken serious discussions about specific strategies to strengthen our graduate programs, as well. Our graduate programs run the gamut from specialty endorsements that augment an initial teaching license to master’s and doctoral degree programs that prepare the next generation of community college and university faculty. We are talking about the purpose of each of our graduate programs, the target audiences, and the expected performance outcomes for each. Discussions are robust about research “on schools” versus research on “teaching and learning.” We believe we have a responsibility to contribute to the professional development of all practitioners in Wyoming and our graduate programs are one element of that effort. Expect to see some programmatic changes next year and in 2012-13 across undergraduate and graduate programs in the college as we challenge each other to improve the learning and performance of our students. John Dewey said, “It requires troublesome work to undertake the alteration of old beliefs.” Some have argued that we are in the midst of a “sea change” for public education. If that is the case, there are a multitude of old beliefs about the UW College of Education that must be altered. Regardless, I’ll close this note to you all by saying that the UW College of Education is a healthy and proactive place. We are perpetually in a state of reflection to identify strengths, weaknesses, and implement strategies to bridge the gaps. The faculty, staff, and students in this college acknowledge the challenges of public education in the 21st century but they rise to the challenge again and again. We wish you and yours a wonderful Wyoming spring and summer!

New play therapy center receives national group approval

hough the University of Wyoming College of Education has long offered play courses and training opportunities for graduate students and mental health practitioners, recent recognition by a national accrediting body is raising visibility – and expectations - for the new Rocky Mountain Center of Play Therapy Studies. The Association for Play Therapy (APT) has awarded “Approved Center of Play Therapy Education” status to UW’s program, housed in the College of Education’s Department of Professional Studies. Kara Carnes-Holt, assistant professor of counselor education, will serve as the center’s first director when it opens in May. UW is now one of only 14 approved play therapy centers in the country. Faculty members in UW’s counselor education graduate programs have offered two required courses in play therapy for several years. They also coordinate the biennial Wyoming Institute for Play Therapy, a summer workshop focused on training mental health providers with information and skills. Achieving “approved” status through the APT was a logical next step, according to Carnes-Holt. “To be an approved center of play therapy education takes it to another level,” she says. “It sends a clear message that this is an aspect of the counselor education program that we’re really committed to – in research, in training, in supervision.” Centers receiving the APT designation must commit to a rigorous schedule of offering required coursework in play therapy, professional development programs for mental health practitioners, and a strong tradition of research and publication. Many of the core elements already are in place. For example, UW’s counselor education graduate programs require that all students take two courses, “Introduction to Play Therapy ” and “Counseling Children and Adolescents,” that are electives in other counseling programs. The Wyoming Institute for Play Therapy represents another foundational component of programming required for APT center status. It provides an opportunity for accessible professional development on play therapy for practitioners from a wide range of disciplines that serve children. The work of the Rocky Mountain Center of Play Therapy Studies enjoys external support from the John P. Ellbogen Excellence in Early Childhood Education Fund. Carnes-Holt credits fellow counselor education faculty member Michael Morgan for his work in creating and sustaining those core elements of the play continued p.19

Jenna Shim (left) discusses her research on English language learners with Mary Garland. Shim is the 2010-12 recipient of the college’s Mary Ellbogen Garland Early Career Fellowship. Mary’s father, John P. Ellbogen, established the fund in honor of his daughter’s commitment to community service and philanthropy.

Research on English language learners receives Garland Fellowship support

esearch exploring the impacts of skyrocketing enrollments of English language learners (ELLs) in Wyoming schools on teacher capacity to address student needs appropriately recently received a major financial boost from the 2010-12 Mary Ellbogen Garland Early Career Fellowship. Jenna Shim, an assistant professor in the UW Department of Educational Studies, is the latest recipient of the fellowship, funded by an endowment established by Garland’s father, Jack Ellbogen, in 2000. Jack Ellbogen created the fellowship in honor of his daughter’s commitment to community service and philanthropy. Shim has begun multi-year research in select Wyoming school districts, to describe how teachers are coping with recent surges of ELLs in their classrooms. Recent reports showing that Wyoming has the fastest-growing population of English language learners in the nation add to the intensity of the need for this work. The National Center for Educational Statistics showed that the number of ELL population in the state of Wyoming has more than doubled in the decade between 1995-2005 (NCES, 2006), which made the state of Wyoming one of the states in the nation with the greatest ELL student population growth between those years. This trend continues to persist.

