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Quality of Educators

HEARRR Focuses on What Matters Most - Educator Quality

Research findings in the last few years emphatically confirm the common sense idea that the quality of teaching matters more than any other factor in a child's educational success. In the greater Rockford area, the HEARRR institutions deliver a comprehensive array of courses, degree programs, and professional development activities to raise the quality of teaching. Given an impending crisis in staffing the Rockford Public Schools, HEARRR is also working with RPS to recruit and train candidates for teaching and administrative positions.

How HEARRR Works to Improve the Preparation of Educators

All four Alliance institutions offer numerous, high-quality degree programs, certifications, and training to produce the best possible educators for the Rock River Region. Here's a snapshot of some specific Alliance institution programs:

  • A.A. and A.S. programs offer nine education courses updated to meet Illinois professional Teaching Standards (RVC)
  • Associate in the Art of Teaching (A.A.T.) in math, science, early childhood education, and special education in development at RVC
  • A.A.S. Paraprofessional Educator Degree at RVC to meet new state and federal qualifications and optimize possibilities for transfer to baccalaureate programs
  • Basic Skills Test preparation workshops (RVC)
  • Rockford College offers bachelor's degrees (art and science) in elementary education; a B.A. and B.S. in education with minor in secondary education for majors in art, biology, chemistry, English, French, German, history, mathematics, physical education, social science, Spanish, and theatre arts; endorsements for middle school and special education; and alternative certification for career-changers. At the graduate level, Rockford College offers a master of arts degree in teaching with LBS1 Certification.
  • B.S. in elementary education, M.S. in Education (NIU).
  • Master Teacher Leadership, Online (UIS)
  • Leadership development and certification of new principals for District 205 (NIU)
  • Development of electronic portfolios for teacher candidates (RVC, NIU)

What HEARRR is Doing to Raise Knowledge and Skills of Current Teachers

  • Project REAL logoProject REAL professional development schools ($5 million federal grant)
    • clinical placements for pre-service teacher candidates
    • on-site professional development for classroom teachers
    • collaborative curriculum development at university and K-12 school level
    • research jointly conducted on teaching and learning (NIU, RVC)
  • Professional development school at Harlem (NIU)
  • Teaching teachers to use technology ($1 million) (NIU)
  • Improving American history teaching through $1 million grant (NIU and Rockford College)
  • Project PRIDE with District 205 to improve reading (NIU)
  • Project Lead the Way to prepare students for engineering (NIU)
  • Training principals to use data to make decisions for school improvement (NIU)
  • Illinois Council on Economic Education assistance to schools in teaching economics and financial literacy (NIU and RVC)
  • Increased pool of bilingual teachers and improvements their training (NIU, Rockford College, RVC)
  • Tuition reimbursement for District 205 paraprofessional educators who complete general education requirements at RVC before transferring to Rockford College for certification as bilingual teachers (Rockford College, RVC)
  • Future Educators Society recruits students to be quality teachers (NIU and RVC)
  • Career and college fairs, financial aid outreach programs, and a student ambassador program to distribute information (RVC)

Leadership

  • Procured $10 million dollars in external funds to work directly with teachers in Rockford area schools, 2001-2004 (NIU, RVC, and Rockford College)
  • Public Agenda forum for discussions on improving public education (Rockford )
  • Golden Apple Foundation rewards for exemplary teachers (Rockford College)
  • Working to increase the pool of future teachers by forming future teacher clubs at RVC, NIU, and in Rockford Public Schools. Future Teachers Clubs.
  • Participating in Illinois Teacher Education Program grant focused on student recruitment, curriculum alignment, and articulation (RVC)