News
Fall 2010 Catalyst
The Magazine of the UC Davis School of Education
The School of Education is pleased to offer its Fall 2010 Catalyst. In this issue of the magazine, we delve into how the School is tackling the need for robust STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education in our schools and communities.
UC Davis May Branch into Madrid
Dean Harold Levine part of team visit to Spain
Students could take UC Davis courses abroad
October 2010
Dean Harold Levine comments on a recent trip to Madrid, Spain, where he joined the chancellor and vice chancellor of administrative and resource management. They spoke to representatives of the governmental, public, and private sectors about the possibility of establishing a satellite campus in Spain. Read the full story at the Aggie.
Brokers of Expertise
California Department of Education Launches "Facebook for Teachers"
September 22, 2010
To ensure teachers have access to best practices, lessons and
other resources, and most of all access to each other, the
state’s Department of Education launched a new website called
Brokers of Expertise. Dean Harold
Levine, a member of State Superintendent Jack O’Connell’s P-16
Council, was an advisor on the project.
Read more about the launch and check out the new site.
UCTV Features on Autism & Education
Education Professor Peter Mundy, who serves as the Director of Educational Research at the UC Davis MIND Institute, is featured on UCTV for his talk on educating individuals with autism.
“Understanding and Educating Individuals with Autism: Elementary School and Beyond”
Peter Mundy explores the social behavioral, emotional and learning characteristics of higher functioning children with autism with an emphasis on challenges in school. Watch the program here.
CRESS Center Receives Additional $1 Million to Enhance K-12 Teaching
Update: August 2010
Second Round of Funding to UC Davis
As part of its Teacher-Based Reform Grants Program the California Postsecondary Education Commission (CPEC) has awarded the Pacific Coast Teacher Innovation Network (known as PacTIN T-BAR) an augmentation grant of $1,031,000. This is in addition to the $1,010,00 master grant we received in 2009 and will allow us to offer professional development opportunities to an additional 24 teacher teams as part of a second cohort.
Cynthia Carter Ching Comments on Online Degrees at UC
Sacramento Bee
UC Professors Raise Doubts about Online Degrees
By Laurel Rosenhall
“I think they’re looking for a one-size-fits-all model, and I don’t think that’s the way to go,” said Carter Ching. Read the entire article at the Sacramento Bee. Read more about Cynthia Carter Ching’s research on her profile.
Paul Heckman Offers Insight into Early School Starts
Capital Public Radio
In this radio story by Steve Milne, Paul Heckman says, “The reality is some districts are pressed to also address community needs of childcare.” Listen to the whole story at CPR. Read more about Paul Heckman’s research on his profile.
Heidi Ballard selected UC Davis Hellman Fellow
Award recognizes promising assistant professors
Heidi Ballard, an assistant professor in the School of Education, has been selected to be a 2010-2011 UC Davis Hellman Fellow and will receive an award of $20,409 to be used in support of her research activities.
Michal Kurlaender receives $1.8 million grant
Study of the California Early Assessment Program
June 2010 – Michal Kurlaender, an associate professor in the School of Education, has been awarded a $1.8 million federal grant to study a unique California program established six years ago to help high school students better prepare for college.
Spring 2010 Catalyst
The Magazine of the UC Davis School of Education
The School of Education is pleased to offer its Spring 2010 Catalyst. In this issue, we provide just a glimpse at the diversity of programs and solutions we employ to address the needs of schools and communities in our region.
Successful Teachers of At-Risk Youth Emphasize Caring as Much as Curriculum
2010 AERA Presentation
Educators who successfully reach at-risk youth often use different methods, but there are lessons to be learned from similarities in their approaches, a University of California, Davis, researcher will report Monday, May 3, at the 91st annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association in Denver.
A three-year study of four community-based educators found that all emphasized “connection before content” and demonstrated that “caring is as important as curriculum,” Vajra Watson, a research analyst in the UC Davis School of Education, will report.
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.
Michal Kurlaender Awarded Postdoctoral Fellowship
The National Academy of Education has awarded Michal Kurlaender a Spencer Postdoctoral Fellowship in recognition of her significant contributions to education research. Spencer’s program supports early career scholars working in critical ares of education. The program also develops the careers of its recipients through professional development activities involving the National Academy of Education members.
School of Education Alumna Awarded Distinguished Achievement Award
Cal Aggie Alumni Association honors one of our own
Mary Catherine Swanson (Credential ‘67), a member of the School’s Board of Advisors, has been awarded the 2010 Distinguished Achievement Award by the Cal Aggie Alumni Association. Her award is in recognition of exemplary achievement for her work as the founder of AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination). Swanson started the student support program in 1980 with 32 students in one San Diego school. The program now serves more than 300,000 students in 4,000 schools in 45 states and 15 countries.
Tackling the digital divide in schools
Cynthia Carter Ching-2009
Cynthia Carter Ching, an expert on technology and education, represented the K-12 perspective at “Computers & Writing 2009: Ubiquitous and Sustainable Computing,” a conference hosted at UC Davis during the summer 2009.
Study: English Learners Make up 22 Percent of Tahoe Truckee District
Sierra Sun, by Kyle Magin
The School’s Center for Applied Policy in Education is analyzing data from the Tahoe Truckee School District’s English language learners, seeking to examine whether there is an achievement gap between non-native English speakers and their native counterparts in public schools. Their initial results indicate that English language learners who are continually enrolled over a period of three years tend to excel more than those who are transient.
