As part of a continuing commitment to provide California teachers with increased professional development opportunities, Governor Gray Davis has dramatically expanded the state's system of Subject Matter Projects and Professional Development Institutes. In addition, a new online version of the Governor's Institutes will soon be up and running.
The institutes served more than 6,000 participants in 1999 and an estimated 30,000-40,000 last summer. Now, with the recent expansion, even more teachers will have the opportunity to participate during off-track time.
Initially launched as the Reading Professional Development Institute, the program builds on more than 20 years of knowledge gleaned from the California Subject Matter Projects. The institutes are administered by the University of California in full partnership with California State University, independent colleges and universities, the California Department of Education, and the K-12 community.
The institutes help K-12 teachers deepen academic content knowledge in a particular subject area, underscore effective instructional strategies, and acquire useful assessment strategies to monitor students' progress and inform classroom practice.
The one-week "intensives," which cover mathematics, algebra, English language development, reading, and technology, are held mostly during the summer months at colleges and universities and sometimes in school districts. They are followed by additional support and training throughout the remaining school year.
Participants who complete a one-week intensive receive a $500 stipend, with an additional $500 for successful completion of the second phase of the program. In some cases, the institutes offer academic credit as well.
The state picks up the tab, while school districts are asked to provide a one-time co-payment of $100 to enroll each participating teacher.
Teachers are often encouraged to attend the institute in teams.
"The Institute really helped bring the faculty together," says one Los Angeles teacher who attended the high school institute in English language development last September along with the rest of his school faculty. "We now have common goals, which we are all working hard to meet."
In order to make the institutes available to a greater number of teachers and reach the goal of significantly increased participation, the face-to-face institutes have been expanded to include an instructor-led online option. UCLA Extension, through its partnership with OnlineLearning.net, will offer three institutes entirely online in early 2001: English language development, math (including algebra), and reading. The online institutes will be delivered in two phases. Phase One - traditionally offered as a 40 hour, one-week intensive - will be spread out over a six-week period. Phase Two, normally held over a nine-month period in the face-to-face institutes, is a focused, eight-week to 10-week module.
CTA formed an alliance with OnlineLearning.net in 1999 to provide top quality online professional development courses and programs to teachers from UCLA Extension and the University of San Diego. More than 100 online teacher education courses are available at a reduced rate for members.
"Providing access to quality professional development represents a major strategic initiative for us," says CTA President Wayne Johnson. "Expanding the professional development opportunities for our members is a major priority, and the Governor's Institutes are playing a significant role in improving instruction in California."
To learn more about the California Professional Development Institutes and how you can participate, call UCOP Outreach at (510) 987-9523 or write to susan.dean@ucop.edu. To find out more about the online courses, visit OnlineLearning.net [www.onlinelearning.net/pdi].
