Clarkson University (0338216)

 

Project Title: K-12 Project-Based Learning Partnership Program

Institutions: Clarkson University with St. Lawrence University

PI/Co-PI: Susan E. Powers, Peter Turner, and Esther Oey

Partner School District: St. Lawrence

Number of Fellows: 7 Graduates, 7 Undergraduates

Target Audience: Middle-High School

Setting: Rural

NSF Supported Disciplines: Engineering, Mathematics, Physical Sciences, and Biological Sciences

PI email: sep@clarkson.edu

URL:  not available

 

This Track 2, GK-12 project builds upon existing relationships and infrastructure developed in the previous GK-12 project to further develop and institutional the Project-Based Learning (PBL) approach with nine school districts in northern New York along with faculty collaboration from St. Lawrence University.

 

This project will lead to extensive broader impacts, with K-12 students, teachers, Fellows, faculty advisors and institutions benefiting from the partnership between both universities and the nine school districts involved. It is anticipated that students will have a greater interest and competence in STEM disciplines; teachers to have renewed enthusiasm and new approaches for teaching STEM in an integrated and PBL approach; Fellows to have significantly improved teaching and communications skills; and college faculty to have the facility and resources to integrate K-12 PBL outreach into their own research projects.  The schools included within this project include one with a very high population (57%) of Native Americans and inner city schools with a significant proportion (50%) of students from groups currently underrepresented in the sciences.

 

Part of the intellectual merit of the proposal is that through the extensive evaluation and longitudinal outcomes assessments program included, data to analyze the benefits of the PBL approach at lower levels will be generated and disseminated, leading to a better understanding of suitable pedagogical approaches required to meet the national need for STEM literacy among all and increased numbers entering these professions. This project is receiving partial support from the Directorate for Engineering.

 

Results from Prior Project:  Since the initial GK-12 project began in 1999, 26 Fellows have worked primarily with 11 teachers from 4 separate school districts helping to introduce Problem Based Learning into the classroom in coordination with existing New York State science standards.  Twenty other teachers have been involved in a variety of related workshops.  The program has a 31% rate of funding female graduate Fellows versus a national average of approximately 15% women in engineering graduate program.  All 13 undergraduate Fellows and 12 of the 13 graduate Fellows have graduated on time.  Modules, matched to New York State Learning Standards, dealing with vermiculite composting and solid waste recycling have been developed and pilot tested.

 

Columbia University (0338329)

 

Project Title: Technology Integration Partnerships: Bringing Emerging STEM Research into Grades 5-12 enabled by New Technologies

Institution: Columbia University

PI/Co-PI: Jack McGourty, Susan Lowes, and Elizabeth I Sklar

Partner School Districts: Manhattan and Bronx School Districts

Number of Fellow/year: 30 Graduate, 30 Undergraduates

Target Audience: Grades 5-12

Setting: Urban

NSF Supported Disciplines: Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics

PI email: jm723@columbia.edu

URL: http://satchmo.cs.columbia.edu/tip/

 

Narrative Summary: An integral objective of this Track 2 project is advancing understanding of how to best integrate instructional technologies into the classroom. Teams of Fellows, Faculty, and K-12 teachers are investigating how to best integrate instructional technologies in support of standards based STEM topics within classroom imposed time, space and resource limitations. Using applied research techniques, all partnerships investigate, test, and evaluate how these technologies improve teaching and enhance student motivation and learning.

 

Intellectual Merit:  The Technology Integration Partnership (YIP) project has four major goals: (1) to increase the access to, and the integration of, new technologies into the curriculum of STEM teachers who are working in urban environments; (2) to deepen the science, math and engineering content knowledge of these teachers; (3) to bring the excitement of emerging STEM research to 5th-12th grade students, offering them a window into future academic and career paths; and (4) to interest and excite STEM graduate students about education, giving them unique opportunities to improve their teaching and communication skills. Fellow and Teacher partners are expanding knowledge concerning best practices concerning technology in the classroom by developing the three technologies (probeware, robotics, and simulations) applied in the Track 1 project and by introducing three additional technologies (engineering design applications, remote lab experimentation, and educational games).

