E D i t i o n Fall 2013

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geDear alumni and friends,

Visit us on Facebook at

www.facebook.com/CUDenverSchoolofEducation

Visit us on Facebook at

www.facebook.com/CUDenverSchoolofEducation

� e School of Education & Human Development (SEHD) is celebrating 40 years of innovative education. Over those years, the pathways to becoming a teacher have grown more and more varied. Today high school students may earn college credit toward an eventual major in education through early college programs, or they can choose to enter college with a major in education. We think of these students as “early deciders” because they know early on that teaching is their career goal. Others may start out with a major in math or science and realize that they would prefer to teach. � ese “mind changers” may pursue the undergraduate coursework and school placements needed for licensure. Lastly, there are “career changers.” We o� er them several alternative pathways: a collaboration with Teach for America, school-based residencies with partner schools and a � exible part-time option that’s in design right now.

� e power of these multiple pathways is that they diversify the teacher workforce. For instance, our high school partnerships exist in local communities of color where we are recruiting prospective teachers who will eventually share language and cultural backgrounds with their students. � e biggest challenge in this diverse early decider pathway is access. In order to support student access to higher education—especially with shrinking state appropriations for public universities, the increasing cost of a college education and today’s

other economic challenges—we need more scholarship funds. Scholarships help with

access, student persistence and the ability for individuals to complete

their degrees.

In this issue of EDition, you’ll meet teachers Carolina Mendez and Claudia Cardenas on page 8, Spanish teacher Edgardo Pacheco-Resto on page 11 and school psychologist Veronica Martinez on page 12. We’d like to be able to attract and retain more native Spanish speakers just like them with scholarships.

SEHD also attracts a large proportion of mid-career students armed with wisdom, broad experiences and perspectives. Matthew Willis, featured on page 2, is a prime example of a career changer. He went on to win the national award as 2013’s National Assistant Principal of the Year. � e challenge we face in bringing more career changers to campus is also needs-based. Often, career changers have growing families to feed, mortgages to pay and college tuitions to fund for children.

On the inside back cover of this EDition, you’ll meet friends and a generous alumna who have stepped up to the plate to help our students achieve their hopes and dreams. � e Franklins established a scholarship fund that empowers youth who are currently B-/C+ students, who couldn’t otherwise a� ord tuition, and who are willing to mentor adolescents in similar circumstances. Pat � ompson is advancing student possibilities by starting an Early Childhood Education Scholarship Fund. We are most thankful for their generosity.

If you are passionate about supporting a student along one of these pathways, or if you’d like to add to a scholarship fund that is already in existence, please tear o� the attached card and let us know. Together, we can make a di� erence.

Best,

Rebecca Kantor

REBECCA KANTORDEANSCHOOL OF EDUCATION & HUMAN DEVELOPMENT

Visit us on Facebook at

www.facebook.com/CUDenverSchoolofEducation

VOLUME 9 • ISSUE 1

2 CU Denver Alum Wins Best

Assistant Principal in Nation

Matthew Willis spends his

$5,000 award on an event for

his students.

4 New Office of Diversity

and Inclusion

Aswad Allen and Jason

Clark advocate for access,

community and success.

6 The Right to Learn

Manuel Luis Espinoza and his

students advocate for more

access to learning.

8 Role Models, Mentors,

Community Partners …

Teachers | Carolina Mendez and

Claudia Cardenas connect with

their Spanish-speaking students.

11 Deeper Skills and

Knowledge Advance Careers Edgardo Pacheco-Resto is gaining

expertise in literacy and language

development to help English

language learners.

12 Healing Teens: A Voice That

Says, “You Can Do It!” Veronica Martinez inspires teens

during turbulent times.

14 Published/New Faculty

In print. New faces.

15 Grants That Shape

Our Community Selected funded projects.

16 Centers

Spotlight on in-home coaching

for Spanish-speaking families

impacted by autism.

17 New Scholarship Fund

to Bene� t Early Childhood

Education Teachers

Pat Thompson establishes our

� rst Early Childhood Education

Scholarship Fund.

17 Major Gift Will Establish

Scholarships for SEHD

Students | Les and Marianne

Franklin create scholarships for

students who might miss out on

traditional awards.

Table of ContentsTable of ContentsTable of ContentsTable of Contents

The EDition magazine is produced annually by the University of Colorado Denver for alumni and friends of the School of Education & Human Development, Campus Box 106, P.O. Box 173364, Denver, CO 80217-3364.

Celebrating 40 Years of Innovative Education

www.ucdenver.edu/education

E D i t i o n • 2

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CU Denver Alum Wins Best Assistant Principal in Nation

You can learn almost everything you need to know about Matthew Willis as a person and as an educator from his plans for how to spend the $5,000 award he won as 2013 National Assistant Principal of the Year. Matthew Willis (EdS, Administrative Leadership and Policy Studies, ’09) is the assistant principal at William C. Hinkley High School in Aurora, Colorado. Instead of using the money from the National Association of Secondary School Principals for his own professional development, he’s putting it toward a large community event to register new students to attend his school.

“I’m investing it in this year’s freshmen,” said Willis. “� e word on the street is that Hinkley is a school for the whole community, and that speaks to the transformation of our school culture.”

Restorative JusticeWillis came to Hinkley High School four years ago with change on his mind. At the time, the school of 2,000 students—88 percent of whom are students of color—had a reputation for chronic truancy and gang-related con� ict. Where some educators might have seen endemic problems, Willis saw potential solutions.

When Willis arrived, the school had a traditional system for handling discipline. A student who did something wrong would end up in a dean’s o� ce and be punished, often resulting in a suspension.

“� en the kid is out of school, blames the dean and never takes ownership of the incident,” said Willis. “It’s a lose-lose situation. Relationships are broken and never repaired.”

Willis implemented restorative justice, which required all the persons involved in a disruptive incident to sit down and talk about what happened and take responsibility for their actions. His goal is to restore relationships, whether they are between a student and teacher or between two students.

