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College of Educational Studies News

 Issues in Teacher Education

Dr. Joel Colbert, co-editor (with Dr. Suzanne SooHoo) of Issues in Teacher Education and Stephanie Brown, Ph.D. student and managing editor, unveil the first issue of the journal in San Diego at the fall meeting of California Council on Teacher Educa...tion to be published through CES Chapman University.

Chapman Language Expert Interviewed on Good Morning America

Dr. Judy K. Montgomery, professor of education and a board-recognized specialist in child language, was interviewed on ABC’s Good Morning America in April for a segment on the importance of baby talk. Dr. Montgomery discussed her latest research project involving child language, and her areas of study on how parents can help their children develop an extensive vocabulary. She is currently the editor-in-chief of the journal Communication Disorders Quarterly and serves on the board of LENA (Language ENvironment Analysis), a system that was created to give parents an in-depth look into their child’s natural language environment and development by providing scientifically advanced and accurate reports. To view the Good Morning America report, visit http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/TurningPoints/story?id=4701178

Dr. Brady Named President-Elect of Leading School Psychologist Organization

Dr. John Brady, associate professor in the School of Education (SOE), has been named president-elect of the California Association of School Psychologists (CASP). This coming year, Dr. Brady will be on the board of CASP (as he has been for several years) as the president-elect, and the following year he will serve as the organization’s president. This will give the Chapman Pupil Personnel Services (PPS) programs even greater recognition, because CASP is the largest state organization of school psychologists in the country. And with CASP located next to the state capitol in Sacramento, it will also keep Chapman’s School of Education well-connected to both the legislature (one of the SOE’s former lobbyists is now the governor’s chief of staff) and other California state-level educational organizations (the SOE is currently working with the Association of California School Administrators on a joint response-to-intervention training initiative). According to Dr. Brady, he is looking forward to the educational policy aspects of the position.

Professor’s Science Column Selected as Finalist in National AEP Awards

Assistant Professor Roxanne Greitz Miller’s bimonthly column, “Issues in Depth,” which appears in the National Science Teachers Association’s Science Scope, has been named a finalist for the Association of Educational Publishers’ 2008 Distinguished Achievement Award in the periodical division’s editorial category. Dr. Miller’s column, which has been featured in the journal since 2005, focuses on providing in-depth science content and accompanying teaching methods and strategies to middle-grades science teachers. Winners will be announced at an awards banquet on June 6 in Washington, D.C. Also, Dr. Miller will be a featured speaker at this year’s California Reading Association’s annual conference in October. Her presentation, titled “Transforming Elementary Teacher Practice in Content Area Literacy,” will highlight the federal Read-Write Cycle grant that she has been working on at Chapman, in cooperation with UC Riverside, for the last three years.

School of Education Makes a Strong Showing at CASP Conference

Chapman’s School of Education (SOE) had an impressive presence at the California Association of School Psychologists’ (CASP) annual meeting in March. Among the conference highlights for the School of Education:

• Doctoral students Amy McGuire and Leticia Cornejo presented a paper on the impact of meth use on early development.
• Ed.S. student Sarah Ferrentino presented a paper on the impact of obesity on academic performance and mental health in children.
• Adjunct assistant professor and Ph.D. student Jeanne Anne Carriere presented “The Road to RTI.” She also delivered a joint presentation with Jeff Riel, Esq., from the Anaheim Union High School District, on writing defensible and useful psychological reports.
• SOE graduate Mary Ann Sing of the Long Beach USD was the California nominee for the National School Psychologist of the Year Award.
• Chapman captured two of the eight regional CASP awards for Outstanding School Psychologist: Chapman graduate Christine Marsten of Placentia-Yorba Linda USD was named Orange County’s Outstanding School Psychologist, and Jeanne Anne Carriere was named Outstanding School Psychologist for the greater Long Beach area.

