December 2010
SPED Chair Appointed to Board of Editors for Major Journal
Randall L. De Pry, Ph.D., Chair of the Department of Special Education, was recently appointed to the Board of Consulting Editors for the Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions (JPBI).
JPBI is the official journal of the Association for Positive Behavior Support (APBS); an international association of researchers, practitioners, parents, and educators who advocate for the use of PBS in home, school, and community-based settings. JPBI is a peer-reviewed journal published by Hammel Institute on Disabilities and SAGE which publishes empirical research on positive behavior interventions and supports.
According to their website "The aim of the JPBI is to expand the knowledge and practice of effective behavioral support in school, home, and community settings, with a focus on comprehensive outcomes in the lives of children, youth, and adults. The goal is to extend the empirical database; enhance the conceptual framework; and provide a forum for researchers, professionals, families, and policymakers."
>> Learn more about the APBS Journal
http://intl-pbi.sagepub.com
>> Go to APBS homepage
http://www.apbs.org/
Counseling Associate Professor to Present at Kids Count Conference
Dr. Julaine Field, Associate Professor in the Department of Counseling and Human Services, will present at the Kids Count 2010 Conference in Indianapolis, Indiana on Tuesday, December 7th on the topic of bullying.
Her presentations, entitled "Untangling the Web: Prevention and Intervention for Bullying" and "Cyberbullying" are designed for administrators, organizational leaders, teachers and youth workers.
>> Go to Conference website
http://www.iyi.org/conferences/kids-count.aspx
State Department of Higher Education Extends COE Grant Another Year
Congratulations to John Weathers! The Colorado Department of Higher Education has funded Dr. Weathers's grant, "Uncovering & Addressing Student Misconceptions: Improving Elementary Teachers Formative Assessment Capacity & Mathematics Pedagogical Content Knowledge," for another year.
The grant, in association with Pueblo School District 60, will be collaborated by fellow COE faculty member Patrick McGuire.
From the proposal introduction:
"This project, which is a partnership with mathematics content, mathematics instruction, and formative assessment experts from the University of Colorado and the Colorado School of the Mines, offers a valuable opportunity for elementary teachers in Pueblo to develop the capacity to improve their mathematics pedagogical content knowledge and to learn how to create valid formative assessments that incorporate known student misconceptions and apply the data from these to improving student learning. This project builds upon a previously funded project to address similar needs for secondary math and science teachers, and will work to improve teacher formative assessment capacity and related foundational mathematics pedagogical content knowledge for elementary teachers by using the best professional development tools, instructional strategies, and research around mathematics instruction currently available."
Intensive English Program to be Launched
The College of Education's Office of Global Programs is launching a new Intensive English Program (IEP) to begin January 2011. This program prepares students for success in academic studies at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs and other institutions of higher education.
Three full-time levels of study and a part-time bridge level will help students acquire the academic English skills and content knowledge needed to independently participate in the university's programs.
To begin the Intensive English Program (IEP) a date has tentatively been set for January 18th as an English language proficiency testing date for the first 8-week intensive English session and March 7th as a testing date for the second 8-week session for the Spring 2011 semester.
If you are interested or would like to apply please contact:
Chris Sauer
Office of Global Programs
Departmental Office located in COB 4014
Phone: (719) 255-3718
Email: csauer@uccs.edu
November 2010
COE Faculty to Speak at Annual TASH Conference for Disabled Students
Dr. Janet Sauer and Dr. Christi Kasa-Hendrickson of the Special Education Department will be presenting at the TASH 35th Annual Conference: "Embracing Difference."
The conference will be held on December 8 -11, 2010 in Denver, Colorado. The presentation is called "The Student Has No Voice: Diverse Families' Experiences in Schools."
This presentation will explore misunderstanding cultural differences and "double minority status."
They will describe themes resulting from the analysis of transcribed interviews with diverse families about their experiences with schools and their children's IEP's. Two professors collaborated with preservice teachers to seek the perspectives of families from linguistically and culturally diverse backgrounds through a progrma called "Families as Faculty."
Since family involvement leads to student achievement, they will also discuss possible strategies to improve family school partnerships.
