College of Education News

Hawthorne School District receives School Counselor Residency grants for counseling program partnership with CSUDH’s College of Education

Carson, CA - 04/16/2024 ---- The Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC) awarded the Hawthorne School District a $610,000 grant, which the district will use to implement a collaborative partnership with the College of Education’s School & College Counseling program to provide professional learning for current school counselors to build capacity around best practices, mentorship, and leadership.

“The school counselor residency partnership is essential for preparing counselors to address students' multifaceted needs and contributes to creating safe, supportive, and nurturing school environments conducive to academic success and personal growth,” says Rudy Salas, HSD Director of Pupil Personnel Services.

The School Counselor Residency Capacity and School Counselor Residency Implementation grants will run for three years. The funds will help students who are studying school counseling complete their degrees and enter the workforce.

The College of Education will work with Hawthorne School District (HSD) and the community to make sure the grant provides and fits the district’s needs for CSUDH’s school counseling candidates (residents) to complete a year of training and service within HSD schools to earn their Pupil Personnel Services Credential in School Counseling.

• The Capacity Grant was awarded at $250,000 to fund professional development and training for residents, mentor counselors, as well as all district counselors; counselor training stipends; and program administration.
• The Implementation Grant will provide $40,000 for each resident and mentor counselor to be provided a stipend for their year of service.

HSD will host three residents per year, who will provide additional support to HSD students and seamlessly integrate into HSD schools if hired after completing their credential. The total funding awarded from both grants over the project period of three years is $610,000.

Cristina Stephany, Ed.D., HSD Coordinator of Grant Management & Communications says, “combining the strengths of the COE’s School Counseling Program with HSD’s award-winning pupil personnel services, we can create a dynamic environment for counselor training to enhance student wellness across our schools.”

HSD and the School and College Counseling program will ensure candidates are prepared to earn a Pupil Personnel Services Credential with a specialization in school counseling that will authorize the candidate to perform the following duties:

• Develop, plan, implement, and evaluate a school counseling and guidance program that includes academic, career, personal, and social development
• Advocate for the high academic achievement and social development of all pupils
• Provide schoolwide prevention and intervention strategies and counseling services
• Provide consultation, training, and staff development to teachers and parents regarding pupils' needs
• Supervise a local educational agency-approved educational counseling program

The CTC School Counselor Residency Program is a grant applicant-based program that partners a Local Educational Agency (LEA) with one or more commission-approved professional preparation programs offering preparation in school counseling provided by a regionally accredited institution of higher education.

Brian Markarian, Ed.D., Superintendent, developed the grant proposal in partnership with Jessica Pandya, Ph.D., Dean of the College of Education at CSUDH, and Adriean Mancillas, Psy.D., Director of the CSUDH School & College Counseling Program. Mancillas called the grant awarding an example of the College of Education’s mission and vision in action.

“Consistent with the College of Education’s equity-focused vision and mission to prepare transformative educators and create student-centered partnerships, the school counseling residency program will be of great benefit to the residents, as well as the district counselors and their students,” says Mancillas.

“Additionally, the residency will provide a rare opportunity for the counseling residents to receive financial support for their professional preparation in school counseling. I am excited and grateful to partner with the amazing school counseling team in HSD to bring such a unique opportunity to our school counseling students at CSUDH.”

The School Counselor Residency Capacity and School Counselor Residency Implementation Grant writers and contributors:

• Cristina Stephany, Ed.D., Coordinator of Grant Management & Communications
• Adriean Mancillas, Ph.D., Director of CSUDH School & College Counseling
• Rudy Salas, Director of HSD Pupil Personnel Services
• Matthew Rohrer, Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources
• Mara Pagniano, Associate Superintendent of Business Services
• Brian Markarian, Ed.D., Associate Superintendent of Human Resources
• Jessica Pandya, Ph.D., Dean of the College of Education at CSUDH

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