W. Robert Houston
At the University of Houston, W. Robert Houston has served as Professor of Education (1970-present), Associate Dean of Education (1973-1991), Executive Director of the Texas Center for University School Partnerships and the Institute for Urban Education (1990-present), and was honored as a John and Rebecca Moores Professor in 1996 (1996-present). After receiving the B.S. and M.Ed. degrees from North Texas State University, he served as a teacher and principal in Albuquerque, New Mexico and Midland, Texas. Following the Ed.D. from The University of Texas-Austin, he joined the faculty of Michigan State University in 1961 and nine years later, came to the University of Houston.
His research and development has focused on teacher education, higher education and school reform. He was one of the pioneers in Competency Based Teacher Education—a major national model that was adopted by nearly 400 universities in the United States by 1980 and still is the basis for state standards for teacher education. In the 1980s the University of Houston refined CBTE to focus on reflective inquiry and in 1991, he organized the Houston Consortium of Urban Professional Development and Technology Centers, a collaboration of four Houston universities. In February, 1996 following intense national competition, the Association of Teacher Educators awarded its Distinguished Program in Teacher Education to the Consortium as the outstanding program of the year in the nation.
The development of more effective teacher education programs continues through a new $3.9 million five-year grant (Partnership for Quality Education) from the U. S. Department of Education, Title II. Four universities, six school districts, Houston Annenberg Challenge and Houston Community College are partners in the grant, which he directs.
His research and development activities have been supported by more than 53 externally funded grants, most for multiple years and totaling several million dollars. He has evaluated a number of programs such as the Greater Houston Collaborative for Children, Child Advocates, 21st Century Community Learning Centers, Bright Beginnings, and Teaching and Learning, Houston Annenberg Challenge Beacon Schools, serves on the Board of Directors for Healthy Family Initiatives, Communities in Schools, and CanCare Foundation.
Dr. Houston has consulted with schools, universities, and education ministries in 18 countries, was one of four Americans invited in 1973 by UNESCO to brief its staff on teacher education research and practice, and has been invited to deliver major addresses in 42 states, including two prestigious ones.
• Distinguished Educator Address in 1991 by the Association of Teacher Educators
• John Dewey Memorial Lecture in 1992 by the John Dewey Society
Among the 40 books he has authored or edited, two were recognized as the best education books in their respective years:
• The Handbook of Research on Teacher Education (1990)
• Competency-Based Teacher Education: Progress, Problems, and Prospects (1973)
He has authored or co-authored dozens of research reports and monographs and more than 100 chapters and articles. Recent evaluation studies include Bright Beginnings, 19 childcare centers funded by ExxonMobil through United Way, four Houston Area Community College Systems recruitment and retention studies, funded by the Houston Endowment; 21st Century after school program, Houston; Character Education program, Spring Branch; EOC Program, Lee College; curriculum studies, various school districts.
During 1985-1986, he was President of the national Association of Teacher Educators. He has received numerous honors, including being the first recipient of ATE’s Distinguished Teacher Educator of the year award in 1997 and the 2000 Edward C. Pomeroy Award for Distinguished Contributions to Teacher Education, presented by the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, the most prestigious awards from the two major teacher education organizations. He is the only recipient of both.
Research Interests:
