Carly MurphyChapman University’s Attallah College of Educational Studies has been awarded a $249,106 planning grant to develop a new Special Education teacher preparation pathway program.
This fills the critical need to develop an educational pipeline for qualified special education educators in California.
- ABC News reported that 78% of K-12 public school principals reported that it was somewhat or very “difficult” to fill a position with a fully certified teacher for special education for the school year.
The grant, given by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC), is part of a strategic initiative to establish comprehensive, four- year teacher preparation programs that seamlessly integrate a teaching credential within bachelor’s degree programs. This initiative targets regions grappling with pronounced teacher shortages. In its inaugural evaluation phase, CTC greenlit 19 proposals, including Attallah College’s blueprint to cultivate new programs focused on Mild to Moderate Support Needs and Extensive Support Needs (ESN) Education Specialist Training.
Roxanne Greitz Miller, dean of Attallah College of Educational Studies at Chapman University shared, “This funding reaffirms [Chapman’s] commitment to addressing the critical teacher shortages in California, particularly in the Special Education sector. It’s an opportunity to innovate, adapt, and ultimately provide our students with a robust preparation that will empower them to create inclusive and supportive learning environments for all students, and without the added cost of teacher preparation courses to be taken after the bachelor’s degree.”
At its core, the grant aims to foster collaboration between higher education institutions and California community colleges, nurturing integrated professional preparation programs. Chapman University’s grant encompasses a four-year trajectory for aspiring teachers embarking on their educational journey as freshmen, along with a streamlined two-year transfer pathway tailored for students who complete their initial two years of college education at Santa Ana College or Santiago Canyon College — community colleges that fall under the Rancho Santiago Community College District.
Jillian Wood, director of Undergraduate Education Programs at Chapman University is thrilled to offer a new pathway for Attallah College undergraduate students looking to engage in a career in education. “This grant opportunity allows us to create a pathway where students can earn their undergraduate degree and multiple-subject teaching credential in four years,” she said. “This pathway will help our students enter the teaching field in an accelerated timeline, without missing a beat.”
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About Chapman University
Founded in 1861, Chapman University is a nationally ranked private university in Orange, California, about 30 miles south of Los Angeles. Chapman serves nearly 10,000 undergraduate and graduate students, with a 12:1 student-to-faculty ratio. Students can choose from 123 areas of study within 11 colleges for a personalized education. Chapman is categorized by the Carnegie Classification as an R2 “high research activity” institution. Students at Chapman learn directly from distinguished world-class faculty including Nobel Prize winners, MacArthur fellows, published authors and Academy Award winners.The campus has produced a Rhodes Scholar, been named a top producer of Fulbright Scholars and hosts a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, the nation’s oldest and most prestigious honor society. Chapman also includes the Harry and Diane Rinker Health Science Campus in Irvine. The university features the No. 4 film school and No. 60 business school in the U.S. Learn more about Chapman University: www.chapman.edu.
Media Contacts:
Carly Murphy, Public Relations Coordinator | carmurphy@chapman.edu | Desk: 714-289-3196 | Mobile: 714-497-9683
