Cal State L.A. and LAUSD Receive $104,000 Grant for Math and Science Teacher Training

Cal State L.A.'s Charter College of Education (CCOE) and Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) have been awarded a $104,000 Comprehensive Teacher Education Institute (CTEI) grant-one of only 10 grants awarded funding in California.

Begun this March, the CTEI grant sponsors the LAUSD/CSULA Mathematics and Science Intern/Induction Program, a subject-based blended intern/induction program aimed at increasing the knowledge base of LAUSD interns, teachers, paraprofessionals and administrators; use of conceptually-based instructional strategies; confidence level of interns and teachers; and boosting math and science student test scores (especially among English Learners) in selected grade levels in identified low-performing schools.

This program-part of CSULA CCOE's expanded collaborative teacher induction activities-will employ pairs of CCOE faculty members and LAUSD curriculum advisers as site-based coaches and professional developers for math and science interns, teachers, paraprofessionals, and administrators. A multi-faceted program including intensive, individualized, standards-based content institutes, seminars, workshops, presentations, focus groups, and class observations will also be developed and tailored to the needs of grade-levels at low-performing cluster schools.

A research study on the effects of this blended intern/induction model on three types of beginning teachers (university interns, district interns, and induction teachers) will be conducted and published as part of this CTEI project. Other product program outcomes will include: Math and Science Parent/Family Nights, an online LAUSD Math and Science Resource Network, rubrics for conceptual math and science lesson plans.

Coauthors and principal investigators for this CTEI grant program are Ann L. Wood, assistant professor of Applied and Advanced Studies in Education at Cal State L.A., and Mary Lewis, administrator of LAUSD Alternative Certification and Teacher Support. Schools participating in this pilot program are Esperanza Elementary School, Berendo Middle School, and Eagle Rock High School. Cal State L.A. CCOE professors who will conduct the site-based professional activities include Leah Melber, Rama Menon, Paul Narguzian, and Fred Uy.

The LAUSD/CSULA Mathematics and Science Intern/Induction Program will operate through October 2006, with the goal of finding additional funding to become a permanent district/university partnership program between LAUSD and CSULA's Charter College of Education.

Contact: Margie Yu, Public Affairs Specialist, (323) 343-3047