Education Professor Utilizes Speech Development Tool for Research Project

Dr. Judy Montgomery, a board-recognized specialist in child language and a professor in the School of Education, is working with an SOE doctoral student to utilize a new device called the LENA in a Chapman-funded research project that examines the effects of boosting the number of words spoken to children during their critical language formation years. The LENA (Language Environment Analysis) is an iPod-sized gadget from Infoture that was created to reliably tally the number of words spoken to a child throughout the day; ultimately, helping parents ensure their child is hearing 30,000 words a day, which experts believe is the minimum needed to develop a rich vocabulary. “Suddenly without intrusive instrumentation, we have the means to count every word spoken in a natural environment between individuals,” says Dr. Montgomery, who first became aware of the LENA system in 2004 when she was asked to serve on the company’s professional advisory board. “The applications for child language assessment and intervention and the role of caregivers are incredible. I am intrigued with the possibilities for children diagnosed with hearing loss, autism or other developmental disabilities.”

For more information on the LENA system and Dr. Montgomery’s work, view a recent article from The Orange County Register.

School of Education Extends Its Reach South of the Border

A dozen faculty and staff members from Chapman’s School of Education attended a meeting at the Escuela Normal Estatal de Ensenada (ENEE) in Mexico on Jan. 17 in an effort to explore a long-term relationship that could eventually involve student and faculty exchange visitations and joint faculty research projects. The meeting, which was facilitated by SOE dean Dr. Don Cardinal and Mtra. Gema Lopez-Gorosave, director of ENEE, was attended by about 30 members of the ENEE faculty and staff. The day’s agenda included a tour of the school, sessions in which each institution had a chance to explain their education program, as well as an open period for general discussion and questions. Both sides had bilingual translators, but language was not a major problem for any of the participants, according to Dr. Ken Tye, professor emeritus in the School of Education. “One outcome of this meeting is that the SOE is planning on hosting a visit by a group from ENEE to the Chapman campus in the near future.” Chapman’s SOE is currently involved in three other international initiatives: exploring an exchange relationship with Waikato University in New Zealand, a summer program focused on language acquisition and exploration of educational ideas in Spain, as well as a summer program that lets athletic training students spend time studying in countries such as Australia and Germany. “We really don’t want anyone to leave Chapman without a passport,” says Dr. Mary E. McNeil, associate dean of the School of Education.

STAR Institute Receives $901K Grant for Professional Development Project

Chapman’s Science Teaching and Research (STAR) Institute was awarded a four-year $901,405 grant by the California Postsecondary Education Commission for a new professional development project titled “Science-Centered Literacy for K-2 Students: Project SMART,” which will help improve teaching in K-2 in the core content areas of math, science and English. As part of the project, the STAR Institute will hold summer academies where teachers not only receive training, but will be put into action immediately with summer school students in the Anaheim City Elementary School District. About 90 teachers will be served over the life of the project. These teachers will form Professional Learning Community teams to take the material back to their school sites, implement it in their classrooms, and share it with colleagues. Drs. Frank Frisch and Roxanne Miller, co-directors of the STAR Institute, also serve as the co-principal investigators of the project. “This latest award from the state is part of the continuing efforts of the STAR Institute and Chapman’s School of Education to improve science literacy in Orange County schoolchildren,” said Dr. Frisch. “This award doesn’t just provide content to the teachers, but also incorporates Family Science Nights, a bilingual newsletter, and other strategies for engaging parents in supporting their students’ learning.”

Chapman Well-Represented at TASH Conference

Chapman University was a proud co-sponsor of the 2007 TASH Conference in Seattle. The annual conference, which drew a few thousand attendees back in December, is dedicated to addressing specific issues of equity, opportunity and inclusion for students with disabilities. As the sole university sponsor, Chapman was also well represented at the conference by Dr. Don Cardinal, dean of the School of Education, and Dr. Mary E. McNeil, associate dean of the School of Education, who both presented at TASH. Dr. Cardinal presented a session on “New Challenges for Autism Advocacy: Now that we’ve got the visibility, where’s the vision?” Dr. McNeil delivered a paper on “Shifting Attitudes of Related Service Providers: A Disability Studies & Critical Pedagogy Approach” and participated in a workshop on “Retrofit and Universal Design: Two Approaches to Differentiation of Instruction.” According to Dr. McNeil, the TASH Conference provided a forum for the School of Education to highlight its faculty and new Ph.D. program in disability studies.

