School of Education, UAlbany New York

Web-based Literacy Materials
for High School English Teachers

( December 22, 2004 ) -- The School of Education’s Center on English Learning and Achievement (CELA) has received a $150,000 grant from the Arthur Vining Davis Foundations to provid e w eb-based professional development materials to high school English teachers. The award will be used to adapt a web-based guide for middle school English teachers produced by CELA, for teachers at the high school level. The guide is called Supporting Student Literacy Learning: A Program of Instructional and Professional Development.

The guide focuses on a set of multi-linked topics, such as building comprehension by helping students develop deeper understandings of what they read, and fostering reading, writing, and thinking skills with high-level class discussions. Adaptations to the guid e w ill involve replacing the current middle school-appropriate literary examples with those suitable for high school, as well as inserting examples of student work, samples of teacher plans, and video clips (on CD) from high school classrooms.

“The flexibility of the guide allows schools to tackle their individual areas of highest need. Twice each year, CELA facilitators will assign a particular topic, and one of its leading researchers or other nationally recognized expert will facilitate the ensuing online discussion,” said Judith Langer , SUNY Distinguished Professor and director of CELA. “The approach is one of blended e-learning and draws on the University’s leadership in distance learning, including online courses, as well as the center’s considerable experience facilitating online discussions and virtual professional communities.”

The Center on English Learning and Achievement has been creating and testing the effectiveness of a professional development program that strengthens teachers’ ability to increase students’ reading, writing, and other language skills as measured on state standardized tests, in other assessments of reading and writing, and through class work.

The Arthur Vining Davis Foundations, based in Jacksonville , Florida , are a national philanthropic organization established through the generosity of the late American industrialist, Arthur Vining Davis. The purpose of the foundations is to provide financial assistance to certain educational, cultural, scientific and religious institutions within the United States . Arthur Vining Davis became president of the Aluminum Company of America in 1910 and served as chairman of the board for many years.

For additioanl information about CELA, visit http://cela.albany.edu.

Distinguished Professor Awarded Honorary Doctorate

( October 17, 2004 ) -- Judith Langer, Distinguished Professor in the Department of Educational Theory and Practice, has been awarded an honorary degree, Doctor of Philosophy honoris causa, from the Faculty of Uppsala University, Sweden. The degree will be conferred at a graduation ceremony in Uppsala , Sweden , on January 28, 2005 .

Dr. Langer is receiving her honorary doctorate in recognition of her scholarly achievements, which have been widely influential among scholars in the Nordic countries. She has previously been invited to give lectures and seminars on her research with faculty and advanced students in Norway , Sweden , Finland , and Denmark .

Uppsala University in Uppsala , Sweden , is the oldest and most prestigious university in Scandinavia . Founded in 1477, the University today has over 41,000 students enrolled in more than 40 programs of study.

Counseling Professor to Study
Peer Facilitated Alcohol Intervention

( October 7, 2004 ) -- The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) has awarded the University at Albany $849,057 to research interventions that prevent or reduce alcohol-related problems among college students. Matthew P. Martens, Ph.D., assistant professor of Educational and Counseling Psychology in the School of Education and M. Dolores Cimini, Ph.D., licensed psychologist and director, Middle Earth peer assistance program will engage in the study “The Effects of Peer-Facilitated Alcohol Interventions."

This assessment of the effectiveness of two peer-led social norms-based alcohol prevention interventions will allow the researchers to determine the most efficacious program(s), which could then guide the University's decisions regarding program institutionalization. The main purpose of the project is to reduce high-risk alcohol consumption and negative alcohol related consequences among high-risk drinkers (i.e., individuals who have been referred to judicial affairs for an alcohol-related violation) on the campus. A secondary purpose is to analyze the components of the programs that are found to be effective.

The project initiatives will operate from the Middle Earth Peer Assistance Program, a 2000 winner of a U. S. Department of Education Alcohol and Other Drug Prevention Model Program Grant and the recipient of a 2001 Exemplary Substance Abuse Prevention Program Award by the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention, Department of Health and Human Services. Middle Earth will integrate a $10,000 gift from the Dominion Foundation in disseminating prevention initiatives materials to colleges and universities through out the United States .

Prof. Matt Martens sees an additional benefit to doing this study on campus, “The grant gives the students involved with Middle Earth and the NIAAA project an opportunity to pursue their interests as well.

Matt Martens has been studying alcohol prevention and treatment for several years and this NIAAA-funded assessment fits well with his current research. “Nationwide it is well-established that heavy college drinking is a public health problem. There are about 1,500 deaths each year nation-wide mostly traffic fatalities; 70, 000 sexual assaults; and 500, 000 injuries as a result of alcohol consumption. Reducing the problem will have benefits in contemporary college scenario,” said Dr. Martens.

The future plans for this intervention assessment results will be testing the effectiveness of peer intervention program. Martens noted, “It is not well known whether alcohol intervention programs are as effective when delivered by peers as opposed to professional staff.”

The University at Albany , home to 12,000 undergraduate students, is committed to addressing the nationwide problem related to college-age drinking. “This grant will generate empirical data that is critical to our understanding of alcohol and drug abuse prevention programs designed to educate and intervene with university students," said James P. Doellefeld, vice president for student affairs.

