February 2002
Dear Colleagues,
I invite your review of the California Subject Matter Projects Triennial
Report: 1998-2001. Since the inception of the Bay Area Writing Project
in 1974, the California Subject Matter Projects have provided a nationally
recognized model for subject-specific professional development based on
the combined talents and expertise of university and K-12 faculty. This
report provides an in-depth look at CSMP-sponsored professional development
in California during the last three years.
An essential foundation of CSMP work is the development of teachers as
educational leaders in their subject areas. As individuals, these teachers
have a solid grasp of the academic content knowledge linked to K-12 standards,
understand and have demonstrated effective teaching in the subject area,
and are prepared through the CSMP to teach and support their colleagues.
Collectively, they represent an expanding wealth of talent, expertise,
and experience, but most importantly, they represent the capacity of the
CSMP network-and the state itself-to improve student learning and performance
through standards-based professional development.
During the past two years CSMP teacher leaders, along with university
faculty and other
education leaders, have played a crucial role in the development and success
of the
Governor’s Professional Development Initiatives. These individuals
provided the
intellectual infrastructure, expertise, and commitment to train thousands
of teachers in
effective reading and mathematics instruction. Today, the CSMP are poised
to connect
their programs ever more directly to schools and districts and to offer
sustained,
systematic professional development for teachers consistent with the state’s
compre-hensive
plan linking standards, instructional materials, and assessment.
The CSMP are also focused on making dramatic improvements in the achievement
and
academic performance of English language learners. The development of
academic
content knowledge among ELL students must be linked to the development
of discipline-specific
English proficiencies and the students’ need to meet or exceed such
standards.
CSMP leaders throughout California are dedicated to making this a major
priority in all
aspects of their work with teachers.
I hope the structure and examples of our work as represented in these
pages will strike a
positive and inviting chord with you. My colleagues and I welcome your
contributions
to our thinking, planning, and program delivery as we move toward our
goal of ensuring
a first rate education for every student.
Robert Polkinghorn, Jr.
Assistant Vice President -Educational Outreach
UC Office of the President
California Subject Matter Projects Triennial Report: 1998-2001
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