Special Ed Professor Led Healthy Hearing Volunteers at World Special Olympics

Chapman special education professor Dr. Judy Montgomery led an enthusiastic group of audiologists, speech pathologists and ENT physicians at October’s 2007 Special Olympics World Summer Games in Shanghai. The group of volunteers from 15 countries screened the hearing of 3,400 athletes as part of the global Healthy Hearing Program. Dr. Montgomery has volunteered for the Special Olympics for 10 years and is the global clinical director for Healthy Hearing. She is also proud to include her students in the local and international games whenever possible so that they get a chance to work hands-on with intellectually disabled athletes. This year’s event was special because it marked the first time that the World Summer Games was held in Asia. It was also the largest World Special Olympic to date, with more than 7,000 athletes competing from 90 countries. Besides providing hearing tests, the group of volunteers fit donated hearing aids for athletes who had a hearing loss that could be appropriately treated with amplification. “There were some very touching moments when these athletes could hear the voices around them for the first time,” says Dr. Montgomery. “I will always remember this occasion.”

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Chapman Professor, Doctoral Student Named Editors of Professional Journal

Dr. Judy Montgomery, professor of special education and literacy, was recently named editor of Communication Disorders Quarterly (CDQ), a national peer-reviewed journal of research, clinical applications and interviews in the fields of communication disorders and deaf education. Her three-year term as editor will begin in January 2008 with assistance from Jennifer Shubin, a student in the School of Education’s Ph.D. in Disability Studies program, who was named managing editor of CDQ. As editor, Dr. Montgomery will be responsible for attracting, reviewing, selecting and publishing high-caliber manuscripts to advance the science and practice of the field, while Shubin will manage the manuscript editing and copyright process. “Editing a professional journal is one of the ways we can ‘pay back’ our colleagues for their excellent scholarly contributions to other faculty and students,” says Dr. Montgomery. “This is an important part of our master’s programs in the School of Education, and absolutely critical to our doctoral program.”

School of Education Grad Students Attend Summer School in Madrid

Nine School of Education graduate students traveled to Madrid, Spain, in June with professors Dr. Anaida Colon-Muniz and Dr. Suzanne SooHoo as part of a monthlong study abroad course. The Spain travel program has been in place at Chapman since 2001, giving teacher education and master’s students a chance to learn firsthand what it’s like to negotiate being in a foreign land, and what it means to function daily without knowing the language or culture. “It is vitally important for our students to experience life abroad so they can see what it feels like to be a stranger in a new land,” says Dr. Colon-Muniz. “They become much more empathetic as teachers of immigrant students when they taste what it feels like to be the ‘other.’ The trip is a mind-expanding and enriching experience, one that can never be duplicated in the regular classroom.”

New Clinical Athletic Training Course Takes Students to Australia, Germany

During Chapman’s January ’07 interterm period, 26 athletic training students were part of an inaugural travel course to Australia that included a complete a clinical rotation. Program director Ky Kugler, Ed.D., ATC, and clinical coordinator Jason Bennett, DA, ATC, designed the course, which included a week in rotations at the Australian Institute of Sport. Students then traveled to Melbourne, where they split into groups and were assigned two different clinical rotations at the Victorian Institute of Sport, while covering Australian rules football, cricket, tennis, net ball and basketball. Weekly lectures and think-tank discussions supplemented the hands-on learning. Going forward, the Australian study abroad rotation will be held in odd-numbered years, while during even-numbered years, beginning in 2008, athletic training students will have the opportunity to study at the German Academy of Applied Sports Medicine, where they will observe the premier German soccer leagues and high-altitude training in the Swiss Alps. “We had been looking for a special clinical education opportunity that would improve upon students’ professional development, leadership and communication skills, and we believe we have found it with these exciting clinical rotation opportunities,” says Dr. Kugler. “Our goal is to provide our students with at least two study abroad opportunities during their time within our clinical education program.”