“I would like to thank NIAAA on behalf of the University for recognizing the dedication of Drs. Cimini and Martens as well as the students and staff of Middle Earth in their commitment to informing and educating students about the dangers of drug and alcohol abuse.” said Interim President John R. Ryan. “We also appreciate the support of Congressman McNulty and the Congressional delegation in our endeavors to create a community where students can succeed in learning and in life.”

New Course Tackles Emergencies in Schools

( October 1, 2004 ) -- The School of Education and the Center for Public Health Preparedness in the School of Public Health have collaborated to create “Emergency Preparedness in Schools: Prevention, Response, and Recovery,” a course to train educators and public health professionals to manage disasters in schools. Dr. Amanda Nickerson, assistant professor in our School Psychology program and Dr. Robert Westphal, Director of the Center for Public Health Preparedness will co-teach the course for the first time in Spring 2005 as an online class through the SUNY Learning Network. It is open to school officials, public health professionals, parents and others interested in the subject.

This interdisciplinary graduate level course will address concerns over terrorism threats to schools, as well as the rising concern among parents and educators over one of the nation's most alarming scenarios: students with weapons. (In the Capital Region, students, teachers and administrators are still struggling to deal with the trauma of such a scenario. On Feb. 9, 2004 a 16-year-old student entered a local high school with a pump-action shotgun and opened fire in a hallway.) “Emergency Preparedness” will cover such topics as legal and ethical issues in emergency preparedness and response, diseases and bioterrorism, natural and industrial disasters, creating safe and healthy schools, and the development of comprehensive school crisis plans. It will also include the specific psychosocial crises of violence and child abuse.

“I am thrilled that UAlbany's School of Public Health and the School of Education are working together on this important project,” said Nancy Persily, associate dean in the School of Public Health . "The schools at Ground Zero were confronted with many challenges on September 11 and afterwards. We saw then that preparing administration and teachers adequately for a whole host of crises should be a top priority. And just recently, we saw a crisis in our own community at Columbia High School . It just reinforces the fact that our two schools should work together to respond to these events."

Due to the inherent interdisciplinary nature of public health, a 2002 report from the Institute of Medicine urged the nation's schools of public health to strengthen interaction with other professional schools on campus. The collaboration between UAlbany's schools of public health and education represents a unique alliance focused on combating mounting public health fears in primary and secondary schools. The graduate level course, conceived after the two schools conducted needs assessments, was developed by a planning group of teachers, school administrators, state education officials, state emergency management professionals, and faculty from the schools of education and public health, with input from UAlbany's School of Criminal Justice .

“This new course is designed to help schools meet a multi-faceted problem that can only be solved by tapping a variety of expertise,” said Susan Phillips, dean of the School of Education . “Developing the course has been a rich and rewarding collaboration for our faculty, and we are pleased to be able to join our colleagues in the School of Public Health in helping to address a need of our local communities.”

The course will run January 19- May 3, 2005 , and fulfills both the Child Abuse and School Violence Prevention requirements for New York State certification. Non-matriculated students may take the class, which has room for 20. Registration for Spring 2005 courses begins on October 21, 2004 . For questions regarding course registration, call (518) 442-5052.

UAlbany's Center for Public Health Preparedness, one of two such centers in New York State , improves the capacity of the public health workforce to respond to current and emerging public health threats with a focus on bioterrorism and infectious disease outbreaks.

Welcome, New Faculty!

We are happy to welcome three new three new assistant professors to the school, David Miller, Peter Shea, and Hae-Deok Song.

David Miller, Ph.D. joins the Division of School Psychology in our Dept. of Educational and Counseling Psychology. Dr. Miller earned his Ph. D. at Lehigh University and is also a certified school psychologist. Before joining our faculty, Dr. Miller was director of the Centennial School of Lehigh University Predoctoral Internship in Professional Psychology.

His research interests include childhood internalizing disorders, self-destructive behavior in children and youth, interventions for children and youth with emotional and behavioral disorders, and the promotion of positive psychology and children's subjective well-being.

"We are very excited about David joining the faculty," said department chair Debi May. "His research and previous field experience are valuable additions to our School Psychology Program." This fall Dr. Miller is teaching EPSY 798: Seminar in Consultation and Prevention.

	Two assistant professors joined the Department of Educational Theory and Practice (ETAP). Peter J. Shea, Ph.D. is returning to his alma mater after serving as the Director of the SUNY Learning Network and Manager of the SUNY Teaching, Learning & Technology Program. He earned his M.S. in Teaching English to Speakers of Other
Languages, and Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction at the University at Albany . His research interests focus on computer mediated instruction. This fall, Dr. Shea is teaching an online section of ETAP 680: Graduate Research Seminar.

Hae-Deok Song earned his Ph.D. at Pennsylvania State University and an M.S. in Educational Methodology and Instructional Psychology at the Seoul National University . His research interests include the design of cognitive and motivation-supported learning environments, technology

applications in K-12 and higher education and the evaluation of online programs. Dr. Song is teaching ETAP 623: The Systematic Design of Instruction.

"Professors Shea and Song will be part of a new initiative in Information Technology and Learning, complementing the strengths of other faculty members in ETAP and in its partnership with the School of Information Science and Policy," comments department chair Arthur Applebee. "Taken together, the research of the two scholars will position ETAP at the cutting edge of scholarship, from ways to use technology to move learning beyond the traditional classroom to ways to use technology to enrich activities within the classroom."