For most schools across the state, students report for the first day Aug. 20. As with previous years, changes in budgets, policies and curriculum have reshaped the public school landscape. Whether it’s Common Core State Standards altering math and English testing standards or reductions in the state education budget, there’s a variety of newsworthy topics in state education. Listed below are faculty members at The University of Alabama’s College of Education — and their areas of interest — who are available this week (Aug. 13-17) and beyond as sources for media who are pursuing education stories. For more information, or assistance, contact David Miller in UA Media Relations, 205/348-0825 or dcmiller2@ur.ua.edu.
Dr. Jeremy Zelkowski, assistant professor, Department of Curriculum and Instruction
205/348-9499, jzelkowski@bamaed.ua.edu
Common Core State Standards will affect teachers’ math curriculum this year. Alabama is one of 45 states making the change to Common Core, an education initiative designed to align states’ differing standards. Zelkowski can comment on the changes to the math curriculum, which begin this school year.
Dr. Shannon Henderson, assistant professor, Department of Curriculum and Instruction
205/348-7402, 205/292-6537 or shenderson@bamaed.ua.edu
Common Core changes also will bring a new set of literacy standards, which will begin in 2013. Henderson can comment on next year’s changes and how they’ll differ from previous years.
Dr. Stephen Katsinas, professor and director, Education Policy Center/Higher Education Administration
205/348-2470, skatsina@bamaed.ua.edu
Katsinas is the director of the Education Policy Center at the University of Alabama. The Education Policy Center (http://education.ua.edu/centers/education-policy-center/) has a wealth of information available, including various issue briefs on charter schools and No Child Left Behind; reports on Pell Grants; and annual surveys of access and finance issues in public higher education. Katsinas, an expert in rural community college issues, will visit every community and technical college in Alabama to study and recommend changes in the internal allocation formula used by community colleges in Alabama.
Dr. Andre Denham, assistant professor, Department of Educational Leadership, Policy and Technology Studies
205/348-1731, andre.denham@ua.edu
Areas of study: Digital Game Based Learning; Instructional/Educational Technologies; Mobile Learning or mLearning; Emerging Instructional Technologies (iPads in classrooms, SmartBoards).
Dr. Diane Carver Sekeres, associate professor, Elementary Education and Literacy Programs
205/348-1400, dsekeres@bamaed.ua.edu
Areas of study: Children’s literature and writing instruction. Knowledge of the literacy issues with Common Core standards.
Dr. Richard Rice, associate professor, Policy and Technology Studies
205/348-1163, rrice@bamaed.ua.edu
With the state of Alabama’s new budget, schools are forced to find creative ways to make up for cuts in education, whether it’s reducing school programs or seeking more federal grants. Rice is an expert in state educational policies.
Contact
David Miller, media relations, 205/348-0825, dcmiller2@ur.ua.edu