The University of Pennsylvania (Penn) School of Arts and Sciences Departments
of Biology, Chemistry, Earth and Environmental Science, Mathematics, and
Physics, in collaboration with the Graduate School of Education (GSE),
is establishing the Penn Science Teachers Institute (Penn STI) in a major
effort to engage in the development and retention of highly qualified
science teachers in middle and secondary grades. The Penn STI, managed
through the Department of Chemistry, provides content intensive master
degree programs for developing content, pedagogy, and leadership skills
for science teachers. This Institute is aimed at the mid-Atlantic region
and 20 area schools/districts in the mid-Atlantic region and includes
four major components:
1) An 8-science/2-science education course Master
of Integrated Science Education degree program designed for current middle
level science teachers.
2) An 8-chemistry/2-science education course
Master of Chemistry Education degree
program designed for current high
school science teachers.
3) A resource center supporting participating
and graduate teachers as they become teacher leaders and implement classroom
reforms in their schools.
4) An Administrator's Science/Math Academy
designed for school administrators to
become better prepared to create
a school environment conducive to improved science
teaching and learning.
Up to100 middle level science teachers and 100 high school science
teachers are expected to participate in the degree programs, along with
approximately 200 school administrators. The 200 science teachers who
graduate from the content intensive programs, supported by their administrators
and a university-based resource center, are expected to fundamentally
change the teaching and learning of science in middle and secondary level
classrooms in the region, benefiting the learning of science by tens of
thousands of students yearly.
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