The College of Education’s Center for Urban Education tied for second place honors with Ball State in a one-time award for Excellence in Culturally Responsive Teacher Education.

The award was presented by the American Association of Colleges of Teacher Education and the Southern Poverty Law Center at their annual meeting in Chicago on Feb. 17.

Jan Lacina, associate dean for graduate studies in the College of Education, said TCU stood out in the competition because students who trained to become English teachers also trained to be English as a Second Language, or ESL, teachers.

“We believe that all English teachers must also be ESL teachers, and that’s a very unique component that you don’t find in other English teacher preparation programs,” Lacina said.

The College of Education received a plaque and $4,000 that will go to the Center for Urban Education to use for its outreach programs, Lacina said.

Cecilia Silva, director of the Center for Urban Education, said the center’s community involvement also helped the program stand out.

Silva said that the center partners with the International Newcomer Academy, Paschal High School, Catholic Charities and Rosemont Middle School’s sixth grade.

Students take a diversity course to help them consider issues of culture when they’re teaching, Silva said.

Benjamin Leos, head principal of Rosemont Middle school, said the award was positive publicity for both the university and the Fort Worth ISD.

“It speaks volumes of the program that we have and the partnership we’ve created; it’s obviously having some success,” Leos said.