 

Broader Impact: The project’s outcomes will provide a model of how engineering and applied science faculty and students can partner with urban school districts to support the integration of technology into the classroom in the service of standard-based curriculum on emerging STEM topics. All best practices and technology-enabled lessons will be disseminated through the project’s established web site and lesson plans database (http://tip.columbia.edu).

 

Outcomes from Track 1: Eight Fellows and over 30 K-12 teachers have collaborated over the three-year period. The Fellow-teacher partnerships have clearly benefited both Fellows and teachers. Each Fellow and cooperating teacher developed between two and four curriculum units that use technology to address difficult-to-teach topics in the standard curriculum for that grade level, tested them in the classroom and revised them for posting on the website.  Pre- and post assessments developed by Fellows-Teachers College faculty teams have demonstrated significant K-12 student learning of abstract math and science concepts as a result of using these new technologies in comparison with more traditional methods of instruction.  Teachers report that Fellows have enriched the curriculum with their knowledge of the subject areas being taught, from global warming to bridge building to mechanical engineering to computer programming, in a way that would not have been possible without their expertise.  They have been able to introduce topics and technologies that they would not otherwise have had the time or the confidence to try in their classrooms; and have gained access to badly needed resources, including hardware, technology expertise and content knowledge.  Fellows’ teaching skills have improved dramatically, as has their ability to explain the importance of their research to a non-specialist audience.   Several undergraduates and one Fellow have embarked on a career path toward teaching in urban K-12 schools. This project is receiving partial support from the Directorate for Computer and Information Science and Engineering.

 

Duke University (0338262)

 

Project Title: GK-12 MUSIC: Math Understanding through Science Integrated with Curriculum

Institution: Duke University

PI/Co-PI: Gary A Ybarra, Martha S Absher, and Michael R Gustafson

Partner School Districts: Durham and Orange County

Number of Fellow/year: 6 Graduates, 12 Undergraduates

Target Audience: Grades K-8

Setting: Urban

NSF Supported Disciplines: Math, Science, Engineering, and Technology

PI email: gary@ee.duke.edu

URL: http://www.k-phd.duke.edu

 

MUSIC (Math Understanding through Science Integrated with Curriculum) is an academic enhancement program designed to build on and refine an existing GK-12 program partnering the Duke University Pratt School of Engineering with four N.C. elementary and middle schools.  The intellectual merit of this project lies in its contribution to the inquiry-based instruction knowledge base through comparison of four types of training/models of implementing inquiry-based instruction (contrasting impact of teachers trained in inquiry-based instruction with and without NSF sponsored curriculum kits, and with and without inquiry-trained teaching fellows) on student achievement and teacher competence in inquiry-based instruction.  The broader impact of this program includes dissemination of this curriculum through TeachEngineering.com, an NSF-funded searchable national digital library created by a consortium of first-cohort GK-12 recipients.  In addition, mappings from the North Carolina Standard Course of Study to the National Standards will enable teachers in other states to use these lesson plans effectively. This project is receiving partial support from the Directorate for Engineering.

 

Georgia Tech Research Corporation (0338261)

 

Project Title: STEP Up!

Institution: Georgia Institute of Technology

PI/Co-PI: Donna C Llewellyn, Marion Usselman

Partner School Districts: DeKalb County, Fulton County, Marietta City, and Rockdale County

Number of Fellow/year: 12 Graduates, 6-12 Undergraduates

Target Audience: High School

Setting: Urban, Suburban

NSF Supported Disciplines: Science, Math, Technology, Pre-engineering, and Social Sciences

PI email: donna.llewellyn@cetl.gatech.edu

URL: http://www.cetl.gatech.edu/services/step/overview.htm

 

Narrative Summary:  The Georgia Tech Student and Teacher Enhancement Partnership (STEP) GK-12 program was initiated in 2001 and will be continued through the next five years as the STEP Up! program.  STEP Up! partners Georgia Tech graduate and undergraduate students with teams of teachers at six metro-Atlanta high schools per year with three primary goals: To use the unique talents and energies of the Georgia Tech students to help address the pressing needs at the schools; to promote long-term, mutually beneficial, and multi-faceted partnerships at these schools; and to provide the Georgia Tech students with a teaching internship experience that will benefit their professional growth and subsequent career, whether in academia, industry, or education.   STEP Up! begins the year with a summer training program during which the Fellows are provided with instruction on pedagogy, classroom management strategies, inquiry learning, and other educational theory and tools, and during which Fellows and teachers jointly create action plans that detail the types of activities that best fit the needs of the school and the talents and professional and personal desires of the Fellows.

