CASSO Update: Fall 2009

This was a semester full of CASSO activity. We just completed our first semester with Cohort 2, our treatment group. Dr. Dee Fink, the creator of the approach to course design CASSO is following, observed our application and provided feedback.

In addition to the administration of our standard data collection, we also conducted two student focus groups to receive feedback on their experience during Block 1. We continue to develop the CASSO student website, and the refinement of an online Spanish language development program based on the new state mandated language proficiency standards. We have also begun to examine the procedure used to evaluate student delivery of required lessons in the field, with support from the University of Virginia.

Finally, CASSO has begun to sketch out how we might proceed to measure the impact our program completers have on student achievement once in the classroom. Dr. Michael D. Guerrero was invited to present on issues related to the preparation of teachers for ELLs at the National Conference on Teacher Quality held in Washington, DC. Dr. Luz Murillo, Dr. Alcione Ostorga, and Dr. Janine Schall presented CASSO findings related to literacy at the National Reading Conference held in Albuquerque, NM.

Dr. Michael Guerrero,
PI/Director of the CASSO Project