Story: Lisa Sollie

Since the launch of its competency-based education (CBE) program, the University of West Alabama is working to move paraprofessionals into certified teaching roles more quickly to help address teacher shortages across the state.

Dr. Jan Miller serves as director of UWA’s competency-based education program, which launched January 2025 in the Julia S. Tutwiler College of Education. Miller said the initiative builds on paraprofessionals’ existing classroom experience while equipping them with the skills and competencies needed to become certified educators. Candidates must have at least three years of classroom experience and be enrolled online in one of UWA’s three education programs: elementary education, early childhood, or special education.

Miller said the University worked closely with the Alabama State Department of Education to identify the exact competencies candidates must master before earning certification. Faculty conducted extensive assessments and curriculum mapping to ensure coursework aligns with state-defined standards.

Through an evaluation tool called “Are you ready for CBE?” and a structured interview process, Miller reviews transcripts, work habits, and each candidate’s ability to work independently. She also assesses whether applicants are already serving in strong instructional roles and are prepared for the rigor of the program.

“Our model is accelerated, one-on-one, and very prescriptive,” Miller said. “Although you might be enrolled in a course with 10 other students, you aren’t necessarily moving at the same pace or even completing the same modules.”

Once enrolled in CBE, students take a 25-30 question multiple-choice pretest in each course. The assessment is not graded; instead, it measures prior knowledge and connects to course modules built around specific competencies.

After reviewing results, Miller may exempt candidates from modules or assignments within modules—where they have already demonstrated mastery. 

“I might say, ‘Congratulations, you’ve met the standards and competencies for Modules 1, 3, and 4. You only need to complete Modules 2, 5, and 6 to finish that course,’” she explained.

Students then complete summative assessments, field-embedded assignments—real work conducted in their own classrooms under the supervision of a mentor teacher. Candidates must demonstrate at least 80 percent mastery, proving not only content knowledge, but also the ability to effectively teach it.

Beth LaReau of Tuscaloosa was working at The Capitol School in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, while pursuing dual degrees in early childhood and elementary education online when she heard about competency-based education programs at UWA. As one of the program’s first two graduates, she said switching to the competency-based format allowed her to focus directly on the standards she needed to master.

“Instead of feeling like I had to move through everything at the same pace, I could really concentrate on what I needed to learn,” LaReau said. “It helped me understand the science and vocabulary behind what I was already doing in my classroom.”

Another graduate, Katrina McGrady, who worked as a special education instructional aide in the Talladega County Schools while enrolled, said the program’s hands-on, practical structure stood out the most.

“My pre-assessment for integrated arts revealed I struggled with how to integrate art into math, so most of my assignments for that course focused on that,” McGrady said. “One project—a tessellations assignment—I implemented with my sixth-grade students. They loved it, and it worked just like it was supposed to. This program teaches you things you can immediately implement in your classroom.”

Stephanie Applegate, a paraprofessional at Faucett-Vestavia Elementary in the Tuscaloosa County School System for the past 23 years, agreed.

“All my assignments are so classroom-centered,” Applegate said.  “Yes, I’m getting the background knowledge I still need, but I’m applying it to real scenarios I’ll face as a teacher. The work is rigorous, but it’s easier to see the relevance—why I’m learning it and how I’ll use it.”

Through the self-paced structure, Applegate said the program has shortened her expected completion date to May 2026—a semester earlier than originally planned.

The program currently enrolls between 45 and 50 students, and Miller said interest continues to grow. While competency-based models exist in other disciplines and at other universities, she said similar approaches remain rare in teacher education. UWA’s program was the first of its kind in teacher education to receive accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges and has positioned the University as a pioneer in competency-based teacher preparation.

Miller said the university plans to expand competency-based offerings in summer 2026 with the launch of a master’s-level CBE program in elementary, early childhood, and special education.

The graduate track will serve Alternative Class A (Alt A) candidates—individuals who already hold a bachelor’s degree in a non-teaching field but want to become certified educators. Rather than completing a traditional undergraduate education degree, Alt A students earn a master’s degree that leads to initial teacher certification. The competency-based format will allow these career changers to progress based on demonstrated mastery, potentially accelerating their path into the classroom.

Miller said the goal of UWA’s competency-based education programs is to produce competent, highly qualified educators more efficiently without compromising standards.

“We’re not lowering expectations,” she said. “We’re recognizing experience, honoring what candidates already know and focusing our time on what they still need to master. That’s how we get strong teachers into classrooms faster—and that’s what Alabama needs.”

For more information on UWA’s competency-based education programs, contact Jan Miller at (205) 652.3445 or jmiller@uwa.edu.

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Story: Lisa Sollie | Photo: Cody Ingram

For 22 years, fraternal twins Claire and Grace Hall have shared everything—from bedrooms to best-friend status. So when the Trussville, Alabama, natives transferred to the University of West Alabama, neither questioned whether they would continue life side by side.

The sisters began college at Jefferson State Community College, just 30 minutes from their home. When it came time to transfer, Claire says Grace led the search.

