Program Management
Starting, Scaling and Sustaining
Overview
Program Coordinators oversee the LA Program at their institution by attending to activities that support the mission, funding, operations, and assessment of their program. Although all certified LA Programs adhere to the Generalized Program Elements, there may be slight or significant variances in the logistics of individual programs due to local constraints and affordances.
Program management requires skills of marketing to make the case to start/expand/continue the program and to recruit faculty and LAs. Professional development skills are needed to develop the pedagogy course and support faculty and LAs in creating student centered learning environments. Logistical skills are necessary to smoothly facilitate application, acceptance, and payment processes.
First you should familiarize yourself with the essential elements of the LA Model. Then consider your campus context and make the case for starting a program to your administrators and peers. It is usually beneficial to start small, for instance one department or discipline, then build the program so that it is responsive to your school's context and establishes norms for your program. Additionally, you must prepare the structure for a successful program, including Campus Leadership, a Pedagogy Course, Transformed Courses that utilize LAs and Weekly Content Prep Sessions. Finally you must recruit and engage your faculty and students in the program.
Core Features
The LA Model emphasizes four major goals, which may vary in importance at individual LA Programs: curriculum & course transformation, discipline-based education research, institutional change, and K-12 teacher recruitment and preparation.
Curriculum & Course Transformation
The LA Model encourages course transformation supporting active student learning.
The LA Model facilitates implementation of active learning pedagogies in student-centered courses.
Discipline-Based Education Research
The LA Model introduces and supports conversations between math and science research faculty about education research and its role in creating effective learning spaces.
Institutional Change
The LA model acts as a change agent in faculty, departments, and institutional practices by providing infrastructure to support and reward instructional innovation.
Teacher Recruitment and Preparation
The LA model is an effective method of recruitment and preparation for future K-12 teachers. It can both provide exposure and generate interest to undergraduates who had never thought of teaching as a career before and help those who are on the fence decide if teaching is right for them. Meanwhile, the LA program emphasizes “best practices” and provides diverse student support which are helpful for students at any level.
Core Features
The LA Model emphasizes four major goals, which may vary in importance at individual LA Programs: curriculum & course transformation, discipline-based education research, institutional change, and K-12 teacher recruitment and preparation.
Curriculum & Course Transformation
The LA Model encourages course transformation supporting active student learning.
The LA Model facilitates implementation of active learning pedagogies in student-centered courses.
Discipline-Based Education Research
The LA Model introduces and supports conversations between math and science research faculty about education research and its role in creating effective learning spaces.
Institutional Change
The LA model acts as a change agent in faculty, departments, and institutional practices by providing infrastructure to support and reward instructional innovation.
Teacher Recruitment and Preparation
The LA model is an effective method of recruitment and preparation for future K-12 teachers. It can both provide exposure and generate interest to undergraduates who had never thought of teaching as a career before and help those who are on the fence decide if teaching is right for them. Meanwhile, the LA program emphasizes “best practices” and provides diverse student support which are helpful for students at any level.