Archived News and Announcements

First Triennial Conference on Latino Education and Immigrant Integration

CLASE will host the first triennial Conference on Latino Education and Immigrant Integration at the Georgia Center for Continuing Education October 26-28, 2009. This national research and policy conference, co-sponsored by the National Latino Educational Research Agenda Project, will focus on issues of best practices, policy, and research related to the Latino educational achievement gap, immigration and education, and related topics. Featured presenters will include Kris Gutierrez (UCLA), Luis Moll (University of Arizona), Alejandro Portes (Princeton), Roland Tharp (UC-Berkeley), and Angela Valenzuela (UT-Austin). For more information on the conference, including registration and paper proposals, visit the conference website.

"Building Liaison with Latino Communities" Video Briefings Released CLASE and the Southern Center for Communication, Health and Poverty at UGA have released a DVD and series of video briefings targeting public health information officers and risk communicators, to help prepare them to communicate health and emergency information with Latino/Hispanic populations. These fifteen video clips, filmed on campus with an expert panel and studio audience, include background information on Latino cultural groups, cultural competency, and strategies for effective communication.

CLASE Welcomes Dr. Paula Mellom

CLASE welcomes Dr. Paula Mellom as our new Assistant Research Scientist. Dr. Mellom holds a doctorate in linguistics from UGA, previously helped coordinate UGA’s TELL (Teachers of English Language Learners) grant and was a CLASE/The Goizueta Foundation Graduate Scholar. From 2007 through Fall 2008, she was Assistant Professor of English and ESL at Georgia Gwinnett College. Dr. Mellom also lived in Costa Rica for 10 years, where she was an elementary classroom teacher at a bilingual school, the director of the English language program for the graduate school at CATIE (Center for Tropical Agricultural Research and Teaching) and that center’s official translator. Dr. Mellom will work with CLASE on grants, evaluation, and research, as well as CLASE’s “Steps to College” program, a summer science enrichment course for ELL high-school students, and “Content and Culture in Latin America”, an international professional development experience for in-service teachers from Georgia.

"Steps to College" Summer Program a Success

Some thirty high school students from Meadowcreek High School took part in the 2008 CLASE Steps to College program, coordinated by Dr. Paula Mellom, for four weeks in June and July. These students-- all current or former English language learners-- focused on science, academic language development, and college awareness. This program, hosted in conjunction with the Georgia Gwinnett College and with funding from UGA's Office of the Vice President for Public Service and Outreach, included site visits to campuses, water treatment facilities, the Georgia Aquarium, and other venues related to the theme "Water is Life". The Office of the Vice President for Public Service and Outreach is providing additional funding for this program to be replicated in Clarke County in summer 2009.

CLASE Fall 2008 Newsletter
CLASE announces the release of Vol. 2 Issue 1 of "CLASE NOTES," our newsletter with information about recent initiatives, people, and projects at CLASE. Download and read Vol. 2 Issue 1 here! See CLASE Research & Publications for archived issues.

Paul Matthews named 2008-09 UGA Service-Learning Senior Scholar

Dr. Paul Matthews, CLASE's Assistant Director and Outreach Coordinator, will continue to assist UGA's Office of Service-Learning as the 2008-09 Service-Learning Senior Scholar for Faculty Development. In this role, he will help implement and assess the Service-Learning Fellows program and the Service-Learning Seminar Series, and will give leadership to the creation and dissemination of information about service-learning for UGA faculty. Dr. Matthews was also the 2007-08 OSL Senior Scholar for Faculty Development. For more on service-learning, see http://www.servicelearning.uga.edu/.

The Goizueta Foundation Graduate Scholars Assistantships for 2009-10

The application process for The Goizueta Foundation Graduate Scholars Assistantships for 2009-10 at UGA is now open. These campus-wide assistantships entail work with CLASE on Latino educational research and outreach. Applications are due to the Graduate School by March 31, 2009. For eligibility, application information and selection criteria, download the information sheet or contact Dr. Paul Matthews, pmatthew@uga.edu.

