CLU School of Education - Special Education

Courage to Lead: Dramatically Accelerating Student Literacy Achievement

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 15:08:42 PST

The CRLP Courage to Lead: Dramatically Accelerating Student Literacy Achievement workshop at CLU offers a variety of topics for all educators. This one-day workshop will be held on the beautiful Cal Lutheran University Campus. Current CLU Students receive a 40% discount. Workshop topics include:

Phonemic Awareness and Phonics Instruction
Text Structures
Common Core State Standards
Comprehension Through Active Learning
Academic Language
Infusing Lessons with Active Student Participation
iPod Literacy Technology
Applying for Grants in Your Classroom

Date: June 21, 2012
Cost: $59.00

The registration fee includes a book share presentation by author, Amada Irma Perez, two workshops of your choice, lunch, and Keynote Presentation by Dr. Elfrieda Hiebert.

Registration deadline is June 1, 2012
Contact Devon Dooley for registration information: ddooley@callutheran.edu

Conference to showcase women in math and science careers

Mon, 27 Feb 2012 10:35:41 PST

By Adrienne Wigdortz Anderso
Posted February 25, 2012 at 9:47 p.m

It was only recently that a T-shirt with the message "Allergic to Algebra" was marketed to young girls.

Studies, however, show that girls are just as capable as boys in math and science. Even so, females seem less likely to pursue a career in the STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) fields. Experts think the trend could be reversed, and cultural attitudes changed, by encouraging and mentoring girls and educating them about job options.

Brighter Horizons, a half-day conference for fifth- to ninth-graders, will put these strategies into action. The event, open to boys and girls, is organized by local chapters of the American Association of University Women in partnership with the California Lutheran University School of Education and the city of Thousand Oaks. The event will be at the university March 10.

Participants will explore a wide range of careers through hands-on workshops led by women scientists and mathematicians representing areas as diverse as astronomy, accounting and zoology.

"The leaders are not only role models, they also break stereotypes. It's important for girls and boys to see women in these professions," said Betty Nordahl, a chemist turned computer scientist who is chairwoman of the event and a member of the AAUW-Thousand Oaks.

Nordahl said the facilitators have created fun, age-appropriate activities aimed to spark an interest in STEM subjects. This age group is specifically targeted because it is when "students begin to think about career choices and the classes they will need," Nordahl said.

AAUW-Thousand Oaks sponsored its first career day in 1993, and it was limited to girls in the area. West Ventura County AAUW branches held similar events. Their resources were combined in 2000 to present one event open to all students throughout Ventura County. The program, now held biennially, has grown to allow 780 students to register for three workshops chosen from a list of 32.

Students will be able to make asphalt cookies in "Discover Engineering," touch a real brain in "Project Brainstorm," and use technology when "Solving Crime with Forensic Science."

In 2004 and 2006, Samantha Lux, of Thousand Oaks, attended workshops on veterinary science, engineering and physics. The 18-year-old is currently a freshman at Johns Hopkins University majoring in molecular biology.

"I already liked science, but the workshops reinforced my interest and showed me that women can be successful in science careers," she said.

It's been more than a decade since Helen Bui, of Camarillo, was a ninth-grader whose school counselor suggested she sign up for the conference. Now a pharmacist in Oxnard, Bui contacted Brighter Horizons offering to lead a workshop.

"It's my way of saying 'thank you' for steering me toward a career in science," Bui said.

Her session, "Pharmacy — It's Not All About Pills," is part of this year's program.

"I can now teach others what was taught me years ago," she said.

Bui believes that if young people dream big and work hard, they will have better career choices that can lead to financial independence and job satisfaction. And, the world too, would benefit.

"It's the inventors, engineers and scientists who will advance us forward in this century and beyond," she said.

