Kutztown University Awarded Dual Credit Innovation Grant to Address State's Teacher Shortage
KUTZTOWN, Pa. – Kutztown University has been awarded a $946,951 grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Education for its Dual Credit Innovation program to address the state’s teacher shortage. The grant will support scholarships and programming for KU’s Early College Academy for Education.
KU’s Early College Academy for Education is an innovative approach to rethinking dual enrollment that thoughtfully and intentionally steps students into college, supporting their successful transition to post-secondary education. High school students who have a general interest in working with children and education studies can attend classes on KU’s campus, where they will take two courses in the fall semester and two in the spring. The four courses count toward majors in education.
The current cohort in the pilot Early College Academy for Education has 39 students. The grant will allow the program to expand to 60 students in year one. In year two, the program aims to enroll 60 onsite students and an additional 30 in the offsite, rural school district cluster. Thus, the potential total number of students served is 150 students across two years. This grant allows for a 75% increase in the number of students served from 2025-27.
As of the 2023-24 school year, Pennsylvania’s teacher workforce stands at 123,190, with the largest shortages in Grades 4-8, Special Education PK-12, Mathematics 7-12, Life and Physical Sciences 7-12, and Career and Technical Education 7-12. The United States Department of Education has designated these areas as critical shortages. In a recent report by Penn State University’s Center for Evaluation and Education Policy Analysis, 38% of school districts reported at least one teacher vacancy this school year.
“The support of the PA Dual Credit Innovation Grant will allow us to address the financial and transportation barriers to recruiting teachers,” said Dr. Rebecca West Burns, dean, College of Education, and principal investigator of the grant. “Solving the teacher shortage in Pennsylvania requires a movement away from quick fix, Band-Aid approaches that fast-track preparation or ease the path to certification. KU is proud and incredibly appreciative of our strong partnerships with our local schools. Together, we aim to build a systemic pipeline that recruits high school students, prepares them through partnership in KU’s College of Education’s excellent programs and returns them to their school districts to teach. I look forward to expanding our efforts to recruit more future professionals into teaching."
Classes are scheduled for half a day, two-to-three days a week, and by the end of the academic year, 12 credits could be earned. This gives students the opportunity to earn a semester’s worth of college credit. Students will be in a cohort to meet other potential college students, developing a sense of connection and community to support their transition to college.
“Partnering with the KU Early College Academy for Education has been a transformative experience for our high school students,” said Dr. Lisa Templin Hess, superintendent, Governor Mifflin School District. “From the very first semester, they returned energized and eager to share stories about their college classes, professors and assignments. They were equally enthusiastic about their internships in our district classrooms. This grant will enable our district - and many others - to continue supporting and inspiring the next generation of educators as they discover their passion, purpose and path.”
Students enrolled in the academy will receive a significantly reduced tuition rate through the partnership. Students will be offered a waived admission fee, additional support in enrolling in classes during the year and do not need to pursue a career in education.
Benefits of the program include:
- Completion of a 12-credit college semester before high school graduation.
- Reduced tuition rate and application fee waiver.
- Courses scheduled on the same days to minimize time lost in travel and maximize the on-campus experience.
- Classes taught by highly qualified Kutztown University faculty.
- Increased confidence for enrolling at a college or university.
- Improved scholarship opportunities.
- Growth in skills for success and retention once enrolled in college.
- Development of familiarity with the university community.
- Access to Rohrbach Library, KU Planetarium and STEAMWORKS – KU’s makerspace.
- Enhanced knowledge for decisions regarding future career options.
Inquiries and interested districts should contact Burns at burns@kutztown.edu or 610-683-4300.