Attallah College of Educational Studies

2022-2023 Dean's Report

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Dr. Roxanne Greitz Miller

Message from the Dean

Welcome to the 2022-23 Attallah College of Educational Studies' Dean's Report, a showcase of our college's exceptional recent journey shaping the future of education and empowering minds to create positive change in the world. As we reflect on last academic year, we are proud to share our college's 2022-27 Strategic Plan goals and some of the many remarkable strengths and accomplishments that define our vibrant educational community. 

Our faculty and staff have always been key to Attallah College's success and Chapman's commitment to academic excellence. I am continually inspired by their stories of dedication and service. Distinguished scholars, passionate teachers, and experienced professionals all converge at Attallah College, creating a dynamic research and teaching environment for our students who are at the heart of everything we do. The student and alumni achievements shared, ranging from winning prestigious awards and scholarships to engaging in research and impactful community projects, exhibit the exceptional quality of education received at Attallah College.  

By bridging the Chapman classroom to the community, also one of our college's strategic plan initiatives, we expanded our outreach initiatives last year and established fruitful new partnerships with local schools, organizations, and community leaders. Through these connections, our students gain valuable hands-on experiences, and our faculty and staff contribute to addressing pressing, real-world educational challenges. These community engagements, rather than focusing only on what goes on inside our classrooms and generating research for research's sake demonstrate that, in Attallah College, we strive to make a real difference in the lived experiences of others.

As we build on our successes in 2022-23, we look forward to continuing to shape the future of education, one innovative idea and one dedicated educator at a time. Together, we remain steadfast in our pursuit of empowering the leaders of tomorrow and creating a more equitable and inclusive world through the transformative power of education.

Roxanne Greitz Miller, Ed.D.
Dean, Attallah College of Educational Studies
Donna Ford Attallah Professor of Teacher Education
Chapman University

Attallah College's 2022-27 Strategic Plan 
2022-2023

Enrollment Rebound Post-Covid

82% Increase in Applications School Psychology

School Psychology: 82% Increase in Applications

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60% Increase in Applications MA in Teaching

MA in Teaching: 60% Increase in Applications

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33% Increase in Applications Ph.D. in Education

PhD in Education: 33% Increase in Applications

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Attallah College Strategic Plan

Goal 1 Highlights

Develop education and community professionals who are well prepared
to address 21st-century issues
in a diverse society.

CTC Grant

Attallah College Awarded $249K Grant to Develop a New Special Education Pathway

Chapman University’s Attallah College of Educational Studies was awarded a $249,106 planning grant to develop a new Special Education teacher preparation pathway. The California Commission on Teacher Credentialing’s (CTC) grant program aims to develop four-year integrated teacher preparation programs, targeting areas of recognized teacher shortages such as Special Education, through bachelor’s degree programs that contain a teaching credential. In its first round of review, the CTC funded 19 proposals, including Attallah College’s award to prepare new Mild to Moderate Support Needs and Extensive Support Needs (ESN) Educational Specialist programs.

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$270k in New Attallah College Student Aid Funding

$270k in New Attallah College Student Aid Funding

We're thrilled to announce new sources of student aid for the 2022-2023 academic year at Attallah College, totaling $270k. These opportunities include the Attallah College - Santa Ana USD "Grow Your Own" Special Education Partnership with $120k awarded, the McGovern Foundation granting $75k for Graduate Teacher Education Students entering from the C-TAG Program, the SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union Scholarship offering $15k for undergraduate C-TAG students, and the Shirley Lapier Endowed Scholarships of $60k for students pursuing teaching and school counseling careers.

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$1,540,000 in Golden State Teacher Grants Offered to Our Attallah College Students

$1,540,000 in Golden State Teacher Grants Offered to Our Attallah College Students

The Golden State Teacher Grants awarded in 2022-23 include pupil personnel services, which allows future school counselors and school psychologists, in addition to future teachers, to participate in the one-time grant fund opportunity. We had 77 Attallah College students participating in this program, which has yielded a total support of $1,540,000 in aid for our graduate educator preparation students.

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Alumni Highlights

Attallah College of Educational Studies celebrates its alumni, adeptly prepared to navigate 21st-century complexities in diverse educational settings.
California Association of School Counselors Emeriti Scholarship
California Association of School Counselors Emeriti Scholarship

Joshua Cheng, MA ‘23 School Counseling, was honored with the California Association of School Counselors (CASC) Emeriti Scholarship. In addition, Joshua was accepted into the CASC Emerging Leaders Program, marking yet another notable achievement. We're thrilled to note that this is the third consecutive year that Chapman students have represented our institution in this esteemed group of leaders!