SOE Students, Community Benefit From Professor’s Focus on Grants

Assistant professor of education Dr. Roxanne Miller, who was recognized earlier this year for obtaining more than a million dollars in external support for scholarly work at the university, continues to direct several major grants that keep the School of Education thriving. Dr. Miller currently serves as principal investigator for two federal grants:

• The Read-Write Cycle Project, a collaborative project between Chapman and the University of California, Riverside that aims to raise student achievement in reading through research-based reading and writing activities in content-area subjects such as science, social studies and mathematics.
• The Read for Real Project, a collaborative effort between Chapman and Zaner-Bloser educational publishers that aims to raise the science and social studies reading comprehension skills of fifth-grade students in Title I schools.

Dr. Miller also has a faculty research and development grant that investigates the levels of physical science content knowledge among local fourth- and fifth-grade teachers, then compares their levels with those of Chapman non-science major undergraduates, science major undergraduates and exiting high school honors students. Finally, together with her co-director of the STAR (Science Teaching and Research Institute) Institute, Dr. Frank Frisch, Dr. Miller oversees a foundation grant from Edison Foundation International that helped establish the first science instructional materials center, allowing local public school teachers to borrow equipment for free. “Grant projects in the SOE benefit students in many ways,” says Dr. Miller. “First, most grants employ students in research-related work, which is very helpful to students preparing to work in public schools. Also, research grants in the SOE benefit all students via the connections that faculty make between their research and their teaching.”

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New Faculty to Open Center on Family, School and Community

This fall, the College of Educational Studies (CES) is welcoming two new professors, husband and wife Drs. Philip and Dianne Ferguson, whose tremendous educational backgrounds will bring a more family and community focus to CES programs. In this effort, Dianne will oversee the effort to shape the CES's new Center on Family, School and Community. Before coming to Chapman, Dianne was a professor at the Teaching Research Institute at Western Oregon University and within the Center for the study of Disability Education and Culture at the University of Missouri-St. Louis (UMSL). She was honored as a Fulbright Scholar, and along with her husband, has traveled around the world teaching, lecturing and consulting for general and special educators. Philip was the E. Desmond Lee Endowed Professor for the Education of Children with Disabilities at UMSL and director of the newly established Center for the Study of Disability, Education and Culture at UMSL. "We decided to come to Chapman because the faculty shares our ideas about effective inclusive education and communities, and we got the opportunity to develop a new doctoral program," says Dianne. "In addition, the new center will bring a more central focus on families to all of the current College of Educational Studies programs and activities."

Chapman's College of Educational Studies Joins AACTE

College of Educational Studies (CES) of Chapman University recently became a member of the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE), a national voluntary association of higher education institutions and other organizations dedicated to ensuring the highest quality preparation and continuing professional development for teachers and school leaders to enhance preK-12 student learning. AACTE is made up of almost 800 institutions, including private, state, and municipal colleges and universities large and small, located in every state, the District of Columbia, the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and Guam. The association also has a growing number of affiliate members, including state departments of education, community colleges, educational laboratories and centers, as well as foreign institutions and organizations. Collectively, the AACTE membership prepares more than two-thirds of the new teachers entering schools each year in the United States. "Being a member of AACTE is another indicator that the College of Educational Studies is an important participant in the national scene of teacher education," says CES Dean Don Cardinal. "Joining AACTE also gives us a voice in arguably the most important professional organization in teacher education in America."

