Athens State outlines teacher-preparation model as board considers program approval

The Alabama State Board of Education heard a presentation from Athens State University on a proposed teacher preparation program, with university leaders emphasizing the institution’s role training large numbers of teacher candidates and its curriculum changes to align with state literacy and numeracy requirements.

Dean Bartarian of Athens State University described the institution as an upper-division transfer school that serves mainly nontraditional students and focuses on junior and senior undergraduate coursework and master’s programs. "The average age of our students is 28," Bartarian said, and the university "is consistently in the top 3 of the state as far as the number of teacher candidates we train." He told the board Athens State enrolls about 800 students in total, roughly 600 in the College of Education, and more than 500 candidates currently placed in field experiences in local schools.

Board members praised the program’s regional impact and flexible model for adult learners. One board member, identified in the meeting as Donald, said Athens State is "one of the outstanding institutions in Alabama" and highlighted the partnership between adjunct faculty and school districts. The board asked clarifying questions about enrollments, completers and field placements; Bartarian and department staff provided the figures above during the discussion.

The presenter noted a recent overhaul of Athens State’s literacy and numeracy curriculum to comply with state laws and said the university has engaged partner institutions and the state department to implement the changes with "fidelity." "We've engaged our partners with other institutions as well as the state department, to make sure that we are teaching according to those laws," Bartarian said.

The agenda listed a resolution to approve the Athens State preparation program; the transcript records the presentation and questions but does not record the board taking a formal vote or final disposition of the resolution within the provided meeting excerpts.

Board members and the department staff indicated they would return to formal action on the resolution at a later time when the item is placed for decision.

The board moved on to other items after the presentation; no further timeline for a vote on the Athens State program is recorded in the provided transcript.