Lipscomb Ayers Institute Decade of Impact

a decade of

IMPACT

Education changes cultures, communities and lives.

Over the last decade, the Ayers Institute for Learning & Innovation has had a unique opportunity to make an impact on teachers and leaders who are on the front lines with learners every day. During this time, the Ayers Institute team has traveled to every corner of Tennessee to work with schools large and small to bring resources and encouragement and has inspired thousands of educators around the world.

The educators with whom we have had the privilege to work over the last ten years have inspired us in this work and are our ‘why.’ While we have provided valuable opportunities and resources for them, we have learned just as much, if not more, from them that has helped us strengthen what we do.

While the Ayers Institute invests in and empowers educators, it never loses sight of the fact that the work is ultimately about students. For every educator it touches through its programming and digital resources, the lives of untold numbers of students are forever impacted through that educator.

A special thank you to our founding director, President Dr. Candice McQueen, who had the vision for this institute, and to Jim and Janet Ayers for their partnership in this journey. Thank you also to the dedicated Ayers Institute team who bring their best every day to make a difference in the lives of others.

And, thank you for joining us today as we celebrate the Ayers Institute for Learning & Innovation and a Decade of Impact.

Dr. Rachael Milligan

Director, Ayers Institute for Learning & Innovation Assistant Dean for Program Innovation, College of Education

A BRIDGE FOR LEARNERS

Education is the pathway to a productive life and is a key to a bright future for the world around us.

Educators are at the heart of this life-transforming experience as they provide education, impart knowledge and empower today’s youth, thereby giving them the possibility for a better future. Without dedicated educators to inspire young learners, prosperity and success might only be aspirational ideals. Educators have a significant impact on the lives of young people. Simply put, educators change the world.

But who inspires the educators?

In 2012, Lipscomb University’s nationally recognized College of Education founded the Ayers Institute for Learning & Innovation as a partnership with the Ayers Foundation to support teachers and leaders in improving student outcomes through proven professional learning, to incubate innovative instructional ideas and resources, and to serve as a bridge between policy and practice, as well as between educators in PreK-12 and higher education in rural and urban, public and private school settings.

The Ayers Institute was created upon the following principles:

• Education should be guided by research in global best practices.

• Best practice requires implementation with fidelity, ongoing research on effectiveness and a continuing quest for improvement and innovation.

• Teachers and leaders are key to education reform and achievement in schools.

• Students can make significant gains when teachers and leaders implement research-based best practices.

Since its inception, the Ayers Institute has remained focused on its primary goals to equip teachers with tools to improve classroom performance, to cultivate a statewide corps of principals and teacherleaders who promote a culture of effective teacher support in the schools they serve, to model best practices, and to be thought partners.

With teachers on the front lines in one of the nation’s most challenging— and rewarding—professions, the Ayers Institute has been a positive voice in the educational landscape over the past decade in helping educators feel valued and supported and remain dedicated and focused, while equipping them with innovative tools and methods to better serve their students. Through its programming and digital resources, the Ayers Institute has reached educators in every county in Tennessee, every state in the nation and more than 135 countries around the world.

BUILDING BRIDGES

The first decade has been a time of growth and impact as the Ayers Institute for Learning & Innovation has built bridges with learners around the world.

• Ayers Institute for Teacher Learning & Innovation founded by Jim and Janet Ayers, with Dr. Candice McQueen as the founding director

• Meetings begin with statewide advisory board comprised of higher education faculty and K-12 practitioners

• Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC) awards $1.2 million grant to create resources and facilitate standards training for all educator preparation programs in Tennessee, including the INVEST video library (used by over 21,000 educators to date)

• Standards training facilitation throughout three grand divisions of Tennessee for all educator preparation programs in Tennessee

• College Access Project in partnership with Tennessee College Access and Success Network created online course for college access counselors

• Beginning of six-year GEAR UP professional learning partnership with Lexington High School, Henderson County

• Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) awards $250,000

LEAD Grant

• Governor’s Online Innovation Fund Grant to create Teacher Preparation Massive Open Online Courses

• Partnered with the Metro Arts Commission to engage two interdisciplinary teacher cadres to write standards-aligned lesson plans that center on various pieces of public art in Nashville, as well as provide teacher-led professional learning