 

Intellectual Merit—STEP Up! strives to build successful models of university-school partnerships that can transcend the initial personnel, that can be sustained over time, and that recognize that the needs of each school and the talents of each university student and faculty member are unique.  These STEP Up! partnerships are between Georgia Tech, a Research 1 technical institution, and high schools that are mostly overwhelmingly African American.  The project aims to form true partnerships where the work is mutually beneficial, therefore there are no preset curricular or content directives from the university.  The project evaluation, conducted by members of the faculty in the School of Public Policy as a series of case studies, will map the development, or demise, of the partnering activities, the effectiveness of the Fellow interactions with students and teachers, the effectiveness of the project institutionalization, and the long-term impact of the program on the multiple participants.

 

Broader Impact—STEP Up! addresses workforce development in multiple ways.  1) It provides STEM and social science graduate and undergraduate students Teaching Internship opportunities, with the anticipated outcome of improving their pedagogical, leadership, and communication skills while encouraging a life-long career goal of educational outreach.  2) It provides high school students, from primarily under-represented minority groups, with mentors, role models, content experts, and access to the university.  3) It provides teachers with energetic classroom assistance in whatever realm is most important to that classroom, and a unique connection with the university community and the resources that it can provide.

 

Outcomes from Track 1─ The initial project was set up to provide benefits to the graduate students, the partnering high schools and teachers, and the university.  Overall, 57% of our graduate fellows have been minority students, far surpassing their percentage among all STEM graduate students at Georgia Tech.  This project has provided a mechanism for civic leadership with official sanction.  So far, three of the fellows from the first two years have taken jobs as assistant professors, three are in research positions in industry, and one has become a high school mathematics teacher.  All have stated their commitment to continuing with K-12 outreach in their professional careers.  The project assessment effort has determined positive outcomes for the fellows in the areas of academic content mastery, teaching interests, academic efficiency, professional skills, and presentations and publications.  The partnering teachers and administrators have mentioned benefits such as the injection of fresh energy into the classroom, the value of exposure to cutting edge research and the end-purpose of the content, the introduction of educational enrichment opportunities, the access to materials, supplies, equipment, and research experiences at Georgia Tech, the ability of the fellows to transform the students’ understanding of science from a bunch of facts to a process, the additional time that the fellows provide for teachers to do other necessary things, and the roles of the fellows as role models, mentors, and cheerleaders.  The university has gained in the journey towards institutionalizing two very positive programs:  mutually beneficial partnerships with area high schools and teaching internship opportunities for upper level undergraduate and graduate students.

 

Idaho State University (0338184)

 

Project Title: Enhancing Science Literacy in Southeast Idaho with Community-based Projects and University/K-12 Partnerships

Institution: Idaho State University

PI/Co-PI: Rosemary J Smith, Mikle Ellis, Richard S Inouye, and Richard M Wabrek

Partner School Districts: Idaho School Districts #25, 91, 93, and 512

Number of Fellow/year: 10 Graduates, 5 Undergraduates

Target Audience: Grades 5-12.

Setting: Urban, Rural

NSF Supported Disciplines: Biological Sciences, Engineering, Technology,

Geosciences, Chemistry, and Physical Sciences

PI email: smitrose@isu.edu

URL: http://www.isu.edu/departments/bios/GK12/Index.html

 

