Darlene Michener, Ph.D.

Office: KH C 2058
Phone: (323) 343-4360
Fax: (323) 343-5458
E-mail: dmichen@calstatela.edu

INTRODUCTION

Dr. Michener came to CSLA in 1985 with ten years of teaching and administrative experience, holding Elementary and Early Childhood teacher certifications from Florida and Illinois. In 1997, Dr. Michener was a recipient of the Charter College of Education’s “Outstanding Faculty and Staff Award” and in 2001, she received the California State University, Los Angeles 2000/2001 “Outstanding Professor Award.” Dr. Michener was the California State University, Los Angeles representative to the Chancellor’s Office “Center for the Advancement of Reading” and one of six California State University system-wide members selected to serve on the Chancellor’s Office Advisory Panel for that group (along with members representing the California Board of Education, School District Superintendents, PTA presidents, and others). At CSLA, she successfully co-coordinates the Charter College of Education’s highly respected 4-in-1 Graduate Reading Program (Master of Arts in Education: Option in (K-14) Reading, Reading & Language Arts Specialist Credential, California Reading Certificate & Postsecondary Reading Certificate). Under her leadership, that program became one of the first in nation to earn triple certification, being recognized by the International Reading Association (IRA), National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Educators (NCATE), and California Commission on Accreditation (COA). In the Fall of 2002, by special request from the Glendale School District, she began an on-site “Special Sessions” CSLA/Glendale Graduate Reading Program successfully graduating both a two-year and a three-year cohort (over 60 new Reading & Language Arts Specialists). Then, again by special request, in the Fall of 2002, she coordinated a similar on-site “Special Sessions” Graduate Reading Program in the Garvey School District for two cohorts of Garvey Reading & Language Arts Specialists. Dr. Michener directs the annual “CSLA Literacy Conference” which offers approximately 30 individual hands-on workshop sessions, free of charge, for parents and their K-5 students to improve the children's literacy skills and enhance the leadership skills of CSLA Reading & Language Arts Specialist candidates.

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TEACHING INTERESTS

Dr. Michener has taught over 24 different courses since arriving at CSLA, with outstanding student evaluation scores. Dr. Michener currently teaches courses in K-14 reading/language arts including the graduate level Reading/Language Arts Across the Curriculum & the graduate level Writing Assessment course. Additionally, Dr. Michener supervises field placement projects where CSLA Graduate Reading Program students work on individualized projects such as working with individual teachers who have requested one-on-one assistance to update and enhance their reading/language arts teaching skills. Dr. Michener designed and updated programs and courses for each of nine Accreditations leading the CCOE to successfully gain full accreditations for each of CSLA's graduate reading programs. Dr. Michener also founded the very successful CCOE “Literacy Resource Lab.” Since its inception, the Literacy Resource Lab has supported and extended the education of over 15,000 CSLA Teacher Candidates, Graduate Degree Candidates, & others, including the offering of Free tutoring for CSLA teacher education candidates for the RICA (a California new teacher assessment instrument). The Literacy Resource Lab currently houses over 8,000 K-12 children’s literature selections, a complete set of K-14 diagnostic/remediation materials, reading/language arts software, teacher reference materials, sample lesson plans, journals and current reading/language arts textbook programs which are available for check-out and use by students and beginning teachers in order to help them enhance their learning/teaching skills for their current and future students’ learning of K-14 reading and language arts.

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RESEARCH

In 1994, Dr. Michener founded the first CSLA Charter College of Education “cluster” – now known as the CSLA CCOE “Literacy Collaborative.” Over the years, this Literacy Collaborative has brought together efforts of CCOE professors from all Charter College of Education divisions, with professors from 4 sister CSU campuses, teachers, administrators, students and community representatives of the LA County Office of Education, and over 20 Area School Districts including Alhambra, Arcadia, Baldwin Park, Burbank, Duarte, El Monte, Garvey, Glendale, Los Angeles, Mountain View, Monrovia, Montebello, Pasadena, Rosemead, San Gabriel, South Pasadena, Temple City, West Covina, Whittier and others. Special projects have included: the “On-Line Communications Network for Literacy,” the “Distinguished Literacy Teachers in Residence” program, “Enhancement of Student Teacher Supervision in Literacy,” “Support of the CSLA Reading & Writing Clinics,” an “Early Literacy Field Support” program, the “Beginning Teacher Support Network for Literacy,” programs to enhance “Parent Literacy,” “RICA Rescue,” and many more programs. In 1987, Dr. Michener initiated “The Westhoff Project.” This Walnut Unified School District /Business Community /University grant project designed and developed from scratch, a Demonstration School for Excellence in Reading and Language Arts Education. The seven year longitudinal study related to that project produced valuable data leading to a School Board Commendation by the Walnut Valley Unified School District. Dr. Michener has been a Clinical Professor for the Crenshaw Teacher Training Magnet High School and a Lincoln/DELTA Literacy Coach for LA Unified School District. She was co-coordinator of the 20/20 Inner City School Improvement Grant Project through CSLA & Temple University, and she directed the Governor’s CSU-Community College Reading Development Partnership Grant. Her current research interests investigate the connection between music education and literacy.

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PUBLICATIONS AND PRESENTATIONS

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EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND

Ph.D. Language Arts 1985

• University of South Florida
  Tampa, Florida

MA Curriculum & Instruction 1982

• University of South Florida
  Tampa, Florida

B.S.Ed. Elementary Education 1979

• Northern Illinois University
  DeKalb, Illinois

A.A. Early Childhood Education 1972

• Harper College
  Palatine, Illinois

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COURSE LISTING

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