In this issue...

Principal Dr. Laquita Louie (Cohort 13) and UIC leadership coach Paul Zavitkovsky recently spoke to three different audiences at the Learning Science International Conference on Formative Assessment. At the April conference, Louie and Zavitkovsky led a fireside chat with author and researcher Dylan Wiliam and with Learning Sciences International CEO Michael Toth. In their fireside chat, Louie and Zavitkovsky discussed how outsourcing assessment processes undermines effective instruction and reinforces chronic inequities, an issue Zavitkovsky recently discussed in his recent brief on assessment published in the March 2022 UIC Leaders on the Move newsletter. Louie and Zavitkovsky also conducted a stand-alone presentation called “Getting Smarter about Equity Metrics.” Louie was also part of a panel discussion called “What Does It Mean for Assessments to be Equitable” that included Tanji Reed Marshall, Director of P-12 Practice at Education Trust, author/educator Jay McTighe, author and educators Ken 0’Connor and Dylan Wiliam.  Dr. Louie is currently principal of Curtis School of Excellence in Chicago.

Once again UIC is ranked among the nation's best in Education Administration and Supervision.  It is the only one listed in the top 15 that is not an elite private institution.  "UIC demonstrates how a nationally recognized program can serve a diverse population of educators committed to improving schools in urban settings."

The EdD in Urban Education Leadership is a nationally-recognized program designed to prepare and develop principals who are able to lead and significantly improve teaching and learning in urban schools. We seek applicants who are outstanding teachers and assistant principals who want to transition to school leadership positions, as well as principals desiring to take their schools to the next level.

The program has received the University Council for Education Administration Exemplary Educational Leadership Preparation Program Award and was identified as a “model” program by the Illinois Board of Higher Education Commission on School Leader Preparation.

This intensive, highly-selective cohort model combines coursework with supervised practicum experiences and an emphasis on collaborative data collection and analysis at the school level. With additional coursework and fieldwork beyond the Illinois P-12 Principal Endorsement, the program supports the continued development of novice principals and also prepares system-level leaders to lead school improvement at the district level.

On May 6th, the UIC EdD program graduated seven students who each successfully defended their capstone.
Each graduate received our Program Desk Plaque.

This year, several UIC EdD program alumni and faculty presented at the American Educational Research Association Annual Meeting. The AERA, founded in 1916, is a national research society which strives to advance knowledge about education, encourage scholarly inquiry related to education and evaluation, and to promote the use of research to improve education. The AERA’s annual meeting is the world's largest gathering of education researchers and a showcase for groundbreaking, innovative studies in an array of areas.

UIC EdD graduate and faculty member Dr. Lionel Allen, Jr. led a roundtable discussion with three EdD alumni, Dr. Will Daniels (Cohort 14), Dr. Sherisse Lucas (Cohort 14) and Dr. Rebecca Shick (Cohort 13). The title of their presentation, “B-Sides: Instructional Improvement that Cultivates Equitable Education in Urban Schools” was delivered during the roundtable session entitled: “Grow Your Teachers, Grow Your Schools: Improving Teacher Practice as a Means of School Reform.” During their roundtable discussion, Allen, Daniels, Lucas and Shick presented auto-ethnographic accounts of the B-sides of instructional leadership from Black and Brown scholar-practitioners. “B-sides” refers to the under-told stories and insights from the school-based action research projects that were designed to improve teachers' instruction and student outcomes for historically marginalized youth. This session offered insight into what these B-sides mean for deeper engagement with instructional leadership. 

Dr. Decoteau Irby made significant paper contributions to this year's AERA Annual Meeting. The first paper, “Confronting Inequities: Theories of Change in the District-Level Equity Directorship,” was co-authored with Ann M. Ishimaru from University of Washington and Terrance L. Green from The University of Texas at Austin. Their paper examines the theories of change that motivate how district-level equity directors across the U.S. approach their mission to disrupt and transform long-standing issues of racial oppression in schools. Dr. Irby also presented his paper “Equity Data Challenge: A Critical Inquiry Into What Counts as Racial Equity Improvement,” which he co-authored with Ahreum Han from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Their manuscript explored the limitations of relying on conventional data sources and indicators to measure, monitor, and account for the impact of equity reforms in U.S. public schools. 

Dr. Irby was also a featured panelist in a discussion titled Police-Free Schools: Education Research and Anti Racist Movements. This session examined the dynamic intersection of research and action in the movement for police-free schools.

Is your Illinois Professional Educator License due for renewal in June 2022?

The answer to this question is at your fingertips.  Please go to your Educator Licensure Information System (ELIS) account to review your records. If your records show a license expiration date of "06/30/2022," then this coming school year is your renewal year. 

Please check your professional development records. Make sure you have entered your required amount of "Continuing Professional Development Hours," and be sure you have completed your required number of Illinois Administrator Academy courses.  

If you need additional IAA courses, don’t delay. Register for the courses you need. Good sources are IPA and CPAA.