If you go:
What: "Brighter Horizons: Math, Science & Technology Conference"
When: 9 a.m. to 12:10 p.m. March 10 (sign-in from 8 to 9 a.m.)
Where: California Lutheran University, 60 W. Olsen Road, Thousand Oaks
Cost: Preregistration is required; $10 registration fee
Details: Deadline for registration is March 5. However, space is limited. Registration closes when workshops are filled. Parent sessions also are offered. No registration required, but space is limited to the first 200.
For more information: www.aauw-brighterhorizons.org

CLU gears up to train teachers to work with deaf and hard of hearing students

Tue, 03 Jan 2012 09:05:42 PST

By Cheri Carlson

Posted December 26, 2011

Jeff Westendorf wants to be the kind of teacher on whom students and their parents can lean for support.

Now 26, he remembers how he felt when children laughed at him or a teacher ignored him.

Sometimes he would hear part of a class discussion. "I would chime in with my thoughts, and what I would say would not be anywhere near close to what the discussion was," said Westendorf, who was first fitted for a hearing aid as a toddler.

Other times he would just nod his head, pretending to understand but not having a clue.

Westendorf, of Thousand Oaks, is working toward a master's degree in education of the deaf and hard of hearing at California Lutheran University. The program recently received $1.2 million from the U.S. Education Department to help prepare 48 new teachers for deaf and hard-of-hearing students in California public schools.

Statewide, the number of students with hearing loss has gone up by 26 percent in the past six years, officials said. But the number of teachers trained to work with them has not kept pace.

"We don't have enough, and there are only six universities in the state of California" preparing teachers to work in the field, said Maura Martindale, head of CLU's special- education department.

Calling the grant "a tremendous help," Martindale said 80 percent of the funds will go to candidates in the program, helping them pay for tuition and books.

With more trained specialists, officials hope to see an increase in students' language and literacy skills.

"Almost everything related to learning to read is based in sound," Martindale said. "Children who learn English language well also learn to read well."

With the grant, officials hope to start closing an achievement gap between hearing students and those with hearing loss, especially those in Latino families.

About half of the state's deaf and hard-of-hearing students are from Latino families. Those from Spanish-speaking homes sometimes need more help learning language and reading skills, the university reported.

With the grant, officials also hope to prepare more teachers to work in specialized settings such as new spoken-language programs designed for children with cochlear implants.

Ventura County has about 200 students identified as deaf and hard of hearing — a number that has stayed fairly stable in recent years, said Mary Samples, who oversees special-education services for Ventura County children.

"The problem is it's a very specialized area," she said, and few programs prepare people to work in the field.

CLU's graduate program, based in its Woodland Hills center, has spaces for 12 candidates to start next summer. The grant will pay for a percentage of tuition, which regularly runs about $20,000. Exact figures are not yet available.

"We are very interested in attracting teacher candidates who are fluent in more than one language," Martindale said. "We also encourage people who have a hearing loss themselves."

Growing up, Westendorf had some great teachers and a few bad ones, he said, answering questions through email.

One teacher never faced him, even though he told her that lip reading helped him keep up. She seemed annoyed when he asked her to repeat things.

"I learned a lot from that. That's exactly the type of teacher I don't want to be and no one else should have," Westendorf said.

He was a toddler when he failed a hearing screening. Hearing-aid fittings and lots of hard work followed.

"I became fluent in sign language and only knew a few words until I was about 5 or 6 years old," he said. "At that point I had to learn spoken language, and those days were tough. I had 12-hour days of doing word flash cards before school and after school."

After getting a bachelor's degree, he was considering CLU's graduate program in counseling when he heard about the deaf and hard-of-hearing program. "It was just one of those things where I knew it would be the perfect fit for me," he said.

Photo Gallery: CLU deaf program

Program helps teachers incorporate arts into curriculum

Wed, 09 Nov 2011 09:15:09 PST

By Rachel McGrath

Posted November 8, 2011 at 5:27 p.m., updated November 8, 2011 at 6:38 p.m.

"Integrating the arts into core academic subjects was the focus of a free workshop hosted by the department of teacher education at California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks.

More than 100 teachers and student teachers attended the symposium Saturday at the Lundring Events Center.

