Core Values

The College of Education Conceptual Framework is a collaboratively developed description of beliefs and processes and that serve as the foundation of all programs in the Professional Educator and Administrator Unit of the College of Education.

The Theme of the College of Education, as described in the Conceptual Framework, is the logo found on all College of Education documents and represents the understanding that it takes the whole village to prepare effective educators and administrators for the future.

Core Values, one of the most important components of the Conceptual Framework, are those traits we hold to be important in the college and define our candidates and graduates.

The 8 Core Values are:

Excellence: Using a constructivist theoretical basis, unit faculty strive to establish active learning environments that require candidates to build on previous knowledge and experience, put forth their best efforts, and reach their full potential as educators. Excellence is expected excellence across all standards and in all arenas.

Candidates and unit faculty are expected to use research-based information to make informed educational decisions, including modeling curriculum demonstrating best practices, and to apply research to K-16 classroom settings.

Establishing learner-centered environments is equally important. Candidates are expected to be able to plan, implement and maintain learning environments that value, challenge, and support students in their search for excellence. Unit faculty model the creation of learner-centered environments in a variety of ways as the needs of candidates are met through the programs.

Collaboration represents a commitment to shared responsibility among all the stake holders for the preparation of educators. This core value encourages candidates to value the positive impact of collaboration on the classroom learning environment and on program development and maintenance. As members of Holmes Partnership and the National Network for Educational Renewal, UTA College of Education is recognized nationally for its understanding of collaboration as a vehicle for strengthening educator preparation. Collaboration occurs across our unit, the university, the greater Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area, and areas well beyond the local arena through our award winning distance education courses.

The college’s support of the power of diversity is evidenced by the expectation for candidates and unit personnel to respect and appreciate all cultures, persons, learning approaches, and ideas, and to promote such respect and appreciation at all levels of P-12 schooling. Placing candidates in diverse settings for practice and learning are hallmarks of the COEd programs and the far reaching distance education program encourages students to embrace a global academic perspective.

Unit faculty are expected to model effective use of technology through all courses and field experiences, although the infrastructure, hardware, and personnel to support the technology outcomes for candidates has limitations. Implementation of LiveText as a data management system for the COEd requires candidates and unit faculty to work together to engage in the use of technology to manage data associated with candidate, course and program outcomes.

Life long learning is a final core value of the College of Education. Unit personnel and candidates are expected to participate well beyond the minimum expectations for professional development and learning.

The core value of collaboration aligns well with commitment to field experiences for candidates at UTA. Early and on-going field experiences in diverse settings, collaboratively designed and implemented with public school partners, are a vital part of all levels of educator preparation in the UTA College of Education. The Arlington University-School Network for Educational Renewal (AUSNER) provides one forum for regular discussions and planning sessions between university and school personnel who continually seek to provide the most effective field experiences for candidates preparing to be Texas teachers.

See also the Core Values Graphic

Standards: All College of Education courses are aligned with state and national standards and standards are listed in syllabi. All Key Assessments, which are a part of the program and unit assessment system, are aligned with Core Values.