Narrative Summary: This Track 1 project, based in southeastern Idaho, is a partnership between Idaho State University (ISU), school districts in the region’s two major cities (Pocatello and Idaho Falls), and two non-profit organizations (a zoo and museum).  Two major employers in the area are also participating in the project, with both technical and monetary assistance. The project has a theme of using relevant, local topics in science, engineering and technology to enhance student interest and performance in the target disciplines. The project is designed to enhance: 1) the ability of scientists and engineers to teach and communicate scientific topics to the public, 2) science and engineering instruction in Idaho schools, and 3) partnerships between ISU, local school districts, informal education venues such as the museum and zoo, and local industry. Project activities include an intensive week-long summer workshop to build strong teacher- scientist partnerships, provide professional development for K-12 teachers, and give Fellows the pedagogical training and the opportunity to work with teachers to develop specific problem- or inquiry-based lessons in keeping with state/national standards. Fellows are selected from: Engineering, Technology, Biology, Chemistry, and Geology. University faculty mentor Fellows with required monthly faculty/fellow/ teacher meetings. An extensive evaluation process measures project outcomes, from impacts on K-12 students, to assessments of Fellow’s enhanced communication skills.

 

Intellectual Merit: The project explores the effects of implementing a model scientist-teacher-student partnership in a community transitioning from a traditionally agricultural economy towards a high-tech economy. Activities of Fellows are hypothesized to increase student engagement and performance in STEM, and to improve scientific communication. The theme-based approach, stressing topics of local relevance, was conceived by K-12 teachers and the PIs. This approach incorporates the national science standards for inquiry-based learning, and addresses self-identified needs of the schools, and industries, by incorporating scientists into classroom activities. Fellows and teachers are supported and mentored by ISU faculty, and scientists and engineers in local industries and organizations.

 

Broader Impacts: The project will produce more scientifically literate K-12 students who will be attracted to STEM disciplines and careers. The project will increase the participation of Native American students in STEM (because of the population of the partner schools), provide K-12 teachers with science teaching resources, improve the communication of scientific research results and methods, and strengthen ISU's partnerships with the schools. This project is receiving partial support from the Directorate for Biological Sciences.

 

Illinois State University (0338188)

 

Project Title: The PRISM Project: Enhancing Science and Math Education

Institution: Illinois State University

PI/Co-PI: Cynthia J Moore, Jennifer D Grogg, William J Hunter, and Michael J Plantholt

Partner School Districts: Bloomington, McLean, Gridley, and Chenoa

Number of Fellow/year: 10 Graduates, 4 Undergraduates

Target Audience: Grades 6-12

Setting: Suburban, Rural

NSF Supported Disciplines: Biology, Chemistry, and Mathematics

PI email: cjmoor1@ilstu.edu

URL: www.gk12.ilstu.edu

 

The Illinois State University PRISM (Partnerships for Research in Science and Math

Education) Project trains and supports graduate students in science and mathematics to

provide resources for middle and high school students and teachers. The project integrates research and teaching, and addresses issues of scientific literacy, equity, and attitudes toward science and math among middle and high school students. The goal is to increase the flow of science, math, and technology education information, by creating a learning web connecting all participants. Graduate Fellows and classroom teachers form school-based teams that identify and address science, mathematics, and technology needs. New elements introduced in this track 2 project include the addition of: undergraduate Fellows, partnerships with local businesses and agencies to provide scientific work experiences for teachers and Fellows, and emphasis on the application of teacher-initiated action research to document the classroom success of PRISM Project activities. Action research is the systematic study of classroom practices as they relate to educational objectives. Additional longitudinal research will examine the effects of the project on participants at all levels. The project is being systematically shifted into a self-sustaining entity at the university through institutional funding of Fellowships so that of the five-year total of 53 graduate Fellows, at least 22 will have been supported by Illinois State University.

 

Intellectual Merit: Both Fellows and K-12 teachers participate in professional development activities that ensure the presentation of up-to-date content information in classrooms and promote long-term partnerships. In addition to incorporating up-to-date science and mathematics into middle and high school classroom activities, PRISM is creating a new cohort of science and mathematics professionals (former Fellows) who are educated about and sensitized to the needs of secondary science education, and providing formal opportunities for these (and other) students to explore the relationships between their specialized research fields and public education and interests. The Fellows are developing a broader view of the relevance of their work to both their disciplines and society at large. The project also informs science and mathematics faculty about the processes of science and mathematics education and provides mechanisms for them to contribute effectively to K-12 education.