Renowned Stanford Professor Discusses Program Redesign with CES Faculty

Dr. Linda Darling-Hammond, the Charles E. Ducommun Professor of Education at Stanford University and author of more than 200 publications, including The Right to Learn, met with College of Educational Studies faculty members in May to discuss best practices in teacher preparation. Specifically, she addressed the cultivation of a professional development school model that carefully links theory and research in the field to classroom practices. Dr. Darling-Hammond also shared details about her work at Stanford, as well as her research on exemplary teacher preparation programs at several universities nationwide. "Our College of Educational Studies faculty members are examining new approaches, which are grounded in research, for our undergraduate programs," says Dr. Mary McNeil, associate dean and professor for the College of Educational Studies. "A strong emphasis on clinical work in schools is being discussed as we move toward a new program design."

Student-Run Special Ed Symposium Provides Forum to Learn, Share Ideas

Chapman University partnered with Team Up for Down Syndrome in May for the Fifth Annual Symposium of Instructional Strategies for Students with Special Needs, which attracted 220 participants, including students, professionals, family members, as well as local exhibitors and donors. The five-hour symposium was put on by Chapman graduate students with the help of Dr. Judy Montgomery, who serves as the faculty advisor for the annual symposium. "My students not only plan, organize and conduct the symposium, they also present their papers there," says Dr. Montgomery.

This year's symposium featured sessions and demonstrations presented by teachers from more than 23 Orange County school districts. But the highlights of this year's event were the two keynote speakers: Dr. Deborah Smith, professor of special education at Claremont Graduate University, and Chapman student Andrew Pierce, who delivered a heartfelt message of his experiences living and learning with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). "The conference really gives professionals and parents the opportunity to learn about the latest, most successful evidence-based practices for students who struggle to learn," says Dr. Montgomery. "Through the symposium, they get the chance to interact with the authors and researchers, and leave with new ideas and a greater commitment to the cause."

Inaugural Ph.D. Cohort Celebrates with Family, Faculty

The 25 students who make up the inaugural cohort of Ph.D. students in the College of Educational Studies (CES) celebrated with family, as well as CES staff and faculty, at a May reception in their honor. At the special Dean's Reception, which took place in Chapman's Leatherby Libraries, the new students received a special Ph.D. pin, signed a commemorative poster and were treated to words of encouragement from CES faculty and Chapman's Chancellor Danielle Struppa. "There was a special feeling of community that was initiated by having the students, their families, and faculty and staff in attendance," says Dr. Joel Colbert, director of the Ph.D. in education program. "It was the first time that the cohort got together with faculty, so there was some real bonding going on."

Professor Explores the Science of Superheroes

Dr. Frank Frisch, scientific director of the College of Educational Studies' Science Teaching and Research (STAR) Institute, was a featured expert on The History Channel's Spider-Man Tech special. The show relied on scientists, as well as comic-book legends and filmmakers, to unlock the secrets and deliver insight into the true abilities of the web-slinger behind this summer's biggest blockbuster. Dr. Frisch discussed how genetic changes might manifest into physiological attributes that are spider-like. "My argument is that everyone should be able to suspend belief in movies, but people should understand the value, limits and possibilities of science," says Dr. Frisch, who has also been a featured science expert on four National Geographic episodes, including last year's The Science of Superman. Regarding the public's fascination with superheroes, Dr. Frisch says, "Superheroes embody the attributes we admire. ... We all want to transform ourselves and enlist the full potential of our powers. That is why a university is such an attractive place to be."

Professor's Book Honored as Finalist for Distinguished Achievement Awards

Dr. Judy Montgomery, professor of special education and literacy, had her book The Bridge of Vocabulary honored as a finalist in two categories of the Association of Educational Publishers' (AEP) 2007 Distinguished Achievement Awards Program. The book was honored in the "Curriculum: Reading and Language Arts Teaching Resources: Activity Books Category" for both grades 6-8 and 9-12. The Distinguished Achievement Awards recognize the best educational materials within subject categories and by audience. "The Bridge of Vocabulary is a new concept that combines evidence-based vocabulary instruction for general education and special education students in the same room, enabling all of them to learn more successfully," says Dr. Montgomery. "Each lesson includes a state standard and a research-based practice in a format that is entertaining for students. The activities begin at preschool and continue through high school. Vocabulary is the most important element of language development and academic growth. It really makes a difference."