“When I came here, I saw a great need for teachers to be able to address the needs of English language learners,” Shim says. “The number of English language learners in the state is dramatically increasing, whereas the population of teachers remains predominantly homogeneous. Most English language learning students and their teachers live in different worlds, and teachers do not fully understand or appreciate their students’ experiential realities.” Where ELL population sizes once allowed a district to dedicate English as a second language (ESL)-certified teachers to provide additional academic support for nonnative speakers, the recent growth now means that most teachers are, or will be, interacting with this student group. “Working with English language learners is no longer a choice for teachers,” Shim says. “All teachers are going to have them in their classrooms. All teachers must be equipped or educated to be able to work with ELLs, because it’s not a limited population.” A major focus of Shim’s research will be exploring teachers’ perceptions about teaching ELL learners and comparing them with their classroom activity. “Teachers’ beliefs and assumptions directly influence their practices,” she says. “In this research, I want to start out by investigating mainstream teachers’ understanding of the needs of the ELL population in Wyoming. I also want

Garland Fellowship from p.4

to contribute to uncover how these teachers are actually responding pedagogically, culturally, linguistically and socially to the needs of ELL students.” Shim’s research will take her to classrooms around the state, where she will interview teachers and observe classroom interactions. Garland Fellowship funding will support Shim’s data collection trips around the state. “The fellowship provides a great opportunity to secure the resources I need to travel to rural school districts – like Jackson, Rawlins, Casper and Gillette – so that I can work with the teachers and observe classrooms,” Shim says. “This award will allow me to do the work that I think is needed in the state right now.” Beyond identifying gaps between teachers’ articulated beliefs and instructional practices, Shim also hopes to bring what is learned back to the classrooms to “be able to work with teachers to develop more responsive pedagogy that would help ELLs succeed in schools and beyond.” Jenna has a basic framework entering this project but knows that, like any qualitative research, what she discovers in the field may yield new or different directions to explore. “You begin with these understandings and these theories, then you go into a classroom and realize that there are all of these unanticipated issues and questions that need to be addressed and answered,” Shim says. As an instructor of preservice teachers, Shim will be able to share findings with future educators and enhance her ongoing efforts to help prepare them for the multicultural mix of students they will encounter in their classrooms. In the process, she hopes to add new layers of understanding about the need to address the diverse needs of the children they will teach and equip them with additional tools to help those students succeed. “The question isn’t just about how you teach words in English, it’s about what kind of changes should be made to deep educational structures and assumptions so that they (ELLs) can be successful academically and socially,” Shim says. Jenna will draw upon her findings in another role: as the coordinator of UW’s English as a Second Language Endorsement Program. One potential question to explore, in the current research or the next phase of Shim’s academic work: how completion of the ESL certification impacts teachers’ classroom strategies and interactions. A comparison between ESL program graduates and teachers who have not completed the program also is likely. Shim brings multiple layers to this research and to her approach to teaching undergraduates at UW. One of those layers draws upon her experiences as an English language learner. Jenna moved to California at age 10 with her parents from Korea. Her father is Korean; her mother is half Korean and half Japanese. Shim has experienced the same kinds of assimilation difficulties that many ELL students encounter. Not only is it impossible to separate her background from her scholarly activity, it also helps her to discuss the challenges English language learners face in a different way with her College of Education students.

Partnership sends four to 2011 NNER Symposium

our educators will represent the Wyoming SchoolUniversity Partnership at the July 18-21 National Network for Educational Renewal summer symposium. They include Emma Chaput, assistant professor of biology at Western Wyoming Community College; Ana Houseal, outreach science educator with the UW Science and Mathematics Teaching Center; Cammy Rowley, Casper College education and early childhood instructor; and Victoria Simpson, College of Education literacy education doctoral student. This year’s group is distinguished by two community college faculty, one in teacher education and the other in arts and science. A distinct feature of the symposium is that planners honor the NNER’s tripartite mission by inviting a mix of arts and sciences, K-12, and teacher education participants. The Wyoming contingent will join about 25 others from NNER settings across the nation for intense study about the NNER’s Agenda for Education in a Democracy, cross-level discussions, and a “democracy walk,” a kind of focused ethnography conducted by small groups. Convened in Seattle, the week-long symposium is under the guidance of Ann Foster, executive director of the NNER, along with members of the NNER’s Governing Council. According to Foster, the symposium is central

Francisco Rios and Page Fenton Hughes take a break during the 2010 NNER Summer Symposium. (Photo courtesy of Paige Fenton Hughes) continued p 9

College awards scholarships to 140 students

he College of Education awarded $232,654 to 140 undergraduate and graduate students for the 2010-11 academic year and honored them at a fall banquet. Following is the list of recipients for each scholarship.

