Biola University Continues Literacy Lab Partnership with Buena Park School District

Biola’s School of Education has partnered with the Buena Park School District to continue to improve literacy among K-2 students through The Literacy Lab. Biola students are making a difference in the local community while gaining practical teaching experience.

“Biola University School of Education is thankful for the opportunity to partner with teachers to support the K-2 students' literacy development and provide invaluable experiences for our teacher candidates in the area of teaching English language arts,” said Carolina Serna, professor of education.

Serna serves as the key liaison between Biola and the school district.

Biola undergraduate and graduate students work with kindergarten through second grade teachers to produce student assessments, direct small group instructions and provide individual student support. Through the program, students are able to complete 30 fieldwork hours toward completing their degree. The school district currently hosts 27 Biola students in six local schools and expects an increase of approximately 60 students in Spring 2018.

June Hetzel, dean of Biola University’s School of Education, formed the Literacy Lab while visiting Pendleton and Whitaker Elementary Schools in Buena Park, Calif. Hetzel, along with her fellow colleagues, recognized the need for a literacy program as a way to enhance the scholarship of local elementary students.

The program officially began in May 2016 when five teachers from Whitaker opened their classrooms to 18 Biola students.

As of this year, 100 Biola teacher candidates have learned to teach literacy lessons, practice teaching strategies and administer a variety of literacy assessments used in the Buena Park  School District through participating in the Literacy Lab program.

For more information on the Biola School of Education, visit the School of Education website.

Written by Kili Wall, public relations intern. For more information, contact Jenna Loumagne, Manager of Media Relations, at (562) 777-4061 or jenna.loumagne@biola.edu.