Albright College’s Board of Trustees has approved a new School of Educational Innovation, which will integrate Total Experience Learning (TExpL) methodology across all of Albright’s education programs.
In addition to bachelor’s degrees in general education, PreK-4 education, secondary education, and K-12 programs in special education, art education, foreign languages — Albright offers master in education degrees and certifications in several categories. A new 4+1 bachelor-to-master degree program, launched this year, allows Albright students to earn both degrees in five years.
Teacher burnout Exasperated by the pandemic, teacher burnout is at an all time high. Last fall, the National Education Association estimated a shortage of roughly 300,000 teachers and staff across the nation, particularly in rural districts and where special education and STEM teachers are in high demand. Administrator burnout is highest in urban districts. Albright’s new academic structure aims to further develop teacher programs that impact professional educator satisfaction and expand the teacher pipeline.
Meant to alleviate teacher and administrator burnout, the move toward a comprehensive School of Educational Innovation at Albright College has been led by an Albright faculty taskforce, Provost Karen Campbell, Ph.D., and Adelle Schade dean of pre-college and summer programs.
“TExpL has revitalized not only my classroom, but who I am as an educator,” said Sarah Johnson, a first grade teacher at Allentown Sacred Heart. “TExpL challenges me to keep student learning, engagement, and achievement in the center of my educational designs.”
The TExpL methodology has already demonstrated success in classrooms across Berks County. Students in TExpL classrooms have demonstrated 86% improvement in English test scores (compared to 48% of students in non-TExpL classrooms taught by the same teacher), a 93-point increase in math (compared to an 18-point increase in non-TExpL classrooms) and have shown increases by one to two levels of reading proficiency.
“Total Experience Learning is an incredible methodology,” said Mark Sewell, a social studies teacher at Reading High School. “The ease of implementing the techniques, strategies, and thought processes, into my classroom is refreshing. This methodology works in any classroom with any student’s ability – it includes everyone in uncovering meaning through the strategies used.”
Named a top national college by U.S. News & World Report, Albright College, Reading, Pa., (founded 1856) is home to engaging faculty who believe that the best academic moments are when students feel inspired and ready to take action. The college’s distinctive co-major program enables students to cross or combine different areas of study, without taking longer to graduate. Study alongside undergraduate students, adult learners and graduate students, and ignite your SPARK at Albright College.
