College awarded $2.2 million Department of Education Grant

The College of Education has been awarded $2.2 million by the Pennsylvania Department of Education through its Eligible Partnerships Postsecondary grant program.

This grant will fund a new project, Pre-Service Differently, which will be led by Bloomsburg University, in collaboration with Kutztown University, the Central Susquehanna Intermediate Unit, PLS 3rd Learning, Research for Better Schools, as well as seven local school districts – Bloomsburg, Central Columbia, Mount Carmel, Shamokin, Millville, Warrior Run, and Columbia-Montour Vocational Technical School.

Pre-Service Differently will implement an online tool aligned to the PA Standards Aligned System to provide a continuous feedback loop to improve teacher preparation, induction, and professional development programs.

For Bloomsburg University education majors, this project translates into improved field experiences through the use of customized software. The software will provide budding teachers with assessment as well as modules that they can complete to increase their teaching ability and be matched with appropriate cooperating teachers for student teaching. Ultimately, this project aims to provide pre-service and novice teachers with the skills to increase student achievement in English language arts and mathematics.