Rachel Keyes Alexis Lunberg Kathryn Slothower Cinnamon Smith Jacob Tolhurst Payton Vigil James and Dorothy Hook Scholarship Amy Irish

Undergraduate Scholarships Grace Thorson Brown Scholarship Kimberly Bock Lindy Watt Martha “Marty” Brown Scholarship Cheryl Kilgore Mark Carson Trust Jared Boardman Tenae Mascarenas Edna Pendleton Cash Scholarship John Volpe Charlotte Cossairt Scholarship Jessica Wilhelmsen Mary M. & David H. Crum Scholarship Troy Corson Elizabeth Fauber Virginia Davis Scholarship Leroy Wilson Delta Kappa Gamma Upsilon Chapter Recruitment Grant Whitney Sturman James Durkee Scholarship Megan Dirks Brice McIntosh College of Education Scholarship Brian Eardley Ryan “Levi” Wille Leah and Ken Griffin Scholarship Chad Gibbs Madison Wilkes Frank R. and Dorothy M. Gruden Scholarship in Education for Sophomores John Scott Frank R. and Dorothy M. Gruden Scholarship in Education for Juniors Emily Damby Frank R. and Dorothy M. Gruden Scholarship in Education for Seniors Wendy Boardman Jessie Mae Halsted Scholarship Cori Applehans Ola A. Hammond Scholarship Katharina Bohr-Buresh Ernest and Helen Hilton Scholarship Staci Reed Jamie Summers Alysha Warner Suzanne P. Hoffman Memorial Scholarship Jennifer Heater Honor a Teacher Scholarship Jessica Chandler Dalli Cross Sydney Fancher Amanda Fay

Jennifer Heater - Hoffman Scholarship Sean McGrath Sonalva McIntosh Jackie Westover Wendy C. Jacobson Scholarship Lara Basye Kilzer Memorial Scholarship Cheryl Kilgore Orla V. Lamb Scholarship Sharon DeWitt Jessica McClure Everett Lantz Scholarship Julianne Blaha The Ruth Linder Scholarship Mark Fleming Emma Jean Mader Scholarship Lonna Holt Robert and Jacqueline Malonek Scholarship in Education Tina Alvarez Jessica Burke Kelsey Giesenhagen Katelyn Hargrove Shawna Mandros Thomas Milligan Bryce Strampe Josephine J. McCue Scholarship Cyera Collens Jared Krysl Keiji G. and Shirley S. Okano Memorial Scholarship Emilee Scholtz Bryce Cushman Harriet Knight Orr Scholarship Kaleb Brinkerhoff

Mildred Petrie Scholarship Jill Curry Angela Hernandez Paul Lincoln Alicia Ruetz Chanda Spears Margaret Smith Powell Scholarship Travis Hounshell Reeves Family Scholarship Mikaela Morgan Mary Mead Steinhour Scholarship Michael Thomas Paul Stock Foundation Scholarship in Education Jacob Stutheit Jade Stutheit Jane and Michael J. Sullivan Wyoming Teacher’s Scholarship Sarah Collins Susannah Malarkey Josie Paisley Whitney Wilking Superior Student in Education Scholarship Jamie Myers Staci Reed Gordon and Reta Mae Tate Scholarship Shannon Brooks Janice Thiel Scholarship Albert Stickert George and Grace Shively Tupper Scholarship Adelle Simon Altamae Wynecoop Van Sant Merit Scholarship Whitney Mills Linda and Ron Vosika Scholarship Kaydee Overy Laurence and Mathilda Walker Scholarship Lisa Smith Lura O. Wirick Scholarship Amber Barrett

