CCT Numbers & Plans

Prepared by Peter Taylor, 18 September 2005, updated 10 February 2006

Admissions & Enrollment Picture

The official admission target set by the Graduate Dean [early in ‘04] is 2 new M.A. students for spring 2004 and 10 for fall 2004, with the expectation that there will be 15 admits in the fall and 5 in the spring once appropriate staffing has been restored and sabbatical leaves have been completed. (Thus the expectation of 20 MA students per year may not be achieved until either AY2005-2006 or AY2006-2007.)

M.A. admits (from CCT database)

Note: Feb-Jan admits correspond to Fall & Spring matriculations, except some admitted students defer matriculation for up to a year and others do not matriculate.

Feb. ’00 – Jan ’01 = 19

Feb. ’01 – Jan ’02 = 33

Feb. ’02 – Jan ’03 = 32

Feb. ’03 – Jan ’04 = 15* + 2 certificate

Feb. ’04 – Jan ’05 = 18** + 2 certificate

Feb. ’05 – Jan. ’06 = 22** + 4 certificate

* During the admissions moratorium some of these were provisionally admitted as certificate students and switched to M.A.

** Target reached

Note: Total graduations for years July-June, '02-03: 18; '03-04: 24; '04-05: 16; ’05-06: 6 [summer only] [All but 3 of these 64 were M.A. degrees.]

Current students approx 45

Admissions Strategy

Steps to reach the M.A. admit target of 20:

a) Network of CCT alums to do outreach in their workplaces and communities

b) Certificate partnership with CCDE leads to crossover into M.A. program

c) Approval of Kodaly partnership

d) Special events & Publicity efforts by Nina & student assistant

e) Active follow up of online inquiries (through CCDE & other routes)

If the target of 20 is reached, measures still need to be taken to ensure adequate registration in the electives, because

a) 2003-4 moratorium led to the students who were in the Program at the time moving quickly through to graduation (in response to the request at that time that that they do so), which has led to fewer students remaining to take courses in ’05-06. (= a short-term problem)

b) Admissions target is lower than the numbers achieved during 2001-3.

c) New DOE regulations reduce opportunities for licensure-seeking MEd students to take electives.

d) Fewer MEd. students have been taking CCT courses than in past years. (Due to c) and possibly also to turnover in C&I staff and faculty leading to less attention being drawn to CCT electives.)

e) Second full-time position translates to more electives (through state-funded courses) than averaged in the recent past.

Big Question—Increase target to 20 matriculants?

Enrollment Strategy

Steps to increase registration in electives:

i. Limit number of state-funded CCT electives during fall & spring to equal 3- 5 (to serve admissions of 15-25) (agreed to by CCT faculty Dec. ’05).

a) NLG teaches required course, Psych 550/CCT651 (with a focus on cognitive psychology in education)?

b) PT teaches a doctoral course in Public Policy every year (or second year?) (cross-listed as CCT course).[every 2^nd year w/ undergrad equivalent the other year?]

c) Institute plan for new required course, “Research and Writing for Reflective Practice” (starting fall ’06, subject to enrollment, or fall ’07)

d) PT released to teach core undergraduate course in Science, Technology & Values?

e) PT & NLG teach “content” courses for teachers, e.g., Math. Thinking Skills (waiting for S. Dick to create Math. Methods course proposal) and ??

f) PT released under grants for research

ii. Increase registration from students other than CCT M.A. students

g) Certificate partnership with CCDE leads to active promotion of many electives.

h) Institute and publicize option that Track B & C Teacher Education students may, with the permission of their advisor, substitute one or more approved courses from the CCT Program to fulfill their requirements [stalled; needs to be reviewed by governance].

i) PT cross-lists critical thinking about science courses (640 in works, 645yes) in CSM departments so MEd students can count these as content course (in process)

j) Promote certificate focus on Gifted & Talented education (after informing various levels of governance in process).

k) NLG teaches course on Gifted & Talented education. Special Ed. program draws attention to this elective. Spr 06

l) Teacher Ed. advisors draw attention to CCT electives, especially for Track A students[stalled; needs to be reviewed by governance].

m) Teacher Ed. advisors draw attention to option for CCT Certificate students to count CCT courses that they have taken towards completion of their M.Ed. or another UMass Boston Masters degree.