The purpose was to give educators training on using art, dance, drama and music to teach subjects.

"With the focus on standardized testing, teachers and administrators don't put it as a priority. When it comes down to real application, it doesn't happen, so we're helping to shift that," said Maureen Lorimer, assistant professor and director of master's in education programs at the university. "We need innovators who can think outside the box. We need folks who can come up with new and creative solutions. Arts is a great way to train your brain to think outside the box."

Sandra Velasquez is the art elective teacher at Rio Vista Middle School in El Rio and this year and is teaching sixth-grade math and science and an eighth-grade elective art class.

"Because it's all about the scores, they want you to just work on the standardized tests and core subjects," she said. "Now they're realizing you have to stimulate both sides of the brain, and they're learning that arts draws out dialogue from children and helps improve their reading, writing and critical thinking skills, so it's so exciting to have your craft promoted in the field."

Claudio Lonardo, 26, is studying for his credential at the university and training to teach physical education.

"I want to learn about how to implement art into the classroom. It's a little bit easier for me because art and music combine easily with P.E. so I am finding this very interesting," he said. "I think it's really important for kids to learn art so they can express themselves and be more confident."

Tanya Narasaki, a first-grade teacher and the lead visual arts teacher at Rancho Rosal Elementary School in Camarillo, led a workshop session.

"It is a challenging thing," Narasaki said. "There's actually standards for art, and we usually overlook them or ignore them, so we do have a responsibility to expose our students to the arts."

Alfred Alvarado, who teaches kindergarten at Rio Rosales Elementary School in Oxnard, said the symposium was helpful for developing lesson plans.

"It's very practical work," Alvarado said. "I think it's important to develop the whole child and to bring out the talents in every child and not just in the visual arts but in theatrical arts and musical arts."

Suzanne Schaffer teaches third grade at MATES in Thousand Oaks, a charter elementary school with an emphasis on arts and technology.

"I have two lessons that I am absolutely going to implement," she said. "I am going to change one to fit in with the Chumash, which is what I am teaching right now, integrating art into the social studies curriculum that I am doing, and I am also going to do still- life photography to go along with another unit, so I am incredibly excited."

The symposium was the first event in the Susan Greiser Price Arts Integration Program, which was funded by a $150,000 gift to the university's Graduate School ofEducation.

The event also included a keynote address by Joe Mendoza, director of special populations educational support for the Ventura County Office of Education, and performances by Rio Mesa High School's Folklórico Club and music by Los Cerritos Jazz Band."

- vcstar.com

GSOE Launches Central Coast Learning Center

Wed, 09 Nov 2011 08:24:28 PST

CLU is dedicated to providing a world-class education in friendly, supportive environments. Our new center is conveniently located by Santa Maria, near Santa Barbara, Lompoc and San Luis Obispo.

Our Educational Leadership program offers the opportunity to learn from outstanding faculty members who have worked as administrators, ensuring that your academic experience is not only rich and engaging, but practical.

One of the unique features of this program is the professional learning community partnerships established with neighboring school districts. The partnerships provide students with:

Signature assignments that emphasize real-world experiences
An appreciation of the daily benefits and rewards of leadership
A concentrated focus on the challenges administrators encounter on a daily basis
The development of leadership skills required to successfully implement creative solutions to daily challenges
Experienced mentors that include local school administrators and faculty from throughout the region

For more information please visit: http://www.callutheran.edu/education/orcutt/

For pictures please visit: http://www.facebook.com/CLU.GSOE

Recent Faculty Highlights

Wed, 09 Nov 2011 08:20:12 PST

Congratulations to Professors Cecelia Travick-Jackson and Beth Anderson Smith who recently presented their research titled “Voices from the Field: A Longitudinal Study of Student Action Research” at the Fall 2011 Conference of the California Council on Teacher Education in San Diego on Oct. 7.