Staci Reed & Alysha Warner - Hilton Scholarship

Lindy Watt - Grace Brown Scholarship James Zancanella Scholarship Tyler Lay Graduate Scholarships and Awards Clarence Jayne Scholarship Jacquelyn Walker Patricia B. Ferris-Hawley Scholarship Amanda Annis Annemari Bradin Hauva Manookin Evelyn Milam Scholarship Sara Iselin Holly Leonard Katrina Romine Lyle Miller Scholarship Guilherme Zavaschi Arden White Scholarship Carrie Corrigan-Maki Dustin Giesenhagen Christina Prypchan Russell I. Hammond Scholarship Ahmed Al-Asfour Maurice Wear Scholarship Carrie Ellison Ivan Willey Scholarship Nicole Rapp Alexis Lunberg, Rachel Keyes, Jessica Chandler, Payton Vigil & Kathryn Slothower - Honor a Teacher Scholarship

Cheryl Kilgore - Marty Brown Scholarship (with Sarah Brown) Rex R. Anderson and Florence Vedder Anderson Memorial Scholarship in the Science and Mathematics Teaching Center Emmy Coxbill Mary Beth Crips Julia Faulkner Pamela Frazier Dave Hunzie Jakub Kocyan Jamie Litvinoff Dax McCarty Lee McCoy Kelli Pederson Joe Price Theresa Produit Sarah Ramsey-Walters Paula Richards Elizabeth Smith Jefferson “David” Stacy Victoria Winters Elizabeth Horsch Endowment Scholarship Katie Berry Timothy Brown Megan Holland Sigrid See Endowment Scholarship Michael Aagard Maryellen Amen Christina Bekken

Dustin Giesenhagen - White Scholarship

Maggie Bell Shauna Bruckner Tamika Davis Rebecca Favinger Matthew Gordon Todd Hickman Kory Hokanson Robert Reece Wendy Smith Angie Varca Elnora Brooks Memorial Scholarship Hailey Ellingham Margaret “Peggy” Cooney Scholarship Nikki Baldwin Rotary District 5440 Literacy Scholarship Darla Busboom Theresa Logsdon Other Scholarships and Awards Leona and Jeanette Heptner Scholarship Nikki Baldwin Michael Bishop Hoi Yuen Chan Christie Fritz Cheryl Gipfert Troy Kavanagh Hauva Manookin Mayra Mendoza Katrina Romine Kera Wenzel

7 7

UW College of Education & Unit Program Completers 2004-10 Program Name Art Education (K-12)

Early Childhood [Birth - 5] Add-On Endorsement

2004-05

2005-06

2006-07

Initial program start

2007-08

2008-09

2009-10

Early Childhood [Birth - 8] Add-On Endorsement

Early Childhood Special Education Add-On Endorsement

Elementary Education

154

175

150

131

138

139

English as a Second Language Add-On Endorsement

Music Education

Middle Grades Mathematics Add-On Endorsement*

13 (2)

18 (5)

16 (1)

17 (1)

Teachers of American Indian Children Add-On Endorsement (first completers 2008-09)

N/A

Certification of Literacy leading to a Wyoming Reading Add-On Endorsement

School Counseling – Master’s

School Principal – Endorsement

School Principal – Master’s

[enrolled (MSNS degrees completed)] Middle Grades Science Add-On Endorsement* [enrolled (MSNS degrees completed)]

Secondary Agricultural Education

Secondary English Education

Secondary Mathematics Education

Secondary Modern Languages Education (Total)

French

German

Spanish

Biology

Chemistry

Earth/Space Science

Secondary Science Education (Total)

Physics

Special Education - Master’s

Superintendent – Doctoral

Curriculum & Instruction Option - Master’s

Curriculum & Instruction Option – Ph.D. & Ed.D.

Secondary Social Studies Education Secondary Technical Education (Cohorts begin every other year, therefore the majority of graduates are after completion of the second year) Special Education - Bachelor’s

(exception granted)

(program sunsetted effective fall 2006)

