Goals-Graduate Education

Prepare doctoral students for the professoriate
TCALL’s Graduate Assistant-Research positions and Barbara Bush Fellowships provide graduate students with opportunities to engage in research and scholarly activities under the mentorship of the TCALL’s Faculty Principal Investigator and Research Associate. Through these activities, graduate students are exposed to the research aspects of faculty work—from data collection and analysis, to dissemination of findings through referred local and national outlets.

Create a climate that fosters and supports the development of students and faculty of diverse backgrounds through research and instruction
TCALL encourages applications from a diverse pool of students to engage in the various research opportunities provided through TCALL. Specifically, applications are encouraged from students of underrepresented populations.

Prepare doctoral and master students for success as practitioner-leaders
As a service and research center that works directly with the State’s adult educators’ needs, graduate students involved in TCALL’s research activities are exposed to research that is grounded in practice and has direct practical implications to statewide decision-making on policies and procedures.

Goals – Research

Increase external funding
TCALL’s major grant (Clearinghouse Project funded by Texas Education Agency) has increased over seventeen-fold between 1988 and 2010. Other projects have added funding for doctoral fellows and for more substantial administrative responsibilities in The First Lady’s Family Literacy Initiative for Texas.

Increase faculty dissemination of findings in top-tier publications
Through supporting faculty time, TCALL’s Clearinghouse Project can reduce faculty teaching load and give faculty associated with TCALL the opportunity to conduct research and to publish in collaboration with TCALL research staff, resulting from project-funded research activities.

Goals-Engagement

Support and enhance P-16 research and engagement initiatives
TCALL has guided and supported national professional development initiatives in evidence-based reading instruction, transitions of adult students to post-secondary training and education, and instruction for adult students with learning difficulties. Through the development and promotion of its library and Web-based resources, TCALL seeks to engage teachers and administrators in ongoing, personal professional development. The ultimate goal of those efforts is to enable Texas adult literacy learners to navigate the continuum of education and gain 21st century skills for academic and workplace success.

Increase use of technology-mediated instruction to facilitate access to high quality programs
Through participation in national professional development listservs and networks, TCALL identifies and promotes high quality online training opportunities for Texas adult educators and online learning opportunities for adult literacy students as well. Online professional development courses for literacy volunteer instructors have been funded through TCALL’s Volunteer Training Initiative. TCALL’s website hosts the Distance Learning State Leadership Initiative’s web page.

Prepared by TCALL staff, January 2011.