(July 15, 2009) The business community and California State University have launched a partnership aimed at improving public schools by changing the way the university trains teachers and administrators.

Serving as the focal point for the effort will be the newly created California State University Center to Close the Achievement Gap, which will transform the preparation and performance of new teachers and administrators in participating CSU schools of education across the state. The center will focus on sharing successes and best practices in public education.

The center is a partnership between California Business for Education Excellence (CBEE) and the California State University system (CSU) and will be jointly governed by the CSU and the CBEE Foundation.

Already, the center has attracted $600,000 in public and private commitments of financial support. The main offices for the center are located at CSU, Sacramento. Participating CSU campuses include: Dominguez Hills, Fresno, Fullerton, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Northridge, Pomona, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Francisco and the CSU TEACH program.

Purpose

The CSU system prepares more than half of the state’s new teachers. Organizers of the new center anticipate that teachers and administrators graduating from participating campuses will have enhanced skills to:

1. Significantly reduce student achievement gaps in reading, writing and math;
2. Prepare high school graduates with the skills to succeed at college-level work;
3. Decrease college remediation rates while increasing degree completion rates.

Direct Role for Business Community

The partnership between business and public higher education will allow the center to respond to both the economic and civil rights aspects of the achievement gap.

The center will establish a governance structure that provides a direct role for business leaders in preparing teachers and principals and identifying the skills graduates need to become productive employees. The center will also help generate support from businesses through finances, expertise and direct input on the accountability of reaching stated outcomes.

Innovative Approach/Direct Impact

The center will also align lessons learned at school sites with teacher and school administrator preparation efforts at CSU colleges of education. Specifically, the center’s approach will be to:

• Adjust the curriculum and preparation of thousands of new teachers and administrators by integrating the best practices of high-performing, high-poverty schools across the state.
• Place student teachers and principals in high-performing, high-poverty schools to learn first-hand what works to close the achievement gap.
• Develop new data and best practice tools, including a longitudinal data system to track teacher graduates and their students’ academic achievement.
• Inform public policy on education and help to rapidly scale up effective practices that prepare more students for college and the workplace.
• Establish performance measures for new teachers based on student academic achievement outcomes --grade-level proficiency and college readiness based on the CSU Early Assessment Program.

Measuring Impact

The center will measure its impact by:

• Documenting changes to curriculum and practices within the CSU schools of education that incorporate the best practices of high-performing, high-poverty schools.

• Establish formal agreements and partnerships between CSU schools of education and high-performing, high-poverty schools to share best practices and prepare new teachers.
• Document the replication of best practices in partnering public school districts and schools.

Staff Contact: Loren Kaye