Campus News 2003-2004 Academic Year

Commission Awards Grant to Pitzer College and Manual Arts High School to Improve Instruction

Claremont, Calif. (February 13, 2004) - The California Postsecondary Education Commission (CPEC) awarded Pitzer College and Manual Arts High School $594,924 to improve instruction. Pitzer has been awarded this three-year grant in federal monies to create a professional development collaboration to address teaching and learning conditions in history-social science departments. Other participants in the project include Belmont High School and Lincoln High School, located in the Los Angeles School District.  "This is a wonderful opportunity for our partnership in the community. This exemplifies our strong commitment to social responsibility," said Pitzer College President Laura Trombley.

The overarching goal of this project is to close the achievement gap for English Learners and low-achieving students through increased teacher effectiveness and creative use of technology. The grant affects more than 12,000 students in three urban Los Angeles Unified School District High Schools. More than 50 teachers will participate in the project.

 "These LAUSD high schools (Belmont, Manual Arts and Lincoln) have made very significant commitments to strengthen instructional practice in their history-social science classrooms. Pitzer is privileged to partner with the educational leaders of these schools in this collaborative effort to raise academic standards for Los Angeles area students,"  said Joan Benton, the director of this new program at Pitzer College.