The University of Central Arkansas (UCA) College of Education's Child Study Center has successfully earned its re-accreditation from the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), extending its certification through January 2030. This prestigious recognition reaffirms the Child Study Center’s commitment to providing high-quality early childhood education and makes it the only NAEYC-accredited preschool in Faulkner County, as well as one of only 15 accredited preschools across the State of Arkansas.
The success of the re-accreditation process is attributed to the diligent efforts of Megan Fotioo (Director of the Child Study Center), Regnia Hite (Preschool Teacher), and Emily Pennington (Preschool Teacher). Their dedication was instrumental in achieving this milestone. The Child Study Center also extends a special thank you to Dr. Vicki Groves-Scott (Dean, College of Education), Ms. Sunny Styles-Foster (Chair, Department of Elementary, Literacy, and Special Education), and Dr. Janet Filer (Associate Professor, Department of Elementary, Literacy, and Special Education) for their continued support throughout the process.
For more information about the Child Study Center, please visit uca.edu/childstudy. To learn more about NAEYC, please visit naeyc.org.
Photos (from left to right): Megan Fotioo, Regnia Hite, and Emily Pennington
On October 24th, Kappa Delta Pi (KDP) held its Fall 2024 initiation ceremony. Led by Ashley Cox (KDP Counselor) and Adelaide Spradling (KDP member), the ceremony welcomed new members into Kappa Delta Pi's distinguished community of educators.
Those initiated were: Latosha Hays, Jennifer Simpson, Tisha Jenkins, Vada Burk, and Allyssa Crutchfield.
Welcome to all the new initiates—your journey with KDP is just beginning!
Photo info: (from left to right) Allyssa Crutchfield, Vada Burk, Jennifer Simpson, Latosha Hays, and Tisha Jenkins
Arkansas Tech University's Ross Pendergraft Library and Technology Center hosted the Future Ready Librarians Summit on Saturday, October 19, drawing more than 60 school librarians from across the state. Among the attendees were two current Library Media and Information Technologies (LIBM) students from the University of Central Arkansas—Kasey Meyer and Jeanise Lawrence—along with recent graduate Baylee Lim and Dr. Erin Shaw (LIBM Program coordinator).
The one-day professional development event, aimed at empowering school librarians as agents of change, featured an in-depth exploration of the Future Ready Librarian framework. Participants engaged in sessions focused on effective communication, collaboration techniques, and leadership strategies designed to enhance their impact in diverse learning communities.
Shannon Miller, Future Ready Librarians leader, and Lia Dossin, All4Ed/Future Ready director of programs and outreach, led the summit. The event was jointly presented by the Arkansas Association of Instructional Media and ATU's instructional technology school library media program.
(Picture L to R): Baylee Lim, Kasey Meyer, Dr. Shaw, Jeanise Lawrence)
Drs. Leticia de la Garza (Department of Leadership Studies), Allison Freed (Department of Teaching and Learning), and Odunola Oyeniyi (Department of Leadership Studies) recently had their manuscript, “Digital Simulations in Education: Insights from Two Studies Using the Teacher Moments Platform” accepted to the ArATE Journal: Action in Arkansas Teacher Education tor the Fall 2024 publication.
Their manuscript has also been accepted for presentation at the Association of Teacher Educators (ATE) 2025 Annual Meeting in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Dr. Amy Thompson (Left, Associate Professor in the Department of Elementary, Literacy, and Special Education) and Mrs. Sheri Hight (Adjunct Instructor in the Department of Elementary, Literacy, and Special Education) recently presented at the 75th International Dyslexia Association (IDA) conference. Dr. Thompson was honored as a featured speaker at the pre-conference IDA Accreditation symposium, where she shared insights on Arkansas's impact in literacy and UCA's pivotal role as the state’s only IDA-accredited institution. Together, they presented "Advocating for Evidence-Based Instruction: The Integral Role of Practicum in Educator Preparation," highlighting the transformative changes at UCA in curriculum, practicum experiences, and enrollment. They also presented on "Writing the Way to Reading Success: The Power of Handwriting Instruction."
