PROVIDENCE – Brown University has received a $300,000 grant from the Barr Foundation to help develop a pilot program to strengthen retention and training for recent graduates teaching in Providence, Central Falls and Pawtucket, the Ivy League institution announced Tuesday.
The university says the year-long grant program will help finance the development of a program that will offer 20 early career teachers, specifically alumni from Brown’s master of arts in teaching program, currently working in the Providence Public School District, the Pawtucket School Department and the Central Falls School District assistance to help them meet students’ needs. The program, Brown says, will provide the new teachers with instructional coaching, professional development and training in culturally relevant teaching practices.
The program by Brown is another initiative as part of the university’s growing collaborative efforts with local school districts, including PPSD. Katherine Rieser, director of Brown’s master of arts in teaching program, will lead this new pilot initiative. Brown say’s Rieser’s team will work closely with Hope High School and the Paul Cuffee School in Providence, the Blackstone Academy Charter School in Pawtucket and Central Falls High School to develop this program.
Additionally, the project will work closely with Annenberg Institute researchers to collect and analyze data on the program’s effectiveness, Brown says.
“Our graduates are extremely well prepared to be excellent teachers, but many still struggle to navigate their first few years of the profession,” Rieser said in a statement. “If you’re a teacher in an urban context right now, there is a lot to deal with – the pressure of test scores, accountability and meeting standards, as well as the relatively low pay of the profession and high turnover rates.”
James Bessette is the PBN special projects editor, and also covers the nonprofit and education sectors. You may reach him at Bessette@PBN.com. You may also follow him on Twitter at @James_Bessette.