5.4.e.1 EPP Unit Grant Descriptions, Grants Active 2013-2014
Autism Clinic. The Autism Clinic Sensory and Motor Program started the fall of 2003. The
long term goal for this program is an interdisciplinary clinic for university students to work in
cross disciplinary teams with families and children with autism to enhance their pre-service
training and understanding of the teaming process. Parents of children with autism receive
sensory, motor, communicative, social and academic programming on an individualized and
small group basis. The project is directed by Dr. Rebecca Lytle (Kinesiology). Dr. Leesa Huang
(Psychology) and Dr. Susan Steffani (Communication) serve on the clinic’s Transdisciplinary
Autism Diagnostic Team. Josie Blagrave serves as clinic director. Total contacted funds received
between AY 2007-2013 $609,567.
Chico Rural Teacher Pathway - recruits students into college between the ages of 17 and 24,
who are at risk of gang involvement and into a pathway to become credentialed
teachers. Directed by Dr. Al Schademan, this project was awarded $500,000 and is funded
through the Workforce Investment Act Fund, Governor’s CalGRIP CY 2010/11, Employment
Development Department, State of California. Funding has also been received from the Walter S.
Johnson Foundation, Bechtel Foundation and David and Lucile Packard Foundation to provide
participant support as well as support ongoing partner collaboration.
Collaborative Professional Development (CPD) Project in Rural California Schools recruits and selects pre-service teachers who are bilingual and/or from underserved groups,
paraprofessionals, and in-service teachers to participate in professional development in the areas
of Science Education and English Language Development. This $1.9 million five year award,
directed by Dr. Esther Larocco and Dr. Charles Zartman, began Fall 2012 and is funded by the
Office of English Language Acquisition (OELA), U.S. Department of Education. For more
information, please visit the CPD Project website.
Northern California Collaboration for Low Incidence Personnel Preparation (NorCal
CLIPP) recruits and prepares 100 highly qualified teachers over the 5-year award period to earn
the California Education Specialist Instructional Credential in the area of moderate to severe
disabilities by providing stipends to pay for student tuition and books. The School of Education
at California State University Chico, Special Education Teacher Preparation Program, received a
five-year $1,249,996 grant from the United States Department of Education, Office of Special
Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS). The project, directed by Dr. Talya Kemper, is a
partnership with a consortium of 64 county and district public school LEAs that form the
Northeastern California Partnership for Special Education. For more information, please visit
the NorCal CLIPP website.
Project Co-STARS: Collaboration for Student and Teacher Achievement in Rural
Schools - partners with four high need school districts in northern California to recruit and
prepare future highly-qualified teachers to meet the needs of all students. This $7.3 million
project, directed by Dr. Phyllis Fernlund, focuses on the recruitment and training of highly
qualified teachers who can meet the needs of rural schools as well as improving student
achievement.
Co-STARS pathway options include:
Integrated Teacher Education Core (ITEC) program, a pre-baccalaureate undergraduate program
option that integrates the Liberal Studies bachelor’s degree and preliminary credential for
individuals who already know they want to become teachers. This accelerated program may be
completed in four years. ITEC includes a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies with a Minor in
Special Education as well as preparation to enter a credential program for a preliminary
credential (elementary, elementary with bilingual authorization or education specialist). ITEC is
directed by Dr. Michelle Cepello and a Liberal Studies Academic Adviser provides recruitment
and advisement services. For more information, please visit the ITEC website.
Transfer Teacher Education Core (TTEC) program, a pre-baccalaureate undergraduate program
option modeled after the ITEC program but specifically targeting community college transfer
students who already know they want to become teachers. ITEC includes a Bachelor of Arts in
Liberal Studies, provides an option to earn a Minor in Special Education as well as preparation to
enter a credential program for a preliminary credential (elementary, elementary with bilingual
authorization or education specialist). TTEC is directed by Dr. Michelle Cepello and a Liberal
Studies Academic Adviser provides recruitment and advisement services. For more information,
please visit the TTEC website.
Rural Teacher Residency (RTR) is a program in which candidates earn a Master’s in Education
and teaching credential in elementary or special education is as little as eighteen months. The
Rural Teacher Residency pathway is a school district and university collaboration that pairs
master’s level education content with a rigorous full-year classroom practicum using a coteaching model of instruction. The project provides stipend support to participants during the
year of residency. RTR is directed by Dr. Rebecca Justeson and Grants Coordinator Cheri
Taylor provides recruitment and advising services. For more information, please visit the RTR
website.
Partner school districts include Cascade Union Elementary in Anderson, CA; Marysville Joint
School District, Marysville, CA; Orland Unified School District, Orland, CA; and Palermo
Union School District, Palermo, CA. Project Co-STARS is a five year collaborative project
which began Fall 2009 and is funded by a Teacher Quality Partnership Grant received from the
Office of Innovation and Improvement, U.S. Department of Education.
Finding and Keeping the Best: A Rural Regional Partnership for Recruiting and Retaining
Teachers for Children with Low-Incidence Disabilities - recruits and retains teachers to serve
children with low-incidence disabilities to meet the needs of rural California communities. This
personnel development grant offers an alternative training program that will reduce shortages of
low-incidence teachers, resulting in participants receiving the California Education Specialist
credential in Moderate to Severe Disabilities. The project provides stipend support to qualified
participants and program information can be found at the Special Education Internship program
website. Finding and Keeping the Best is directed by Dr. Michelle Cepello and received funding
award of $800,000 for four years (2008-2013) from the Office of Special Education and
Rehabilitative Services, U.S. Department of Education.
NEXT STEPS: Strengthening Preparation for Secondary Special Educators - aims to
significantly improve the quality of services, results and opportunities for pupils with high
incidence disabilities at middle and high school levels within northern California’s vast rural,
high-poverty region. The project, directed by Dr. Teresa Davis, received $500,000 over five
years (2008-2013) by the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, U.S.
Department of Education.
Teachers' PD INC – provides funding to 50 teacher teams, serving approximately 250 teachers
from the 33 inland California counties and supports innovative school improvement through
teacher-driven professional development. It received its original funding in 2009 in the amount
of $1,030,000 and augmentation funding in the amount of $1,000,000. The project is a
collaborative between CSU, Chico and Yuba City Unified School District and is directed by Dr.
Mike Kotar, Dr. Julie Monet and Dr. Karen Villalobos. Teachers’ PD INC is funded for 4 years
(2010-2014) by the Improving Teacher Quality program, California Department of
Education. For more information, please visit the Teachers’ PD INC Project website.
The Northeastern California Preparation and Retention of Indian Educators (NorCAL
PRIE) – is designed to recruit, prepare and support 20 American Indian/Alaskan Native
individuals pursuing teaching or administrative careers in education. NorCAL PRIE will
implement an exemplary preparation and induction program, ultimately improving the education
of Indian children and youth. NorCAL PRIE, directed by Dr. Michelle Cepello, began in Fall
2012 and is scheduled to receive over $1.2 million over 4 years. The project is funded by the
Office of Indian Education within the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, U.S.
Department of Education.