Teacher Education Pipeline Model
Professional Development School Program
Illinois State University was recently awarded a "Grow Your Own" planning grant through Illinois State Board of Education. The program will create a new pathway for parents, community members, and paraprofessionals* to earn a bachelor's degree in education and teach in their own communities.
The Grow Your Own Teacher Education Initiative, builds upon a preexisting partnership between Illinois State University, Chicago Public Schools District 299 and Little Village Community Development Corporation. This partnership expands its collaboration with the addition of the Kenwood Oakland Community Organization and Malcolm X City College of Chicago, thus creating a pipeline of both African American and Latino teachers in high needs communities.
The program will offer opportunities for community members and educational paraprofessionals to complete a bachelor's degree in Elementary Education with applicable endorsements in Bilingual and English as a Second Language (ESL).
The proposed project will recruit three cohort groups, consisting of approximately 60 students, from the Little Village, Kenwood and Oakland communities. In doing so, the challenge to provide high quality teachers for all students in hard to staff schools, especially in areas serving a substantial percentage of low-income students (including a high percentage of English Language Learners in the Little Village community) can be realized.
The purpose of this project is to meet this demand and develop effective pathways for nontraditional teacher candidates (e.g., parents, community members, paraprofessionals*) to earn a bachelor's degree and teaching certificate. Participants will take college coursework, intern for a full school year, and student teach close to their respective communities. Upon completion of the grant project, students will earn a Bachelor of Science in Education (B.S.Ed.) degree and some may earn additional qualifications for Bilingual and/or ESL endorsements. Students will also qualify for a regular, Type 03, elementary school teacher certificate from the State of Illinois.
In effect, this program will enable the participating high needs schools to “Grow their Own” teachers to meet the specific needs of students in their respective communities.
For more information about the Grow Your Own grant at Illinois State, please contact us at teacherpipeline@ilstu.edu or visit the Grow Your Own Illinois web site.
*Note: This project complies with the Grow Your Own Teacher Education Act [110 ILCS 48] and is authorized by Section 90 of the Act [110 ILCS 48/90]. The goals of the program are based on the two goals set forth by the Act, which include the creation of opportunities for certain individuals to become certified teachers; and to place the graduates of the program in schools that have difficulty attracting or retaining highly qualified teachers as defined by the No Child Left Behind Act. Specific eligibility criteria apply.