The agreement facilitates the transfer of students from Howard College to Texas Tech's TechTeach Across Texas program.
To reinforce an affordable pathway to a high-quality teacher education, Texas Tech University College of Education recently signed an articulation agreement with Howard College.
The agreement, signed Monday (Feb. 25), ensures students can attend Howard College for two years, earn an associate degree and transfer to Texas Tech to finish both a bachelor's degree and teaching certification in just one additional year. Howard College students will be able to continue at Texas Tech with online and in-person courses.
The signing helps solidify a "grow your own" pipeline of teacher talent for the Permian Basin area. "Grow your own" refers to an innovative approach some school districts are taking to meet their needs for effective teachers and involves training local candidates who already have ties to the community. Students from the area can stay in their communities while completing upper-division coursework and student teaching requirements.
"This is a great example of how the three institutions – a community college, local school district and university – can work together to address teacher shortages in places far away from urban centers," said Doug Hamman, chair of the Teacher Education Department at Texas Tech. "The leaders of Howard College have made a major contribution to the region's communities by helping bring the Texas Tech program to the area. I'm confident Texas Tech has a viable model that will work for many rural places across Texas."
The articulation agreement will facilitate the transfer of students from Howard College's Associates of Arts in Teaching degree program to Texas Tech's TechTeach Across Texas educator preparation program.
Courses completed in the program at Howard College will fulfill requirements for a bachelor's of science in multidisciplinary studies, which is the degree awarded to graduates of the TechTeach Across Texas program.
About TechTeach Across Texas
TechTeach Across Texas is a clinically intensive, competency-based program designed to prepare teachers who will improve the academic achievement of K-12 students.
The accelerated program allows associate degree holders to earn a bachelor's degree and teaching certification in one calendar year. It features coursework that translates to practical classroom skills and a yearlong residency in a school district co-teaching alongside a skilled mentor teacher. The program also involves the use of state-of-the-art digital technology to record, review and improve instruction.