Projects - McAteer Project Proposal, 1967

A large set of files within the collection represents Pitts’ time as Coordinator of Research and Teacher Education for the California State Department of Education, Office of Compensatory Education in Sacramento, California. It includes correspondence, project related material, reports, teacher education-related material, and newsletters.

Correspondence in the file group is arranged chronologically. Project materials make up half of the file group and are arranged alphabetically by project, then numerically by project number where applicable, and chronologically. There are three primary project groups in this section: McAteer Act projects, the Riverside School Study of desegregation (the largest project within the McAteer group), and the Sausalito Teacher Education Project (STEP), as well as other projects. The McAteer Act, section 54400-54407 of the California Education Code, declared that “because of home, community, environmental and other conditions which give rise to language, cultural and economic disadvantages, the latent talents of many minors in the elementary and secondary schools in the state remain undiscovered and are not adequately developed by the general educational programs afforded by the public school system and private schools or school systems.” Its aim was to identify such disadvantaged pupils and provide the necessary resources to allow these students to succeed within the educational system. The Riverside School Study, which followed the school’s desegregation policies and implementation, makes up a large portion of the McAteer material. STEP was a cooperative project between San Francisco State College and the Sausalito School District that attempted to change the teacher education curriculum. Related materials include correspondence, reports, and evaluations.

Reports are arranged alphabetically by topic, and then chronologically. They address an array of topics, including compensatory education, legislation, educational development, and social issues. Teacher education materials are also arranged alphabetically by topic, and then chronologically.This grouping is made up of items designed to inform teachers on specific subjects and provide curriculum guidelines. Manuals, instructional programs, and other teacher resources are contained in this section. Finally, newsletters are arranged alphabetically by title, then by date.