Teacher professional development plays a critical role in preparing students for the academic and social demands of college. As higher education expectations evolve, educators must stay informed about the skills and knowledge students need to succeed beyond high school. Ongoing training equips teachers with effective instructional strategies, curriculum alignment and support systems that enhance students’ college readiness.
Yet, teacher professional development opportunities often fall short of making the grade when addressing specific needs at the district and school level, opting instead for “one size fits all” approaches. Rice’s Center for College Readiness has developed new training experiences that move beyond traditional approaches and instead account for specific student needs.
In collaboration with Conroe Independent School District (CISD), the center has developed customized professional development derived from the district's previous testing results and feedback from teachers. Through this, greater efficiency and effectiveness are accomplished.
“We talked about using data — not data that's supplied by the College Board, by the state, by lagging taper data — but real, live data that we can supply [and] Rice can analyze ... so that each and every interaction in the professional development was meaningful," said Laura Willard, Administrative Coordinator for College/Career Readiness and Counseling, CISD.
This academic year, the center will provide nine customized teacher professional development experiences for CISD, covering AP LOTE (Languages Other Than English), effective labs for AP and Honors Biology, crosswalk training for AP US and AP Government Teachers, building rigor in middle school honors math, English, science, and social studies courses, coaching for rigor for math specialist, and other AP training in psychology, computer science, English language and chemistry.
“We believe there is a straight line between teacher preparedness and student success, and we can shorten that line by providing professional development opportunities that are customized with direct input from districts and schools,” said David Johnston, director of the Center for College Readiness, a Rice Continuing Studies program. “As teachers ourselves, we understand that resources and time are both stretched; this approach allows us to be good stewards of that reality while providing a superior training experience.”
Learn More About the Rice and Conroe Independent School District Collaboration:
If you are an administrator interested in bringing customized teacher professional development opportunities to your school or district, contact us at collegeready@rice.edu.
Continue Exploring
More Success Stories: Glasscock School of Continuing Studies launches teaching minor
Related Programs: Center for College Readiness
Rice Continuing Studies: continue.rice.edu
As we work to expand access and enhance the social, educational and economic vitality of our community, our success is driven by those who share our vision and propel our progress. Learn more about how you can help move us forward.