The Neag School of Education prepares the next generation of teachers, leaders, sport management professionals, school practitioners, and education scholars.

Through its three departments — Curriculum and Instruction, Educational Leadership, and Educational Psychology — the Neag School offers academic programs and courses on UConn’s main campus in Storrs as well as select programs at the Avery Point, Hartford, Stamford, and Waterbury campuses.

Quick Links:

• Department of Curriculum and Instruction
• Department of Educational Leadership
• Department of Educational Psychology

Curriculum and Instruction (EDCI)

Select EDCI Awards

• Rebecca Campbell-Montalvo, Hannah Cooke, Todd Campbell, Byung-Yeol Park were recognized by AERA with the 2023 Experiential Education and Community Engagement: Scholarship and Practice SIG 41 Outstanding Conference Submission Award.
• Alyssa Hadley Dunn published “‘Why Did We Never Learn This?’: Preparing Educators to Teach for Justice and Equity on Days After” for the April issue of the International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education.
• Sakeena Everett was featured in a “10 Questions” article about her recent publication for the National Council of Teachers of English titled Special Issues Volume 1: Trauma-Informed Teaching: Cultivating Healing-Centered ELA Classrooms.
• Rachael Gabriel was interviewed on Jennifer Serravallo’s To the Classroom podcast. Rachael also hosted a virtual event, “Evaluating Cultural Responsiveness in Curriculum,” through the Reading and Language Arts Center in May.
• Alan Marcus conducted professional development on teaching the Holocaust through an interactive multimedia exhibit with middle school teachers and students in White Plains, NY, this past spring.

Teacher Education

The teacher education program in the Neag School of Education is a boundary-crossing, Schoolwide program that involves faculty from all three departments (EDCI, EDLR, and EPSY). The program offers two pathways toward initial teacher certification.

The Integrated Bachelor’s/Master’s (IB/M) program is a three-year program that serves students at the Storrs campus. Students typically apply in their sophomore year, enter the program as juniors, and upon successful completion of the program earn a bachelor’s and master’s degree and meet the requirements for state licensure. In 2021, there were 118 juniors, 102 seniors, and 117 master’s students in the IB/M program.

The second pathway, our Teacher Certification Program for College Graduates (TCPCG), is designed for individuals who already hold a degree in a content area and are seeking the needed credentials and certification to become a teacher. TCPCG was designed specifically to address teacher shortages in key areas identified by the state (e.g., math, science, special education, etc.). Students enrolled in TCPCG are either recent college graduates or change-of-career individuals. In 2021-22, there were a total of 70 TCPCG graduates (Avery Point: 21, Hartford: 26, and Waterbury: 23). A new hybrid model at UConn Stamford began in Summer 2022 with six students enrolled.

The teacher education program includes faculty and students from across all three Neag School of Education departments (EDCI, EDLR, EPSY). The program offers two pathways toward initial teacher certification.

The Integrated Bachelor’s/Master’s (IB/M) program is a three-year program that serves students at the Storrs campus. Successful completers of the program earn a bachelor’s and master’s degree and meet the requirements for state licensure. At the start of the Fall 2022 semester, there were 131 juniors, 114 seniors, and 99 master’s students in the IB/M program. By the end of the Spring 2023 semester, there were 126 juniors and 106 seniors in the program, with the number of master’s students remaining unchanged.

The Teacher Certification Program for College Graduates (TCPCG) is designed for individuals who already hold a degree in a content area and are seeking the needed credentials and certification to become a teacher. They matriculate at one of four campuses: Avery Point, Hartford, Stamford, or Waterbury. Students are either recent college graduates or change-of-career individuals who learn to become educators of English, Special Education, Science, Mathematics, Agriculture, World Language, or Social Studies. In Summer 2023, the new TCPCG cohort included 51 students across campuses.

New Teacher Education Leadership Team

This year held big changes as three new faculty members joined the Office of Teacher Education:

• In August 2022, Dr. Sandra Quiñones, Clinical Associate Professor of Curriculum and Instruction, became the new Director of School-University Partnerships. In this role, Dr. Quiñones reconnected with existing partner districts and reinvigorated connections to support student teaching and internship placements.
• In January 2023, Dr. Alyssa Hadley Dunn, Associate Professor of Curriculum and Instruction, became the new Director of Teacher Education. In this role, Dr. Dunn established a program-wide focus on justice and equity and coordinated programming efforts between IB/M and TCPCG.
• In March 2023, Dr. Tracy Sinclair, Clinical Assistant Professor of Special Education, became the new Director of the Teacher Certification Program for College Graduates. In this role, Dr. Sinclair leads the TCPCG program and coordinates the Office’s efforts to reimagine program structures to better support all teacher candidates.

Program administrators whose hard work supported the Office include Anna Roberts, Megan Pichette, Christine Pearson, and Ann Marie Shanahan.

2022-23 Office of Teacher Education Highlights

• Visited all IB/M partner district offices and partner schools, met with district and school leaders, and attended community events as a way to reinvigorate our commitment post-pandemic.
• Visited all TCPCG campuses to meet with program staff, current students, and instructors.
• Revised program handbooks and modified several program requirements to better suit the needs of current students.
• Distributed fellowships and scholarships to students to assist with costs for transportation to student teaching and required certification exams.
• Held two Office of Teacher Education highlights at the UConn Hartford campus to align goals and efforts across IB/M and TCPCG.
• Initiated the “Thank a Teacher Educator” program where students can highlight outstanding faculty or doctoral student instructors.
• Initiated student feedback surveys to gauge students’ experiences and needs when completing their programs.
• Initiated the first annual Equity Fellowship for faculty to collaborate with the Director of Teacher Education to revise a course to include more focus on equity and justice. Funding for this effort was provided by the OTE, EDCI, and EPSY. Eight faculty fellows were selected for the inaugural fellowship.
• Started an Alumni Advisory Board. Our first meeting will be held next year.
• Held an appreciation event for Neag partner cooperating teachers and district leaders to thank them for their service to UConn students.
• Began planning for a new Residency program, aligned with new state initiatives, that will fund teacher candidates during their student teaching or internship placements. Discussions and planning will continue next year.