*enrollment numbers are not mutually exclusive across academic years

Wyoming School – University partnership hosts Lost in Transition meetings

upported by a $10,000 gift from the Qwest Foundation, the Wyoming School-University Partnership is deepening and broadening its statewide Lost in Transition initiative. The initiative focuses on the five Hathaway Success curriculum areas: English/language arts, life sciences, mathematics, social studies, and world languages, and specific ways to improve success as students make the difficult jump from high school to college- and universitylevel work. To do that, the Partnership brings together faculty from high school, community college, and university levels to examine student work, share learning expectations, and better understand how students can succeed. One goal of each meeting is to create an even playing field for candid sharing and important professional relationship-building. Faculty from three content areas have met so far this winter and spring: mathematics, life sciences, and English/language arts. Mathematics, Riverton During a working dinner followed by an intense morning, nearly 60 mathematics faculty representing all three levels focused on college algebra, a course offered by faculty at each level. High school faculty were taken aback by the different approaches to teaching the course, starting with class size and level of student responsibility. Bernie Schnorenberg, mathematics consultant for the Wyoming Department of Education, helped the group understand implications and challenges of the recently adopted Common Core Standards for Mathematics. Life Sciences, Douglas Meeting for the sixth time, 47 life sciences faculty focused on higher level thinking skills, guided by Bloom’s taxonomy. Faculty brought examples of assignments for small group work focused on assessment. Over the

Valerie Harris, Central Wyoming College (far right), listens to mathematics colleagues Shannon Zavorka and Kira Heater, Laramie County Community College, as they discuss the Mathematics Common Core Curriculum expectations.

coming year, the group plans to communicate and collaborate, reporting out successes and challenges. The group’s next meeting is already on the calendar: Feb. 23, 2012. Teaching Writing in Wyoming, Casper Undeterred by a late winter snow storm and treacherous roads, 40 faculty (about two-thirds of the registrants) convened in Casper for a Sunday working dinner at the Firerock Steakhouse and all-day Monday meeting. Brent Pickett, UW-Casper College Center associate dean, led a dinner discussion about civility. The next day, participants focused on examples of student writing that illustrate higher order thinking skills. Participants also spent some time understanding the Common Core Curriculum for English/language arts. Go to www.uwyo.edu/wsup for information about the Lost in Transitions initiative, including upcoming meetings for social studies and world languages, or contact Audrey Kleinsasser at dakota@uwyo.edu.

NNER, continued from page 5

to deepening understanding about the NNER and its work. The symposium will provide opportunities to meet with colleagues from across the NNER, discuss issues pertinent to the health of public schools, universities, and communities, and to study and interact with NNER leaders committed to advancing the Agenda for Education in a Democracy. When they return to their home settings, symposium participants are better equipped to be leaders and facilitators of democratic practices in their classrooms, educational institutions, and in their communities. In depth study opportunities based in Seattle and elsewhere have been available through the NNER for more than 15 years. Many of the Partnership’s key leaders have participated in year-long leadership institutes and weeklong symposia. They include Kay Persichitte, College of Education dean; Audrey Shalinsky, College of Arts and Sciences associate dean; Dave Barker, Partnership governing board president; and governing board members and school

district superintendents Craig Beck, Paige Fenton Hughes, Kathy Hitt, Ray Schulte, and Brian Recht. Last year’s symposium participants included Fenton Hughes and College of Education faculty members Francisco Rios and Kevin Roxas. Rios was a facilitator for one of the group’s discussions. Audrey Kleinsasser, Partnership director, helped facilitate the 2001-2002 year-long institute. The Wyoming School-University Partnership supports participation by paying each participant’s $750 registration fee. Lodging and travel are provided by a sponsoring institution or the participant. A founding member of the NNER, the Wyoming School-University Partnership has been a member since 1986. For more information about the NNER go to NNERPartnerships.org/ or contact Ann Foster at annfoster@ nnerpartnerships.org To learn more about the Wyoming work, go to www. uwyo.edu/wsup or contact Audrey Kleinsasser, dakota@ uwyo.edu. 9

Sullivan Family Student Center Planning Team

he College of Education thanks the following planning team members, who provided their wisdom and expertise over many months to ensure that the Sullivan Family Student Center would be a welcoming and comfortable space for all who will use and enjoy it. Ted Brummond UW Photo Service Alan Buss UW Department of Elementary and Early Childhood Education Lydia Dambekalns UW Department of Secondary Education Michael Day UW Department of Professional Studies Jennifer Lebsack College of Education Deanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Office Allen Trent UW Department of Educational Studies