“I didn’t do a lot of investigating,” Claire admitted.  “But when Grace brought up UWA, I checked it out.”

“The campus is beautiful and surrounded by nature,” Grace said. “And it’s smaller, so I wouldn’t feel overwhelmed. I’d also heard they had an amazing education program.” Claire, meanwhile, chose environmental science.

Both say supportive professors and close-knit classes made UWA feel like home.

“My professors are very approachable, and I can go to them anytime and for anything,” Claire said. “They really wanted to get to know me,” added Grace. “And they’ve been helpful throughout my college journey.”

Though both describe themselves as introverts, neither let that hold them back. Claire traveled to Tennessee with her Appalachian Ecology class over spring break, joined Outdoor Recreation Conservation Association (ORCA) club and is helping Dr. Kevin Morse with the Sucarnochee Watershed project this semester. Grace gained confidence during her internship at Cahaba Elementary in Trussville. “I think I’ve become more outgoing,” she says.

For Claire, hands-on learning has been the most impactful part of UWA. “It’s not just listening to lectures. It’s going out and immersing yourself in it. I think my field classes will set me apart for future job opportunities.”

This semester also marked the first time the sisters didn’t room together, with Grace living at home. “It’s the longest we’ve been apart,” Claire said.  “It’s been weird, but we called and texted often.”

Growing up, their mom dressed them alike, but as their personalities developed, they embraced their differences. “I’m glad we aren’t identical,” Grace said, laughing. “I think it allows us to express ourselves more. But Claire is like my other half. I’m thankful we went to college together—it really helped with the transition.”

As she prepares to graduate in the middle of the school year, Grace said that her next steps feel clear. She plans to substitute teach through the spring, and with several teachers at her school expecting, she hopes to secure a long-term substitute position until she finds a permanent teaching job for the upcoming school year. With three elementary schools in Trussville, she feels optimistic. Although her internship included both kindergarten and fifth-grade classrooms, she preferred the more complex content, and getting to know the larger group of students in fifth grade. “I enjoyed watching my kindergartners adjust and grow, and all the fun activities you get to do, but I liked fifth grade better,” Grace said.

Claire, meanwhile, is still exploring her options. “I’m looking for internships and jobs—in conservation, hydrology, or field work. I’m not a lab person—I like being connected to the environment.”

Walking across the stage in separate fall commencement ceremonies, the twins, both honor graduates, say the milestone feels both surreal and exciting. And after spending a semester living apart, they are looking forward to sharing a space, a routine, and the bond that has carried them through every step so far.

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Story: Lisa Sollie | Photo: Cody Ingram

Dr. Ali Lacina’s move from the Midwest to the Deep South when she joined the University of West Alabama faculty wasn’t the only major change for her. The move marked a shift from 25 years teaching K-8 students to shaping the next generation of educators at the college level.

Lacina has been passionate about teaching since she was in second grade. “My parents tell a story from my kindergarten year when a teacher informed them at the parent/teacher conference that I wanted to be the teacher and run the classroom,” she recalls, laughing. “Even then, I was meant to be a teacher—I just didn’t realize it yet.”

Born and raised in Elgin, Illinois, Lacina is a fifth-generation native. Although she had lived in Iowa for the past several years, leaving her family behind was still difficult. Yet, she felt a strong pull toward UWA.

“I had a great school year teaching—one of the best ever—but I was searching for more,” she says. “After watching an interview with Dr. Jan Miller on a local TV station, most of what she said really resonated with me.” Then a series of events, from her priest giving a homily, ‘What are you waiting for? Cast out into the darkness; you never know what’s going to happen’ to seeing a job posting at UWA a few days later, “it was in that moment I felt urged to act, so I applied.”

Now in her first year teaching at the college level, Lacina is excited to inspire future educators with the same passion that drove her all those years.

“Effective teaching isn’t just about book knowledge. It’s about passion, growth, and learning from your students as much as they learn from you.”

Dr. Ali Lacina

Lacina wants her students to graduate confident and prepared. “First-year teachers can’t know what veteran educators learn over decades, but I share my experience and constantly introduce new strategies—five or six tools each class—that they can use in their own classrooms.”

Switching from K-8 to college classrooms has been mostly seamless. “They’re still students; I’m just training them now. Thank goodness they’re eager, attentive, and even tolerate the dumb jokes I make,” Lacina chuckles. “The biggest challenge is navigating new technology—but I’m confident it will come together soon.”

Lacina, the oldest of three sisters, all educators—comes from a large extended family. Yet she’s embraced her new home, enjoying southern hospitality and the close-knit feel of UWA. “Here,” she says, “strangers stop to chat, and the faculty and staff genuinely invest in their students, not just as numbers, but as people—and it shows.”

Currently, Lacina teaches junior education majors science and social studies methods through literacy, plus an integrated arts methods class to seniors. “My job is to show them how to teach social studies effectively, manage hands-on science lessons, and weave arts like dance and music into every subject,” she explains. “Young children need movement, and incorporating the arts lets them learn while being active. That’s what excites me most!”

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