Presented by Alissa Baldwin
The Office of Professional Services (OPS) works with all Longwood students who are enrolled in an academic course of study that leads to initial licensure upon successful program completion. These students are designated as teacher candidates and must meet several benchmarks in order to proceed with field/clinical experience placements and admission to the Teacher Preparation Program. Given the volume of teacher candidates (1,200+) compared to the OPS personnel responsible for admission and placements (2), no attention has been previously given to assessing student progress at the key transition points in the program, namely, Teacher Prep testing and Placement Required Documents. Focusing on student progress can identify teacher candidates who may need early interventions, additional academic support, more advising or life-skills coaching regarding deadlines, etc. There are also more broad implications for student retention and timely graduation that prompts a closer look at these two key transition points. This presentation discusses how we attempted to do just that for our main campus and satellite campus students using Canvas and MyLongwood.
Alissa Baldwin is Education Coordinator and Assistant Director for the Office of Professional Services in the College of Education & Human Services at Longwood University. She is a licensed history/social science teacher and PK-12 school administrator with classroom teaching experience at the secondary level. Ms. Baldwin joined the OPS team in 2009 where she coordinates the internal processes pertaining to Teacher Preparation Program admission, Practicum placements and Student Teaching placements. Ms. Baldwin supports the Longwood Lancer family with service on campus committees for program improvement, employment searches and hiring decisions, regularly speaking with LSEM classes, contributing to campus community campaigns, and mentoring the OPS S.T.A.R.S. among other roles. Ms. Baldwin also teaches Introduction to the Teaching Profession and Human Growth and Development as a member of the adjunct faculty for the Department of Education & Special Education.