For more information on Dr. Montgomery's book, and her systematic approach to fostering vocabulary and language growth, click here.

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Dr. Anaida Colón-Muñiz, associate professor of education, has been elected president of the National Conference of Puerto Rican Women Inc. (NACOPRW), a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that promotes the participation of Puerto Rican and other Hispanic women in their economic, social and political lives in the United States and Puerto Rico. She has been a member of NACOPRW for seven years, and previously served as president of the organization’s Southern California chapter.

Read Around the Clock Highlights Success of Chapman’s Literacy Programs

The 5th Annual Read Around the Clock, the College of Educational Studies' main fund-raising event, took place March 20 at BJ’s Restaurant and Brewhouse in Brea, Calif. Drawing about 100 people, the event’s new condensed, intimate format allowed it to focus more on reading and the benefits of the school’s literacy programs than it has in the past. Among those in attendance were former students; BJ’s co-chairmen Paul Motenko and Jerry Hennessy; Ambiguous Clothing founder Frank Delgadillo ’96; Dennis Kuhl, president of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and a Chapman Governor; and master of ceremonies Ed Arnold, anchor of KOCE’s Real Orange.

Dean’s Reception Honors Inaugural Ph.D. Cohort

The College of Educational Studies recently held a Dean’s Reception for the inaugural cohort of Ph.D. students in Chapman’s Leatherby Libraries. The 25 doctoral students and their families were treated to a special evening celebration that marked a new era for the College of Educational Studies.

Chapman Collaborates with New Zealand University

In an effort to develop a more authentic international presence for the College of Educational Studies, Dean Don Cardinal and a group of faculty met with the dean and faculty members from the University of Waikato’s School of Education last month at the annual American Educational Research Association Conference in Chicago. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss possible connections between the two schools of education, such as joint research projects, and student and faculty exchanges. This fall, Chapman will be sending a few faculty members to New Zealand to spend a couple of weeks familiarizing themselves with the foreign campus and faculty, while Waikato’s former dean will visit Chapman’s main campus in Orange.

Professor Publishes Book on Essay Writing

Dr. Judy Montgomery, professor of education, is co-author of a new book, Ten Steps to Writing Better Essays, which will be released on June 1. Published by Super Duper Publications, the 130-page book provides an evidenced-based program for teaching expository essay writing, a requirement for high school graduation in many states. The book also offers a 10-step plan that uses a systematic, verbally scaffolding approach to help students learn how to think, talk, read and understand, organize, and write.

Education Faculty Join Million Dollar Club

Chapman held its first Sponsored Research Million Dollar Club Awards early this year at which four of the five recipients were from the College of Educational Studies. The awards were given to faculty members who obtained more than a million dollars in external support for scholarly work at the university.

The four College of Educational Studies scholars honored were: Dr. Anaida Colón-Muñiz, associate professor of education and director of Project Connect; Dr. Frank Frisch, professor of biological sciences and scientific director of the Science Teaching and Research (STAR) Institute; Dr. Roxanne Greitz Miller, assistant professor of education and education director of the STAR Institute; and Marianne Smith, director of Project I-TEACH.

Ph.D. Program Boasts a Diverse Student Mix

The first cohort of Ph.D. in Education students is a diverse mix of professionals who are about to make history at Chapman. The cohort was originally supposed to be 18 students (three in each emphasis area), but according to Dean Don Cardinal, the candidate pool was so strong that they ended up selecting the top 25 students: eight in both the disability studies and the school psychology emphasis areas, and nine students in the cultural and curricular studies emphasis. Here’s a breakdown of the inaugural class:

• Average age: 33
• 40% are attending full-time
• 50% are from underrepresented minorities
• 12 different languages other than English are spoken, including Spanish, Tagalog, Russian, Italian, Kiswahili, German and American Sign Language.

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