College Receives $19,000 Eisenhower Grant                      

News Release

(For additional information, contact Dr. Cindy Kelley, associate professor of education, 304-424-8345.

West Virginia University at Parkersburg has received a $19,020 grant for a unique "community of learners" partnership involving the college and three Wood County schools.

Entitled WVU-P Partnerships Project, the program is in its third year of funding from the Eisenhower Professional Development Program. The project is designed to focus on the growth of professional development partnerships at Fairplains, Neal and Worthington elementary schools.

"The project will create a professional development school framework through which entire college courses and/or field practica in classroom management, teaching reading, and diagnostic and prescriptive reading are offered on site at the three project schools," explained Cynthia Kelley, project director and an associate professor of education at WVU Parkersburg.

The partnerships project has been developed to assist in improving elementary school students’ achievement in reading, science and mathematics through instruction at a lower teacher/pupil ratio and the use of innovative strategies for teaching; to improve preparation of WVU Parkersburg preservice teachers for student teaching and the profession through interaction opportunities with experienced teachers, and to improve classroom instruction through professional development in reading, mathematics and science through a variety of activities.

"This project will help our students as new teachers to make the transition more easily into the profession of teaching," Mrs. Kelly noted. "Working collaboratively with teachers to make instructional decisions and working for extended periods of time in authentic classrooms will better prepare new teachers to enter their own classrooms."

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For additional information, contact:
Connie Dziagwa
Director, Communications and Public Relations
WVU Parkersburg
(304-424-8203)