• THEC grant extended to create leadership videos and accompanying guides (TEAM Evaluator, Culture of Collaboration, Culture of Coaching, Data-Rich-Culture)

• Professional learning partnerships extend to three independent schools

• Math and Science Partnership Teacher Cadre Grants—engaged with Tennessee math and science teachers to create math and science lessons to be shared through re-imagined Tennessee Curriculum Center website

• Fortify Conference for K-12, higher education teachers and leaders launched, sponsored by EdSouth

• Annual Ignite Unconference launched

• eduTOOLBOX® launched as an online portal featuring instructional resources for educators in Tennessee and across the country (with over 16,000 registered users and nearly 3 million page views to date)

• Coaching Academies launched—now offered at Lipscomb at least three times each year, as well as in partnering districts

• Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools Ayers Fellows Mentors coaching training

• Beginning of three-year partnership with MNPS aspiring principal cohorts, including cultural tours of Nashville and coaching support

• Launch of Ayers Lunch and Learn podcasts, sponsored by EdSouth

• Launch of Ayers Institute live webinar series

• Continuation of multiple digital professional learning projects with the TDOE

• Multi-year leadership partnership began with Gibson County Special School District

• Professional learning partnership with MNPS PreK launched

• Beginning of multi-year professional learning partnership with United Way Read to Succeed

• Beginning of 6-year professional learning partnership with Campbell County Schools

• Partner in a six-year, $13 million MNPS GEAR UP grant with goals to improve Nashville middle school students’ chances to further their education and to support middle and high school educators

• Ayers Institute partners with the Nashville Mayor’s Office, United Way and Blueprint for Early Childhood Success to develop free professional learning resources for PreK educators

• Maury County Aspiring Leaders Partnership

• Beginning of multi-year Tennessee Rural Acceleration and Innovation Network partnership with National Institute for Excellence in Teaching (worked closely with 18 rural Tennessee counties and provided 182 days of professional learning over 18 months)

• Leadership partnership with Dyersburg City Schools

• Coaching training partnership with Williamson County Schools

• New podcast series, Ayers All Access, launched

• Ayers Institute celebrates 10th anniversary

THE AYERS BRIDGE BUILDERS

The Ayers Institute for Learning & Innovation was established in April 2012 as a partnership between Lipscomb’s College of Education and the Ayers Foundation to be a resource for teachers across Tennessee and beyond.

The institute was the vision of Lipscomb President Candice McQueen, who served as dean of the College of Education from 2008-2014 and led the college to national recognition for excellence in teacher preparation and teaching outcomes. Under her leadership, the College of Education doubled enrollment and giving, and expanded programming to include six new graduate programs, including one of the university’s first doctoral programs. Her tireless commitment to preparing teachers at the highest level to be more effective in the classroom drove not only this growth in the College of Education but also a desire to provide additional resources for practitioners in the field.

Fueling this vision was Dr. McQueen’s unique understanding of what teachers need most to be effective educators with her experience in the K-12 classroom as an educator in both the public and private sectors and as a faculty member in Lipscomb’s College of Education for nearly 15 years.

Dr. McQueen found a strong partner in impacting education in the state with the Ayers Foundation and its founders Jim and Janet Ayers, of Parsons, Tennessee. The Ayers have also worked tirelessly to improve the quality of education in Tennessee.

Founded in 1999, the Ayers Foundation is dedicated to improving the quality of life for the people of Tennessee by positively affecting the fields of education, conservation and social welfare. The organization provides grant and scholarship money to organizations throughout Tennessee. The Ayers Foundation Scholars Program began with the vision of making higher education more accessible to young people in West Tennessee’s Decatur and Henderson counties. Today, it provides comprehensive services to 21 high schools and two community colleges in rural West, Middle and East Tennessee.

Jim and Janet Ayers have impacted the lives of thousands of young people across Tennessee, helping more than 6,000 high school students go to college through scholarships provided by the Ayers Foundation.

Through a $1 million gift from the Ayers Foundation, a strong partnership was formed and Lipscomb’s Ayers Institute for Learning & Innovation was launched. In addition to the initial gift to establish the institute, the Ayers Foundation made a $1 million gift in 2014 to establish the Ayers Leadership Fellows program in Lipscomb’s College of Education. The program provides scholarships for aspiring school leaders throughout the region to earn an educational leadership master’s or education specialist degree with administrative licensure from Lipscomb’s College of Education.

