Project TRANSFORM

Caroline Lopez Perry, Cara Richards-Tutor, Diana Porras, Jolan Smith, Hiromi Masunaga, Oscar Navarro

The CCOG is a multi-campus initiative housed at CSU Long Beach, with regional networks at San Diego State University, Cal State Fullerton and San Jose State University who are working to collaboratively learn and leverage opportunities across sectors, to support systemic change, and advance K-12 students’ academic success. The CCOG is a state legislative funded center at 3 million dollars that has 3 goals: 

1. Strengthen professional preparation of educators-teachers, education specialists, and administrators;
2. Conduct original research in K-12 school to identify valid, reliable, and sustainable teaching practices that impact the opportunities and achievement of K-12 students;
3. Develop and disseminate tools and resources to implement these practices in K-12 and educator preparation programs. 

Recently, the CCOG was awarded $500,000 from the US Dept of Education to further pursue original research. This work will be completed via Project TRANSFORM which focuses on strategies to eliminate equity gaps in K-12 education post-pandemic via two subprojects: (1) K-12 School Project (2) Teacher Pathway Project. Research is currently underway on both subprojects. Project TRANSFORM will take place over the next two years, beginning this Fall 2022 and continuing until Spring 2024.

Dr. Diana Porras leads a multi-disciplinary team of faculty in the K-12 Schools Project: Dr. Caroline Lopez Perry (School Counseling), Dr. Cara Richards-Tutor (Special Education), Dr. Jolan Smith (Special Education), and Dr. Hiromi Masunaga (Educational Psychology). The goal of the K-12 School Project is to better understand adaptations to instructional practices and academic supports in response to the pandemic. By Spring 2024, the CCOG will complete a case study in two large urban school districts in four schools across three school levels (elementary, middle, and high school) to examine the academic, career and social/emotional recovery strategies and document the effectiveness of these strategies on K-12 students return for in-person instruction.

Dr. Oscar Navarro spearheads the Teacher Pathway Project. The goal of the Teacher Pathway Project is to identify a model to recruit, prepare and retain future teachers of Color who are prepared to work in post-pandemic schools. By Spring 2024, the CCOG will develop, implement, and examine the efficacy of a teacher-preparation course offered at a local high school that houses a teacher pathway program. The high school enrolls approximately 90% Hispanic or Latino students and 99% students of Color. High school pathway programs combine academics with exposure to careers ranging from science to arts to education. These types of programs are intended to give high school students an early opportunity to explore talents and gain experience that will set them on a path to fulfilling careers.