The Learning Systems Institute at Florida State University has been selected to collaborate with IREX and other partners on the Early Grade Education Activity in Jordan, according to a May 28 announcement. The institute will participate in advancing Jordanian-led teacher education initiatives.
Under the direction of IREX, a global nonprofit organization focused on education and development, the Learning Systems Institute will foster a collaborative relationship between Florida State University and Jordanian universities. The goal is to support initiatives that address low literacy and numeracy rates while promoting whole-child development. The institute will assist Jordanian universities through curriculum review and co-development, faculty professional development, research, and quality assurance frameworks.
“IREX is proud to partner with the Learning Systems Institute at Florida State University to support the groundbreaking Early Grade Education Activity, ASAS, across Jordan. This collaboration reflects the value of drawing on the experience and expertise of U.S. universities to strengthen higher education institutions internationally and better prepare educators to meet the needs of students and communities. At the same time, collaboration on AI in education is essential to responsibly realizing the opportunities AI can bring and to supporting long-term student success,” said Aleksander Dardeli, President and CEO of IREX.
Stephanie Simmons Zuilkowski, Associate Director for Research at LSI and Professor of Educational Leadership and Policy in the Anne Spencer Daves College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences; along with Sana Tibi, Associate Professor in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at FSU; will serve as principal investigators for this initiative. Faculty from Anne’s College as well as staff from LSI will provide additional support.
“The FSU team is excited to start work on this project, which is grounded in partnership and mutual learning,” said Zuilkowski. “We look forward to collaborating with Jordanian universities to support their efforts to advance teacher education, while also deepening our own understanding of effective, contextually responsive approaches to primary grades teacher preparation.”
IREX and its partners are working with Jordan’s Ministry of Education as well as universities across the country with an aim toward sustainably improving early grade education.
