Centers and Services

The Center for Science and Mathematics Education, directed by Dr. James Barufaldi, provides training opportunities for science teachers in Texas schools and promotes strong undergraduate and graduate programs in this area.

The Education Career Services and Field Experiences offices, directed by Dr. Sharon Evans, help to provide classroom experience for future teachers and to match students certified through the College of Education with positions in schools and colleges.

The Learning Technology Center, directed by Dr. Paul Resta, houses microcomputing and media services, instructional equipment and materials. Center staff work with schools to design ways that new information technologies can help support learning for K-12 and for preservice teachers.

The Office of Bilingual Education, directed by Dr. Alba A. Ortiz, coordinates efforts throughout the College associated with the training of bilingual personnel.

The Texas Center for Disability Studies, directed by Dr. Penny Seay, is one of the 67 University Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities in Education, Research, and Service located in university settings throughout the United States and its territories. By emphasizing cultural and linguistic diversity as an essential belief, the center serves Texas as a catalyst so that people with disabilities are living lives they choose in supportive communities.

The Texas Center for Education Policy, directed by Dr. Angela Valenzuela, engages in extensive research, analysis, development, and implementation of state educational policy. The center is dedicated to defining major policy issues and assessing the effectiveness of various policy-development strategies and alternatives.

The Vaughn Gross Center for Reading and Language Arts, directed by Dr. Sylvia Linan-Thompson, provides information to educators statewide and nationally about research-based effective practices in the teaching of reading and language arts. One of its components, the Texas Family Literacy Center, is a resource to family literacy educators throughout Texas.