2008 Woodie Awards
Officials increase education standards
By Ricky Causo
Issue date: 3/20/08 Section: News
New changes to Tennessee education standards will help to better prepare graduates and improve teacher education, according to UC foundation professor, Valerie Rutledge, at the UTC Elder Scholars meeting Tuesday.
Rutledge, the department head of the Teacher Preparation Academy and a member of the Tennessee State Board of Education, spoke about the education changes that have been approved in Tennessee over the past few months that will affect pre-kindergarten through 12th grade education.
The new standards not only have the goal of educating better prepared graduates, but are also concerned with how this may lead to important differences, according to Rutledge.
Rutledge said the changes in the standards are significant, and involve the five major academic areas, including math, science, history, social sciences and English.
There will also be a more rigorous set of graduation requirements that will impact the numbers of teachers needed in specific subjects, Rutledge said.
Rutledge also presented information about the partnership between the Chattanooga Chamber of Commerce, UTC and Hamilton County Schools and their efforts to collaborate in ways that will result in a better prepared work force.
"UTC Elder Scholars offers senior citizens in the Chattanooga area the opportunity to increase the quality of life by participating in mind-stimulating... activities within a university environment," according to the UTC outreach programs Web page.
For more information, visit the university Web site.
Rutledge, the department head of the Teacher Preparation Academy and a member of the Tennessee State Board of Education, spoke about the education changes that have been approved in Tennessee over the past few months that will affect pre-kindergarten through 12th grade education.
The new standards not only have the goal of educating better prepared graduates, but are also concerned with how this may lead to important differences, according to Rutledge.
Rutledge said the changes in the standards are significant, and involve the five major academic areas, including math, science, history, social sciences and English.
There will also be a more rigorous set of graduation requirements that will impact the numbers of teachers needed in specific subjects, Rutledge said.
Rutledge also presented information about the partnership between the Chattanooga Chamber of Commerce, UTC and Hamilton County Schools and their efforts to collaborate in ways that will result in a better prepared work force.
"UTC Elder Scholars offers senior citizens in the Chattanooga area the opportunity to increase the quality of life by participating in mind-stimulating... activities within a university environment," according to the UTC outreach programs Web page.
For more information, visit the university Web site.
