Allie Boquet, PhD, Awarded SchoolSims Grant to Advance Teacher Preparation

BATON ROUGE, LA —  Allie Boquet, PhD, assistant professor of professional practice in special education in the LSU Lutrill & Pearl Payne School of Education, has been awarded the Empowering Future Educators Through Simulation grant from SchoolSims, a leader in providing interactive, scenario-based simulations for educators. LSU is the first university in Louisiana to receive this award, positioning the institution at the forefront of innovative teacher preparation in the state. 

Boquet and special education faculty colleague Paul Mooney, PhD, are integrating the SchoolSims platform into the dual certification degree program in general elementary and special education (Grades 1–5) coursework. This initiative provides preservice teachers with immersive, decision-making simulations that replicate real-world classroom challenges, equipping them with valuable additional practice before entering and while in residency classrooms.

“This grant allows us to provide our teacher candidates with meaningful opportunities to practice collaboration, ethical decision-making, and classroom management in a safe, supportive environment,” Boquet said. “By studying the effectiveness of simulations on preservice teacher learning, we aim to better prepare future educators to meet the diverse needs of today’s students.”

Being able to practice real classroom situations through simulations has been so valuable. It gives me the chance to make decisions, see the outcomes, and reflect on what I would do differently—all before I’m in front of my own students. I feel more confident and prepared to handle challenges as a future teacher.

Dual Certification Senior

The SchoolSims simulations are aligned with InTASC Model Core Teaching Standards and Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) Standards, increasing the likelihood that LSU teacher candidates strengthen their skills in ways that meet national expectations for high-quality educator preparation. Boquet and Mooney are also conducting research on how simulations impact preservice teachers’ growth in areas such as instructional planning, classroom management, and professional collaboration. Simulation is one of several research-based teacher preparation strategies that support teacher education candidate growth.

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About the LSU Lutrill & Pearl Payne School of Education
A school of the LSU College of Human Sciences & Education, the Lutrill & Pearl Payne School of Education (SOE) offers undergraduate programs for students who want to pursue a career as a pre-kindergarten through 12th grade teacher or acquire dual certification in both traditional elementary and special education classrooms. In addition, SOE offers 3 graduate certificates, 17 master’s degree program areas, 9 EdS certificate programs, and 2 PhD degrees in 11 areas of focus. SOE’s focus is not only on preparing highly qualified teachers but also in preparing educational leaders, curriculum studies scholars, educational technology experts, applied researchers, higher education professionals, school counselors, and clinical mental health counselors. SOE specializes scholarly expertise regarding pressing educational and wellness issues across the entire lifespan.

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About the College of Human Sciences & Education 
The College of Human Sciences & Education (CHSE) is a nationally accredited division of Louisiana State University. The college is comprised of the School of Education, the School of Information Studies, the School of Kinesiology, the School of Leadership & Human Resource Development, and the School of Social Work. CHSE has two model demonstration schools, the Early Childhood Education Laboratory Preschool, enrolling birth to age four and the University Laboratory School enrolling Kindergarten through grade 12. The college also has four centers and institutes: the Early Childhood Education Institute, the Healthy Aging Research Center, the Leadership Development Institute, and Social Research & Evaluation Center. The college is committed to achieving the highest standards in teaching, research, and service and aims to improve quality of life across the lifespan.
 
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