The Ayers have been ardent supporters and partners in the work of Lipscomb’s Ayers Institute for Learning & Innovation. They are tireless advocates of education and in providing a pathway for students to achieve their dream of earning a college degree. Their passion for making a difference in the lives of others and their belief in the quality of Lipscomb’s College of Education fueled their commitment to plant the seed for the Ayers Institute and will continue to have an impact for generations to come.

INNOVATIVE OFFERINGS

Through professional learning programs and digital resources offered over the last decade, the Ayers Institute has inspired educators, encouraged creativity, helped teachers stay focused and helped others ‘find their why.’ Research shows that one of the most effective ways to improve teaching and learning in the classroom is to provide educators with specific professional development based on individual needs. When practicing educators are continually supported through tailored programs and equipped with innovative teaching techniques, students have a greater opportunity to be successful. A goal of the Ayers Institute is to provide resources and professional learning opportunities that are accessible and affordable to teachers and leaders from any school or district.

Some of these resources include:

Customized Partnerships

Classroom instruction and school leadership are the top school-related factors that influence student learning. For students at all levels to achieve their highest potential, teachers and leaders must be equipped and empowered to help students reach these goals. Educators thrive when they are engaged in continuous learning that focuses on personalized goals. The Ayers team works with individual schools, districts and educational organizations to provide customized learning experiences and personalized coaching support, all with the goal of building capacity in teachers and education leaders.

Coaching Academies

The Ayers Institute believes in the power of approaching one’s role with a coaching mindset. Ayers Institute team members facilitate coaching seminars and interactive academies in a variety of formats for teachers, leaders, coaches, higher education faculty and other professionals. These workshops have reached thousands of educators and have had an impact on school and organizational cultures across the state and beyond.

eduTOOLBOX®

eduTOOLBOX® is a free academic resource-sharing portal created by the Ayers Institute. The website provides access to over 5,200 academic items including lesson plans, learning activities, and links to academic resources from other educational websites. Educational units, lessons, and activities are available in the “Instructional Exchange” while additional materials can be found in specialized sections including the Educators Toolkit, Early Childhood Learning Tools and Tennessee Tools on this robust web resource. Educators can also access the complete and growing archive of Ayers Institute’s professional learning webinar sessions and conference sessions including links to resources for practical skill application and extended personal learning.

The eduTOOLBOX® website was launched in 2016 and is used by educators across Tennessee and around the world. Collaborative support and funding for the creation of eduTOOLBOX® was provided by the Tennessee Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Education’s Math & Science Partnership program. www.edutoolbox.org

e3 Courses

The e3 Courses resource provides an online platform for anytime, anywhere learning. The Ayers Institute produces relevant, high-quality courses that focus on topics important to pre-service and current-service education professionals. Course offerings include the College Access Project competency-based learning strands, Fostering Language Development in a Pre-K Classroom, Engaging Students, Personalized Learning through Differentiated Instruction, Introduction to Working with Adult Learners, among others. www.e3courses.org

Podcasts

Podcasts are a modern, convenient way for educators to expand their knowledge and their personal learning network. The Ayers All Access podcast brings expert voices and meaningful information straight to busy educators. Episodes focus on everything from inspiring educator stories, to instructional skills, to helpful books or trends in the field of education. These professional learning podcasts are specifically designed to support the growth and success of educators and include a mechanism to demonstrate professional learning hours and content reflection. Show notes for each episode provide links to resources that enable listeners to actively extend their learning.

podcast.ayersinstitute.org

The INVEST Library

Through a partnership with the Tennessee Higher Education Commission, the Ayers Institute for Learning and Innovation created resources for university faculty to use when preparing new teachers to employ the standards-based instructional practices. The INVEST Library provides video and professional learning resources for teacher preparation faculty and K-12 professionals that are designed to improve student outcomes through standards-focused instructional strategies. In addition, a suite of leadership videos highlights the importance of coaching, data use, and collaboration. Also included in the library are videos that center on teacher and school leader evaluation practices. The accompanying Facilitator’s Guide provides additional resources and activities for faculty to use with their students and for professional learning coordinators to use with current-service teachers. www.investvideos.org