COE celebrates 20th anniversary of the National Association for Multicultural Education (NAME) in a special edition of Praxis
A special edition of The Journal of Praxis in Multicultural Education has been released by the National Association for Multicultural Education (Volume 5, Number 1, Spring 2010, ISSN: 1931-0242). The book highlights presentations made by the College of Education's faculty and students in discussion of best research and practices utilized at UCCS. All of the the College of Education's departments have focused on Culturally Responsive Teaching, Leadership and Counseling® over the past few years and have collaborated on development of the Culturally Responsive Teaching, Leadership and Counseling® 12-credit hour certificate program. Additional initiatives within the CRTLC® are professional development workshops and this years collaborative annual CRTLC® Symposium with the Educating Children of Color summit to be held this spring, January 21-22, 2011 at UCCS. The common goal is to prepare teachers, leaders and counselors in being advocates for educational equity and social justice.
October 2010
LRF Doctoral Students to be Published in Major Publication
Dr. Al Ramirez and 4 doctoral students, Mike Lamphere, Jim Smith, Shelmon Brown and Jennifer Pierceall-Herman will have a publication in the upcoming release of Management in Education, which is an international publication. The students worked on this as part of the Ph.D. lab research course LEAD 7600 Doctoral Research Laboratory in Leadership.
In this course students participate in laboratories organized by professors to engage students in ongoing research projects. They are challenged to extend and apply knowledge and skills developed in coursework as they partner with professors as researchers. Laboratories enable students to demonstrate required skills and knowledge, achieve program goals, and demonstrate progress toward candidacy.
Look for the research in the upcoming release "Teacher Development and Evaluation: A Study of Policy and Practice in Colorado."
September 2010
Counseling Department Assistant Professor Discusses Bullying/stabbing of Local Boy
Dr. Rhonda Williams was interviewed with the Colorado Springs Gazette Telegraph September 8, 2010.
During her interview she discussed the stabbing of a local boy by a fellow classmate in the throat.
Dr. Williams said there is often a "code of silence" amongst kids because they fear being known as a "narc."
Children can be reluctant to talk to adults, though, for several reasons, ranging from a fear of bullying from peers who find out they "told" to simple immaturity, she said.
"Kids try real hard to solve their own problems thinking they've got the skills to do that and they really don't," Williams said.
She stated that parents should emphasize to their children that if they think something bad can happen, they should tell somebody and that keeping it secret isn't an option because that puts somebody's life in danger.
>> View the full article (courtesy of the Colorado Springs Gazette)
http://www.gazette.com/articles/year-104308-boy-surgery.html
COE, LAS Partner Up in New UCCS Teach Program
UCCS is starting a new teacher program. UCCS Teach is a collaborative effort between the College of Education and the College of Letters, Arts and Sciences. The program prepares and retains qualified math and science teachers. Step 1, Beginning Field School Experience, the first class of the program began with 16 students.
As part of the program, each of the students will have their first in class teaching experience and observations in the first semester. They will be able to determine if teaching is right for them in a tuition-free, one hour course. They will graduate in 4 years with a math or science degree and a secondary teaching license in math, biology, chemistry, computer science, or physics.
UCCS Teach is a program that started from the Uteach program at the University of Texas at Austin. UTeach has been replicated across the country and UCCS is the 22nd school to install the program.
Swaby Endowed Professorship Reaches Goal of Half-Million Dollars
The COE is pleased to announce that the Dr. Barbara Swaby Endowed Professorship for Reading has reached its goal of raising of a half million dollars.
A few years ago community leaders, friends of the college, faculty, and alumni spearheaded efforts to recognize Dr. Swaby's contributions to the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, the College of Education, the state of Colorado and the Colorado Springs community. To do all this they established an endowed professorship in her name. This tribute would not only be an honor for Professor Swaby but also to those who will hold the position and continue the reading clinics she has offered for many years.
The goal of the Endowment is to attract the most talented and visionary faculty all while continuing to offer free reading clinics to the children of Colorado Springs.
July 2010
COE Faculty & Staff Recipients of Campus Awards
The College of Education and the Department of Curriculum & Instruction are pleased to announce six awards received by faculty & students from the College as well as by faculty from the University.
These COE awards are: Tim Callahan, Outstanding Instructor; Leslie Grant, Outstanding Teacher; Catherine Kelly, Outstanding Service; Brooke Burawski, Outstanding TELP Student; and Stephen Arvidson, Outstanding C&I Graduate Student (science education).