Joseph Stepans receives NSTA Presidential Citation

he National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) recently awarded retired UW College of Education emeritus faculty member Joseph Stepans its Presidential Citation. The citation recognizes Joseph’s “extraordinary contributions to science education, and equally as important, in recognition of all teachers whose values, achievements and aspirations he represents.” The citation notes that, “Leadership, innovation, and professionalism epitomize Joseph Stepans’ journey and have inspired the efforts of thousands of other teachers to whom we entrust the development of our next generation.” Joseph Stepans’ career focused on teaching science and mathematics – and the educators who would do the same. He taught both subjects at the secondary level. He also taught undegraduate- and graduate-level courses in both topics for the College of Education during his career here. In addition to preparing generations of science and mathematics educators via his for-credit courses, Joseph also was known for the professional development workshops, especially the WyTRIAD model, targeting teachers and administrators. Joseph is a longtime, active member of the NSTA, the National Council of Joseph Stepans Teachers of Mathematics, the School Science and Mathematics Association and the Northern Rocky Mountain Educational Research Association. Among his many awards were the Wyoming Science Teachers Association Service to Science Education Award and the Sublette County School District Teacher of the Year Award.

National group recognizes counseling faculty member’s dissertation

ara Carnes-Holt, University of Wyoming assistant professor of professional studies, recently learned that she has been named the 2011 recipient of the Association for Humanistic Counseling’s Outstanding Humanistic Dissertation Award. The AHC recognized Carnes-Holt at a breakfast event held in conjunction the 2011 American Counseling Association conference in New Orleans in March. CarnesHolt had an opportunity to present a summary of her findings at that event. Carnes-Holt joined the UW College of Education faculty in August. She received her Ph.D. in counseling from the University of North Texas. Her research focuses on incorporating play therapy with at-risk populations, specifically in adoptive and foster care settings, and the expressive arts within the counseling process. Following is an abstract of her dissertation: Child-Parent Relationship Therapy (CPRT) with Adoptive Families: Effects on Child Behavior, Parent-Child Relationship Stress, and Parental Empathy Abstract This randomized controlled study is a preliminary investigation on the effects of Child-Parent Relationship Therapy (CPRT) with 61 adoptive parents (Landreth & Bratton, 2006). The participants in this study identified themselves as the following: 54 European American, 3 Black American, 3 Hispanic/Latino, and 1 individual who chose not to select an ethnicity on the demographics form. The study included 22 couples, 1 female partnered dyad, and 15 individual

mothers. The CPRT is a structured, time l i m i te d a p p ro a c h that trains caregivers to be an active participant as a therapeutic change agent in their child’s life. Results from a two (group) by two (measures) split plot A N O VA i n d i c a te d that adoptive parents who participated in 10 weeks of CPRT reported statistically significant decreases Kara Carnes-Holt in child behavior problems and parent child-relationship stress. Statistically significant increases in parent empathy were also reported by raters blinded to the study. CPRT demonstrated a moderate to large treatment effect on reducing children’s behavior problems and parent-child relationship stress. In addition, CPRT demonstrated a large treatment effect on increasing parental empathy. The results of the study provide preliminary support for CPRT as a responsive intervention for adoptive parents and their children.

Principal survey: Gender differences in professional development needs

hile most of Wyoming’s school principals responding to a recent College of Education survey indicated a strong desire for professional development that supports their on-the-job effectiveness, the types and levels of assistance requested by women vary significantly from those of their male colleagues. “Women principals said that they wanted more mentorship in most areas than did male principals, at all experience levels,” educational leadership faculty member Heather Duncan, the survey author, reports. While women’s mean responses for all professional development topics listed in the survey were higher than the men, Duncan found statistically significant differences in three need areas: creating a collegial faculty, working with difficult students, and sustaining personal motivation. Those differences carried across experience levels, from beginning principals (zero to three years on the job) to very experienced principals (more than 16 years on the job). Across the board, women respondents ranked these topics higher than the men. The survey’s original purpose was to identify professional development needs of all Wyoming school principals. The survey went to 274 school leaders; 187 responses (68.3 percent) were returned. The gender breakdown of respondents (29.7 percent female, 70.3 percent male) reflected the demographics of the state’s principals (31 percent female, 69 percent male). Because the survey wasn’t originally intended to explore gender differences – or identify motivations for participants’ responses – Duncan is unable to identify explanations from her existing data. Some potential answers may exist within related research. For example, other studies show that differences could be explained by different approaches to handling conflict between men and women. “The literature suggests that women want to get to the bottom of things,” Duncan says of general themes within published research, “whereas men will listen to the problem and try to fix it, and then it’s gone.” To understand the potential differences between men and women principals – and to contribute to the scholarly

