Greater Philadelphia Region Alliance for Minority Participation Teacher Preparation Initiative
Dr. Trevor E. Sewell
Program Director

The Greater Philadelphia Region Alliance for Minority Participation (Philadelphia AMP) has added a teacher preparation (TP) component to its current activities. The institutions participating in this effort are: Cheyney University, Community College of Philadelphia (CCP), Delaware State University, Lincoln University, and Temple University. The TP activities are closely integrated with the ongoing Philadelphia AMP activities, rely heavily on those of the new Collaborative for Excellence in Teacher Preparation (CETP) involving Temple, CCP, and the School District of Philadelphia, and benefit from the reform efforts of the State of Delaware's Department of Public Instruction. In addition, they are expected to benefit significantly from coordination with the activities of the Urban Systemic Initiative (USI) based in the School District of Philadelphia.

The overall objective of the TP component is to increase the production of highly qualified and motivated minority high school (9-12th grade) science and mathematics (S&M) teachers in the Greater Philadelphia Region through strategies based on their certification path. Three paths for the certification are currently available through the participating institutions:

  1. Cheyney, Delaware State, Lincoln and Temple University students receive a bachelor's degree in Science or Mathematics Education (equivalent to three years of S&M curriculum plus one year of Education curriculum);
  2. Temple University students enrolled in the Five-Year Teacher Education Program receive a bachelor's degree in a S&M major and a minor in Education, followed by a fifth year of graduate courses in Education and intern teaching in a Professional Development School (completion of this program's fifth year leads to a master's degree in Education); and
  3. Temple University students already with S&M bachelor's degrees enter the fifth year of Path 2 directly.

The three principal strategies are: (1) to increase the S&M subject matter content of the curriculum in Path 1, (2) to increase the exposure of all students to methods and to curriculum shown to be effective in teaching S&M, and (3) to increase, through special recruitment efforts, the number of minority students interested in teaching high school S&M.

The above strategies rely on the following activities: (a) a summer institute, (b) summer research experiences, (c) academic year scholarships, (d) internships in Professional Development Schools, (e) special minority recruitment activities, and (f) collaboration and coordination with other TP initiatives in the region.

For more information about the Philadelphia AMP Teacher Preparation Initiative, please contact:

Veniece Keene, AMP Project Coordinator
Philadelphia AMP
405 University Services Building, Temple University (083-88)
1601 N. Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19122
Phone: (215) 204-9553. Fax: (215) 204-9554.
Email: v2281a@vm.temple.edu