Congratulations to Professor Diana Stephens! She and a co-author published the book Culturally Proficient Collaboration: Use and Misuse of School Counselors (Corwin Press, July 2011). She was selected through a peer-review process to present her co-authored book at the California Association of School Counselors 11th Annual School Counseling Conference in Pomona, Nov. 4-5.

Congrats to Professor Michael McCambridge who received the Best Director Award for his work on the play Grace and Glorie with the Emmanuel Lutheran Actors Theatre Ensemble in North Hollywood. Michael’s wife, Marty McCambridge, was named Best Actress for her portrayal of Grace. The awards were presented at the theater company’s annual awards dinner on Aug. 26.

Congratulations to Dr. Edlyn Peña. Below is a list of her recently accepted and/or forthcoming publications. The Review of Higher Education and the Journal of College Student Development are Tier 1 scholarly journals. Bravo Edlyn!
• Peña, E.V. (forthcoming, 2012). Faculty development aimed at redressing inequitable educational outcomes: Using inquiry methods for critical consciousness and self-change. Review of Higher Education.
• Peña, E.V. (forthcoming, 2013). Marginalization of published scholarship on students with disabilities in journals of higher education. Journal of College Student Development.
• Peña, E.V. & Polkinghorne, D.E. (forthcoming, November 2011). Evaluating the Equity Scorecard project: The participants' points of view. In E.M. Bensimon & L. E. Malcom (Eds.) Engaging the Campus in Issues of Equity: Implementing the Equity Scorecard in Theory and in Practice. Sterling, VA: Stylus Publishing.
• Peña, E.V., Harris, F. & Bensimon, E. M. (forthcoming, November 2011). The Equity Scorecard: Chronicling the change process. In E.M. Bensimon & L. E. Malcom (Eds.) Engaging the Campus in Issues of Equity: Implementing the Equity Scorecard in Theory and in Practice. Sterling, VA: Stylus Publishing.
• Palucki-Blake, L., Peña, E.V. et. al. (forthcoming, November 2011). Faculty learning and reflection from student interviews. In E.M. Bensimon & L. E. Malcom (Eds.) Engaging the Campus in Issues of Equity: Implementing the Equity Scorecard in Theory and in Practice. Sterling, VA: Stylus Publishing

Congratulations to Professor Lisa Buono who presented a poster session “Thinking Like 21st Century Learners: An Exploration of Blog Use in a Skills-Based Counselor Education Course” at the Association for Counselor Education and Supervision national conference held in Nashville, in October.

Success of local middle schools driving API improvement

Mon, 10 Oct 2011 12:23:49 PST

Success of local middle schools driving API improvement

2011-09-29 / Schools

By Anna Bitong

annab@theacorn.com

When the results of the latest standardized tests used to rate schools were released earlier this month, Conejo Valley Unified trailed only Oak Park Unified, which was the highest scoring district in Ventura County.

CVUSD students registered a cumulative 876 on this year’s Growth Academic Performance Index—whose scores range from 200 to 1,000 (800 is the benchmark)— 42 points behind Oak Park, a much smaller district with fewer students who speak English as a second language.

The district’s 876 was a ninepoint improvement over the previous year’s API. Driving the growth are CVUSD’s five middle schools, all of which raised their scores and surpassed 800 in this year’s results.

API scores are calculated using results of the Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) Program, the California High School Exit Examination and the California Alternate Performance Assessment.

Los Cerritos (895) jumped 34 points, followed by Colina (892) which was up 28 points, Redwood (893) up 22 points, and Sequoia (880) up 12 points. Sycamore Canyon (941), which includes kindergarten through eighth grade, scored one point higher than last year. Its score is one of the best in Ventura County, putting it in the top 2 to 3 percent of all California schools.

More important, district offi- cials say, the schools also met all growth targets for subgroups set by the state this year. Subgroups in CVUSD are labeled socioeconomically disadvantaged, students with disabilities, white, Hispanic, and English learners. Students in these groups are also expected to improve their test scores each year according to the national No Child Left Behind Act.

Principals credited specific strategies with lifting scores.

