The Practice of Teaching

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.