Restorative justice programs have found their way into a variety of public school systems, but Willis says his inspiration for this approach comes in part from his 20-year marriage.

“Every � ght in my marriage, I would say that both my wife and I are responsible in some way,” Willis said. “We have to sit down and � gure things out together so that the relationship is repaired.”

Willis started by training 30 teachers in restorative practices, and within the � rst full year Hinkley had conducted 263 restorative sessions and reduced disciplinary measures for minor o� enses by nearly 20 percent.

College BoundWillis credits the specialist in education degree he earned from the CU Denver School of Education & Human Development for his success at Hinkley.

“When I graduated and became an assistant principal, I had an excellent foundational knowledge of cultural change,” Willis said. “� is knowledge helped me through the reality of transformation change at the school.”

MATTHEW WILLISASSISTANT PRINCIPAL

WILLIAM C. HINKLEY HIGH SCHOOL

A former social studies teacher, Willis also overhauled Hinkley’s master schedule, increased common planning time and professional development for teachers, and steered counselors toward a uni� ed focus on college readiness. College acceptance rates have doubled since he arrived.

“Matthew is passionate about instilling a college-bound vision for every student … and tenacious about achieving high academic results,” said Jinger Haberer, principal at Hinkley.

� ose results are evident in the statistic that Willis points to with greatest pride: with 409 di� erent students earning more than 3,000 college credits, Hinkley now ranks third in the state of Colorado for students earning college credits before they graduate high school.

“� ere is no di� erence academically between a kid here and a kid in Douglas County,” said Willis. “Truly, there is not a kid here who isn’t just as smart. But the real question is, what can we do to make the outcomes similar to kids who have more resources?”

Think about CU DenverWillis is a master marketer for CU Denver, recommending the school to his students in part because he had such a good educational experience here himself.

“I cannot think of any aspect of what I learned [at CU Denver] that has not been critical to my experience as a school leader,” he said. In particular, he refers to the Administrative Leadership and Policy Studies (ALPS) program he was part of as ‘absolutely bene� cial.’

“We had 30 people learning the same thing, doing practical things in schools, sharing our experiences with each other, learning from each other,” he said.

Willis praises all his CU Denver professors as experts with real-world experience. In particular, he remembers the guidance he received from Dorothy Garrison-Wade, ALPS program leader and associate professor. “She was instrumental as a professor and supportive as a professional,” he said.

� is fall, the class of 2017 will arrive at Hinkley High School. � anks to Willis’ award money, they’ll receive a warm welcome at a community event focused on them. � e students may think they are starting high school. But Matthew Willis believes they are starting on a path to a better future for themselves and for their community.

New Offi ce of Diversity and InclusionAdvocating for Access, Community and Success

E D i t i o n • 4

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At the School of Education & Human Development, we believe strongly that all students—diverse in race, ethnicity, economic resources, language, � uency, abilities, geography, � rst-generation status, age, gender and sexual identities—deserve the opportunity to learn. To advance our mission and meet the changing interests of our local and global communities, Dean Rebecca Kantor recently initiated the O� ce of Diversity and Inclusion, welcoming Aswad Allen, assistant dean of diversity and inclusion, and Jason Clark, director of recruitment and retention.

Prior to coming to CU Denver, Allen served for 11 years as director of the O� ce of Diversity A� airs at the CU Boulder Leeds School of Business. Clark was most recently a retention manager at the Denver Scholarship Foundation.

In the last year, Allen and Clark have been active on many fronts including:

• Formulating a new diversity plan for SEHD

• Recruiting a diverse “talent pipeline” of undergraduates, community college students, adult learners and career changers who are committed to becoming culturally responsive leaders and change agents

• Spearheading a new Black Youth and Family Community Initiative, a community-driven e� ort to improve mental health, expand educational opportunities, improve educational outcomes, shape polices and set priorities to achieve excellence in education for African American and Black youth

• Reaching out to the Latino community as part of a Latino Community Initiative to inform the school’s strategic plan, scholarship initiatives, community outreach opportunities and fundraising e� orts to attract a new endowed chair of Latino/a education

• Promoting student success and listening to student voices at new SEHD student forums

• Engaging SEHD faculty in diversity discussions and initiatives

• Collaborating with the Pathways2Teaching program, a SEHD program that encourages high school students from diverse backgrounds to consider a career in teaching, and

• Creating a summer program to expose Denver-area middle school students to the � eld of education and the Kids2College Visitation Program for grades K–8

“� e mission of our school is to prepare teachers, administrators, researchers and mental health professionals who are committed to inclusivity, excellence and service to the community,” said Dean Kantor. “To educate our students with rigor, to foster outstanding research, and in order to be national and global leaders, we must have a diverse faculty/sta� and we must increase the diversity of our student body, including � rst-generation college students and students from various underrepresented communities. Aswad and Jason are great collaborators and thoughtful colleagues who are going to help further our great mission.”

Pathways2Teaching Program

“� e CU Denver Campus is aggressively positioning itself to be a regional and national leader in urban education,” said Allen. “I’m excited about being part of that. � e work we all have committed to is valuable, critical and at times tough. Although, at times, it may not be visible, it is quite necessary to advance education and mental health for all people.”

“I love that our mission intimately revolves around the local community,” said Clark.

“As we move towards diversifying our

current student population, I am most excited to partner with our current students, sta� , faculty, alumni and community members to accomplish our goals. We desperately need education and mental health practitioners who re� ect the diverse population they serve and understand the unique assets and strengths of our diverse communities. Moving in this direction will create more positive momentum towards educational access, equity and success.”

Jason Clark (left) and Aswad Allen advocate for access, community and success.

