Centers for Research, Education & Service
We provide programs and services that benefit our students, faculty, staff, as well as external audiences, such as local school districts, people with disabilities and social service organizations.
Because the mission of the University of Delaware’s College of Education and Human Development is to educate students, conduct research and serve the community, work within our centers integrate these three key elements. Students work with faculty and staff at many of these locations, gaining valuable practical experience – complementing and enhancing their academic studies.
Research, Education & Service Centers
Center for Disabilities Studies (CDS)
CDS focuses on improving the quality, quantity, and range of public and private services and supports available in Delaware for individuals with disabilities and their families.
Center for Excellence and Equity in Teacher Preparation (CEETP)
CEETP serves both pre-service and in-service teachers, improves access for the education community to the University’s teacher education and professional development programs, and supports the state’s efforts to enhance teacher education and professional development in line with new state content standards and accountability requirements.
Alternative Routes to Certification (ARTC)
ARTC offers an alternative to to the traditional route to teacher certification in Delaware, allowing qualified individuals to complete certification requirements while they are employed as full-time teachers. This state-approved program of professional education coursework is accompanied by intensive, school-based supervision and mentoring.
Office of Clinical Studies (OCS)
OCS partners with local school districts (PK-12) to provide UD students with field placements and student teaching. Each year, OCS oversees the placement of 1,600 teacher prep students from across the University, with over 300 teachers at approximately 60 Delaware schools, as well as schools in Maryland and Pennsylvania. OCS also coordinates background checks, health requirements, code of conduct and dispositions as required by each state.
Office of Certification & Accreditation (OCA)
The Office of Certification and Accreditation within the Center for Excellence and Equity in Teacher Preparation provides support services for students, faculty, and alumni from the educator preparation programs at the University of Delaware. The staff help individuals learn about the certification requirements in various states and provide students with the institutional recommendation for certification. The staff also work closely with program coordinators on the recognition of their program by national specialty program associations and on the national accreditation of all educator preparation programs at the University of Delaware.
Teachers of Tomorrow Program (TOT)
The Teachers of Tomorrow Program is designed to support high school students from underrepresented backgrounds interested in becoming teachers. Rising high school juniors and seniors are invited to enroll in this program that will introduce them to the field of education and provide them with the skills necessary to succeed in college through workshops and mentorship. In addition, participants will receive support during the college application process, engage with a community of future educators and grow as leaders.
Teacher Residency Program (UDTR)
Teacher residencies are the most comprehensive model of teacher preparation in the nation. Residencies play an increasingly important role in designing human capital strategies by creating a pathway that responds directly to the hiring needs of the school districts. In addition, residencies provide career advancement for experienced teachers to act as mentors, while developing highly effective new teachers that are capable of impacting student achievement from the moment they enter the classroom as a teacher of record. The University of Delaware Teacher Residency Program (UDTR) closely follows the NCTR residency model. It blends a rigorous full-year classroom apprenticeship for pre-service teachers with a carefully aligned sequence of academic coursework.
Center for Research in Education and Social Policy (CRESP)
CRESP conducts rigorous research to help policymakers and practitioners in education, health care and human services determine which policies and programs are most promising to improve outcomes for children, youth, adults and families. By supporting collaborative research, CRESP will broaden the portfolio of policy-relevant research conducted in Delaware, lead multi-state projects and conduct evaluations of existing practices.
Collaborative for Data Driven Action (CDDA)
The CDDA has been developed to facilitate data-driven decision making through an integrated data system to help meet the racial, education, health and economic challenges in Delaware.
Delaware Education Research Alliance (DERA)
DERA, a collaboration between the Delaware Department of Education, Delaware State University and UD, is designed to facilitate collaborative research that uses teacher, student and school administrative data to answer important questions with implications for improving preK-16 education across the state and beyond. The overarching goals of the alliance are to support and enhance and catalyze collaborative research to address pressing education issues in the state.
Delaware Institute for Excellence in Early Childhood (DIEEC)
DIEEC engages in innovative research and partnerships that advance equity and promote high-quality education. DIEEC develops and delivers comprehensive, evidence-based supports for early childhood professionals, children, and families. It implements the statewide quality improvement system for early childhood education programs and oversees the New Directions Early Head Start program.