Antonio Castro, principal of Los Cerritos, said the school focuses on teacher and student development, with special attention given to those still learning English.

“Last year we offered targeted instruction and homework help after school and during lunch for English learners,” Castro said.

Castro said the school’s partnership with Cal Lutheran University has also promoted consistent growth in API scores. Los Cerritos is the only school in the district and one of two schools in the county to place student teachers from the university in its classrooms. In exchange, the middle school’s teachers collaborate with CLU professors to improve their skills.

“The university benefits from having student teachers placed. The university professors are trained to do development with staff. Teachers pick things they want (to learn),” Castro said.

“Seven teachers are working on research with Cal Lutheran faculty members,” he added.

Redwood relied on a different approach to boosting academic performance. Principal Steve Lepire said that after the school’s API score dropped 20 points to 871 last year, staff implemented the Super Star program, which focuses on those students performing just below proficient standards.

“There were kids that were one to 15 points from jumping to the proficient range. We pulled a big group of kids that fell into that range. . . . They don’t need a lot of instruction,” he said.

Students were separated into six after-school classes divided by grade level, math and English starting in mid-November, Lepire said.

“We were pleased with the results. Some kids stayed the same. A couple of (scores) fell. But the majority of kids jumped from basic to proficient. That was the goal,” the principal said.

Despite all the effort Redwood’s put into meeting API standards, Lepire said he likes to remind his students and staff that it’s only one piece of the puzzle.

“We tell the students, ‘This test does not define who you are,’” Lepire said. “But it’s important. That’s why we want them to take it seriously and try their best.”

Improvement among English learners is also a priority.

“Looking at our (achievement) rate in terms of English learners, we dropped off a little bit . . . (but) we’re gradually climbing back up again,” Lepire said.

To maintain growth, Redwood will implement an intervention program for English learners. For four days a week, these students may receive additional homework help from a classroom teacher and instructional aide.

In addition to remedial programs, last year Redwood began offering an AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) study skills elective that helps students with organization and focus.

“We found that to be successful,” Lepire said.

Vivian Vina, principal of Sequoia, said the school also relies on intervention to maintain a high API score. Sequoia’s Response to Intervention program provides daily lunchtime and after-school tutoring.

To support special education students, Sequoia offers a Rewards program “targeted at reading fluency and comprehension,” Vina said. The program was piloted last year.

And starting last year, parents of English learners met privately with teachers.

“Staff is thinking out of the box without a budget,” Vina said. “I’m very proud of students’ and staff’s commitment to work hard.”

Strong show

2011 Growth API scores for

CVUSD middle schools

(benchmark is 800)

Sycamore Canyon

941, up 1 point

Los Cerritos MS

895, up 34 points

Redwood MS

893, up 22 points

Colina MS

892, up 28 points

Sequoia MS

880, up 12 points

Courtesy of California

Department of Education

Economist Bill Watkins believes we are close to a recession

Tue, 20 Sep 2011 09:20:48 PST

Posted September 16, 2011 at 4:15 p.m.
By Michele Willer-Allred

The United States may not be in a recession but is"remarkably close" to one, economist Bill Watkins said Thursday in Oxnard.

"There's been some very disturbing news in the past couple weeks" related to the economy, he said.

He was speaking at California Lutheran University's Graduate School of Education and School of Management's 25th anniversary celebration at its Oxnard campus. The free public event was part of a series of celebrations marking the anniversary.

Watkins, the executive director of CLU's Center for Economic Research and Forecasting, participated in "20 Questions in 20 Minutes on the State of the Economy." Tim Gallagher, president of Gallagher 20/20 Consulting and former publisher of the Ventura County star, asked the questions.

The country could be in a recession because in addition to jobs, productivity has declined in the past three quarters, Watkins said.

Economists are watching the data closely, he said.

"We're remarkably close to (a recession) if we're not," he said.

"It's unfolding slowly, and its probably going to hit in the next 18 months," said Watkins, who added that it could last a long time.