discussion on the topic - Duncan plans a follow-up study. She plans to interview 15 female and 15 male principals in Wyoming, sampling across experience levels, to also illuminate any differences that may be grounded in how long one has been on the job. That qualitative research is expected to shed light on the “why” questions raised by the survey. The need for professional development in areas related to interpersonal dynamics is a strong one for most principals, regardless of gender, according to Duncan. “Principals’ days are filled with the most unexpected events, like an angry parent coming to see them or a student who brings a knife to school,” she says. “These are the critical incidents over which there is no prediction. These are the things that fill principals’ days and cause the most stress.” “They want to do the best for everyone, but to diffuse situations that are emotional is a skill,” she adds. “It’s a skill that can be developed. Some people can do it instinctively, but the majority cannot.” The gender differences uncovered Heather Duncan in her survey resonated for Duncan, a former high school principal. Interpersonal issues were a constant part of her daily life as a building administrator. Conflict resolution was of particular concern. “Conflict bothered me,” she says. “I really wanted to resolve it in a manner that was satisfactory to parents, to students and to the staff.” She also dealt with challenges to her authority that appeared to be tied to her gender. “They would say things to me that they might not say to a male principal,” Heather recalls. Lack of support was another issue that Duncan faced. “When I became the principal at this high school, I was the first female principal in the district,” she says. “It was very much an old boys club. They had informal mentoring between them; but as the only female principal, I was largely outside of that.” “My learning in the principalship was really by trial and error,” she says.

Supporting educators of promise via bequests

acy Grott of Cheyenne has always known that she wanted to teach elementary school. Her dad taught math, and her sister teaches high school English. “When I was a little kid, I had a white board,” Lacy says. “I used to play school and boss all the other kids around.” However, even though Lacy is a hard-working student, she doesn’t test well. She took the ACT five times but did not score high enough to qualify for a Hathaway scholarship. In desperation, she called the UW College of Education, and they were able to award her an Altamae Wynecoop Van Sant Merit Scholarship. The woman who established the scholarship, Altamae Van Sant, was an elementary school teacher. She and her family homesteaded near Gillette in 1913. Coming to UW as a nontraditional student, Altamae received her

bachelor’s and master’s in elementary education in the early 1960s. Then she taught school at Department of Defense military bases worldwide, including Turkey, Ethiopia, Guam, and Spain. After 21 years, she retired to Laramie. When Altamae established the scholarship, she wanted to support promise, not the highest GPA, since those students generally win financial assistance. Applicants for the scholarship are high school seniors who will be majoring in elementary education and who have potential for success, and they must submit letters of recommendation from a high school teacher and a parent. So Lacy is exactly the type of person the scholarship was intended for—a student who may not receive the highest marks but who shows the most promise. And that promise continued p. 19

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David Lemire (Ed S, ‘89) works as a school psychologist and behavior consultant for the Klamath Falls City Schools in Klamath Falls, Oregon. He is also the student counselor and graduate advisor at the American College of Applied Science (a virtual college located in Crescent City, Fla). He was recently invited to sit on the Board of Directors for the Oregon Association of Talented and Gifted Children, representing childrens and parents in the Southwest region of the state. He is a regular contributor to the Masters Advocate, the journal of the North American Masters in Psychology. He just completed an online course in American History from Rio Salado College in Arizona, which makes the forty-eighth college or university he has attended and now can be certified to teach in Idaho. Roy L. Rummler (EdD ‘74) has authored a new book: Grin Tails for Children Ages 6 to 106, Vol. I. The book offers

humorous versions of some classics, i.e. Ginger Ella, Big Red Riding Hood, The Three Little Chickens. This is a fun book for adults and children and is the first of several planned volumes. This is Rummler’s third book. D. Ray Reutzel (PhD, ’77) is the first scholar in literacy education to be inducted into the Reading Hall of Fame (RHF) from any state west of the Mississippi except California, Washington, Texas and Arizona. There have only been 91 scholars in the U.S. and an additional 25 internationally (total 116) inducted into the RHF since its founding in 1973. To be inducted, one must be nominated by a current member or members of the RHF. Then one must be elected by the members of the RHF. This is the highest international recognition a scholar in literacy can receive from peer scholars in the field.

Social networking community links UWyo alumni

ormer University of Wyoming students are rediscovering old friendships and keeping up with their alma mater via WyoAlumni, a new online community and social networking tool to connect people at UW with alumni, friends, and donors.