 

Broader Impact: The PRISM Project is exploring and evaluating, and will disseminate, successful mechanisms to create improved partnerships between universities and K-12 schools.  Successful models of effective partnerships between universities and K-12 schools are essential to improve general science and mathematics literacy, and to help students make a smooth transition between high school and university studies. Studies documenting the roles that graduate students can play in K-12 classrooms will be published in peer-reviewed journals. The project encourages participation by underrepresented minorities, both in our expansion into the Peoria schools, and in the diversity of selected Fellows.

 

Results from Track 1:  There have been concrete benefits to Fellows, teachers, and high school students. Participants are involved in on-going school-based collaborations to develop and present curriculum enhancement units, emphasizing inquiry-based activities. Continuous formative evaluation of the project confirms that Fellows and teachers are successfully working in teams at each school site. Fellows are taking lessons from one classroom and successfully presenting them in additional schools on a regular basis. There have been significant interactions among all participants in the project. Fellows are highly enthusiastic about their experiences in classrooms, and teachers find the interactions beneficial. Surveys administered to students suggest that long term retention of information is enhanced by hands-on activities. Professional growth of both Fellows and teachers is being analyzed and incorporated into manuscripts for publication.  The first of these, An Exploration of the Content and Nature of Reflective Practices of Graduate Teaching Fellows in a School-University Partnership Project., Mumba F., Chabalengula, V. M., Moore, C.J., Grogg, J., and Hunter, W. J. F., has been accepted for publication in The Chemical Educator.  This project is receiving partial support from the Directorate for Biological Sciences.

 

North Carolina State University (0338162)

 

Project Title: Engineers and Teachers Working for Mathematics Success

Institution: North Carolina State University

PI/Co-PI: Laura J Bottomley, Karen Hollebrands

Partner School Districts: Wake County

Number of Fellow/year: 5 Graduates, 15 Undergraduates

Target Audience: Grades 3-8

Setting: Urban, Rural

NSF Supported Disciplines: Engineering, Mathematics, and Science

PI email: laurab@eos.ncsu.edu

URL: http://www.engr.ncsu.edu/k12outreach

 

This Track 2, GK-12 project builds upon a very successful partnership between the College of Engineering at N.C. State University and the science curriculum branch of Wake County, N.C. Public Schools, who together have launched a major science reform effort in the county. 

 

The Intellectual Merit of the proposal includes: tracking Fellow progress to degree and subsequent career path and having engineering and math Fellows work together with partner teachers to develop and implement inquiry-based math activities that are designed to enhance math instruction for all students.

 

The Broader Impact of the project is high.  The program serves as a model for schools across the state of North Carolina with the techniques and activities developed becoming part of the program being used as a model by other states.  The Fellow/teacher teams develop lesson plans and teaching techniques that are distributed: via the web, through distance education, through presentations at education, and engineering and evaluation professional conferences and related publications.

 

Outcomes from Prior Project:  This project has resulted in the preparation of a countywide science reform effort to change to inquiry-based science teaching in every school in the county of over 100,000 students.  The GK-12 Fellows model has been adopted by the Introduction to Engineering class as a semester-long design project option, and the teaching of this class has been changed to include more inquiry-based presentation on the part of the university instructors as well. A handbook was developed for interpreting science to hearing impaired students, as well as a suggested standardized list of STEM related signs to be used county-wide.  All participating Fellows have gone on to pursue opportunities for outreach during their professional careers.

 

North Dakota State University-Fargo (0338128)

 

Project Title: Graduate Student-University-School Collaborative for Science, Mathematics, Engineering and Technology-II (GraSUS-II)

Institution: North Dakota State University

PI/Co-PI: Dogan Comez, James P Bartlett, Edward Deckard, William O Martin, and Donald P Schwert

Partner School Districts: Cass County, ND, and Moorhead School District, MN

Number of Fellow/year: 13 Graduates

Target Audience: Middle-High School

Setting: Urban, Rural

NSF Supported Disciplines: Biology, Chemistry, Earth Science, General Science, Mathematics, Life Sciences, Physics, Physical Science, Pre-engineering.

