Back to Project Diversity's Home Page PROJECT DIVERSITY: Goals and Objectives Back to
Rebecca Fox's Home Page

Goal: To form partnerships for improving the education of students in the public schools of Northern Virginia by establishing a system of early identification, recruitment, financial and academic support which will bring the percentage of minority teachers trained at GMU into alignment with the minority enrollment of the university and the public schools.

Objective 1. To communicate with minority students, parents, and counselors--in middle and high schools and at NVCC and GMU about the benefits of teaching, and to inform them about the support available to minorities in teacher education at GMU. This will be done through affiliation with an expanded Early Identification Program for students in grades 8-12, production of print and video materials in several languages, and orientations for students, parents, and counselors.

Objective 2. To establish Teacher Cadet courses or other organizations for future educators in 10 Northern Virginia high schools with the highest enrollments of minority, and to support these activities with
- training for the instructors or sponsors,
- honoraria for club sponsors,
- presentations by Graduate School of Education faculty,
- an annual Celebration of Teaching conference at GMU.

Objective 3. To provide academic, financial, social, and counseling support to cohorts of undergraduate students at NVCC and GMU who aspire to teach by

- identifying them through the Admissions processes at GMU and NVCC
- establishing Student Education Association chapters at NVCC campuses
- linking students with the support services already in place for minority students at GMU
- offering the Introduction to Teacher Education course (EDUC 300) to undergraduates in one
- credit modules spread over an academic year with related field experience in the classrooms of minority teachers
- providing support through the Learning Plus software for passing the Praxis PreProfessional Skills tests required for admission to the GMU teacher education programs and for licensure in Virginia
- providing opportunities to work for pay as instructional assistants or as AVID, GANAS or EIP tutors in the public schools
- providing summer jobs or internships in minority
- owned businesses
- providing mentorship by minority faculty members in the GSE
- providing scholarship loans of up to $2000 per semester (or approximately
two-thirds the cost of tuition and books)


Objective 4. To increase the academic, financial, social and counseling support to graduate students in the GSE teacher licensure programs by

- providing scholarship loans of up to $2000 per semester for full or part-time professional study leading to licensure (to supplement financial assistance from other sources)
- increasing the number of Professional Development Schools serving minority populations, where interns receive financial assistance in exchange for service as instructional assistants and substitute teachers
- providing mentorship by minority faculty members in the GSE
- providing assistance in passing the Praxis PreProfessional Skills tests and succeeding in the undergraduate program


Objective 5. To increase the number of minority candidates who complete the GSE licensure programs, are employed immediately in the school systems of Northern Virginia, and perform satisfactorily in their first year of teaching. The means to achieving this objective are

- additional assistance for those who fail any of the Praxis I or II tests
- early contracts for program completers
- mentoring and other assistance during the induction year




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