“The work we all have committed to is valuable, critical and at times tough. Although, at times, it may not be visible, it is quite necessary to advance education and mental health for all people.” -Aswad Allen

(top) Latino Community Initiative (bottom) Black Youth and Family Community Initiative

E D i t i o n • 6

The Right to Learn

A revolution of thought and action is under way in o� ce 732 at the School of Education & Human Development. Manuel Luis Espinoza, assistant professor of Educational Foundations and 2012 National Academy of Education (NAEd)/Spencer Postdoctoral Fellow, and his research team of bold-thinking CU Denver undergraduate students, are formulating dreams, incubating big ideas and leveraging a commonality of purpose to advocate for more access to robust learning opportunities for all students in Colorado and the United States.

Espinoza and his research team, consisting of students Tamara Lhungay and Mandy Wong and community activist and former Young Migrant Program participant Tania Soto Valenzuela, have become � uent in the languages of social science and the law: theories and hypotheses, data and statistics and landmark legal cases relating to education. � ey also bring real-life experiences that have added to their knowledge. Espinoza, for instance, is a Chicano social scientist who is a product of desegregation and busing. Soto Valenzuela is a social activist on issues such as the Colorado ASSET bill, and her parents were migrant workers. Now they are applying what they know and coming up with a framework for how they might in� uence educational law and rights.

Providing most Americans with an inspiring and equitable education has continuously been a struggle. Few schools o� er all their students a rich, lively curriculum that teaches for comprehension. Fewer schools are able to teach a diverse set of students how to engage in productive social interaction and make decisions together, skills that are extremely important in our democratic society.

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“Of all the civil rights for which the world has struggled and fought for 5,000 years, the right to learn is undoubtedly the most fundamental. ...The freedom to learn...has been bought by bitter sacrifice. And whatever we may think of the curtailment of other civil rights, we should fight to the last ditch to keep open the right to learn, the right to have examined in our schools not only what we believe, but what we do not believe; not only what our leaders say, but what the leaders of other groups and nations, and the leaders of other centuries have said. We must insist upon this to give our children the fairness of a start which will equip them with such an array of facts and such an attitude toward truth that they can have a real chance to judge what the world is and what its greater minds have thought it might be.”

—W. E. B. Du Bois, The Freedom to Learn

Espinoza, Lhungay, Wong and Soto Valenzuela agree that the W. E. B. Du Bois quote from Freedom to Learn gives great context and inspiration for the challenge ahead. “Some consider learning a fundamental right,” said Espinoza. “At the moment, it is more of a ‘rights claim,’ or a human activity that aspires to be a right, a legal power. If we know that Du Bois’ quote is right, then we’ve got something.”

Espinoza and his team assert that learning is rights-generative: learning in a classroom generates rights above and beyond what anyone can see or measure in a given day, semester or year. Educational rights are like interest paid. � ey grow and multiply over time. Educational rights develop in and through talk and interaction, and special relationships in the school setting. � e learning generated gives people power to move their lives forward. Once a child learns to read, ask important questions about life or master major scienti� c concepts, that knowledge can’t be taken away. Learning helps individuals progress, thrive, � ourish, pursue careers of interest, overcome prevalent conditions like poverty and live to their full potential.

� e right to learn seems to make simple sense from a human perspective. But it gets more complex when you step back and see that our legal system hasn’t caught up with this thinking. � ere is a big di� erence between “education” and

“learning” in U.S. law. For the U.S. Supreme Court, education is narrowly construed as teachers, books, transportation and operating funds. Colorado’s constitution (Article IX) mandates that the state shall provide “thorough and uniform

system of free public schools throughout the State.” � e word “learning” is not even mentioned. “If the right to learn is a right in the courts,” said Espinoza, “it’s a real paltry right at this time. Over the course of centuries, humans have been trying to elevate the act of learning to the status of a right.

“Educational rights are not abstractions but observable and researchable social interactional accomplishments that can be found in what we call fertile classrooms,” said Espinoza.

“We are trying to come up with a new paradigm for thinking about rights in the classroom in this Right to Learn project. We’re examining what positive education interactions look and sound like in diverse classrooms across our country. What does a thorough and uniform education system look like? What are the distinctive characteristics and patterns that give students more intellectual strength and imagination? How can we improve on more conventional classroom settings to give students less memorization and more questioning, chances to interact as a community, discovery and learning to handle complex situations? How can we give children in low-income neighborhoods access to great teachers?”

� ese are all tough questions. It’s admirable that Espinoza and his team are moving the dialogue and actions forward. � e team has been preparing to publish their � ndings together in the journal Law and Human Behavior. Harvard Educational Review has also invited Espinoza to publish a paper on the Right to Learn, which will likely publish in 2013.

setting. � e learning generated gives people power to move their lives forward. Once a child learns to read, ask important questions about life or master major scienti� c concepts, that knowledge can’t be taken away. Learning helps individuals progress, thrive, � ourish, pursue careers of interest, overcome

� e right to learn seems to make simple sense from a human perspective. But it gets more complex when you step back and see that our legal system hasn’t caught up with this thinking. � ere is a big di� erence between “education” and

“learning” in U.S. law. For the U.S. Supreme Court, education is narrowly construed as teachers, books, transportation and operating funds. Colorado’s constitution (Article IX) mandates that the state shall provide “thorough and uniform

� e right to learn seems to make simple sense from a human perspective. But it gets more complex when you step back and see that our legal system hasn’t caught up with this thinking. � ere is a big di� erence between “education” and

“learning” in U.S. law. For the U.S. Supreme Court, education

Manuel Luis Espinoza and his students advocate for more access to learning.

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One student pretends to be Miss Mendez, the rest play her students, speaking to each other with the same polite language they hear from their adult teacher: “Excuse me…� ank you…Please raise your hand…May I have that?”

“Most of my students are Hispanic, and I’m Hispanic, so I feel like I am a role model for them,” said Mendez. “I have very high expectations for them. I feel like I can teach them anything. � e sky is the limit!”

