College of Education

The College of Education produces teachers, counselors, and administrators who immediately impact and improve their community—wherever it may be. The college boasts experienced faculty and staff who create the best learning environment possible. The College of Education takes West Texas' educators to the next level. A listing of the departments within the College of Education can be found at https://www.utpb.edu/academics/colleges/education/departments/cd-department

he College of Education at UT Permian Basin is state accredited by Texas Education Agency and nationally accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) from 2013 to 2021. This accreditation does not include individual education courses that the College of Education may offer to P-12 educators for professional development, re-certification, or other purposes.

We are one of only two universities within The UT System who have the distinction of national accreditation. The following Conceptual Framework outlines the vision, mission, and anticipated learning outcomes for the candidates in our programs. Please visit the CAEP web site at www.caepnet.org for more information.

Conceptual Framework

The vision of the College of Education is a community of lifelong learners who actively reflect on the impact of their values, attitudes, beliefs, and practices.

The mission of the College of Education is to prepare pre-service and professional educators who are proactive in nurturing the lifelong development of all learners. This mission will be accomplished by:

Facilitating the acquisition of necessary knowledge, skills, and dispositions;
Cultivating the value of diversity;
Encouraging collaborative inquiry, innovation, and research;
Promoting collegiality and service in schools and communities;
Integrating technology into practice;
Providing opportunities for professional growth; and
Influencing educational practices and policies at the local, state, and national level.

The learning outcomes expected are that teacher candidates will:

Demonstrate content knowledge in their respective content area;
Use appropriate processes and teaching practices;
Apply knowledge about child and adolescent development;
Incorporate knowledge of diversity in planning and delivering instruction;
Incorporate technology in planning and delivering instruction;
Plan for and assess students' learning;
Create an appropriate learning environment;
Communicate and collaborate with all stakeholders; and
Engage in professional growth.

As part of its teacher certification program, the College of Education emphasizes experiential learning through field-based applications in which students spend a significant amount of time in public school classroom settings applying acquired knowledge to a variety of learning situations. Candidates for certification must actively demonstrate proficiency in the knowledge, skills, and dispositions contained in the learning outcomes through assessment strategies such as portfolios, reflective journals, and other performance-based assessment strategies.

US PREP

UT Permian Basin's College of Education assures excellence in our teacher education programs through affiliation with US PREP (University-School Partnerships for Renewal of Educator Preparation). As a member of the national US PREP coalition, we focus on high quality partnerships with our local school districts, assure that our curriculum is linked to research focused on serving diverse students, and focus on continuous improvement based on analyzing data on our program outcomes. Our Education majors have the opportunity to participate in a paid yearlong residency with one of our partner school districts. In the yearlong residency, teacher candidates engage in a P-12 classroom for their entire senior year while they also are completing their university coursework. Our partner school districts are currently offering candidates the opportunity to earn up to $24,000 plus employee benefits while participating in the yearlong residency.

UTeach Permian Basin

The UT Permian Basin College of Education, in collaboration with the UTPB College of Arts and Science, is a partner in the UTeach network to prepare highly qualified science and mathematics teachers. UTeach Permian Basin is a middle and high school mathematics and high school teacher preparation program whereby students complete a bachelor's degree in mathematics or a science discipline in four (4) years, while simultaneously completing requirements for teacher certification. UTeach Permian Basin graduates are highly skilled educators with deep subject expertise and proficiency in high impact instruction. Co-directors for UTeach Permian Basin are Dr. David Sparks (Education) and Dr. Milka Montes (Chemistry).

OC2UTPB Teaching in 3

UT Permian Basin has partnered with Odessa College to create an accelerated career-track program. OC2UTPB Teaching in 3, for those who aspire to become a teacher. Students enrolled in the program take a year-and-a-half years of courses at Odessa College followed by a year-and-a-half at UT Permian Basin. This accelerated format is designed for students who are ready for the challenge of taking maximum credit hours each semester to finish their degree and certification at a faster pace. At the end of the program, students will have earned an Associate of Arts in Teaching from OC, a Bachelor of Arts in Education from UTPB, and a Texas teacher certification

ROC (Teacher Residency Remote Online Cohort)

The UT Permian Basin College of Education has partnered with a number of rural/remote school districts to provide a pathway to a bachelor's degree and teacher certification of candidates in the partnering districts. Teacher residents enrolled in the remote online cohort (ROC) have the option of completing all university coursework and their bachelor's degree online. (May require some courses to be taken at a participating 2-year college.) Most students can continue to work while they attend online classes, and as part of the program, teacher residents receive a yearlong placement at a school in their home district.