Teachers of the Year
Teachers of the Year

Attallah College has a fantastic track record with our Teacher Education graduates. We were thrilled to celebrate a trifecta of Teachers of the Year, all in Orange Unified School District. A special congratulations to Dorcas Hoi, BA ‘18, MA ‘19, Kristen Pedley Guttenplan, BA ‘15, MAT ‘16, and Sabrina Lewis, BA ‘17, MACI ‘18.

A New Kind of Sweet 16 Celebration
A New Kind of Sweet 16 Celebration

All 16 of our 2022 MA Curriculum Instruction graduates - the first cohort to receive dual credentials in general and special education - were all employed immediately after graduation in the summer of 2022. Some of their new employers include  CHIME Inclusion Program, Hewes Middle School, Villa Park High School, Orange Lutheran High School, Santa Monica Blvd Community Charter School, and Tustin Unified School District.

Attallah College Strategic Plan

Goal 2 Highlights

Increase the impact and influence
of the college's research and
scholarly activities.

External Grants

Attallah College Grant Success

In the 2022-2023 fiscal year, Attallah College demonstrated an extraordinary commitment to advancing research, maintaining a success rate of 52% in securing external grants. The college was awarded 12 substantial research grants, receiving funding of $2,304,650. This achievement highlights the college's steadfast dedication to fostering innovation and excellence in scholarship.

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Math Interventions Grant

Math Interventions Grant

Dr. Jennifer Kong, Assistant Professor of Special Education, and Dr. Trisha Sugita, Assistant Professor of Special Education and Director of Teacher Education, were awarded $15,100 from the inaugural Solutions Grants program. Their research project titled, “Culturally Responsive Mathematics Interventions for Emergent Bilingual Students in Multi-tiered Support Systems,” aims to improve math instruction for bilingual special education students.

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Peace Leadership for DEI in Elementary Education

Peace Leadership for DEI in Elementary Education

Dr. Whitney McIntyre Miller, Associate Professor of Leadership Studies, and Dr. Annmary Abdou, Assistant Professor of School Counseling and Psychology, were awarded $9,888 from the inaugural Solutions Grants program. Their research project is titled, “Peace Leadership for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Elementary Education.”

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Dr. Stephany Cuevas

American Association of Hispanics in Higher Education's “Book of the Year” Awards

Dr. Stephany Cuevas, an Assistant Professor in the Integrated Educational Studies (IES) program at Attallah College of Educational Studies, received the “Early Career Award” for her first book, "Apoyo Sacrificial, Sacrificial Support: How Undocumented Latinx Parents Get Their Children to College." The award was presented at the 18th annual American Association of Hispanics in Higher Education's (AAHHE) “Book of the Year” awards ceremony.

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AERA Conference Highlights

The Attallah College of Educational Studies’ faculty, staff, and alumni  showcased its expertise in 36 meetings, panels, and paper and poster presentations during the conference. Furthermore, faculty and staff members earned recognition through four awards presented at the annual event.
Dr. Peter McLaren, Distinguished Professor in Critical Studies
Dr. Peter McLaren

Dr. Peter McLaren, Distinguished Professor in Critical Studies, received the Paulo Freire SIG Legacy Award. The honor is given in recognition of commitment to educating for social justice, making significant contributions to the field of critical pedagogy, and furthering Paulo Freire's legacy.

Dr. Doug Havard, Education Ph.D. '22
Dr. Doug Havard

Dr. Doug Havard (Education Ph.D., 2022), who is Coordinator of Attallah College's SNU Ph.D. Program, was awarded the Advanced Studies of National Databases SIG's 2023 Outstanding Dissertation Award. This award is given by AERA to recognize outstanding dissertation research appropriate to the field.

Dr. Margie Curwen and Dr. Kevin Stockbridge
Dr. Margie Curwen and Dr. Kevin Stockbridge

Dr. Margie Curwen and Dr. Kevin Stockbridge were among the authors who received the Outstanding Article in Systems Thinking in Education Award. The recognition highlights research that contributes to systems thinking in education literature in meaningful and innovative ways.