Avery Ferguson, daughter of Ms. Laura Marshall (Department of Teaching and Learning), is a member of the University of Arkansas Mock Trial team. In October 2024, she participated in the Illini Invitational at the University of Illinois, where she earned an Outstanding Witness Award with 18 ranks for the defense.
https://news.uark.edu/articles/72690/u-of-a-mock-trial-launches-new-season-with-record-breaking-wins
Photo info: Avery Ferguson (front row second from left)
Dr. Valerie Couture:
The 2024-25 year is off to a very busy start! This semester I am continuing to teach in the Master’s in School Counseling program while I am also continuing to serve as program coordinator. I am in my ninth year of teaching at UCA and seventh year of program coordination.
Teaching
This Fall 2024 semester I am teaching four classes: Foundations of School Counseling, Educational Assessment and Measurement, Lifespan Development, and Career Counseling. In addition to the four classes, I am also teaching an independent study class for a student in need. My student credit hour production is strong this semester!
Service
This year marks my seventh year of program coordination. As a part of this service to the program I completed the SPA report for CAEP outlining how our program aligns to the American School Counseling Association (ASCA) standards. For program recruitment, I connect on a weekly basis with prospective students using phone, email, and Zoom. Since we are a 100% online program we have more students from outside of Arkansas doing more program inquiries. For national level service I chair the Association of Counselor Education and Supervision (ACES) Career Interest Network. We deliver webinars for our members who are counselor educators who focus on teaching career counseling at universities across the states.
Research
My research agenda is focused on mental health and counselor skill development. This year I am trying to get some older studies finally published, while also working on newer ones. I submitted two articles over the summer and got a “revise and resubmit” on one of them! In November, I am scheduled to do two state-level presentations: one on ethical dilemma decision-making models for the Arkansas Counseling Association and the other one with Dr. Shaw on using young adult literature with children experiencing life transitions. This will be presented at the Arkansas Association of Middle Level Education. I also submitted a proposal for AERA but have not heard yet if the submission has been accepted.
*Dr. Couture is an Associate Professor in the Department of Leadership Studies
Dr: Shoudong Feng:
Service learning for teacher candidates is a powerful tool to extend student learning and provide services to the local community. Candidates can apply what they learned in the classroom to authentic real-life events and make a direct impact on the lives of children they may teach in the future.
For over ten years, I have provided students in one of the undergraduate classes I teach with service learning opportunities. St. Joseph Elementary School in Conway has a tradition of hosting an annual Family Literacy Night to engage families, as well as students, in a wide range of literacy-related activities. Many years ago, I was approached by the principal there and was invited to bring UCA students to that school to help with the event. It has been a service-learning project in that class since then.
Typically, I would recruit a group of five to ten candidates and then meet regularly with them to discuss how to prepare for the event. We would research for ideas, purchase materials and work together to make the crafts. Through this experience, I found that many of our candidates were really creative and professional! They loved to use their knowledge and skills to design age-appropriate and hands-on educational activities for the families and children to do! On the event night, they would dress properly, set up a station, and interact respectfully with other educators, families and children. One of our favorite activities is Fishing For (e.g., vowels, consonants, digraphs, consonants) in which a child would hold out a fishing pole with an adhesive magnetic square at the end of the line to fish for the appropriate card which also has a magnetic square on one side. Other activities include Bingo Game on Sight Words, Word Puzzles, Matching Ping Pong Balls with the same phonics patterns, etc. Children and their families truly enjoyed doing those activities with our candidates.
Through the design and execution of these activities, our candidates gained a much deeper understanding of the target literacy concepts themselves and learned the importance and power of engaging children in learning literacy through fun games and activities. In addition, they learned the ins and outs of how to successfully host such literacy events, e.g., reaching out to the community to involve the public library and local businesses, getting the whole school on board to ensure there is enough human resources, decorating the place according to the chosen theme to appeal to the attendees, providing food, drinks and literacy resources which will help attract siblings, parents and even extended families to school events.