During the next 18 months, the decline of euro and the departure of countries such as Greece and Portugal from the eurozone "will unfortunately cause another financial crisis," he said.

The U.S. and California are poorly prepared to deal with a recession, especially with national unemployment at 9 percent, state joblessness at 12 percent and real estate prices still declining, Watkins said.

"It's just a very difficult time and very unfortunate," he said.

He said increasing legal immigration would help tremendously.

"Immigrants start businesses at a higher rate than American-born. There's more risk-taking. We see foreign students come to (CLU), and they would love to stay. We educate them, and they're the best they have to offer, and then we ship them back home," Watkins said.

A review of business regulations and reduction of the overhead costs for small businesses that could produce jobs would also help, he said. Assembly Bill 32, the "green" jobs initiative, is "killing our economy and California," he said.

"For one thing we're getting it unilaterally. No other state did it. And the result is businesses are leaving," he said.

Watkins said a green economy will not lead the country out of the recession and that health care will continue to be the strongest industry. President Barack Obama's jobs bill falls short because it will continue to run up the debt, and home prices will decline slightly for the next two years, he said.

Watkins also recommended businesses, especially small ones that have been hit hard and are so important for the economy, use this time to prepare for an eventual economic recovery.

"You got to get lean; you got to get mean. You got to be smarter and let the other guy move to Texas," he said.

25 Silver Anniversary Alumni

Wed, 10 Aug 2011 09:04:13 PST

During the Silver Anniversary, we are celebrating a host of alumni of the Graduate School of Education and the School of Management who are either prominent in their field, rising stars in their profession, or CLU champions of service. These CLU alumni represent our tradition of excellence, innovation and service being celebrated during our 25th Anniversary. They are principled, reflective educators, astute business professionals and avid community advocates. They have helped shape CLU and the communities we serve through their passionate work and will continue to impact lives for the better.

To learn more about our alumni honorees, please visit: http://www.callutheran.edu/about/history/graduate_alumni.php

Also, to learn more about the 25th Anniversary, please check out our Silver Anniversary webpage at www.callutheran.edu/25

School of Education hosts Masters' Colloquium

Wed, 27 Apr 2011 16:39:30 PST

The Graduate School of Education invites everyone to attend the 8th Annual Masters' Action Research Colloquium. Masters candidates will share their projects in the Lundring Events Center on Friday, May 6, 2011 at 7:00 p.m. All are welcome.

Continuing Education announces addition of summer U.S. Constitution prep and exam date

Tue, 26 Apr 2011 18:00:41 PST

The Department of Continuing and Professional Education has added a summer U.S. Constitution prep and exam to be offered June 25, 2011.

Information and registration

Graduate School of Education Assistant Dean appointed to CTC Committee

Tue, 19 Apr 2011 16:37:05 PST

Deborah Erickson, Associate Professor and Assistant Dean of the Graduate School of Education, is one of two new members appointed by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CCTC) to its Committee on Accreditation (COA) at their April 14-15, 2011 meeting in Sacramento.

The CCTC takes into consideration such variables as geographic, academic and professional sector representation when choosing members for the COA, in order to best represent California's diverse learning community.

Dr. Erickson will serve on the COA from July 1, 2011 to June 30, 2015.

CLU to co-sponsor last in Discovery Center for Science and Technology Science Speaker Series

Tue, 19 Apr 2011 09:34:56 PST

The Discovery Center for Science and Technology is scheduled to present the fifth and final presentation in its "Science Everyone Can Understand" Science Speaker Series. "Mathomagical Moments" is scheduled for Thursday, April 28, 2011 at 7:30 p.m. at Baxter Biosciences in Westlake Village. For more information and tickets, visit the website.

Sponsored by Baxter Biosciences, Time Warner Cable, California Lutheran University, and EARTHS Magnet School, "Mathomagical Moments" will feature Glen Whitney, Executive Director of the Museum of Mathematics.

