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Mission | Research | Publications | Mailing List | Contacts

MISSION

Based at the University of California, Santa Cruz, CREDE assists the nation's population of diverse students, including those at risk of educational failure, to achieve academic excellence. The purpose of CREDE's research is to identify and develop effective educational practices for linguistic and cultural minority students, such as those placed at risk by factors of race, poverty, and geographic location.

In collaboration with the University of California at Santa Cruz, CAL prepares and disseminates materials for CREDE.

CREDE is one of 12 national research and development centers funded by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Educational Research and Improvement, National Institute on the Education of At-Risk Students. CREDE continues to improve upon the work of the National Center for Research on Cultural Diversity and Second Language Learning (NCRCDSLL).

CREDE also has an office at the University of Houston which heads current work on synthesizing research. In addition to the University of California, Santa Cruz, the University of Houston, and the Center for Applied Linguistics, CREDE has a number of partners.

RESEARCH

CREDE's research program is based on a sociocultural theoretical framework that is sensitive to diverse cultures and languages, but powerful enough to identify the great commonalities that unite people. It is based on 8 principles:

• All children can learn.
• All children learn best when challenged by high standards.
• English proficiency is a goal for all students.
• Bilingual proficiency is desirable for all students.
• Language and cultural diversity can be assets for teaching and learning.
• Teaching and learning must be accommodated to individuals.
• Risk factors can be mitigated by schools that teach the skills that schools require.
• Solutions to risk factors must be grounded in a valid general theory of developmental, teaching, and schooling processes.

From 1996-2001, CREDE operated over 30 projects under six programmatic strands. Research on language learning opportunities highlighted exemplary programmatic choices. Effective professional development practices for teachers, paraprofessionals, and principals were explored. The influence and interaction of family, peers, and community on the education of linguistically and culturally diverse students was examined. Instruction in context looked at teaching these students in different content areas, such as science and math. Successful integrated school reform initiatives were identified and documented. Research on assessment investigated alternative methods for evaluating the academic achievement of language minority students.

Four CREDE research projects were conducted and continue in part at CAL:

• Two-Way Immersion Education
  This 5-year study of two-way immersion education is investigating the language development and academic achievement of students, the professional development of teachers, and the articulation of programs from the elementary to the secondary level.

• Newcomers: Language and Academic Programs for Recent Immigrants
  This project seeks out, profiles, and examines programs for recently arrived students to U.S. secondary schools and studies their program design and implementation.

• A National Survey of School/Community-Based Organization Partnerships Serving At-Risk Students
  This project identified school-CBO partnerships which include among their goals supporting the academic achievement of language minority students.

• The Effects of Sheltered Instruction on the Achievement of Limited English Proficient Students
  This project is working with teachers to identify key practices for sheltered instruction and to develop a professional development model that would enable more teachers to use sheltered instruction effectively in their classrooms.

View a complete list of CREDE projects and principal investigators.

During 2001-2003, seven Synthesis Teams will extract key findings and practices from the work of CREDE's 31 research projects from the previous five years. Comprised of the nation's leading experts, practitioners, and policymakers in education, each team will focus on a specific theme. Each team will produce an array of materials to bring state-of the-art knowledge on diversity education into America's classrooms and will also make recommendations for future research agendas. Each team is charged with a specific area of focus:

• Language learning and academic achievement
• Professional development for diversity
• Preservice teacher education for diversity
• Schools, family, and community
• Mathematics and diversity
• Science and diversity
• Teacher-school-systemic integration for effective reform

For more information on CREDE's research, visit the main CREDE website.

PUBLICATIONS

CREDE Publications and Products Page

CREDE FAQ's
Check here to find answers to Frequently Asked Questions about ordering CREDE publications.

Note: CREDE continues to disseminate NCRCDSLL publications and products through the Center for Applied Linguistics.

Need more research on education? Visit a new web site that links more than 600 reports from the 12 national R&D centers. Many centers funded by the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Educational Research and Improvement conduct research that crosses specific education topics. For more information about the Centers, please go to the National Research and Development Center page of the OERI Web site.

CONTACT PEOPLE

For more information on CREDE projects at CAL, contact:

Deborah Short
Center for Applied Linguistics
4646 40th Street NW
Washington, DC 20016-1859
Tel. 202-362-0700, ext. 247
crede@cal.org

For information about all other CREDE projects and activities, please contact CREDE's main office at the University of California, Santa Cruz:

Center for Research on Education, Diversity & Excellence (CREDE)
University of California, Santa Cruz
1156 High Street
Santa Cruz, CA 95064
crede@cats.ucsc.edu
www.crede.ucsc.edu

Core Staff:

Roland G. Tharp - Director
Yolanda Padrón - Co-director
Ruth Campbell - Assistant to the Director
Barbara McKenna - Communications Coordinator
Nadia DuBose - Events & Dissemination Assistant
Christina Cicoletti - Coordinator, Operations & Reporting