Archived News
Attending elite colleges benefits even those less academically prepared
Research by Professor Michal Kurlaender featured in article by Karen Nikos, UC Davis News Service
July 2013
University of California-eligible students with weaker high school grades and test scores typically fared about as well, after four years in college, as higher-ranking students who were admitted, according to a new University of California, Davis, study.
Students Take Charge
Facing a Bright Future at School's Unique Early College Prep Charter School
Hoping to give under-served students a head-start on college, the UC Davis School of Education joined Sacramento City College and the Washington Unified School District in West Sacramento to launch an innovative early college charter school in 2007. The first graduating class will celebrate with a special ceremony in Freeborn Hall on the UC Davis campus in June 2013.
Jamal Abedi Receives Honor
April 2013
Professor Jamal Abedi, an internationally respected scholar in area of educational testing and assessment, has been selected for a 2013 Outstanding Achievement Award by the National Association of Test Directors. He was nominated by Dr. Zollie Stevenson of the U.S. Department of Education.
California School District Revenue and Student Poverty: Moving Toward a Weighted Pupil Funding Formula
Published by the Public-Policy Institute of California (PPIC), February 2013
A Look at the Impact of New Assessments on English Learners
Article by Jamal Abedi and Harold Levine for Leadership Magazine - February 2013
2013 Honoring Educators Awards
Outstanding Students
Gianna Zappettini (Credential ’12, MA ’13)
In 2013, Gianna Zappettini was a multiple subject
teacher credential candidate in the School of Education’s Teacher
Education program. She completed her student teaching in a first
grade classroom at Cambridge Elementary in Vacaville. As an
undergraduate at UC Berkeley, Ms. Zappettini volunteered as a
mentor to 6th – 8th graders and became a team leader with the
Youth Support Program.
National Science Teachers Association Recommends Book by School’s Director of Sacramento Area Science Project
Success in Science through Dialogue, Reading and Writing
by Arthur Beauchamp, Judi Kusnick, Rick McCallum
A new book on the use of literacy to teach science, co-authored by Sacramento Area Science Project director Arthur Beauchamp, has been recommended by the National Science Teachers Association.
Focus Should Be on Attainment, Not Scores
Opinion: November 2012 Report on High School Graduation Rates
Federal and state leaders need to focus more on policies that improve educational attainment and college and career success and less on test scores
In November, the U.S. Department of Education released new high school graduation rates for each state, using what the department called a “common, rigorous measure.” The picture is bleak for California, which ranks 32 among other states in high school completion. More troubling are the persistent disparities between racial/ethnic groups; white graduation rate is 85 percent, whereas Latino and African American graduation rates are 70 percent and 63 percent respectively.
Integrating Digital and STEM Practices
Article by Tobin White and Lee Martin in Leadership - December 2012
Professors Tobin White and Lee Martin have penned an article on how schools can leverage the ways students are already using mobile digital devices to organize and support learning activities in STEM content areas in the November/December 2012 issue of Leadership, a magazine published by the Association of California School Administrators.
Their article, which “calls attention to opportunities, often missed, to capitalize on emerging media for innovative and even transformative educational use,” appears on pp. 22-26. Access the magazine online here.
Jamal Abedi To Serve on Common Core Assessment Group
Edweek, September 7, 2012
Deemed a “heavy-hitter” in the field of assessment for student with disabilities and English learners, Professor Jamal Abedi will serve on a panel of experts charged with advising on the validity and fairness of new assessments tied to Common Core Standards. Read the story here. You can read more about the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium here.
Study finds too many variables with eighth-grade algebra policy
Davis Enterprise, September 9, 2012
Paul Heckman, associate dean of the School of Education, is interviewed extensively in this article highlighting research conducted by Heckman and Professor Jamal Abedi. Read the full article by Jeff Hudson here.
Maintaining High Challenge and High Support for Diverse Learners
Article by Steven Athanases in Leadership
Professor Steven Athanases has penned an article on meeting the needs of diverse learners in the September/October 2012 issue of Leadership, a magazine published by the Association of California School Administrators
His article, which demonstrates that “a combination of nurturing and rigor is essential to educating our student population, but targeted supports are also needed to help students meet achievement goals,” appears on pp. 18-22. Access the magazine online here.
UC Davis receives $1.6 million grant to aid K-12 students
Sacramento Bee, July 10, 2012
UC Davis has received a $1.6 million grant from the S.D. Bechtel Jr. Foundation that will allow it to improve science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education in schools throughout Davis and Dixon.
“We want to provide (children), as future citizens, with a lens into what it is that scientists actually do,” said Cindy Passmore, the UC Davis associate professor who is leading the project. “The exposure will help them make an informed choice about whether they want to go into (science and math) fields or not.”
$1.6 million grant to raise STEM achievement in K-12 schools
UC Davis News Service Release - July 9, 2012
Prof. Michal Kurlaender comments in story about the prevalence of remedial instruction at CSU
Article in Sacramento Bee, March 15, 2012
School of Education Professor Michal Kurlaender explained that colleges (both state and community colleges) are eager to see the new Common Core Standards in place in hopes that they will better align instruction in K-12 with higher education and improve college readiness among incoming freshman. Kurlaender is an expert on student readiness and success in higher education. Read the whole article here.
School and Partner, LEED, Receive Support to Create Regional STEM Network
The School of Education and LEED (Linking Education and Economic Development) have received a planning grant from the California STEM Learning Network (CSLNet) to develop a regional STEM education network, in support of in-school and out of school programs in science, technology, engineering and math.
New Book on Education and Autism Edited by Prof. Peter Mundy
Educational Interventions for Students with Autism, published as the first in the Autism for Educators series by the UC Davis Mind Institute, has been released. The book is edited by Peter Mundy and Ann Mastergeorge. It provides information on topics related to deepening educators’ understanding of the issues and best practices involved in education for autism, including practical strategies for teachers, parents and school administrators. Purchase the book here.
Enlisting Volunteers Can Boost Confidence in Scientific Research
2010 AERA Presentation
In an era of public skepticism about science and high-stakes decisions based on it, involving more non-scientists in research projects can boost public acceptance, understanding and the quality of the scientific results, a study co-authored by a UC Davis researcher suggests.
The study will be presented on Monday, May 3, at the 91st annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association in Denver.