Congratulations to Linda Button, who received the award for Outstanding UCCS Instructor of the Year.
June 2010
COE Appoints New Interim Dean
The COE is pleased to announce that the Counseling & Human Services Chair David Fenell, Ph.D., has been appointed as the interim Dean of the College.
We wish Dr. La Vonne Neal the best and thank her for all her contributions to the COE during her tenure as Dean for the last five years. She was appointed as the new Dean of the College of Education at Northern Illinois University.
Also, Associate Dean Dr. Lindy Crawford is leaving the COE later this summer for Texas Christian University. We thank her for the outstanding job she has done and wish her the best as well.
May 2010
Save the Date: NAME's 20th Annual Conference
Save the date for the National Association for Multicultural Education's 20th Annual Conference, which will be held November 4 - 6. 2010 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
This year's conference theme is "Empowering Children and Youth: Equality, Multiculturally Responsive Teaching, & Achievement Gaps."
To learn more visit the Conference's tab on the NAME website.
>> NAME main page
http://nameorg.org
OGE Forms New Partnership with Milo Kindergarten
The COE's Office of Global Education recently entered into a partnership with the prestigious Milo Kindergarten program for primary students in Guangzhou, China.
The OGE is currently looking to hire English teachers for the coming academic year.
April 2010
COE to Debut Youth University in Summer
The COE, in conjunction with The Classical Academy at Indigo Ranch, will begin a new program dedicated to all interested primary-level and intermerdiate-level students called Youth University.
The program will be a one-week camp that runs all day that will feature a large variety of classes to choose from, everything from "Inside Newton's Noggin" to "Wild about Water" to "Solve the Rubik's Cube." The various courses will all be taught by assorted teachers from District 49, District 20, and others.
The camp will run from June 21 - 25 this year.
March 2010
Special Education Assists in UCCS Break Time for Parents
The UCCS Family Development Center on February 27 hosted a event and dinner for special needs parents called Break Time.
Twenty-five children showed up for Saturday’s Break Time, 12 with disabilities and 13 siblings, ranging in age from 20 months to 18 years
Break Time is a collaborative effort to provide affordable respite care to families raising children with special need and their siblings; to prepare college students, entering the field of education, to better serve children with special needs and their families; and to strengthen community partners serving families of children with special needs.
Once a month, children with special needs and their siblings may attend a 5 hour Break Time session, housed at the UCCS Family Development Center, to give their parents or caregivers a Saturday evening out. UCCS education students oversee the evening of fun and gain experience and field experience credit for an education class. A group of professionals including a UCCS education professor, a registered nurse, and a behavior specialist are all on hand to help with the evening.
UCCS College of Education partners with The Resource Exchange and El Paso County Department of Health and Environment to offer the Break Time program, with the support of a United Way grant.
>> Watch the news clip on KKTV 11 News's site
http://www.kktv.com/home/headlines/85751862.html
>> Read the full Gazette article
http://www.gazette.com/articles/night-94905-program-break.html
February 2010
COE Faculty Member Receives Large AERA Grant
Dr. John Weathers of the Leadership, Research and Foundations Department of the UCCS College of Education received a $35,000 research grant award February 2010 from the American Educational Research Association.
The project is entitled “A Propensity Score Matching Analysis of the Effects of Inclusive Special Education Services.” With support from the National Science Foundation (NSF), the AERA Grants Program announces its Research Grants competition. The program seeks to stimulate research on U.S. education issues using data from the large-scale, national and international data sets supported by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), NSF, and other federal agencies, and to increase the number of education researchers using these data sets.
The program supports research projects that are quantitative in nature, include the analysis of existing data from NCES, NSF or other federal agencies, and have U.S. education policy relevance.
January 2010
2010 SuperSaturday to Provide Exciting Educational Weekend for Grades 1 - 6
SuperSaturday at UCCS is a program of classes for gifted students in the Pikes Peak region. The program is run under the auspices of the COE and classes meet at UCCS.
Class sizes range from 12 - 16 students. The goal of SuperSaturday is to challenge the students' intellectual and creative abilities.
Courses are offered on Saturdays from April 3 - May 8, 2010.
1420 Austin Bluffs Pkwy, Colorado Springs, CO USA 80918
719-255-8227 (UCCS), 800-990-8227
