To complete the TILA  program the candidate must show competency and complete coursework and/or document relevant life experience in all of the following strands:

• Introduction to Pedagogy, Philosophy, and Action Research
• Literacy Interventions
• Assessment and Instruction
• Cognitive and Behavioral Diversity

The Teacher Institute at La Academia, in partnership with the University of Colorado at Denver will offer a variety of graduate level courses that comprise the curriculum in order to scaffold learning toward proficiency in each Strand. These courses offer graduate credit through the Professional Studies Department and may be applied towards a variety of professional certificate programs in the University of Colorado at Denver.

The following are a sample of the University of Colorado at Denver sponsored classes that are offered:

Introduction to Pedagogy, Philosophy, and Action Research

The purpose of this course is to formalize and name the research process as well as introduce teachers to specific teacher action research skills.  Throughout tthis course you will be challenged to use what you learn to inform your own teaching and that of the profession. Through active engagement with the skills, knowledge, and attitudes needed to perform inquiry-based research, teachers will be able to ask and answer critical questions about teaching and learning.  Skills learned and practiced here will provide the foundation you need to become a lifelong teacher-researcher able to work toward systemic change within educational systems.  This is a survey course that examines the purposes of research, the methods of quantitative and qualitative research, and the processes involved in research studies.  The primary aims of this course are to improve student skills as informed consumers of research and to provide them with the skills to conduct their own research. 

Literacy and Language Teaching

This course is a study in the use of assessment data as a guide for making instructional decisions.  The participants will explore a variety of assessments of language proficiency, literacy and content concepts.  The participants will use data to make decisions about how to best differentiate instruction and document student progress over time.  Increased expertise and working knowledge in these areas will provide participants with additional tools for their work as instructional leaders coaching classroom teachers.

Seminar in Special Education and Legal Issues 

This course provides teacher licensure candidates who are seeking secondary, elementary, or special education generalist endorsement with a general overview of the year long licensure program. The course will overview the professional development process inherent in the program, the specific requirements and expectations, as well as avenues for research and discussion of related topics and areas of study in order to prepare the candidate for a career in teaching.

Linking Assessment and Instruction

This strand assists teacher candidates in linking assessment with instruction, in learning how to use a variety of formal and informal assessment instruments, and to better understand the role assessment plays in curriculum and instruction. Courses incorporated in this strand are SPED 5140 Advanced Assessment and LLC 5055 Linking Assessment and Instruction. Special trainings are provided for those candidates seeking a special education endorsement in Woodcock Johnson III and other standardized assessments.

Introduction to Cognitive and Behavioral Diversity

This course introduces teachers to the knowledge, skills, and dispositions necessary for them to proactively and systemically address the range of cognitive and behavioral diversity potentially encountered in their classrooms. Teachers will explore the relationships among curriculum development, instructional practices, theories of student behavior, and classroom management strategies. The philosophical and historical context of conventional approaches to curriculum development and behavior management will be examined. The course will employ an analysis of teaching as a reflective process and teachers will study methods of reflection in order to examine and evaluate individual theory and practice.