Initiative on K-12 Teacher Preparation Natasha Speer, Univ. of Maine Tim Scott and Omah Williams, Texas A & M Noah Finkelstein, Univ. Colorado at Boulder

The Problem Students are doing poorly in math and science in American schools Teachers are teaching outside their field, are not properly educated There is a critical shortage of math and science teachers

Rising Above Gathering Storm Congressional charge (2005): 10 priority recommendations for American competitiveness in the 21 st century 4 Recommendations (2006): #1: 10,000 TEACHERS, 10 MILLION MINDS, Increase Americas talent pool by vastly improving K–12 science and mathematics education #2: SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING RESEARCH #3: BEST AND BRIGHTEST IN SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING HIGHER EDUCATION #4: INCENTIVES FOR INNOVATION #1: 10,000 TEACHERS, 10 MILLION MINDS, Increase Americas talent pool by vastly improving K–12 science and mathematics education #3: BEST AND BRIGHTEST IN SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING HIGHER EDUCATION

The goals of the Initiative Increase grads-through-faculty (awareness of) roles in K-12 teacher prep. Enhance capacity to participate in teacher preparation. Equip with knowledge and tools to improve teachers content preparation. Promote K-12 teaching as a rewarding, valued career choice.

Status Update Providing Opportunities Providing Resources Studying How these are (and need to be) used

Increasing opportunities and models for grads postdocs and faculty participation in K12 Teacher Prep

- Colorado –

Teaching & Learning Physics Recruit & Prepare teachers (h.s. and college) –Readings, physics content, teaching experiences –Graduate and undergraduate students Products –Instructional materials from the course –Model for such courses, customizable to other disciplines

Teaching & Learning Physics Recruit & Prepare teachers (h.s. and college) –Readings, physics content, teaching experiences –Graduate and undergraduate students Products –Instructional materials from the course –Model for such courses, customizable to other disciplines CIRTL Sponsored: Teaching and Learning Biology

Fall 2008, ~ 25 students (10 grads/p.d.) Highly valued; increase cert. enrolment experience & learning about teaching Teaching & Learning Physics

Fall 2008, ~ 25 students (10 grads/p.d.) Highly valued; increase cert. enrolment experience & learning about teaching Dissemination -UCSD -UCSB -FIU -UMaine -UNCC -OSU Teaching & Learning Physics

Preparing Future Physicists SEMINAR: formerly Preparing Future Physics Faculty –Voluntary –Teaching, education, other topics Products –Sample content and organization of such a seminar –Example discussion topics, useful resources –Reports of evaluation of usefulness of the seminar Couples with Teaching Institute for Graduate Education Research (TIGER)

Preparing Future Physicists Proposal to AAPT for externalizing resource guides (Cal State and Mines)

Colorado Learning Assistant Program CU Model of Teacher Recruit & Prep

Colorado Learning Assistant Program CU Model of Teacher Recruit & Prep Begin within science departments Learning Assistants: Use undergrads to implement research-based materials –Improve education of all students –Model best-practices for all students –Increase likelihood students engage in teaching –Improve content mastery of future teachers V. Otero, N.D. Finkelstein, S.J. Pollock and R. McCray (2006). Science, 313, 445

Teacher Recruitment & Preparation Undergraduate Course Transformation using LAs Transformation of Departmental Cultures Discipline-Based Education Research

451 LAs hired since Fall LAs enrolled in certification programs (21 in physics) 3.5 Average cumulative GPA (3.7 in physics) Fall 2003 Spring faculty (4 departments) 48 faculty (9 departments) 4 courses transformed 35 courses transformed 28 LAs/semester75 LAs/semester Impacts: 400 stud/yr >8000 students/year Growth of the Program

Support Materials LA Program Overview……….1 Physics Tutorial Primer………9 Chemistry Tutorial Primer.…14 Weekly Pedagogy Course..…19 Nuts n Bolts ……………..….35 Getting Started Template.…..36 Sample Materials …...………37 Acceptance/Rejection Letters Orientation Agenda Orientation LA Contract Orientation get to know you References ………………….46 LA Program Overview……….1 Physics Tutorial Primer………9 Chemistry Tutorial Primer.…14 Weekly Pedagogy Course..…19 Nuts n Bolts ……………..….35 Getting Started Template.…..36 Sample Materials …...………37 Acceptance/Rejection Letters Orientation Agenda Orientation LA Contract Orientation get to know you References ………………….46

