Cal State L.A. awarded $11 million grant to train new teachers for urban schools

Los Angeles, CA – The Charter College of Education at California State University, Los Angeles has been awarded an $11 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education to train new teachers to help close the achievement gap of students in high-need urban schools. The grant covers a five-year period and focuses on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, which are known as STEM.

The 275 new teachers will be trained at the Charter College and when they graduate will be placed at schools through Cal State L.A.’s Los Angeles Urban Teacher Residency (LAUTR) Program.

“This new grant builds upon and validates the work we have been doing for the past 5 years with the previous Teacher Quality Partnership funding. The new grant will allow us to continue the work of constructing a truly transformative teacher education program: one which develops inclusive educators, who critically improve teaching and learning with a simultaneous emphasis on the individual and community. We are excited and anxious to get to work,” said A. Dee Williams, professor of curriculum and instructions, who is the lead grant writer.

The Charter College will work with the Center for Collaborative Education, Los Angeles Unified School District, Alhambra Unified School District, and Montebello Unified School District.

“This particular initiative is a nationally recognized teacher preparation model and is representing the College’s emphasis on Community Engaged Collaboration in and through Teaching, Learning, Research and Service,” said Charter College of Education Dean Eunsook Hyun.

Cal State L.A. faculty will be involved in curriculum development, supervision in schools and class instruction for the LAUTR program. They include Sabrina Mims, Kimberly Persiani, Paula Arvedson, and Leila Ricci.

The graduate-level program is designed to equip future mathematics and science teachers to creatively and effectively use Common Core State Standards and Next Generation Science Standards to teach in high-need urban schools. The program enables new teachers to work alongside outstanding mentor teachers for an entire school year.

The program includes an initial intensive summer institute, followed by a 10-month residency placement in an urban school with a mentor teacher and weekly classes. The residency will integrate theory and practice with graduate-level coursework and collaborative professional learning.

Credentials are earned after the 10-month residency and are followed by six months developing and understanding techniques to integrate STEM content. The program leads to a master’s degree in Integrated STEM Education.