In another classroom at Goldrick, third-grade teacher Claudia Cardenas has one student who started the school year struggling to read at a � rst-grade level.

“She wanted to learn so much, and she was always asking questions,” Cardenas said of the student. “She came for help after school and during recess, and her mom came to school every other day to ask, ‘What can I do to help her?’”

By December, Cardenas proudly points out, that same student tested at the third-grade level in reading, gaining two grade levels in four months. “My students are so motivated, and I have a lot of parent support,” said Cardenas. “It makes learning marvelous.”

Role Models, Mentors, Community Partners...TeachersAlumni at Goldrick Elementary Connect with Their Students

If you happen to visit Carolina Mendez’s kindergarten class at Goldrick Elementary School in Denver Public Schools during “choice” time, you will notice her students choose to spend their free time playing school.

feel like I am a role model for them,” said Mendez. “I have very high expectations for them. I feel like I can teach them anything. � e sky is the limit!”

student tested at the third-grade level in reading, gaining two grade levels in four months. “My students are so motivated, and I have a lot of parent support,” said Cardenas. “It makes

In another classroom at Goldrick, third-grade teacher Claudia Cardenas has one student who started the school year struggling to read at a � rst-grade level.

learning marvelous.”

Many of these kinds of success stories at Goldrick are the result of the Urban Community Teacher Education (UCTE) program at the University of Colorado Denver, where both Mendez and Cardenas did their training. CU Denver’s School of Education & Human Development (SEHD) has a rich 20-year history of closely partnering with local K–12 schools to prepare exceptional teachers.

The Right Stu�

� e ideal students for the UCTE program embrace cultural diversity. � ey have a passion for working with urban youth and an unyielding belief in the ability of urban students to succeed given the right supports. � ey are students like Carolina Mendez and Claudia Cardenas.

For Mendez, who came to the United States from Colombia when she was 13, teaching runs in the family. Her mother is a recently retired Denver Public Schools (DPS) teacher who was named Mile High Teacher of the Year in May 2012. “I have big shoes to � ll,” said Mendez.

After high school, Mendez worked as a paraprofessional in DPS for two years at the same time she began her undergraduate work in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at CU Denver. Eventually, she became a full-time student, and after she completed her degree with a major in political science, she enrolled in UCTE.

Mendez is bilingual. Her language skills enable her to support her students in their native language while they learn English.

“I talk to them in English, but I can also call them mijo or mija, and that makes them feel at home,” said Mendez.

Cardenas also comes from a long line of teachers: both her grandmothers were teachers in Mexico, and her older sister is also a teacher. Her parents came to the United States from Mexico to seek a better life and education for their children.

Cardenas was born in the United States but found school challenging because no one spoke English in her home, so it was di� cult to become � uent and get help with homework. She watched as her parents came for parent-teacher conferences, unable to understand what the teacher was telling them.

“Every time I look at my students, I see myself in them,” said Cardenas. “I want to make a di� erence in their lives. I don’t want them to have to struggle the way I did.”

The Right Program

When she decided to become a teacher, Cardenas looked at a couple of di� erent urban teacher programs in Colorado. CU Denver’s program stood out. “� e advisors at CU Denver gave me more attention,” said Cardenas. “� ey made it easy to learn.”

Latinos currently make up more than 21 percent of Colorado’s population and a signi� cant proportion of the labor force.Latinos currently make up more than 21 percent of Colorado’s population and a signi� cant proportion of the labor force.

Over a million strong, the Latino community

constitutes Colorado’s largest and fastest-growing

ethnic minority group, and are a young population—

approximately 36 percent are age 17 or younger.

Fifty-eight percent of students in Denver Public Schools are of Latino descent.Fifty-eight percent of students in Denver

Support and community are cornerstones of the program. � ere are approximately 250 students in the UCTE program, organized in small learning cohorts at the undergraduate and graduate levels. After one year of successful course work and student teaching, graduate students leave with a license. � ey can also continue in their course work and earn a master’s degree and advanced endorsements. Undergraduates who decide early enough that they are interested in the UCTE program can graduate in four years with a bachelor’s degree and a teaching license. Candidates can pursue teaching licenses in elementary education, secondary education or special education.

Teacher candidates in UCTE live the life of a teacher for a year. � ey spend the � rst half of their week in the university classroom learning how to teach. � ey spend the second half of the week in a university partner K–12 classroom, practicing what they have learned with the support of teachers and university faculty who constantly coach them and give them feedback. � e following week, they are back at the university reviewing what they learned from their practice teaching.

At the university, teacher candidates study with experienced faculty. In their K–12 classrooms, they learn from experienced teachers such as Juanita Nason, who supervised Mendez when she was practice-teaching at Goldrick.

“� ere are so many things she taught me that I will never forget,” said Mendez. “[She taught me] to always be prepared. Have a plan A and a plan B. She also taught me to remember that my students’ learning is my priority, and I should always have high expectations.”

Teacher candidates learn more than just the curriculum they will teach. � ey learn to partner in the development of their students’ lives.

“You have to be able to understand the complexities in their lives without pitying or patronizing them,” said Cindy Gutierrez, director of the UCTE program. “You have to uncover their uniqueness and cultural strengths to create learning opportunities that help them achieve strong educational outcomes.”

Gutierrez emphasizes that UCTE trains teachers to understand that they cannot do everything for their students. � ey will need to partner with families, connect with community programs and seek after-school programs to � nd the support these at-risk students need. “When teachers come to the classroom with this lens, they no longer blame their students for lack of success,” said Gutierrez. “� ey will � nd a pathway.”

Teachers For Life

Mendez and Cardenas both envision a long career teaching. “[� e UCTE program] helped me see where students are coming from,” said Cardenas. “Learning how they live and knowing their culture helps me teach according to their needs.”

Mendez is already trying to create a new generation of teachers. “I tell my students I graduated from CU Denver. I show them pictures. I want them to know they can do it too.”