The Goizueta Foundation Graduate Scholars for 2008-09 Named

CLASE has selected seven outstanding graduate students as recipients of The Goizueta Foundation Graduate Scholars Fund assistantships for 2008-09. These include returning graduate students Dalcy Moreno (Educational Leadership), Gabrielle Garner (Instructional Technology) and Stephanie Clouse-Nasrallah (Counseling), as well as new recipients C. Allen Lynn (Language & Literacy Education), Karin Stubenbaum (Public Health), Kevin Terry (Political Science), and Cori Jakubiak (Language & Literacy Education). These assistantships, selected university-wide, are intended to enhance the education and skills of graduate students dedicated to Latino education so that these Graduate Scholars will continue to contribute to Latino educational improvement in the United States after they complete graduate school. The Graduate Scholars work with CLASE on outreach, research, and professional development initiatives throughout the year.

CLASE Nominated by UGA for Magrath Award

The University of Georgia has selected CLASE to be its sole nominee for the 2008 C. Peter Magrath/W.K. Kellogg Foundation Engagement Award

This award "recognizes the outreach and engagement partnerships of four-year public universities" and "seeks to identify colleges and universities that have redesigned their teaching, research, extension and service functions to become even more sympathetically and productively involved with their communities." CLASE is honored to have our work recognized with this nomination.

CLASE Summer Institute 2008

CLASE's sixth annual Summer Institute for Teachers was held in early June, 2008, at Unicoi State Park. Participants, including middle and high school teachers from Hall Co., Forsyth Co., Clarke Co., Dekalb Co. and Houston Co., collaborated on learning about effective instruction of content for English learners, web-based resources for instruction, and best practices for instruction and schooling. We look forward to continuing to work with these great educators during the coming year on implementing and assessing these practices in their classrooms!

Video Analysis Tool and Lens Development

LPSL/CLASE research scientist Dr. Art Recesso is leading a team of CLASE graduate students and faculty in creating, refining, and implementing an observational rating "lens" for the Video Analysis Tool (VAT) to assist teachers in implementing and evaluating their best practices for working with English learners. Dr. Recesso presented on this CLASE initiative at the 2008 Summer Institute.

CLASE Fall Conference Featured Dr. Roland Tharp and Dr. Stephanie Stoll Dalton

On Oct. 17, 2008, some sixty participants attended CLASE's fall renewal conference and professional development workshop with Drs. Roland Tharp and Stephanie Stoll Dalton, who presented on "Implementing Instructional Conversations in Diverse Classrooms". Click here to see the .pdf version of their PowerPoint presentation (video clips not included here); and click here for a research publication by Dr. Dalton titled "Pedagogy Matters: Standards for Effective Teaching Practice". Workshop participants were also invited to take part in the NEA online professional development course focusing on the Five Standards, and to collaborate with CLASE on analyzing their own instructional practice via the VAT.

CLASE and Metro RESA to Host Principals' Workshop

On Jan. 22, 2009, CLASE and Metro RESA will host the workshop, "How Can Principals Support Rigor, Relevance, and Relationships for Latino/a and English-Learning Students? An Instructional Conversation," featuring award-winning principal and educational leader Cristina Hernandez. This workshop, 8:30 to 2:00 at the Latin American Association (2750 Buford Hwy, Atlanta GA 30324), is geared towards principals and other school administrators, and will include resource sharing, a panel presentation by elementary, middle and high school principals on "what works," as well as facilitated small-group round-table discussions for all participants. Registration costs $50 and covers lunch and materials; registration due by January 9, to Metro RESA. Contact Maria Montalvo (maria.montalvo@mresa.org) or Dr. Paul Matthews (pmatthew@uga.edu) for more information.

CLASE Spring 2008 Newsletter

CLASE announces the release of our second issue of "CLASE NOTES," our newsletter with information about recent initiatives, people, and projects at CLASE. Download and read Vol. 1 Issue 2 here! See CLASE Research & Publications for archived issues.

