The Urban Academy for Professional Development and School Renewal, created in part by the Ohio State College of Education, will receive a $1 million grant from the Ohio Department of Education.Announced Tuesday at the Board of Education meeting, the Columbus Public Schools, the College of Education and the Columbus Education Association will use the grant to expand and develop the Urban Academy, which has been in place for two years, according to a written release from the College of Education.According to the Urban Academy plan, the program aims to improve teaching and learning in the Columbus schools.More specifically, by the end of the fifth year, the plan says the Urban Academy will:
- have every student by third grade read at or above grade level
- have every student by ninth grade ready for algebra
- have every graduate from Columbus schools participate in an internship program and know how to use technology.
To meet these goals, the Urban Academy establishes “renewal teams” which assess what is working at schools and what needs to be done to improve the schools.To improve teaching in the district, participating schools are assisted by College of Education faculty and staff, Nancy Zimpher, dean of the College of Education, said in a written statement.”Teachers are receiving on-the-job instruction from peer teachers and College of Education faculty,” she said.James S. Sims, director of the Department of Staff Training and Development for the Columbus Public Schools, said the school district and the College of Education work great together in a “collaborative partnership.”The College of Education places students in internship and support positions in the school and also has professors conduct seminars for the districts teachers, Sims said.”Dr. Zimpher has been excellent to work with and has a strong commitment to improving urban education,” he said.Currently operating at three schools in Columbus, the Academy will expand to include South High School and four elementary schools this spring, according to the release.The grant will also be used to fund fellowships to encourage and support excellence in the Academy program from teachers and students.Also, the Steering Committee for the Academy, which consists of Rosa Smith, superintendent of Columbus Public Schools, John Grossman, president of the Columbus Education Association, and Zimpher, will conduct a nationwide search for a director this spring.