The museum, a new nonprofit cultural institution created by Whitney, was recently awarded a $2 million development grant from Google, and just signed a lease for 19,000 square feet near Madison Square Park in Manhattan. The goal of the museum is to spark kids imaginations and convince them that math is a lot more fun than rote memorization and long division.

CLU Festival of Scholars to include Graduate School of Education students

Wed, 13 Apr 2011 09:36:23 PST

The Fifth Annual Festival of Scholars at CLU will showcase the work of students and faculty from Tuesday, April 26, through Monday, May 2. Included will be Graduate School of Education students who will review the results of their efforts to develop empathy in students through 16 different service-learning projects at schools throughout Ventura, Los Angeles and Orange counties.

For a complete list of events and projects, go to http://www.callutheran.edu/fos. For more information, contact the Office for Undergraduate Research at x3795.

Robert MacNeil returns to PBS NEWSHOUR to report on Autism Today

Mon, 11 Apr 2011 14:11:54 PST

ARLINGTON, VA (March 29, 2011) – Autism - it's a developmental disorder that has become increasingly prevalent, affecting 1 out of 110 American children. Despite years of study, little is known about its cause and access to treatment varies. Meanwhile, hundreds of thousands of American families hungry for answers struggle to care for the unique needs of children with the disorder. Among them, Robert MacNeil, co-founder of the PBS NEWSHOUR and grandfather of Nick, a 6-year old boy with autism.

"I've been a reporter on and off for 50 years, but I've never brought my family into a story … until Nick," MacNeil said, "because he moves me deeply."

MacNeil and producer Caren Zucker tell the story of Autism Today in a 6-part broadcast series beginning Monday, April 18, 2011 and a robust online component where viewers can join the conversation. Ms. Zucker has produced many stories on autism and is the mother of a 16-year old son with autism.

Monday, April 18 An introduction to Nick and autism as a whole body experience: MacNeil brings viewers along on a visit with his daughter and grandson Nick in Cambridge, Massachusetts, to see how autism affects the whole family, including his 10-year-old sister, Neely. Nick experiences autism not just as a disorder in brain development but also as physical ailments affecting the whole body.

Tuesday, April 19 Autism Prevalence: Why are the numbers of children with autism increasing? At the UC Davis MIND Institute in Sacramento, California, MacNeil sees the wide range of different behaviors that comprise the autism spectrum.

Wednesday, April 20 Autism Causes: The rise in autism numbers has caused a surge in research to find the causes. For the latest thinking, Robert MacNeil speaks with four leading researchers.

Thursday, April 21 Autism Treatment: Although children with autism see doctors periodically, they go to school everyday. It is the school system that bears most of the burden of treating children with autism because treatment means education. MacNeil visits two schools in New York – a public school in the Bronx teaching 700 children with autism and a charter school created in Manhattan as a model of possibilities in educating children with autism. With only 30 students, it can use one-on-one teacher/student ratios employing intensive Applied Behavioral Analysis – the gold standard treatment for autism.

Monday, April 25 Adults with Autism: Although federal law mandates educational services for children with autism, there are virtually no services when they become adults. MacNeil profiles Zachary Hamrick in Mahwah, New Jersey, about to turn 21. As his family contemplates the uncertain future now facing hundreds of thousands of young people like him, his parents ask themselves, "What will happen when we die?"

Tuesday, April 26 Autism Policy: The NewsHour series ends with a discussion of the public policy issues raised in the series, including the enormous discrepancy in the quality and availability of services for children and future adults in what the federal committee that determines research priorities for autism now calls a "national health emergency" with a panel of experts.