WyoAlumni provides enhanced social and career networking with fellow alumni, opportunities to stay up to date on UW and College of Education news and activities, and an interactive alumni directory. Through WyoAlumni, you can:

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Look up old friends and make new acquaintances Read updates from members of your graduating class Chat and participate in threaded discussions Post photos for others to see Join online college and affinity groups Network for your job or with the people you serve Arrange a visit to campus or get involved

The WyoAlumni community address is http:// wyoalumni.uwyo.edu. For log-in help, or to confirm your credentials, contact the UW Foundation at 1-888-8317795 or foundation@uwyo.edu.

Become a fan on Facebook! http://www.facebook.com/WyoCollegeOfEd

UW’s Kappa Delta Pi chapter continued two community service traditions in March. Members celebrated Reading is Fun Week and Dr. Seuss’s birthday with a special Saturday story time at the Albany County Library. Kaylea Weyrich, Mallory Mayer and John Beitler greeted children and their parents (top right photo). Kasey Rasmussen - and two shelled friends - shared Seuss’s Yertle the Turtle with several children, while clubmates read other stories by the author and played games with participants. The honorary also braved the icy waters of Huck Finn Pond for the 2011 Jackalope Jump (bottom photo), a fundraising event benefitting Special Olympics of Wyoming.

Sweetwater student teachers: look back, plan ahead

After completing midterm evaluations and setting goals for the second half of the semester, student teachers in Sweetwater Districts 1 and 2 unwind with pizza and collegiality.

Play therapy from p. 3

therapy program. Morgan established and taught the “Introduction to Play Therapy” course and has played a lead role in coordinating the Wyoming Institute for Play Therapy. The continued strong support from faculty will help make this center a success, she says. While the institute represents the cornerstone of post-graduate professional development, Carnes-Holt says, plans for the program go further. “Our goal, ultimately, is to develop a post-master’s certificate program under the center,” she says. A certificate would expand UW’s capacity to provide advanced professional development opportunities for the state’s mental health practitioners. Location of an APT-approved center in Wyoming is particularly critical for the Rocky Mountain region, according to Carnes-Holt. “In rural areas, research shows that there is a higher need for mental health services, there are fewer mental health providers in rural settings, and they don’t have opportunities to get to training that would allow them to become specialized in a particular areas,” she says, especially for services targeting children and families.

UW’s program has the potential to model effective program delivery for all rural areas. College of Education Dean Kay Persichitte welcomes news of the APT designation for UW’s new center. “At a time in our history with such emphasis on testing, measuring student achievement, and focus on children meeting ‘learning standards,’ this national recognition of our faculty research and teaching around play and play therapy is a great reminder that education of our children takes many forms,” she says. “I am excited about the future of this work in the College of Education.” Department of Professional Studies head Kent Becker notes the importance of the designation to advancing the college’s counselor education programs’ reach in Wyoming and beyond. “Being designated as an Approved Center of Play Therapy Education puts us in an elite league,” Becker says. “This designation directly supports our academic goals our commitment to research, instruction and training in play therapy. Dr. Kara Carnes-Holt’s and Dr. Michael Morgan’s leadership in the area of play therapy continues to open doors for our program, department and students.”

Bequests from p. 15

was fulfilled, as Lacy is graduating on time with a near-4.0 grade point average. “Here I am, graduating in four years with really good grades, I was the president of the College of Education Ambassadors, I’ve gotten multiple scholarships—top of my class,” Lacy says, “and yet I didn’t receive any money through the Hathaway Scholarship. The Van Sant scholarship meant a lot to me.” In 2007, Lacy was able to meet Altamae at the College of Education Scholarship Banquet. “What was so nice about her was that she was so interested in me. She asked a million questions,” Grott says. “She was so caring and understanding of what I was doing.”

Lacy Grott

About bequests: A charitable bequest is a gift to the University of Wyoming through your will or revocable living trust. Bequests can enable donors to make more significant gifts than they would have been able to during their lifetime. These gifts are critical to the future success of UW because of the students, faculty, and programs that they support. With a bequest, you get the satisfaction of knowing that, by planning for your future, you’ve helped countless others plan for theirs. For more indepth information, feel free to request a no-cost Guide to Planned Giving brochure by contacting Tracy Richardson, director of planned giving, at (307) 766-3934 or trichar6@uwyo.edu.

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