A New Eff ort by SEHD to Improve Education for Colorado’s Latino Community

CU Denver’s School of Education & Human Development has launched a new Latino/a Community Education Initiative in response to the recent “Losing Ground” report that demonstrates the lack of progress—in fact the loss of important gains—for Colorado’s communities of color, including many Latino/a communities. “We hope to work together with leaders from the community toward common goals of closing the achievement gap for students, strengthening the preparation of new teachers, and

strengthening access to and success in higher education,” said School of Education & Human Development

Dean Rebecca Kantor. � is collaborative endeavor will also work to raise the funds for the � rst endowed chair of Latino/a education in the state of Colorado, innovative school and community

initiatives, and additional scholarships for future educators of color. Work is just getting

started on this important project. We plan to communicate with our alumni as this work unfolds. If you’d like to be part

of our Latino Community Initiative working group or contribute to this e� ort in any way, please contact Jason.Clark@ucdenver.edu.

Many Colorado schools have a Latino population that exceeds 90 percent.

“You have to be able to understand the complexities in their lives without pitying or patronizing them,” said Cindy Gutierrez, director of the UCTE program. “You have to uncover their uniqueness and cultural strengths to create learning opportunities

At the university, teacher candidates study with experienced faculty. In their K–12 classrooms, they learn from experienced teachers such as Juanita Nason, who supervised Mendez when

“� ere are so many things she taught me that I will

always be prepared. Have a plan A and a plan B. She also taught me to remember that my students’ learning is my priority, and I should always have

strengthening access to and success in higher education,” said School of Education & Human Development

Dean Rebecca Kantor. � is collaborative endeavor will also work to raise the funds for the � rst endowed chair of Latino/a education in the state of Colorado, innovative school and community

initiatives, and additional scholarships for future educators of color. Work is just getting

started on this important project. We plan to communicate with our alumni as this work unfolds. If you’d like to be part

of our Latino Community Initiative working group or contribute to this e� ort in any way, please contact Jason.Clark@ucdenver.edu.

Professional DevelopmentProfessional DevelopmentProfessional DevelopmentProfessional DevelopmentProfessional DevelopmentProfessional DevelopmentProfessional DevelopmentProfessional Development

Edgardo Pacheco-Resto, Spanish teacher at Gateway High School in Aurora Public Schools, is dedicated and passionate about helping his current and future students realize their full potential. “As teachers, we must be full of knowledge in order to share information with our students,” said Pacheco-Resto, who was born in Puerto Rico and came to the United States as a teen. “I don’t believe that you graduate from college and that’s enough.”

Pacheco-Resto is taking CU Denver’s Continuing and Professional Education classes once a week during the evenings as part of a graduate certi� cate program funded by Aurora Public Schools. � e certi� cate is called Literacy and Language Development for English Language Learners.

“� is program opens my eyes and gives me a clear map to follow with my students,” said Pacheco-Resto. “At Gateway High School we have a huge, diverse student population. � ey all have di� erent needs. � ey all are human beings. And, they’re here looking for a better future. � is certi� cate program gives me a better panorama of the actual student population and gives me the con� dence, strategies, techniques and materials to approach my new students, capture their interest, motivate them and integrate them into the school and mainstream culture. Now I can help them reach for that better future. I know how to focus and what to teach.”

Pacheco-Resto added: “I like my professors a lot. � ey are demanding and know their subject well. I’m very picky. If I’m going to go back to college, I want to go to the best one.

I like CU Denver graduate classes because they are demanding academically and because they give me di� erent perspectives and innovative ways to reach my students. For instance, I’m using a great questionnaire that I obtained from class to get information about the students’ background.”

“We enjoy working with educators to provide tools and share e� ective research-based teaching methods to meet the emerging needs of today’s learners,” said Sherry Taylor, associate professor at the School of Education & Human Development. “Currently, we o� er two graduate certi� cates to support teachers’ continuing education on site in Aurora Public Schools: Literacy and Language Development for English Language Learners, and ECE Enhanced: Early Literacy and Language Development for Young English Language Learners (a new certi� cate that is funded by a Teacher Quality grant through the Colorado Department of Higher Education that includes support for tuition costs, fees and textbooks). We are always interested in building new partnerships with districts that want to support teachers’ professional development.” For more information, please visit CULiteracy.com.

Deeper Skills and Knowledge Advance CareersContinuing and Professional Education Makes All the Di� erence in the World

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Continuing and Professional Education at University of Colorado Denver’s School of Education & Human Development supports professional education needs of individual schoolteachers, administrators and mental health professionals by o� ering tailored programs of varying lengths and credits including continuing education programs (for relicensure), certi� cates, master’s degrees and courses that lead to a PhD or EdD. Our newest certi� cate options include Early Childhood Coaching, Early Childhood Leadership, Infant Toddler Autism, Teacher Leadership, and Physics Teaching for Engagement and Global Education. For more information, visit www.ucdenver.edu/education/cpe.

Development for English Language Learners, and ECE Enhanced: Early Literacy and Language Development for Young English Language Learners (a new certi� cate that is funded by a Teacher Quality grant through the Colorado Department of Higher Education that includes support for tuition costs, fees and textbooks). We are always interested in building new partnerships with districts that want to support teachers’ professional development.” For more information, please visit CULiteracy.com.

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Continuing and Professional Education at University of Colorado Denver’s School of Education & Human Development supports professional education needs of individual schoolteachers, administrators and mental health professionals by o� ering tailored programs of varying lengths and credits including continuing education programs (for relicensure), certi� cates, master’s degrees and courses that lead to a PhD or EdD. Our newest certi� cate options include Early Childhood Coaching, Early Childhood Leadership, Infant Toddler Autism, Teacher Leadership, and Physics Teaching for Engagement and

For more information, visit www.ucdenver.edu/education/cpe.

EDGARDO PACHECO-RESTOSPANISH TEACHER AT GATEWAY HIGH

SCHOOL IN AURORA PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Healing Teens: A Voice That Says “You Can Do It!”