In the future, I look forward to collaborating with more schools and providing additional service- learning opportunities to our candidates.
*Dr Feng is an Associate Professor in the Department of Elementary, Literacy, and Special Education
Ms. Monica Thomas:
As I embark on the 2024-2025 academic year, my transition from teaching in the Columbus, Ohio area to the University of Central Arkansas (UCA) has been a rewarding adventure. With 27 years of experience in secondary education and collegiate-level mathematics, I am excited to be part of the Department of Student Transitions and the College of Education at UCA. My background spans a range of subjects, from basic mathematics to statistics and calculus, across three high schools and five colleges. This diverse experience has not only enriched my teaching but also given me a unique perspective on the similarities and differences between educational systems. I can confidently say that UCA stands out for its commitment to high-quality education and its compassionate focus on student success.
Throughout my career, my teaching philosophy has emphasized active and collaborative
learning, with the goal of creating a classroom environment that fosters a strong sense of
community. I strive to integrate successful strategies from my past while continuously seeking to
grow through professional development and research. Currently, I am participating in a book
club discussing A Will to Learn by Dave Stuart Jr., which explores five interconnected
beliefs—credibility, value, effort/efficacy, and belonging. These principles align with my own
teaching values, and the book offers insights that help me incorporate these ideas more
effectively and efficiently in my classroom.
One area I am particularly passionate about is helping students overcome their fear of
mathematics. While math is often viewed as a challenging or unfavorable subject, I am
committed to providing an encouraging and supportive environment where students can
confront and conquer these challenges. My goal is not only to teach mathematics but also to
inspire students to engage with the subject confidently.
I am truly grateful for the opportunity to teach at UCA and to collaborate with a dedicated team
of colleagues in the Department of Student Transitions and the College of Education.
*Ms. Thomas is a Visiting Lecturer of Mathematics in the Department of Student Transitions
Ms. Ashley Cooksey:
Ashley Cooksey, Community Leadership for Equity and Inclusion Ph.D. candidate, recently presented as the keynote speaker at the Southern Utah Media Specialists Conference on October 16, 2024. The conference was held at Southern Utah University in Cedar City, Utah. Ms. Cooksey's keynote, "Renew & Recharge: Energizing Your Mind and Your Mission", centered on the transformative power of mindfulness in K-12 education and librarianship. The presentation included practical strategies for cultivating awareness and presence in the library environment, helping educators navigate challenges with grace and resilience, and using advocacy to amplify the voices of students and colleagues, fostering a supportive community even during difficult times.
Ms. Cooksey is an Assistant Professor and the Instructional Technology - School Library Media Specialist Program Director at Arkansas Tech University. Her current dissertation research centers on school librarians as leaders through the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles.
Ms. Jessica Kitchens:
Jessica Kitchens, a CLEI PhD student in the Community Leadership track, recently co-authored an article in the Autism Spectrum News titled, Empowering Autistic Communities: The Role of Co-Creation in Research Partnerships. The authors discuss the importance of participatory research as an approach that can empower autistic community members through the co-creation of knowledge, addressing power imbalances, and fostering meaningful collaboration between autistic community members and academic researchers. You can check out the article below!
Mr. Christopher Moss:
Congratulations to Christopher Moss, a CLEI PhD Student in the K12 Leadership concentration, on his recent publication for the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) titled, Finding Purpose in Middle School Leadership, an article focused on strategies that can help middle school leaders empower students, advocate effectively, and define their school’s unique identity. Check it out at the link below!
Ms. Shara Thompson:
Check out Shara Thompson's article titled, What Are the Key Drivers of Firefighter Engagement? in Firehouse Magazine. In the article, Shara explains why firefighters' commitment and initiative are nurtured and maintained when they are psychologically valued, psychologically safe and psychologically supported. You can read the article below. Shara is a CLEI PhD student in the Community Leadership track.
https://www.firehouse.com/leadership/article/55139610/the-key-drivers-of-firefighter-engagement
