The California State University, Chico has an exciting program offering hands-on and hybrid learning opportunities for those with the passion and drive to make an impact in the classroom. The CLASS Program (Computational Literacy Across Secondary Settings) is an accelerated master's degree pathway with a full-time, yearlong teacher residency. Throughout the program, Residents will participate in co-teaching and co-planning with mentors. They will also utilize customized digital tools and be fully integrated into a collaborative and supportive learning environment. By the end of this unique program CLASS graduates will be equipped with the educational skills of an experienced teacher.
"The benefits of the CLASS program move beyond accomplishing and obtaining a MA in teaching and a teaching credential simultaneously,” says Savannah Tristan, a CLASS English Resident. “This program offers financial and academic support while being conscious of our well-being and workload. The program’s design is appealing, but the connections and relationships I’ve gained with professors, coordinators, and classmates have been the most valuable part.”
In addition to achieving a Master of Arts in Teaching, CLASS Program graduates complete their residency with a secondary credential in mathematics, science, English language arts, or special education. One of the program's goals is to admit 72 highly qualified educators in these fields. The full-time residency is also designed to enhance content knowledge and develop greater expertise in computational literacy across the middle and high school curriculum.
CLASS is an integral facet of Chico State’s focus on improving a key component of STEM education: computational literacy. It provides residents with innovative coursework, encouraging mentors, and equitable technology tools. With funding through 2024, CLASS provides each student with a living stipend of up to $36,000. Upon graduation, these exceptionally trained teachers will be prepared to enhance the learning of thousands of students in high-need classrooms throughout the region.
While almost all coursework is done in person, residents have the capability to work closely with a mentor to co-teach and co-plan in hybrid-virtual classes. During the year they will also receive peer and mentor reviews of their performance to help provide important insights and help ensure positive outcomes for all Residents. This structure provides the opportunity to hone a number of daily teaching skills; from classroom presence, to lesson plans, to one-on-one interactions. It also exemplifies CLASS' mission to nurture educators in a supportive and collaborative environment.
“My candidate is gaining skills right along with me,” says mentor Jan Matthews, a middle school science teacher. “We both realize the increased use of Zoom and email has improved our communication with parents immensely. We have made ‘Welcome’ and ‘How-To’ videos for our students and colleagues, things that we would not have ever even thought of before becoming impromptu distance teachers.”
CLASS represents a partnership between Chico State’s College of Communication & Education, College of Humanities & Fine Arts, and College of Natural Sciences. The partnership also includes five schools from regional districts in Gridley, Live Oak, Red Bluff, Oroville, and Willows. The Butte, Glenn, and Sutter County Offices of Education and the Butte-Glenn Community College Districts are also key members of this exceptional collaboration.
“CLASS students are expected to fully take on all teacher responsibilities,” Principal Walton says. “They completely incorporate themselves into our institution. As an administrator, I’m able to observe them in all aspects of being an educator, and by doing so, if an employment opportunity arises, I have comprehensive knowledge of the student’s qualifications.”
CLASS is composed of a diverse set of educators from a wide spectrum of backgrounds. The program is aligned with the university’s strategic priority of equity, diversity, and inclusion. Program leaders dedicate themselves to cultivating a welcoming environment for all residents, faculty, and staff. By honoring the beliefs, identities, and cultures of students, CLASS Residents from every background have an equal opportunity to thrive.
Improving student computational literacy and the ability to prosper in the digital age—the key component of CLASS—is now considered the most important academic asset toward postgraduate, vocational, and community success. Like every highly skilled profession, each Resident’s education is improved by a combination of immersion, mentoring, and practice. In addition to classroom-based action research, each Resident engages in a full-time clinical environment while working closely with a hand-selected, dedicated mentor teacher. Each mentor has been trained to implement Argument-Driven Inquiry, which instills skills in computational literacy.
“The co-teaching model is widely recognized as a quality teaching model,” says Live Oak High School Principal, Anthony Walton. “And the CLASS Program provides quality professional development and a year’s worth of experience for the CLASS student and our school’s mentor teacher.”
Most of the program’s courses are currently in-person and Residents have the opportunity to be in-person (ensuring safety standards) for co-teaching/co-planning sessions. Residents will have the option to attend some classes virtually via Zoom. Like previous in-person programs, this year's CLASS Residents will develop a classroom inquiry plan and conduct ongoing research in their specific classrooms. Each Resident will present the results of this action research project in a professional paper and poster presentation. The displayed research typically includes classroom problem-solving, data collection and analysis, quantitative and qualitative reasoning, creation and implementation of co-teaching and co-planning strategies, and conclusions focused on improving teaching practices.
“My candidate and I take turns leading the class and watching the chat,” Ms. Matthews says. “It is a different kind of classroom management, but we are still working together to keep students in the learning mode. I am surprised how much my candidate and I have managed to do in such a short time.”
Recent reviews indicate each educator continues to experience the opportunity to establish their bearings, reinforce concepts, hone classroom management techniques, and better communicate with peers and mentors about the best approaches to working with specific students within a classroom.
A CLASS Resident always remains a part of the program. A Chico State CLASS graduate enters their classroom bolstered with the ongoing support of a mentor and program resources. They can utilize an open portal to other CLASS grads, with access to the familiar collaborative teaching environment. They enter their new educational community poised with the unfailing support of mentors, professors, and peers. The CLASS graduate is ready to make a difference in our schools, in the daily lives of his or her students, and in the greater community.
Chico State CLASS Program empowers future teachers through innovation
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