Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Teacher Preparation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Portland State partnership credited with summer tutoring gains at Metzger
Summary
Portland State University staff told the board their summer practicum served about 94 K–5 students at Metzger, offered high‑dosage reading intervention and provided hands‑on training for graduate teacher candidates; presenters noted OSEP funding and local recognition for partners.
Portland State University representatives briefed the Tigard‑Tualatin School District board on a summer practicum and tutoring partnership at Metzger Elementary that organizers said served about 94 kindergarten‑through‑fifth‑grade students.
Julie Esparza Brown of Portland State said the partnership dates to a 2016 model demonstration grant to develop an MTSS framework for multilingual learners and noted subsequent OSEP funding for teacher preparation. “We were able to offer PD and model best practices for our future teachers,” Esparza Brown said, and the summer site offered coaching, video reflection and on‑site mentoring for graduate candidates.
The presenters described high‑dosage reading intervention (30 minutes at a time) and reported measurable early literacy gains: improvements in phonemic awareness and letter‑sound correspondence visible within the short practicum. The team also highlighted that program costs did not increase while the number of students served rose.
The board recognized the program’s role in recruitment and retention of special education candidates and its alignment with the district strategic plan. Dr. McCall thanked Portland State and noted that the district views the summer practicum as an important hiring pipeline for hard‑to‑staff specialties.
Presenters referenced external coverage and awards: a front‑page story in The Oregonian and a Portland State Community Partner Award given to principal Jessica Swindle. No board action was required; board members were invited to visit the program.
