Center X is a coalition of professional credentialing and continuing education programs housed within the Graduate School of Education and Information Studies at the University of California at Los Angeles. In the past ten years, Center X has awarded the preliminary teaching credential and Master of Education to more than 1700 teachers through its Teacher Education Program (TEP) and the Tier I administrative credential and Master of Education to nearly 400 administrators in training through its Principal Leadership Institute (PLI).
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History
Center X was founded in response to a report published by the University of California's Advisory Committee calling for a transformation of the relationship between university teacher training programs and the public schools to employ prospective student teachers. In response to this report and the social upheaval in Los Angeles of the early 1990s, the newly formed center explicitly focused on some of the most impoverished areas in Los Angeles: East Los Angeles, Pico Union, South Los Angeles, and the Crenshaw District. Both of Center X's flagship professional programs, TEP and PLI, have a social justice emphasis as core to their work.
Efficacy
Although Center X works to staff some of the most difficult schools in Los Angeles, the program has seen success, in particular in the area of teacher retention. A 2003 study found that "Center X graduates stay in teaching at higher rates than national averages. As expected, retention decreases over time, yet even after 5 years, 70% of Center X graduates remain in the classroom compared to 61% of teachers nationally".
For the 2010-2011 academic year, four TEP alumni were selected as United States Department of Education "Teaching Ambassador Fellows".
Methods
Center X is specifically committed to Vygotskyian sociocultural theory and continues to do work around child development through language.
Projects
Center X provides ongoing development for urban educators and schools through eight projects. These include five subject matter Projects (Writing, Reading and Literature, Mathematics, Science, and History-Geography), the UCLA Parent Project, a National Boards Project, and a School Transformation Project.