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Veronica Martinez (EdS, School Psychology, ’11), school

psychologist at West High School in Denver Public Schools, loves

inspiring teens to grow stronger and wiser during turbulent times.

She is everything you would want in a school psychologist: passionate for student success, smart, nonjudgmental, patient, understanding, a good listener, a true collaborator, an action taker, and she is bilingual in English and Spanish, which is the perfect skill to have in a high school with 89 percent Latino students. Martinez has a caseload of approximately 35 to 40 students each semester. Her students are at risk for suicide, depression and other emotional problems. “My students know that I am an advocate for them and their education, regardless of where they have come from or what has happened to them,” said Martinez. “I am someone who believes in my students and will push them to do great things.”

School psychology has provided Martinez with a journey and a purpose. She chose to be a school psychologist because she was tired of seeing certain students succeed while others did not when all students have the right to a high-quality education. She is deeply committed to supporting diverse populations and English learners, helping to prevent teen

suicides, caring for the academic needs of students with traumatic brain injury and encouraging students in special education classes. All

of these passions have personal meaning to her. “For example,” Martinez said, “I have an uncle who committed suicide. So I know � rsthand how that type of death can impact a family and a community. Here at West, I make it a point to do the Signs of Suicide program with all the sta� and all of the sixth and ninth graders. It’s something that I don’t want anyone to experience. Our Latina students and the LGBT youth

at West are at an increased risk for suicide. It’s necessary to have precautions in place. For my � rst suicide risk assessment, I was sweating. I didn’t have time to be timid or overly nervous. I just had to do it.”

Martinez’s bilingualism is critical when it comes to engaging parents at West. “Our students, interestingly enough, don’t really speak to me in Spanish,” said

Martinez. “� ey prefer English. But I think that being bilingual really helps with getting our parents engaged

Verionica Martinez, school psychologist at West High School in Denver Public Schools

and keeping them informed about the school. When there is a language barrier, oftentimes parents feel intimidated about coming to meetings like individual education plan (IEP) meetings because they feel intimated and don’t understand what’s going on. And sometimes they aren’t given the full information because of the language barrier. I can help relieve some of those stressors and encourage their involvement.”

Martinez said: “What I’ve found interesting is that I always thought that there might be a stigma with the words ‘school psychologist.’ � ere is a preconception that the Latino cultures want to deal with problems in their own home or that they don’t believe in mental health. But I’ve never witnessed any opposition like that. � is demonstrates to me that building relationships is more important than titles. To the students and parents, I’m Veronica � rst and foremost, not just a school psychologist.”

“I just really value CU Denver,” said Martinez. “I went to three di� erent universities as an undergrad. And when I went to CU Denver for the School Psychology EdS program, I found my home. I valued the cultural diversity on the campus, in the classroom and in the curriculum. It was just a great experience. � e school psychology professors Dr. Franci Crepeau-Hobson and Dr. Bryn Harris are top notch and amazing. � e lessons I learned really gave me the perspective I needed for going out into society and working in my career. I’m able to accept people and step out of the box to get to know people. I wish I could go back! I loved going to classes, and I learned so much about others and myself.”

One of Martinez’s favorite opportunities at CU Denver was her two-week study abroad experience to Cuernavaca, Mexico. It consisted of Spanish-language instruction, various � eldwork opportunities, educational readings and seminars, excursions within Mexico and a home-stay with Mexican families. “It was a life-changing experience,” said Martinez. “We had the

opportunity to go to the schools in Mexico and interact with the kids and mental health workers. It was just amazing. It gave me a better idea of where some of our families come from. � e school psychologists in Mexico are dealing with many of the same issues that we deal with here in Colorado: suicidal ideation, depression, abuse, neglect.”

“Veronica was a model student and a perfect � t for our program. She is bright, naturally inquisitive and empathic. As a practicing school psychologist, Veronica is the consummate professional. She is dedicated to addressing those psychological factors that impact learning and behavior, and to helping all children and youth develop to their fullest potential,” said Franci Crepeau-Hobson, program director and assistant professor of school psychology at University of Colorado Denver.

To view a video about Veronica Martinez working at West High School and to � nd out more about her passion for school psychology as a career, please visit ucdenver.edu/education.

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“When I went to CU Denver for the

School Psychology EdS program, I

found my home. I valued the cultural

diversity on campus, in the classroom

and in the curriculum...The lessons I

learned really gave me the perspective

I needed for going out into society and

working in my career.”

-Veronica Martinez

Rodney Blunck is a new associate clinical professor with the Administrative Leadership & Policy Studies and Executive Educational Leadership programs. He earned his EdD from Nova Southeastern University and worked as superintendent of schools, 27J School District, Brighton, Colorado.

Troyann Gentile is a new assistant clinical professor and clinical coordinator with the Counseling program. She earned her PhD from the University of Nevada, Reno and worked as an assistant professor for Lindsey Wilson College.

Barbara Seidl is a new associate dean of academic programs and undergraduate experience. She earned her PhD from University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and worked as an associate professor in the School Department of Teaching and Learning at � e Ohio State University.

Elizabeth A. Steed née Benedict is a new assistant professor in the Early Childhood Education/Early Childhood Special Education program. She earned her PhD from the University of Oregon and worked as an assistant professor and program coordinator at Georgia State University.

Maria Uribe is a new senior instructor with the Linguistically Diverse Education, Literacy, Language and Culturally Responsive Teaching, Urban Community Teacher Education, Early Childhood Education and Administrative Leadership and Policy Studies programs. She earned her PhD from the University of Colorado Denver and worked as principal of Goldrick Elementary in Denver Public Schools.

Rubén P. Viramontez Anguiano is a new associate professor in the Learning, Educational Technologies, and Social Foundations program in the area of human development. He earned his PhD from Michigan State University and worked as an associate professor of human development, family studies and early childhood education at Bowling Green State University.