Survey of Teacher Preparation Programs Identifying Best Practices – Texas A&M –

Timeline Cross reference key articles Article summaries and identification of practices Writing drafts and editing Dissemination –Published Paper Spring 2010 –National Science Teachers Association Conference Philadelphia, PA: March 18 – 21, 2010

Identified Programs National Science Foundation Funded –Teacher Enhancement Program University of Wisconsin – Madison, Wisconsin Center for Education Research, School of Education –Collaborative for Excellence in Teacher Preparation Larenz, F., Huffman, D., & Gavely, A. (2007) Arizona State University (ACEPT) Rocky Mountain Teacher Excellence Collaborative Fund for the Improvement of Post- Secondary Education (FIPSE) –Springfield Technical Community College

Other Potential Programs National Science Foundation –Teacher Preparation Programs –Collaborative for Excellence in Teacher Preparation Collaborative for Excellence in Teacher Preparation in Pennsylvania Texas Collaboration for Excellence in Teacher Preparation (TxCEPT) Los Angeles Collaborative for Teacher Excellence (LACTE) Mathematics and Science Teacher Education Partnership (MASTEP)

Identified Practices Alignment with: –National Resource Council Standards National Science Education Standards (2001) Inquiry and the National Science Education Standards (2000) –American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Principles of Effective Teaching (1989) –Interrelation Society for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning

Identified Practices (cont) College/University Faculty workshops –ACEPT Collaboration –Schools, districts and colleges/universities –In-service/pre-service collaboration Lecture and Note taking Field Experiences Emphasis on habits of mind in Science Active learning

Materials Guides for Transformative Educational Practices

Physics Summary of PER-based practices –Redish Teaching Physics –PER Users Guide, Under Development - AAPT/NSF Online summaries of practices: –ComPADREComPADRE –PER-Central:PER-Central:

Physics Summary of PER-based practices –Redish Teaching Physics –PER Users Guide, Under Development - AAPT/NSF Online summaries of practices: –ComPADREComPADRE –PER-Central:PER-Central: Key Practices –Clickers / Peer Instruction Mazur, Duncan, Science Education Initiative Guide –Tutorials U Washington, U Colorado - Pollock –LA Program U Colorado - Otero –Teaching and Learning Physics U Colorado - Finkelstein

Studying Faculty Awareness and Use

Surveying Faculty – U. Maine – Survey development: gather info about STEM grads-through-faculty familiarity with teacher prep –Generating questions –Pilot/validity testing questions Products –Survey that can be customized to other fields –Findings from administering survey Evaluation –Findings from pilot/validity testing –Track dissemination/use of survey

Research on Faculty Practice -- Colorado-- Faculty teaching practices –Peer instruction –Tutorials –Examining faculty conceptions and actions Products –Findings about implementation –One-pagers about the use

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Three central activities What can we learn from what others have done? What can we learn from what we are doing? What do STEM grads-through-faculty know about teacher preparation and K- 12 education?

The challenges - for CIRTL K12- National need for more and better- prepared K-12 STEM teachers. Disconnect between content courses and the work of teaching. Need for productive collaborations between educators of K-12 teachers and content faculty.

Course Transformation These LAs make up the pool from which we recruit new K-12 teachers

Content: Weekly planning sessions with science faculty member who is teaching the course (3 to 10) LAs per faculty member) Pedagogy: LAs from all departments take a weekly course in science education theory and practice– led by an Education faculty member and a K 12 Teacher Practice: LAs lead weekly Learning Teams of 6 to 20 student Formative feedback for instructor to use in lecture Experiential Learning Program PCK

State of Colorado* ( ) University of Colorado Boulder (LAs not included) ( ) Recruited From LA Program at CU Boulder ( ) Physics/ Astrophysics519 MCD Biology104 Chemistry1401 *At 18 colleges and universities with 10,869 candidates, 385 science majors 1 **Chemistry just became involved in Fall 2006 Many of the LAs report in interviews that they had not seriously considered becoming a teacher until participating as a Learning Assistant Two most frequently stated reasons for making the decision: (1) Recognizing Teaching as a complex endeavor (2) Encouragement and support by participating Science Faculty LA Program Impact on Recruitment Undergraduate majors enrolled in certification programs

9 LA Program focuses on recruiting for the Undergraduate Certification program

Particular Focus on Physics & Chemistry

Physics Teachers Education Coalition (PTEC) 134 Institutions LA Program Replicated at some PhysTEC sites Florida International Cal Poly, San Louis Obispo Cornell U. of Minnesota Towson U. of Arizona Seattle Pacific Western Kentucky U. of Arkansas University of N.C. Chapel Hill