| FMU
Center of Excellence
Grant Proposal Narrative
2. Proposal Narrative
g. Benefit to the Institution
Establishing
a Center for Excellence
for Children of Poverty will enable Francis Marion University
to meet the special need for teachers in the Pee Dee region and
the state. With over 70% of its children qualifying for free lunch,
the Pee Dee region is mired in poverty. Currently, students in this
region are struggling to meet the new South Carolina achievement
standards. The pressure to achieve high test scores deters teachers
from working in high-risk areas. By offering special training for
effectiveness in working with at-risk children, the Center of Excellence
for Children of Poverty will enable Francis Marion University to
recruit, train, and graduate a larger and more diverse population
of teachers, both undergraduate and graduate.
The School
of Education at FMU will partner with the College
of Arts and Science, the existing Centers of Excellence at Benedict
College and Charleston, the Center
for Educator Recruitment, Retention, and Advancement (CERRA),
the Pee Dee Education
Center, and National
Center for Research on the Education of Students Placed at Risk
(CRESPAR) to focus multiple resources on preparing teachers
for this special mission.
Francis
Marion University expects this program to increase the number
and quality of students enrolled in teacher training programs at
FMU and to further its mission.
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