he Illinois Community College Board (ICCB) and the University of Illinois are proud to announce that community colleges and public universities in Illinois are forming new and unprecedented partnerships as part of a broader P-16 Initiative. The specific focus is on the creation of a new AAT - Associate of Arts in Teaching - degree to expand the flow of talent from community colleges and universities into teaching careers in high demand fields such as math, science, and special education. A key related goal is to be able to grow teachers from rural and urban areas who are more likely to stay and prosper in those school districts.

The Teacher Shortage Dilemma

Higher education nationwide has been called upon to develop new strategies to address the growing needs of education from pre-kindergarten through college. At the top of the list, education systems have had to respond to federal and state mandates on accountability, including the No Child Left Behind Act, which emerged out of the national concern for higher quality education. Consequently, policy makers, government officials, and educators see the need to collaborate and develop a seamless system, a continuum of academic standards and assessment across sectors that will allow all students to freely navigate the educational pipeline and enjoy a smooth transition from one level to the next.

There is now consensus among stakeholders on one fundamental issue: above all other factors, the quality of the teacher in the classroom is the most crucial variable influencing student achievement. Thus, as night follows day, attention has shifted to the task of preparing quality teachers.

Another key fact has come to light: nationwide, roughly one-half or more of all teachers who receive baccalaureate degrees complete at least some portion of their training in community colleges. This picture holds true for Illinois. David Pierce, former head of the American Association of Community Colleges and former Illinois community college leader asserts that, "For many students preparing to enter the teaching profession, a substantial number of their courses in science, mathematics and general education are taken while in a community college."

Joe Cipfl, ICCB President, put it this way: "The diversity and academic strength of the community college student population will only enhance the diversity and merit of the qualified teaching workforce in Illinois."

The AAT degree initiative is part of a broader University of Illinois P-16 thrust in which Illinois community colleges have been full-fledged partners. In addition to the community college/university partnerships, the broader agenda includes teacher mentoring programs, professional development programs for teachers and school leaders, innovative leadership preparation and development, technology and distance learning, and better data to inform educators and public policy makers.

The 2002 Annual Report of Educator Supply and Demand in Illinois, compiled by the Illinois State Board of Education, highlights the problem of teacher shortages. There are several indicators that point to the seriousness of the problem of both current and expected shortages. For one, in 2001 the state of Illinois had many unfilled positions, half of which were in the Chicago School Districts. Second, in the 2002 academic year, even more teachers were teaching outside their field and nearly 17,000 (13%) teachers and 2,606 (28%) administrators were eligible to retire. Moreover, the problem is not distributed evenly, with severe shortages in math, science, special education and other fields, and in hard to staff schools in inner-city and rural areas.

A Creative Solution: The AAT Degree

The Associate of Arts in Teaching (AAT) degree is being created to attract more students into high need teaching disciplines and facilitate the transfer of lower division students wanting to become teachers in those disciplines into upper division university programs. Members of the AAT Committee include representatives from community colleges, Illinois public universities, the Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE), the Illinois Community College Board (ICCB), and the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE). These members proposed moving community college/university collaboration to a whole new level. The vision is one in which both sectors work as partners to create a high quality AAT curriculum that serves students and schools and enhances the quality and supply of Illinois teachers in high demand areas.

As a result of this initiative, community college students who obtain the AAT degree will be guaranteed smooth entry into four-year institutions on the same terms and at the same level as native students who began as freshmen on the university campus. The anticipated outcome of the AAT degree will be a significant increase in the number of teachers prepared to enter the high need disciplines statewide.

Successful P-16 Initiatives

What exactly does it take to embark on and succeed in creating collaborations among different institutions and stakeholders? First, there must be a genuine interest on behalf of community colleges and universities to take an active role in developing strategies to enhance the quality of education for students in Illinois and the nation. Second, strong and creative leaders from these institutions and sectors are needed to establish trust among all parties, to frame agendas, and to ensure the initiative receives support from key stakeholders. Third, all parties must be willing to deliberate in good faith, be patient, and work toward consensus on the final policies and programs that are implemented. This requires that all participants be open to new and innovative ideas and be willing to make institutional changes as the collaborators deem necessary. Dr. Charles Evans, Director of University of Illinois Outreach and Public Services and Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs, commented directly on this point: "What intrigues me most about this collaboration is the power we have discovered to have a true, observable impact on real P-16 issues."

Clearly, the ultimate goal of creating a model educational collaboration that builds on trust and benefits all students in the state depends heavily on the relationships and commitments that are made by those who embark on the journey. The enhanced collaboration and trust bodes well for future relationships between Illinois community colleges and universities, and that in turn is good news for Illinois.