Attallah College Strategic Plan

Goal 3 Highlights

Enhance collaborations to address
needs and opportunities in education
and community settings. 

Chapman and Shanghai Normal University Partnership

After a series of delays due to pandemic restrictions, Attallah College’s Ph.D. in Education program was thrilled to welcome 10 students from its second cohort with Shanghai Normal University (SNU) to study on the Orange Campus starting in the 2023 spring semester. 

“The program provides a rich learning experience for our international colleagues in Shanghai, China, as they pursue a Ph.D. in education with an emphasis in leadership studies,” shares Dr. Doug Havard, Program Coordinator, Chapman-SNU Ph.D. in Education.

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The First C-TAG Program Cohort Graduates in May 2023

Developed within Chapman’s Attallah College, the C-TAG, or Chapman Transfer Admission Guarantee (C-TAG) program was specially designed for future elementary and special education teachers from Santiago Canyon College (SCC) or Santa Ana College (SAC). Our first cohort from the C-TAG program graduated in Spring 2023. 

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Attallah - Santa Ana USD "Grow Your Own" Special Ed Teacher Program

Through the “Grow Your Own” initiative, Santa Ana Unified School District (SAUSD) classified employees now have the opportunity to pursue a master’s degree and a teacher credential at Chapman University, with zero out-of-pocket cost. Through this pathway, these classified employees for whom a master’s degree might have previously been financially out of reach can aspire to be a classroom teacher in special education.

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Community Partner Highlights

Attallah College of Educational Studies is committed to working hand in hand with communities to improve educational environments.
Attallah College’s Literacy Tutoring Program with Fletcher Mandarin Language and GATE Academy
Attallah College’s Literacy Tutoring Program with Fletcher Mandarin Language and GATE Academy

Attallah College resumed its long-standing tradition in collaborating with and serving our cherished local community, rebounding from the global pandemic that temporarily limited our options to work on site in K-12 schools. Our Master of Arts in Teacher Education and Master of Arts in Special Education programs participated in a transformative, afterschool 12-week literacy intervention in collaboration with the Orange Unified School District’s Fletcher Mandarin Language and GATE Academy.

Attallah College Fieldwork Agreements
Attallah College Fieldwork Agreements

Attallah College is at the heart of fostering enriching partnerships with K-12 schools and districts across Southern California. We stand proud with over 100 established agreements with various school districts, healthcare providers, and community organizations, paving the way for our students to immerse themselves in an abundance of opportunities spanning fieldwork, internships, and practicum experiences. 

STEAM Night with Orange Unified School District
STEAM Night with Orange Unified School District

Dr. Jennifer Kong led a STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) night with our MACI students at Orange Unified School District’s California Elementary School iInspire Academy! Dr. Kong followed up with the event by providing activities, standards and resources for K - 5th grade math.

Attallah College Strategic Plan

Goal 4 Highlights

Expand, nurture and sustain a culture of continuous improvement among the college's personnel and programs.

Thompson Policy Institute

Thompson Policy Institute (TPI) Highlights

Chapman University’s Thompson Policy Institute (TPI) on Disability strives to impact policy by reducing barriers limiting access to learning, living and working, and the pursuit of a complete and quality life. To accomplish this goal, the TPI assesses research and acts on the critical issues facing people with disabilities, as well as their families, support communities and the agencies that work on their behalf. 

Visit the TPI Newsroom 

Here to Make an Impact

Attallah College of Educational Studies cultivates an environment that nurtures our students and alumni to dream big.
Alondra Diaz Alondra Diaz

BA '06, MAE '09
California Teacher of the Year

2023 Attallah College 
Degree Ceremony Keynote Speaker

Crisis Response Crisis Response

Chapman students take the long view on leadership, investing their labor to learn about rebuilding resilient communities after Hurricane Katrina. 

Attallah College’s Great Success at CASP CASP

Attallah College was represented in 13 total activities at the annual California Association of School Psychologists (CASP) conference.

Sarah Wilson Sarah Wilson

Sarah Wilson (MACI '23) is the fifth Attallah College student in the past decade to become a Fulbright Scholar.

Kappa Delta Pi Kappa Delta Pi

Chapman University’s Attallah College is thrilled to welcome new initiates to the Kappa Delta Pi (KDP) International Honor Society.

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Donna Ford Attallah College of Educational Studies

One University Drive, Orange, CA, 92866

(714) 997-6781

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