IPSI Delivering Cost-Effective Training to Texas Social Studies Teachers February 28, 2012

The Institute for Public School Initiatives (IPSI), a center in The University of Texas at Austin’s College of Education, has received funding from the Texas Education Agency (TEA) to develop a set of online training modules for Texas social studies teachers. The six courses are an extension of the face-to-face training provided last summer through funding from the 81st Texas Legislature.

Rider 42 provided funding to TEA to create training materials for teachers in core content areas. Through this funding, TEA contracted multiple entities to create face-to-face and online training for distribution through the 20 education service centers around the state.

The web-based training modules, hosted in TEA’s Project Share, will be interactive resources that educators can use to enhance their understanding of the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS).

Texas will launch a new assessment program this spring called the State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness (STAAR). Each course includes content information that will help educators learn more about the content that will be tested by STAAR and assist them in preparing students for a more rigorous assessment. Specific courses will focus on end-of-course exams that will be given in world geography, world history, and U.S. history; the grade eight STAAR; and an overview of the K-12 social studies TEKS.

Dr. Paula Moeller, director of IPSI’s College Readiness Initiative and a College of Education alumna, is leading the team that’s developing the social studies project. Mark Parrish is the project manager and project developers include Stephanie Edwards-Hunt, John Ezzell and Michael Volonnino. Jenna Kelly-Landes and Natalya Lukashonok are leading the development of the Bible literacy course. Moeller and Volonnino are alumni of the College of Education.

This project is one of many efforts by TEA to create and offer cost effective online courses to Texas teachers through a content management system called Project Share.

The Project Share platform allows all teachers to access state-developed materials free of charge via the Internet and will result in cost savings to TEA.

“Project Share is a cutting edge initiative that will allow teachers to share classroom practices that work well with their colleagues all over Texas and the country in a new and exciting way,” said Robert Scott, Texas commissioner of education. “It will also allow the state and its partners to deliver training to educators in an interactive and timely manner.”

– Dr. Paula Moeller, Director of College Readiness Initiatives, 512-232-2559,
or Kay Randall, University Communications, 512-363-6520