What is BATE?
The BATE project is one of eleven national demonstration projects funded
by the U.S. Department of Education FIPSE LAAP program for 2000-2004.
We are addressing the needs of rural educators to obtain added
certification in two areas experiencing personnel shortages: K-12 school
library
media and school administration.
Three states are working collaboratively to place core certification
courses online. Teachers who want to obtain
certification credentials must select an institution and fulfill its
requirements. We have agreed to accept each other's courses on transfer.
The institutions are: Montana
State University-Bozeman (library instructional
media certification, certification and advanced
degrees in educational leadership); the University
of Nevada-Las Vegas
(educational leadership certification and advanced degrees), and the University
of South Dakota (school administration
certification and advanced degrees.
Project Objectives:
1. To create economies of scale through developing and executing an
inter and intra state collaborative plan to provide distance learning
opportunities for educators to obtain credentials in library media and
school administration thus reducing duplication efforts and to expand
opportunities for programming and k-12 staff development where few currently
exist
2. To package the courses and programs so as to make it attractive for
students to complete requirements in a timely manner anytime, anyplace
3. To enhance quality and accountability of current programs and provide
the credentialing opportunities to expanded audiences through various
partner institutions such as affiliates and branches where applicable
in the partner states and eventually surrounding regions
4. To implement and monitor online support services for students, faculty,
and other educators
5. To uncover policy and procedure barriers which may hamper success
of inter and intra institutional programs and find solutions
6. To establish a Virtual Resource and Staff Development Center
Montana State University- Bozeman, Montana is the lead institution. The Department
of Education, housed within the College of Education, Health, and Human Development,
offers accredited programs leading to masters and doctoral degrees as well
as certification in educational leadership (school administration). In addition,
the Department offers a certification program and masters emphasis for preparation
of school library media specialists, K-12 Library Media. The programs have
been complimented for their quality and accredited by the Montana Office
of Public Instruction as well as NCATE.
Programs in South Dakota and Nevada are accredited by NCATE.
The School of Education at the University of South Dakota has programs leading
to doctoral
and masters' degrees as well as certification in school administration at the
elementary and secondary levels.
The University of Nevada-Las Vegas offers accredited programs leading
to certification in educational leadership. Nevada
has a rapidly growing population in part of the state and challenges
posed by rural conditions in other locations.
All states share challenges posed by demographics, economics, and personnel
shortages in school library media and educational leadership. All states have
American Indian reservations. Montana is the home of seven reservations; twelve
federally recognized tribes, seven Tribal Colleges and twenty-nine secondary
schools on or near the reservations.
A recent report from the Montana Office of Public Instruction indicates critical
shortages of certified school library media specialists and school administrators.
This report is supported by similar information from throughout the partner
states, surrounding region and nation. Reasons for anticipated shortages of
qualified personnel include not only retirements of current educators but also:
1. Lack of opportunity to participate in convenient staff development
programs
2. Lack of opportunity to participate in educational opportunities offered
at a distance to receive added certifications and advanced degrees.
BATE partners developed a framework to design, deliver, and evaluate
a learning anytime anywhere credential program in library media educational
leadership. Students may select
from a collaborative program, which includes courses delivered from the
educational partners, which meet certification requirements for the individual
states. By working together, the BATE team will make it possible for
the programs and courses to be delivered more frequently than is possible
with each institution trying to do so separately.
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