Nancy LeechResearch and Evaluation Methods associate professor Nancy Leech coauthored IBM SPSS for Introductory Statistics: Use and Interpretation

(5th ed.), published in 2013 (New York: Taylor and Francis).

John McDermott and Stevi QuateUrban Community Teacher Education senior instructor John McDermott and retired senior instructor Stevi

Quate coauthored Just-Right Challenge: Nine Strategies to Ensure Adolescents Don’t Drop Out of the Game, published in 2013 (Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann).

Phillip StrainEducational Psychology professor Phillip Strain coauthored Prevent Teach Reinforce for Young Children: � e Early Childhood Model

of Individualized Positive Behavior Support, published in 2013 (Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co.).

for Introductory Statistics:

John McDermott

Teacher Education

Young Children: � e Early Childhood Model

New FacultyNew FacultyNew FacultyNew FacultyWe are delighted to welcome the following new faculty members to our distinguished ranks. These extraordinary

teachers and scholars will ensure that our students have an outstanding educational experience.

Faculty—New Books

Project TOP-SET *ALP: Transition of Paraprofessionals to Special Education Teachers through Alternative Licensure Program (2007–2013) | Teacher PREP: Teacher Preparation, Retention and Empowerment Project (2009–2015)

Ritu Chopra, PI

U.S. Department of Education, Transition to Teaching Program $4,086,660 combined for two projects

Project TOP-SET *ALP and Teacher PREP are statewide initiatives led by the Paraprofessional Resource and Research Center (PAR2A) in partnership with the Colorado Department of Education, state-designated alternative licensure agencies and high poverty school districts. These projects provide a seamless transition for paraprofessionals, recent college graduates, mid-career professionals and unlicensed teachers to teaching positions in high-need schools through alternative licensure programs. Approximately 300 participants from many diverse backgrounds receive benefits from these grants each year, including much needed advising, tuition assistance, mentoring and successful induction into the teaching profession.

ECTA Center: Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center (2013–2017)

Barbara Smith, Co-PI; Phil Strain, Technical Assistance Team

U.S. Department of Education, O� ce of Special Education Programs (subcontract from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) $1,675,767 over � ve years

Our Technical Assistance Center on Social Emotional Intervention for Young Children (TACSEI) is collaborating with UNC at Chapel Hill and other technical assistance teams throughout the nation on the Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center initiative. This project aims to improve states’ early intervention and early childhood special education service systems, increase the implementation of e� ective practices, and enhance the outcomes of these programs for young children and their families, including children who need support with social emotional competence.

Civic Learning and Action among Non-College-Bound Youth: A Design-Based Research Study (2010–2013)

Shelley Zion, Co-PI

Spencer Foundation $367,535 over four years

This study of critical civic inquiry (CCI) has been implemented in 33 middle and high school classrooms that have a majority of Latino and black students. It responds to the lack of information about how youth who are at risk for dropping out or not on a college track might develop into powerful civic actors. Further, this study addresses the need for research examining the school conditions that support and encourage student engagement and voice. As part of a specialized course on civic inquiry, secondary school students re� ect on their school experiences, identify a problem, investigate it systematically and, together with school personnel, devise strategies to solve it. Through a combination of qualitative and quantitative data collected over three years, the study assesses individual and school-level change.

ITEST Scale-Up: CompuGirls Scale-Up (2012–2017) | Girls’ Cultural-Gendered Identities and Perceptions as Future Technologists: A Mixed-Method Research Project (2012–2013)

Shelley Zion, Co-PI

National Science Foundation, Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers Program $737,602 combined for two projects

CompuGirls is a culturally relevant technology program for adolescent girls from under-resourced school districts in Colorado and the greater Phoenix area. CU Denver partners with Arizona State University to provide fun summer, after-school and yearlong programs in which participants learn to solve social problems using the latest technologies in digital media, game development and virtual worlds. So far, about half of the girls served are Latina and the other half are black. The peer mentoring approach of CompuGirls creates connections that support lifelong skill development in an empowering and creative environment. Program objectives include using multimedia activities as a means of encouraging computational thinking, enhancing girls’ techno-social analytical skills using culturally relevant practices, and providing girls with a dynamic, enjoyable learning environment that nurtures the development of a positive self-concept.

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Selected Funded Projects

The School of Education & Human Development celebrates the scholarship and ingenuity of our faculty and

staff , whose dedicated work has secured $27 million in external funding for current projects over the past

years. Currently, 23 faculty and two professional staff lead and co-lead 47 grant projects. Highlights include:

Grants That Shape Our Community

E D i t i o n • 1 6

The Positive Early Learning Experiences CenterThe Positive Early Learning Experiences Center (PELE) develops, implements and evaluates comprehensive early-intervention systems to address the developmental needs of young children at risk for school failure and those with special needs, including children with autism and severe behavioral disorders.

In the past year, with generous support from Albertsons Action for Autism campaign, PELE therapists provided nearly 3,000 hours of in-home coaching for families of children with autism in the Denver area. The specifi c focus of this work is with Spanish-speaking families. Numerous studies have shown that children from Spanish-speaking families are not diagnosed in a timely fashion nor are they generally aff orded high-quality services. PELE is deeply committed to changing that status quo. For the typical family, PELE therapists make several two-hour visits per week. Adult family members identify

specifi c daily routines (for example, mealtime or bedtime) that they fi nd most challenging. Therapists coach families to develop new skills that make daily routines timely, fun and educationally meaningful. They also carefully monitor progress and provide immediate feedback to parents. One parent expressed, “We thought we were just getting help for our son, but everything is diff erent now.”

“The intersection of poverty, English as a second language and having a child with autism is generally ignored by the profession,” said Phil Strain, director of the Positive Early Learning Experiences Center. “We’re proud to be making a difference. We are seeing consistent, often dramatic improvements in children’s behavior and communication. And, thankfully, our families report more normalized home and community activities.”