Silvia Salazar to Present on Designing Websites for Latino Audiences

Silvia Inez Salazar of the National Cancer Institute will present at 12:00 on Wednesday, October 15, 2008 on "Designing Usable Health Webpages for Latinos and Other 'Hardly Reached' Audiences." Ms. Salazar, a public health advisor in the National Cancer Institute's Office of Communication and Education, manages the cancer.gov en espanol website. Her talk will focus on how to create culturally responsive web sites, moving beyond simple translation of content. This presentation is coordinated by the Center for Health & Risk Communication with the support of the Knight Professorship at the Grady College and the Center for Latino Achievement and Success in Education (CLASE) in the College of Education. Her presentation is free and open to the public, and takes place Wed., Oct. 15th, 12:00-1:00, at the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication, JRL 512 (note location change). Ms. Salazar will also present on Tuesday the 14th to state public information officers and risk communicators.

CLASE Fall Conference to Feature Drs. Roland Tharp and Stephanie Stoll Dalton

CLASE will host on campus Dr. Roland Tharp and Dr. Stephanie Stoll Dalton, who will present on "Implementing Instructional Conversation in Diverse Classrooms" and other aspects of the Five Standards for Effective Teaching, on Oct. 17th. In addition to participants from this year's summer institute, the conference and affiliated on-line professional development on the Five Standards are open to a limited number of other educators. Download additional details on the workshop and for registration

Dr. Tharp will also present to the UGA community on "Multi-Cultures in Education: Theory and Practice" at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday, October 16, in Aderhold Hall G-5. This presentation is free and open to the public.

Position Announcement-- CLASE Research Scientist

CLASE is accepting applications for an Assistant or Associate Research
Scientist to work with the Center or grant-writing, pursuing research,
and other scholarly activities related to CLASE's mission. See attached
position announcement for full details. Applications received by January
30, 2008 are assured consideration.

CLASE Collaborates with DOE and KSU

CLASE is collaborating with Kennesaw State University, Metro RESA and the Georgia Department of Education on KSU's 7th Annual ESOL Conference, February 26 (middle & high school teacher focus), 27 (elementary school teacher focus), and 28 (administrator focus) in Kennesaw. Dr. Margo Gottlieb will provide keynote presentations each day, plus other experts from schools, universities and the department of education will be on the program. For more information or to register, go to www.kennesaw.edu/education/soap.

clase pic

Call for Teams for 2008-09

CLASE is now accepting applications for teams of middle and high school educators to take part in our year-long professional development, focused on improving content-area instruction (math, science, social studies & English/language arts) for English learners. With partial funding from the Improving Teacher Quality Higher Education grants program, as well as from The Goizueta Foundation and from participating schools, participants will take part in CLASE's sixth annual Summer Institute, June 3, 4 & 5 at Unicoi State Park, and will work throughout the year with their team, with CLASE, and with other participants by content area, to learn about, implement and assess the impact of sheltered instructional strategies, including through video-based lesson study. Click to download the application packet and additional information on research.

Applications are due to CLASE by April 15, 2008.

Accepted teams will also need to submit the following-- click on each to download: Participant Information Sheet; PLU Pre-Approval; Research Consent Form; Teacher Class Schedule Sheet ; and Summer Institute Housing sheet.

2008 Professional Development Opportunity

CLASE also invites individual teachers to attend our Summer Professional Development Sessions held in conjunction with the 2008 Summer Institute. In addition to this year's CLASE teams, which are participating in a year-long initiative focusing on improving content-area instruction for English-learning students, other interested educators are invited to attend one, two, or three days of our professional development sessions. These will be June 3, 4 and 5, 8:30 to 5:00 p.m., at Unicoi State Park Lodge. Participants pay $90/day for the each session, materials, lunch, breakouts, and PLUs if applicable, and must register by May 15. Please see the attached for more details about the content of the sessions and the registration form.

CLASE 2008 Summer Professional Development Registration Info

CLASE Speaker Series Presents Dr. Kris Gutierrez

Dr. Kris Gutierrez, professor at UCLA's graduate school of Education and Information Studies, will speak at the University of Georgia on Thursday, March 6th, 2008, from 12-1 p.m. in Aderhold room G23. Dr. Gutierrez is an internationally renowned expert whose research includes Latino education, literacy development of language minority students, and the relationship between culture, language and development. Her CLASE Speaker Series presentation is titled "Re-mediation, sociocritical literacies, and third spaces."The presentation is free and open to the public; however, to ensure that we have appropriate seating please RSVP to Ms. Sandy Smith, sandys@uga.edu, by March 1.