New Directions Early Head Start (NDEHS)
NDEHS provides pregnant women, infants, toddlers and their families with quality care and family services through home-based and center-based programs. Low-income families with very young children receive guidance to help them achieve increased self-sufficiency and improve their children’s outcomes.
Office of Educational Technology (OET)
OET supports instructional and desktop computing across CEHD; provides technological leadership to academic programs and teacher education programs throughout CEHD and across campus; and offers contract- and grant-supported services for technology integration to partners in CEHD initiatives, such as K-12 schools, non-profit groups and government agencies.
Partnership for Public Education (PPE)
PPE brings together members of the University of Delaware and the broader Delaware educational community—including educators, families and community leaders —to identify shared needs and opportunities and to facilitate the exchange of knowledge. PPE mobilizes the University’s research, professional learning, policy and advocacy and student resources to address critical issues facing schools and foster sustainable partnership work. To improve the quality and availability of education for all students, PPE prioritizes the most underserved communities and seeks to improve educational opportunities and outcomes from early childhood through post-secondary access.
The SSC brings together UD’s renowned Professional Development Center for Educators and Delaware Academy for School Leadership. With a systemic approach to improving student and school outcomes, the SSC is composed of experts in educator and school leader professional development who partner with teachers and administrators in public, charter and independent schools throughout Delaware and across the nation.
Early Learning Center (ELC)
The Early Learning Center offers quality child care and education for children ages 6 weeks to 12 years. Services for children and their families include assessments; intervention services and parenting education; technical assistance and training for childcare providers; a laboratory for faculty and student researchers; and a hands-on learning site for undergraduate and graduate students. The ELC is unlike any other childcare facility in the area. It is the place where lifelong learning begins and continues for students of all ages. Each of our 22 classrooms are equipped with observation booths, cameras, and microphones for UD students, researchers, and parents to use during the day. These booths allow for minimal distraction in the classroom while still giving parents the opportunity to see their child’s day first-hand.
Lab School
The Lab School services over 60 children ages two to five in an inclusive early education setting. Over 100 UD students per semester receive instruction in early childhood education, research, and human service practices in the school. The Lab School also serves as a research site for faculty conducting investigations in language development, social-personal development, curriculum implementation, and other topics.
The College School (TCS)
This specialized school serves children in grades 1-8 with learning differences, helping them become successful learners. By providing small class sizes and an individualized, highly structured program of instruction, TCS is able to help students narrow the gap between potential and achievement. Curriculum and instruction are developed by UD faculty members, while student teachers and researchers gain valuable insights in the fields of education and human development.
Student Organizations
Association of Pre-Professional Leaders in Education (APPLE)
The Association of Pre-Professional Leaders in Education, or APPLE, was created in the Spring of 2010 out of a need for a group for Elementary Education Majors at the University of Delaware. The objective of this group is not only to unify the students in the major, but also to create a group that would be conducive to exchanging methods, ideas, and concepts that will be important in creating a strong generation of teachers.
Academic Support Program Inspiring Renaissance Educators (ASPIRE)
This student-run organization supports students from diverse backgrounds, offering them opportunities for networking, leadership and academic support, as they prepare for careers as teachers and human service providers.
Education Graduate Association (EGA)
The Education and HDFS Graduate Association (EGA) is the official student organization of full- and part-time graduate students at the University of Delaware’s School of Education and Department of Human Development and Family Sciences. Officers are elected to EGA each year for a one-year term. Students are granted membership in this association upon acceptance to the School, and its officers are elected from among your peers and colleagues.
Educators Rising Collegiate is an organization of pre-service teachers with the hopes to form an inclusive community that is passionate about education. Rather than being built towards only Early Childhood Education and Elementary Education we would like to branch out and connect all types of education students at UD such as those focusing on secondary education, music and art.
Society for Human Resource Management Student Chapter
The SHRM Student Chapter at the University of Delaware was established for the purpose of further extending our education through finding networking and potential career opportunities in the growing field of Human Resources.
Student Association for the Education of Young Children
The Student Association for the Education of Young Children (SAEYC) is a student-run organization that are a group of students interested in working with young children. The organization aims to serve the children of our surrounding area through various volunteer opportunities. Students are committed to helping families, charity organizations, and schools through teaching and mentoring children.