Centers

The Center for Advancing Practice, Education & Research and Affiliated Projects and Organizations

The Center for Advancing Practice, Education & Research (CAPER) supports and expands the mission and vision of the School of Education & Human Development by engaging in entrepreneurial activities, research, professional development, technical assistance, outreach, engagement and policy development, and advocacy. We strive to serve as a partner and resource on a local and national level through dissemination of research that aff ects children, schools and education practice. CAPER is dedicated to outcomes that raise the quality and accessibility of public education to impact and foster student opportunity and achievement. We are home to the following funded projects and affi liated organizations:

Center for Advancing Practice, Education & Research (CAPER)Shelley Zion, executive director

Continuing & Professional Education (CPE)Shelley Zion, executive director

Center for Evidence Based Practices in Early Learning (CEBPEL)Barbara Smith, director

Center for Transforming Learning and Teaching (CTLT)Julie Oxenford O’Brian, director

Culturally Responsive Urban Education (CRUE)Shelley Zion, co-directorSuzanne Arnold, co-director

The Evaluation Center (TEC)Bonnie Walters, executive director

Experiential Science Education Research Collaborative (XSci)Brad McLain, director

Laboratory for Educational Assessment Researchand innovatioN (LEARN)Maria Araceli Ruiz-Primo, director

Paraeducator Resource and Research Center (PAR²A)Ritu Chopra, executive director

Positive Early Learning Experiences Center (PELE)Phil Strain, director

For more information, visit www.ucdenver.edu/education and click on “Centers”.

Eager to raise the pro� le of early childhood teachers and strengthen the training they receive, Pat � ompson made a gift to establish the School of Education & Human Development’s � rst Early Childhood Education Scholarship Fund in 2013. � ompson has two master’s degrees, her � rst in Audiology from Northwestern University in 1968 and her second in Early Childhood Education from CU Denver in 1999. When her children were young, she cofounded, hired well-quali� ed teachers for, and volunteered at a parent co-op preschool. After graduating from CU Denver, she taught in an early childhood center until retirement.

“Teachers need to understand early childhood development to optimize learning opportunities,” said � ompson. “� e ages from zero to � ve represent a critically important and challenging time in a child’s life. Young children are developing emotionally, socially, intellectually, verbally and physically at a very fast pace. � ey need nurturing, encouragement, guided play, age-appropriate intellectual stimulation and supported socialization. In a quality child care setting, knowledgeable teachers can

support parents and positively impact children for the rest of their lives,” she added.

“I’m concerned about the gap across our nation between the need for and availability of quality early child care” continued � ompson. “A 2007 survey by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development found the majority of early childhood settings to be ‘fair’ or ‘poor’—only 10 percent provided high-quality care. About 40 percent of children under age � ve spend at least part of their week in the care of somebody other than a parent. Teachers educated in developmentally appropriate practice are one piece toward improving the quality and availability of care of our nation’s future adults.

“My hope is that this scholarship will enable students who aspire to be e� ective early childhood teachers but are daunted by the cost of getting an advanced degree in the � eld,” said � ompson. If you would like to donate to this Scholarship Fund, please email kyle.jaccaudsmith@ucdenver.edu.”

� e School of Education & Human Development is extremely thankful to Les and Marianne Franklin, who announced in May their intent to commit $1.5 million toward scholarships to bene� t CU Denver students in the School of Education & Human Development and the Business School.

When established (pending the sale of two properties whose proceeds will fund the gift), the scholarships will be designated for students

who might fall through the cracks

of traditional scholarship awards: those with B-/C+

grade point averages who could not otherwise a� ord tuition and who are willing to mentor adolescents in similar circumstances. In conjunction with other need-based grants, these scholarships will cover 100 percent of a student’s tuition need. � is sort of scholarship might once have gone to Les Franklin, who as a schoolboy had a D average but went on to become an executive at IBM.

“We’ve seen so many young people who didn’t think they would go to college. Nobody ever encouraged them to do anything,” Les Franklin says. “Our life’s work is about saving our children, loving our children. What the University of Colorado brings to this state and to the community is so important. We didn’t go to CU, but this is our community, our city. And we want people to know that our work continues.”

New Scholarship Fund to Benefi t Early Childhood Education Teachers

Major Gift Will Establish Scholarships for SEHD Students

Rebecca Kantor, Dean

Editorial Management:Julia Cummings

Editor:Faith Marcovecchio

Writing:Julia Cummings Vicki Hildner

Art Direction:Micheline Heckler

Design: Anabliss Design + Brand Strategywww.anabliss.com

Photography:Glenn Asakawa, Chris Casey Cherrey Visual Solutions, Michael Ensminger, Jeff S. Fard, Zach Ornitz, Education Photo Archives

childhood settings to be ‘fair’ or ‘poor’—only 10 percent provided high-quality care. About 40 percent of children under age � ve spend at least part of their week in the care of somebody other than a parent. Teachers educated in developmentally appropriate practice are one piece toward improving the quality and availability of care of our nation’s future adults.

“My hope is that this scholarship will enable students who aspire to be e� ective early childhood teachers but are daunted by the cost of getting an advanced degree in the � eld,” said � ompson. If you would like to

The Franklins’ gift and Pat Thompson’s gift are two of more than 300,000 gifts made during Creating Futures, a $1.5 billion fundraising campaign to enhance University of Colorado education, research, outreach and health programs bene� ting citizens throughout and beyond Colorado. Visit cufund.org for more information.

When established (pending the sale of two properties whose proceeds will fund the gift), the scholarships will be designated for students

who might fall through the cracks

of traditional scholarship awards: those with B-/C+

Mailing Address:

Campus Box 106

P.O. Box 173364

Denver, CO 80217-3364

Phone: 303-315-6300

www.ucdenver.edu/education

Celebrating 40 Years of Innovative Education