CSU Channel Islands (CI), the University Preparation Charter School (UPS) at CSU Channel Islands (CI) and the Ocean View School District have been awarded a grant by the S. D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation to expand practice-based training for new K-8 teachers in implementing the state’s math and science standards.

University Prep School Director Charmon Evans said the grant will be used to formalize partnerships between CI and school districts, where future teachers are being prepared.

Among other things, the grant will support what’s known as a “residency model” of teacher preparation.

CI Interim Dean of the School of Education Merilyn Buchanan, Ph.D., said that means student teachers stay with the same school all year.

“The student teachers work as co-teachers in the classroom,” Buchanan said. “Right from the onset, they are introduced as the second teacher in the classroom. They get to attend parent conferences and other things that student teachers don’t get to do in the traditional student teaching model.”

The grant, which has a science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) focus, will also support professional teachers as they pursue advanced National Board Certification.

CI is among 11 California State University (CSU) campuses earning S. D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation grants.

“Connection with the community is in our DNA at CI, and this program for our professional and student teachers is an excellent example of that” said CI President Richard R. Rush “Our long-term goal is to prepare highly qualified new teachers for schools throughout the region, and together, we can achieve our ambitious plan.”

The grant will fund a weeklong summer symposium for teachers who are integrating the new science and math standards into their classrooms, Buchanan said. It will also launch math and science evenings that will include parents.

CI Assistant Professor of Special Education Michelle Dean-Lorenzini, Ph.D., is lead teacher on the grant and has been working closely with Evans and Ocean View Superintendent Craig Helmstedter, Ph.D.

Investments made by the S. D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation will expand the CSU’s New Generation of Educators Initiative (NGEI), an initiative focused on preparing highly qualified math and science teachers for the elementary and middle grades – the formative years in the educational pipeline that lay a foundation for students’ long-term success and college and career readiness.

“We applaud CSU Channel Islands, University Prep School and the Ocean View School District for this bold effort that will benefit students across the entire region for decades to come,” said Loren Blanchard, CSU executive vice chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs.

For more information on the NGEI, visit http://teachingcommons.cdl.edu/CSUNewGen/.

About California State University Channel Islands
CSU Channel Islands (CI) is the only four-year, public university in Ventura County and is known for its interdisciplinary, multicultural and international perspectives, and its emphasis on experiential and service learning. CI’s strong academic programs focus on business, sciences, liberal studies, teaching credentials, and innovative master’s degrees. Students benefit from individual attention, up-to-date technology, and classroom instruction augmented by outstanding faculty research. CI has been designated by the U.S. Department of Education as a Hispanic-Serving Institution and is committed to serving students of all backgrounds from the region and beyond. Connect with and learn more about CI by visiting CI’s Social Media.