News: Senior Consultant Joins CCU

Department of Education Senior Consultant Joins CCU

Former Colorado Department of Education (CDE) senior consultant Dr. Bushrod White recently joined Colorado Christian University as Director of Graduate Education and Licensing Programs for the school's College of Adult and Graduate Studies. White served at CDE as the Title II Part A Coordinator in the state's adoption of the federal "No Child Left Behind" Act of 2001 (NCLB). He also oversaw the Department's Mathematics and Science Partnership.

NCLB's Title II chapter defines specific measures for increasing educator licensure standards -- a response to the highly qualified teacher provisions found in NCLB Title I. In order to raise academic achievement among students nationwide, Title I stated that all K-12 school districts must confirm their teaching staff as "highly qualified" by the 2005-2006 school year. The term "highly qualified" refers to individuals who hold at least a bachelor's degree, demonstrate competency in the core subjects they teach, and have been certified according to the requirements of their employer state. During his four years as Title II Part A Coordinator, Dr. White was responsible for distributing over 30 million dollars to 178 Colorado school districts toward the training, recruitment, and placement of these educators. He also conducted onsite visits to ensure appropriate use of funds, designed a data collection system to monitor program success, and spent the fall of 2005 traveling extensively to provide technical support for states collecting data.

As administrator of Colorado's mathematics and science partnership, White distributed 1.8 million dollars in competitive grants to elementary and secondary school districts and institutions of higher education. He directed the grant application process, organized award competitions, and audited local-level program administration. In 2002, White helped evaluate the effectiveness of math and science partnerships around the country and traveled to Washington, D.C. to participate in the National Science and Mathematics Forum, sponsored by the National Science Foundation (NSF). In 2006, he presented overseas in Seoul at the American and South Korean Educational Summit, a collaborative effort between NSF and the Korean Science and Education Foundation.

A member of the Colorado Association of School Executives, Dr. White has over 25 years of combined experience as a teacher and principal in K-12 education. He graduated from Western State College of Colorado in 1976 with a Bachelor of Arts in History and later attended Colorado State University for a master's degree in adult and community education. He holds a doctoral degree in educational administration from Nova Southeastern University.

"Colorado has a shortage of educators," White explained, "and at CCU we are able to supply high-caliber teachers for public, charter, private, and faith-based schools. I look forward to developing the University toward an even greater world impact."