PBS NEWSHOUR will host an online content hub that will offer easy access to video of all the pieces in the series, as well as web-only features that are part of Autism Today, including:

First Look Online: In a brand new online-on-air cross promotion, check the NewsHour's website after each night's broadcast during the week April 18: We'll post the next chapter in the Autism Today series online by 7pm ET.
Autism 101 – A primer on autism, how it's diagnosed, the spectrum of disorders, and available resources. We'll also look at the costs of austim, through the lens of the families profiled in the series and others.
The Story of Donald – A new look at Caren Zucker and John Donvan's profile of the first child diagnosed with autism as reported in The Atlantic.
Live Chat with Experts – Viewers can ask their questions directly to some of the experts and doctors profiled in the broadcast segments via live text chat moderated by PBS NEWSHOUR digital correspondent Hari Sreenivasan.
Ask Robin MacNeil – Hari Sreenivasan will preview the series with Robin MacNeil in a special interview on the Rundown news blog. MacNeil will also answer viewer questions after the series concludes.
Join us on Twitter, YouTube and Facebook: We want to hear how you or those you know are coping with autism. Use the Twitter hashtag #autismtoday to ask questions or join the conversation on the series.

Ventura County Star: Superintendents discuss challenges of their roles

Mon, 14 Mar 2011 10:08:40 PST

School district superintendents in Ventura County say low morale, increasing diversity, burdensome regulations and a flawed assessment system are among the challenges they face, in addition to the ongoing fiscal crisis in California that has seen education budgets dramatically reduced.

That was the opinion of several top educators who gathered Thursday evening for a discussion about public school leadership... read more.

If you still need to fulfill the U.S. Constitution requirement, register now!

Mon, 14 Feb 2011 08:35:44 PST

This one-day prep and exam is offered through the CLU Dept. of Continuing Education.
9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Swensen Center, Room 103
Registration

CLU to host Culver Endowment Lecture: "Our Social Brain: How We Can Use It in Health and Disease"

Tue, 25 Jan 2011 16:50:00 PST

The first in a lecture series sponsored by the Culver Endowment is scheduled for Monday, February 7, 2011 from 2:45 to 4:00 p.m. in the Swenson Center for the Social and Behavioral Sciences, Rooms 101-102. The lecture, entitled "Our Social Brain: How We Can Use It in Health and Disease," will be presented by Dr. Robert Liberman, Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry at the UCLA School of Medicine.

As a mentor for several current and past CLU faculty, Dr. Liberman has also been an active member of the Conejo Valley community for many years. He is considered the founding father of the field of psychiatric rehabilitation, and has been on the faculty of the UCLA School of Medicine since 1970.

Dr. Liberman has written 18 books and monographs, over 400 articles for professional journals and received awards for his work from the American Psychiatric Association, the Association for Behavior and Cognitive Therapy, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, the National Association for Research on Schizophrenia and Dpression, the Social Security Administration and the National Institutes of Health. In 2002, he was honored with the Human Rights Award from the World Health Organization of the United Nations.

Corwin announces Books for Schools Program

Tue, 25 Jan 2011 09:10:45 PST

Corwin, a SAGE Company, has announced the acceptance of grant applications for the 2011 Books for Schools program.

Ten $1,000 grants will be awarded to K-12 public school libraries in either Santa Barbara or Ventura counties to use in building their library collection.

Submission deadline is 5:00 p.m. PST, March 30, 2011. The announcement for grant winners will be made by the end of April, 2011.

To apply for a grant, go to www.cybergrants.com/sage/books and use the invitation code: BFS2011.

If you have not submitted a grant in the past, you will need to set up a new account. Pleaes follow the directions on the site. For questions contact Martha Zeiher, Manager of Community Relations at SAGE at martha.zeiher@sagepub.com.

$500 Scholarship offered by East Ventura Chapter of Phi Delta Kappa International

Mon, 10 Jan 2011 10:41:47 PST

The East Ventura Chapter of Phi Delta Kappa International will award three $500 scholarships to aspiring teachers in a credential program, and/or to currently credentialed teachers pursuing a graduate degree/additional credential in the Department of Education (e.g. Masters in Counseling Administration, etc.).

Persons are eligible who plan to enter the field of elementary, secondary, or higher education and are enrolled in a credential program or persons who currently hold a valid teaching credential program and are enrolled in a graduate degree-credential program.

Additional eligibility criteria is included with the application. Applications must be submitted by March 31, 2011.

Scholarship application