2010 Education Achievements
* AccessUS, a 2+2 program created for nontraditional Latino and Latina students wanting to teach in southwest Kansas, received the 2010 Outstanding Service to Underserved Populations Award from the Association for Continuing Higher Education. The program has helped 16 students earn their bachelor's degrees in elementary education with an English as a second language endorsement from K-State. Dec. 2010
* Two projects that brought together the Division of Continuing Education and the College of Education won Celebration of Excellence awards from the University Professional and Continuing Education Association. The Extended College Education for Lifelong Learning program, or Project EXCELL, won the association's Central Region Innovative Program Award, while the academic advising certificate program won the association's Central Region Mature Credit Program Award. Project EXCELL offers five-week, on-campus classes to young adults age 18 and older who have mild developmental disabilities or other cognitive disabilities and might not otherwise be able to experience a college environment. The program was offered for the first time at K-State in spring 2010. The 15-credit academic advising certificate program is a collaborative effort from the department of special education, counseling and student affairs; the College of Education; the Division of Continuing Education; and the National Academic Advising Association. The program was created in 2003. Oct. 2010
* K-State's student chapter of the Kansas National Educational Association received several honors at the KNEA Student Program Leadership Conference. The chapter received awards for outstanding local website and outstanding local newsletter. The chapter also received the Chapter of Excellence Award. Laurie Curtis, K-State assistant professor of elementary education and adviser to K-State's student chapter received the Outstanding Local Adviser Award. April 2010
* The professional education programs offered by Kansas State University's College of Education have earned continuing accreditation from the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education and the Kansas State Department of Education. The U.S. Department of Education recognizes the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education as a specialized accrediting body for schools, colleges and departments of education. The council currently accredits 661 institutions that produce two-thirds of the nation's new teacher graduates each year. K-State's professional education programs have been continually accredited by the council since the organization was founded in 1954. The College of Education's accreditation is good through 2016 and covers both initial and advanced teacher education levels. March 2010
* Stephen Benton, K-State professor of special education, counseling and student affairs, has been selected a Fellow of the American Educational Research Association. Benton is one of 67 scholars to earn the honor this year. Fellow selection is based on exceptional scientific or scholarly contributions to education research or significant contributions to the field through the development of research opportunities and settings. Benton's research has covered a variety of education research topics, including college student drinking, reading and writing processes, note taking and college student mental health. He is co-author of a test manual and the book "College Student Mental Health: Effective Services and Strategies Across Campus"; eight book chapters; numerous edited volumes; and more than 60 refereed journal articles and 60 professional papers. March 2010
* The Kansas Supreme Court appointed K-State's W. Franklin Spikes to the state's Continuing Legal Education Commission. Spikes, a professor of educational leadership and director of K-State's doctoral program in adult and continuing education, is the only non-attorney to serve on the commission since it was created 25 years ago. He is an expert in the field of adult and continuing education and has more than 30 years of experience in both the academic and corporate settings. The Kansas Continuing Legal Education Commission reviews and approves the various entities and programs offering continuing education for attorneys, considering how closely related the programs are to the practice of law in Kansas and how they can improve the work of participating attorneys. Feb. 2010
