ASU expands online programs for K-12 teachers


May 18, 2010

Arizona State University has expanded its offerings of affordable online degree and certification programs for pre-kindergarten through 12th-grade teachers.

Beginning in the fall 2010 semester, six programs will be available fully online to assist current and aspiring teachers in reaching new levels of educational excellence. Arizona preschool and kindergarten teachers also will have the opportunity to fulfill their State of Arizona early childhood education certification requirement online, and meet the Arizona Department of Education’s July 2012 deadline. Download Full Image

“We have expanded opportunities for elementary and secondary teachers with our online programs,” said Mari Koerner, dean of ASU’s Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College. “Teachers deserve the same exceptional learning experiences that they give their students each day. Our programs make that opportunity realistic and affordable for teachers, whatever the time of day or wherever they call home.”

“We believe that online learning has the potential to be more effective and engaging for many students,” said Philip Regier, dean of ASU Online. “That is why, at ASU, each and every course is designed in close collaboration with faculty, and with an unwavering commitment to quality learning and meaningful interaction. It is also why we can proudly say that our students earn an ASU degree.”

Beginning in August, ASU Online graduate program tuition will be $355 per credit hour, excluding fees, for both resident and non-resident students enrolled in entirely online degree programs.

Offered through ASU’s Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College, the following programs will be available fully online in the fall 2010 semester:

1. Master of Education in Early Childhood Education, with options for (Arizona Required) Initial Teacher Certification or Endorsement
* Designed for teachers or aspiring teachers seeking advanced knowledge and skills for continued career growth working with infants, and children in PreKindergarten-3rd grade. The program offers three tracks:

a.  M.Ed. with Certification: 46 credit hours
Designed to fulfill requirements set by the Arizona State Board of Education that all state-funded preschool and kindergarten teachers attain certification by July 1, 2012.

b.  M.Ed. with Endorsement: 35 credit hours
Designed for teachers who already have a valid Elementary or Special Education Teaching Certificate with the Arizona Department of Education and need to add the Early Childhood Education Endorsement to their certificate by July 1, 2012.

c.  M.Ed.: 30 credit hours

2. Master of Education in Special Education Consultation and Collaboration: Autism Emphasis
* Designed to equip teachers, early interventionists, school counselors, behavior analysts and family members with specialized skills and knowledge to work effectively and compassionately with children and adults who have a variety of needs. The program requires 33 credit hours.

3. Master of Education in Educational Administration: Principal, Grades PreK-12
* Designed especially for practicing teachers to enable them to become highly effective school and educational leaders in their schools and districts. The program requires 36 credit hours.

4. Master of Education in Elementary Education with a track in Gifted Education
* Designed for teachers, early interventionists, school psychologists, speech pathologists, behavior analysts, and family members who fill important roles in the lives of gifted children. The program requires 33 credit hours and counts toward the Arizona Department of Education’s Gifted Endorsement requirement.

5. Master of Education in Secondary Education with a track in Gifted Education
* Designed for teachers, school psychologists, speech pathologists, behavior analysts, and family members who fill important roles in the lives of gifted youth. The program requires 33 credit hours and counts toward the Arizona Department of Education’s Gifted Endorsement requirement.

6. Graduate Certificate: Online Teaching for Grades K-12
* Designed for K-12 educators who seek to lead the development and implementation of online education programs at their school. The program requires 15 credit hours.

Enrollment applications and additional details are available at: http://asuonline.asu.edu.

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ASU Online is one of five campuses in a university community that collectively serves more than 67,000 students. Dozens of undergraduate and graduate degree programs are now available fully online, each designed in close collaboration with ASU faculty.


Media Contact:

Russ Knocke, russ.knocke">mailto:russ.knocke@asu.edu">russ.knocke@asu.edu
(480) 205-8341

Sharon Keeler

Lodestar Foundation to award nonprofit collaboration prize


May 19, 2010

The Lodestar Foundation, a Phoenix organization dedicated to maximizing the growth and impact of philanthropy, launched the 2011 Collaboration Prize, a national award designed to identify and showcase models of collaboration among nonprofit organizations. The ASU Lodestar Center for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Innovation is honored to again be participating in the selection process, reviewing applications along with fellow Arizona-Indiana-Michigan (AIM) Alliance schools, Indiana University and Grand Valley State University.

“We are delighted to be involved in this second round of the national Collaboration Prize along with our AIM partners,” said Robert F. Ashcraft, executive director of the ASU Lodestar Center for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Innovation. “Collaboration is not just a buzz word and this prize amplifies that fact. It is an essential ingredient for innovative and effective nonprofits whose leaders truly wish to meet to achieve higher levels of performance and impact.” Download Full Image

Beginning June 1, nonprofits across the country are invited to apply for the prize, which will be announced in April 2011.  The prize will recognize eight collaborations that best exemplify the impact that can result from working together. Each of the eight finalists will receive $12,500 and the grand prize winner will receive an additional $150,000.

“Collaboration may enable organizations to more effectively leverage human and financial resources to achieve greater impact in the areas they serve,” said Jerry Hirsch, chairman of the Lodestar Foundation. “With the 2011 Collaboration Prize, we expect to receive hundreds of original and inventive collaboration case studies that showcase ways to work smarter and more efficiently and we look forward to sharing these models of success with the entire nonprofit sector.”

The application process for the 2011 prize will open June 1, 2010, and close on July 16, 2010. To be eligible, the collaboration must involve two or more nonprofit organizations. Each collaboration will be judged on the extent to which it:

• Demonstrates improved effectiveness in achieving social good.

• More effectively uses human and financial resources.

• Represents an innovative response to a specific challenge or opportunity.

• Exhibits characteristics that would demonstrate that the collaboration is a model for the field, sector or community.

Visit www.thecollaborationprize.org">http://www.thecollaborationprize.org">www.thecollaborationprize.org for a full list of eligibility requirements, the online submission form, general information and answers to frequently asked questions.

The Prize recipient will be chosen by a Final Selection Panel, which will be chaired by Sterling Speirn, president and CEO of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. Additional parties involved in the review process include the Arizona-Indiana-Michigan (AIM) Alliance, a collaboration comprising The Lodestar Center for Philanthropy & Nonprofit Innovation at Arizona State University, The Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University and The Dorothy A. Johnson Center for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Leadership at Grand Valley State University (Michigan); and La Piana Associates, the nation’s leading management and consulting firm dedicated to helping nonprofits and foundations become stronger and more effective through collaboration.

The Lodestar Foundation is a grantmaking organization devoted to maximizing the growth and impact of philanthropy and provides funds nationally and internationally to organizations that support its mission. In support of this mission, Lodestar created the Collaboration Prize in 2009 to identify achievements in collaboration as models for inspiration and replication. True to the spirit of collaboration, the Lodestar Foundation has partnered with AIM Alliance, the Foundation Center, La Piana Consulting and other foundation and nonprofit leaders to support the 2011 Prize. Please visit www.lodestarfoundation.org">http://www.lodestarfoundation.org">www.lodestarfoundation.org for more information.

The ASU Lodestar Center for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Innovation is recognized as a national leader in undergraduate and graduate nonprofit education, research and technical assistance. The ASU Lodestar Center exists to enhance the quality of life in communities through the advancement of nonprofit leadership practices and provides knowledge and tools to build the capacity of nonprofit organizations, professionals, board members, donors and volunteers by offering a selection of capacity building workshops, conferences, classes, and programs. For more information, visit: http://nonprofit.asu.edu.">http://nonprofit.asu.edu">http://nonprofit.asu.edu.