The Goizueta Foundation Graduate Scholars Assistantships for 2008-09

The nomination/application process for The Goizueta Foundation Graduate Scholars Assistantships for 2008-09 at UGA is now open. These campus-wide assistantships entail work with CLASE on Latino educational research and outreach. Applications are due to the Graduate School by March 5, 2008. For eligibility, application information and selection criteria, see http://www.gradsch.uga.edu:5080/goizueta/ or contact Dr. Paul Matthews, pmatthew@uga.edu.

The Goizueta Foundation Graduate Scholars Selected

The Goizueta Foundation Graduate Scholars Selected
CLASE is proud to announce that five UGA graduate students were selected as The Goizueta Foundation Graduate Scholars for 2007-08: Dalcy Moreno (Language & Literacy Education); Stephanie Clouse (Counseling & Human Development Services); Marta Dean (Language & Literacy Education); Gabrielle Garner (Educational Psychology & Instructional Technology); and Lisa Chaudhari (Anthropology). These students help carry out CLASE's research and outreach activities. Additionally, Casey Nixon is a graduate research assistant working with CLASE and Dr. Portes

CLASE Speaker Series

Dr. Stephanie Stoll Dalton, formerly with CREDE and with KEEP and an expert on teacher quality for serving diverse learners with the US Department of Education, will be the Fall 2007 CLASE Speaker Series presenter. Dr. Dalton will speak on campus on Tuesday, October 23, 2007, at 4:00 p.m. in Aderhold G-23. Her presentation will be “Research into Practice through Professional Development". To see the College of Education podcast of her presentation, go to

http://podcasting.gcsu.edu/4DCGI/Podcasting/UGA/Episodes/4324/1377.mp4

Executive Director Leads Latino Educational Policy Presentations
CLASE Executive Director Dr. Pedro Portes was selected to moderate a session at the May 2007 two-day roundtable discussion on issues affecting immigrant, refugee and English language learner students in the Southeast United States. The roundtable was hosted by the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and the National Center for Immigrant Integration Policy, Migration Policy Institute. Additionally, in April, CLASE co-organized a panel on Latino educational policy issues at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association in Chicago. This invited session examined language and educational policy obstacles that continue to leave Latino students behind.

2007 CLASE Summer Institute
From June 10-13, CLASE held its fifth annual Summer Institute for
teachers, focusing on "sheltering" content-area instruction for English
learning students in middle and high school. Over 50 teachers and
administrators convened for these four days at Amicalola Falls State
Park and Lodge, where they met with content-area experts and learned how
to modify their instruction to meet the needs of English learners.
Keynote speakers included Dr. MaryEllen Vogt, co-developer of the SIOP
Model; Dennis Parker, national educational consultant; and Dr. Margo
Gottlieb, developer of the WIDA standards for English learners. The
seven teams of teachers will continue to work with CLASE throughout the
coming year to implement and assess the instructional practices they
learned about at the Summer Institute.

CLASE Speaker Series
During Spring 2007, CLASE hosted on campus two educational researchers as part of the CLASE Speaker Series. Dr. Stanley Pogrow, (San Francisco State University), developer of the Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) and Supermath projects and well-known critic of Success for All, delivered a presentation titled, “New Directions For Reducing the Learning Gap in High Poverty Schools: Implications of the ‘Hi-Perform School Design’ for Research and Practice." Dr. Roland Tharp, professor emeritus of education and psychology at the University of California, Santa Cruz, and professor emeritus of psychology at the University of Hawaii, is the founding director of the national Center for Research on Education, Diversity & Excellence (CREDE) and the Kamehameha Elementary Education Program (KEEP). Dr. Tharp presented on “Improving Pre-Service Teacher Education in Emerging Diversity Settings: Culture, Language and Pedagogy."

