New CA Center Opens for Equity in Teacher Training
- By Dian Schaffhauser
- 11/30/20
A
new California
State University
project wants to eliminate achievement gaps in K-12 education in the
state through teacher training on how to reach underrepresented
groups. The Center
to Close the Opportunity Gap,
which recently had a virtual grand opening, will officially open for
business in the spring. Hosted at CSU,
Long Beach,
the center will share training, tools and evidence-based best
practices with colleges of education in the CSU system and with other
education training programs. The CSU system, with 23 campuses, trains
more than half of the state's teachers each year.
Among
the center's goals are these:
-
To
provide resources and help school districts learn how to address
learning gaps for subgroups of students;
-
To
produce professional development for delivery through CSU; and
-
To
invite CSU campuses and other organization to participate in
regional networks to "incorporate and disseminate best
practices."
Professional
development content will be shared online; via state and county
events, including webinars; through research publications; and at an
annual educator summit.
"Creating
a continuous pipeline from preschool to bachelor's degree for
underserved and low-income students is critical to eliminating equity
gaps, ensuring that all students are afforded an equal opportunity to
achieve success and elevate their lives through a high-quality
education," said CSU chancellor Timothy White, in a statement.
"Equity and educational excellence are vital to California's
future, and the CSU's Center to Close the Opportunity Gap will give
California's current and future educators the advanced tools and
training to achieve these ideals."
The
Long Beach campus was chosen as the center host through a "highly
competitive request for proposal and committee review process."
Funding came from a one-time state allocation of $3 million.
About the Author
Dian Schaffhauser is a former senior contributing editor for 1105 Media's education publications THE Journal, Campus Technology and Spaces4Learning.