The U.S. Department of Education has awarded Marian University a $3 million grant to implement a new residency program in Marian’s Fred S. Klipsch Educators College.
In partnership with the nonprofit National Institute for Excellence in Teaching (NIET), the Klipsch Educators College will work with Marian’s College of Arts and Sciences to provide a world-class, innovative residency called the “Marian Promise.” Marian has identified three high-need districts in Indianapolis to pilot the program: Perry Township Schools, MSD of Decatur Township, and Beech Grove City Schools. The funding will help prepare the three school districts to recruit, prepare, and develop highly effective teachers. The program supports a year-long intensive residency and will culminate in a robust and sustainable new teacher induction program.
“Our clinical residency model is one of the major benefits our undergraduate students enjoy when they choose Marian University,” Kenith Britt, Senior Vice President of Teacher Learning Excellence and Dean of the Klipsch Educators College, said. “Students are placed and matched to mentor teachers in schools, giving them a marked advantage in the education workforce when they graduate. This grant will help us develop highly effective teachers who go on to make a significant difference in student learning from day one. We couldn’t do this without the support and expertise of NIET.”
“We must work in partnerships like these in order to diversify our teaching population, fill content areas such as STEM, provide ongoing support and development to current teachers to avoid "burnout" and better prepare educators to work in high-need schools,” Allison Segarra-Hansen, Director of Clinical Experiences and Assistant Professor, Literacy and Elementary Education at the Klipsch Educators College, said.
Marian’s education program embeds the same teaching standards used in NIET districts. The research-based NIET rubric is approved for teacher observation, evaluation and support in the state of Indiana and describes effective teaching across multiple indicators of practice
“Meaningfully preparing and supporting new teachers has the power to change the trajectory for students and for educators themselves,” Dr. Candice McQueen, CEO of the National Institute for Excellence in Teaching (NIET), said. “Through this partnership, we will build the Marian Promise into a model program for how teachers should be trained and supported.”
“Klipsch Educators College students will be able to go into a school district and save that district at least two years’ worth of preparation and training, time, and money,” Pat Mapes, Perry Township Schools Superintendent, said. “It’s important for us, when you have the largest diverse school district in the state, that teachers being prepared by Marian University make certain our students know how to problem solve, critically think, and compete worldwide, forever.”
About Marian University Indianapolis
Founded in 1937, Marian University is the only Catholic university in Indianapolis and central Indiana. In 2019, Marian is serving more than 2,400 undergraduate and 1,160 graduate students earning degrees in the arts, business, education, engineering, math, medicine, nursing, ministry, and the natural and physical sciences. The university’s high-impact, experiential curriculum is designed to provide hands-on, collaborative learning opportunities for students from 45 states and 23 nations. Marian climbed in U.S. News & World Report’s 2020 Midwestern rankings to be named #6 Most Innovative Regional University, #15 Best Value University, and #30 Best Regional University. Marian University opened its College of Osteopathic Medicine in 2013, making it the first new school of medicine in the state of Indiana in 110 years. Marian’s national champion varsity athletic programs include the 2012 and 2015 NAIA Football National Championship, the 2016 and 2017 NAIA Women’s Basketball Championship, and more than 40 USA Cycling national championships.
About NIET
For two decades, NIET has partnered with schools, districts, states, and universities to build educator excellence and give all students the opportunity for success. NIET’s initiatives, including TAP, teacher and leader development, school improvement, rubric and observation systems, and educator preparation, have impacted more than 250,000 educators and 2.5 million students across the U.S. Learn more at
niet.org.