Webinars

The Ayers Institute produces monthly, web-based seminars (webinars). These online resources provide timely, topical professional learning opportunities to educators. Topics include information about digital resources, college access, coaching, instructional skills and school leadership. Participants may interact with the presenters during live webcasts. Sessions are also recorded and may be viewed on demand. These are designed for PreK-12 educators, higher education professionals, teacher-preparation candidates and community members with an interest in the field of education. webinar.ayersinstitute.org

A DECADE OF IMPACT

More important than the programs offered and the number of educators served is the impact the Ayers Institute is making on teachers and their students. Those who have been a part of Ayers Institute programming say it best.

“For the past 12 years, I have had the incredible privilege of serving as principal at Riverside High School in Decaturville, Tennessee. During my time as principal, I have participated in many leadership learning opportunities with the Ayers Institute. Of all the professional learning that I have participated in these past 10 years, I have found the Ayers Institute to be the most innovative, practical and relevant. I can say confidently that our partnership with the Ayers Institute has helped improve my leadership through reflective practices and a strengths-based approach as well as build capacity through our teacher leaders and professional learning communities.”

— Hugh A. Smith, Supervisor of Instruction 9-12, Decatur County Schools

“Working with the Ayers Institute, through the TRAIN Network, provided our district with a strategic partner to help with many areas of professional development for teachers and leaders. Ayers has given our district a think partner to help build capacity within our leaders and teachers to help improve outcomes for our students. Through various opportunities, the Ayers Institute has provided us with the tools needed to help create a strong foundation of instructional leaders, and a wealth of resources to help incorporate more innovative ideas into our instructional practices.”

— Michelle Howell, Assistant Director of Teaching and Learning / RTI² / Accountability, Hardeman County Board of Education

“The Ayers Institute is important to the field of education because they make a significant difference in the lives of folks who directly impact student learning–our teachers and school leaders. The Ayers Institute has helped educators across Tennessee become better instructional leaders, coaches and teachers with skills that are sustainable to positively change an entire school or district’s culture of learning. Those that have worked collaboratively with the Ayers Institute for training or coaching or alongside a member of their team know firsthand what an impact they make on professional growth. School leaders, teachers and students are better because of the Ayers Institute.”

— Hank Staggs, Director, Accelerating Character Education & Development, NIET

“The McNairy County (Tennessee) School district is both very appreciative and thankful of the efforts and support of the Ayers Institute. We have been able to provide an array of leadership training opportunities to a cadre of aspiring school administrators that would not have been possible without the cooperation of the Ayers Institute. Many of the unique needs encountered by rural school districts may only be met through the outreach provided by the Ayers Institute.”

— Brian D. Jackson, Assistant Director of Schools/Director of Instruction, McNairy County School District

“The professional development opportunities offered by the Ayers Institute far outweigh the majority of others I’ve attended throughout my career. Their efforts, insight and research-backed strategies have been amplified throughout my district, as I have dedicated myself to applying their training in every aspect of my job and professional relationships. Their innovative best-practices and spectacular modeling serve as the recipe for the effective response to the present challenges of education. Given the innumerable crises disrupting and impeding learning today, the Ayers Institute stands as a beacon of reason, opportunity, equity and utility in the philosophy of education. The innovation, personal care and dedicated service of the Ayers Institute radiantly reflect the inimitable character of Middle Tennessee. I am so proud to have worked with and learned from the Ayers Institute and I hope to reflect their brilliance through my service to our students.”

— Chris Dial, F.I.T. Service Navigator, Lipscomb Teacher Residency Liaison, Clarksville-Montgomery County School System

“I have had the pleasure of partnering with the Ayers Institute in various capacities including recording a podcast episode, designing and implementing professional learning sessions and sharing ideas through a webinar. Every time I work with the professionals at The Ayers Institute, I am inspired by their commitment to ensuring that educators are equipped and empowered with actionable tools that they can use to help students reach their goals. Happy 10 year anniversary, Ayers Institute! Thank you for your continuous commitment to teachers and students!”

— Cicely Woodard, current teacher in Springfield, Missouri, former TN Teacher of the Year, Ayers partner in delivering professional learning opportunities