CLASE Teams for 2007-08 Selected

CLASE is pleased to announce that eight teams of educators have been selected for our professional development for 2007-08. The more than 60 educators selected will receive focused professional development on curriculum and modification of instruction for English learners, beginning with our summer institute June 10-13, 2007 at Amicalola Falls, as well as year-long support in implementing and assessing impact. Teams selected are from Cherokee County (Booth MS/Etowah HS); Clarke County (Cedar Shoals HS); Dekalb County (PATH Academy); Forsyth County (Forsyth Central HS/Otwell MS); Gilmer County (Gilmer HS); Gwinnett County (Lanier MS); Hall County (West Hall HS); as well as a group of resource specialists from Migrant Education.

Bernadette Musetti receives Schneider Mentoring Award

CLASE Co-Director Dr. Bernadette Musetti was recognized in April 2007 with the College of Education's Donald O. Schneider Award for Mentoring. The purpose of this award is to recognize excellence in mentoring of University of Georgia students by career-track faculty. Bernadette has served as a strong mentor and advocate for numerous graduate students at UGA, including The Goizueta Foundation Graduate Scholars and others, and her efforts have significantly contributed to their professional development, job placement, and the quality of their experience at the university.

Team-Based Professional Development

In June 2006, CLASE again worked with teams of educators from around the state, hosting its fourth annual Summer Institute at Unicoi State Park. Teachers, administrators, and school staff from Barrow, Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, Forsyth, Franklin, Fulton, Gwinnett, and Hall County school systems heard from state, national and UGA experts on Latino education, language acquisition, parent engagement, and effective programs for Latino students and families. Each team also created an Action Plan for their school or district, which they are implementing during 2006-07 with the support of CLASE faculty and graduate assistants.

New CLASE Executive Director, Dr. Pedro Portes

Pedro R. Portes, former professor and chair of the educational and counseling psychology department at the University of Louisville, was named The Goizueta Foundation Distinguished Chair of Latino Teacher Education at the University of Georgia in Summer 2006. An authority on cultural influences on educational achievement, parent/child interaction and cognitive development, Dr. Portes will lead Latino educational and research efforts on the UGA campus and across Georgia. He will also provide vision and leadership as executive director of UGA’s Center for Latino Achievement and Success in Education (CLASE).

Steps to College-Gwinnett

During July 2006, 55 English-learning students from Meadowcreek High School participated in an academically rigorous, science-based pre-collegiate program at the Georgia Gwinnett College. CLASE Co-Director Dr. Bernadette Musetti coordinated the program, which included multiple opportunities to learn about college and the importance of science and water in our lives, through instruction, field experiences, and campus site visits. The Steps to College-Gwinnett program was funded by the Office of the Vice President for Public Service and Outreach.

ANNOUNCING THE GOIZUETA FOUNDATION GRADUATE SCHOLARS FUND ASSISTANTSHIP FOR 2007-08

The Goizueta Foundation, founded by Roberto C. Goizueta (former Chairman and CEO of The Coca-Cola Company), established The Goizueta Foundation Graduate Scholars Fund at The University of Georgia to enhance the education and skills of graduate students dedicated to Latino education so that these Graduate Scholars will continue to contribute to Latino educational improvement in the United States after they complete graduate school. This assistantship consists of a total stipend of approximately $12,000, paid over eleven months. In addition, students awarded these assistantships are eligible for a reduced tuition rate, paying only $25 per semester plus student fees. Students spend 13 hours per week for eleven months starting in August 2007, working with CLASE. Please see below for eligibility requirements, application materials, and additional information. All application material is due to the Graduate School by 5 p.m. on March 2, 2007."

FAQ's about Assistantship

Application Information for The Goizueta Foundation Graduate Scholars
Assistantships

Professional Development for Secondary Content Teachers 2007-08 Call for Teams CLASE is pleased to announce our call for teams for 2007-08 for professional development, with a new focus this year on middle and high school content-area teachers. Teams selected will receive focused professional development on curriculum and modification of instruction for English learners, and activities will include a summer institute June 10-13, 2007 at Amicalola Falls as well as year-long support in implementing and assessing impact. Please see the attached document, which has more details as well as application materials. Team applications are due to CLASE by March 16, 2007.