PI email: dogan.comez@ndsu.nodak.edu

URL: http://www.ndsu.edu/grasus/

 

Intellectual Merit. The GraSUS-II at the North Dakota State University is a project in which graduate and advanced undergraduate students and faculty work with science and mathematics teachers in grades 6-12 in urban and rural schools in Cass County, ND, and western Minnesota to enhance student achievement in math and science as measured against state and local standards. The project focuses on inquiry-based learning to promote students' learning, problem-solving skills, creative thinking, and teamwork.  It builds upon the accomplishments of and lessons learned from the prior GK-12 award [008445], and expands geographically, departmentally, and in scope to establish sustainable university-school partnerships that improve STEM education. This project provides professional development of teachers and fellows, and designs standards linked instructional strategies appropriate for grades 6-12. There is a special focus on enhancing the participation of underrepresented groups, particularly the participation of women in STEM teaching and learning. Women are well represented in the current cadre of fellows, and special consideration will be given to maintain and even increase this representation in GraSUS-II.

 

Broader Impact. The project fosters working relationships between districts, higher education, and industry, focusing on broadly improving mathematics and science achievement. The project includes: (a) recruitment activities, including incentives for participating teachers; (b) professional development and dissemination activities designed to establish the project goals; and (c) comprehensive formative and summative evaluations to monitor and help direct the project activities and document its impact. The project establishes a summer institute to develop programs and an organizational structure integrated with existing partnerships planned to continue beyond grant funding. The project will also develop an ongoing fellow support program that uses NDSU resources and service learning to involve NDSU science, math, and engineering students in sustaining GraSUS activities permanently in local public schools.

 

Results of Prior Project:  Teachers report their content knowledge has increased as a result of interacting with the Fellows, while their teaching skills have been enhanced by the extra materials provided by the project. One veteran physics teacher commented that working with the Fellow energized both his physics and his love of teaching. The Fellows report improved ability to discuss complex problems with a relatively naïve audience and the K-12 students have gained a better understanding of the subject matter (science and mathematics) covered as well as an appreciation of who scientists are and what they do.  It has as well helped build stronger partnerships between the university and the school district.  This project is partially supported by funds from the Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences.

 

Northeastern University (0338255)

 

Project Title: Northeastern University GK-12-PLUS: Partners Learning in Urban

Settings 

Institution: Northeastern University

PI/Co-PI: Thomas R. Gilbert, David C Blackman, and Jean H Krasnow

Partner School Districts: Boston Charter Schools, Boston Public Schools, and Quincy Upper School

Number of Fellow/year: 12 Graduates

Target Audience: Middle-High School (Grades 7-12)

Setting: Urban

NSF Supported Disciplines: Mathematics, Geology, Physics, Chemistry, and Biology  

PI email: tgilbert@lynx.neu.edu

URL: http://www.urbaneducation.org

 

Narrative Summary: The Northeastern University GK-12-PLUS project builds on a Track 1 GK-12 program.  It is incorporating lessons learned from the first round and sharing the knowledge gained from that program with the faculty concerned with improving graduate and undergraduate education, and institutionalizing the program within the University. The participants are being followed over time to assess the impact of the work.  The program (1) maintains a close working relationship with the Principals and Headmasters of the Boston partner schools; people instrumental in matching Fellows with teachers, monitoring the program in their schools, and lobbying for a strong University-public school relationship and institutionalization of the program; (2) features an outcomes-based approach, with curriculum and teaching materials produced each year and made available to others; and (3) includes an evaluation model that documents longitudinally the activities of the Fellows and their cooperating teachers, and tracks the achievement of students in STEM in the partner schools.

 

Intellectual merit criteria: This project engages the University and 7 urban schools in the question of how best to prepare students for future careers in mathematics and the sciences and explores how best to broaden graduate education to include opportunities to learn from and with the K-12 community. In order to encourage university-wide permanent adaptation of GK-12 type activities, the models developed and the assessment results are being made available to the partner schools, to the departments of arts and sciences within the university, and to the mathematics and sciences teacher preparation programs in the School of Education.

 

Broader implications criteria: The project benefits all partners: Fellows gain practical experience in the classroom; teachers become better STEM educators and help introduce and strengthen STEM curriculum in their schools; the K-12 students benefit from enhanced STEM instruction.  This model can be replicated by other universities that partner with urban schools, particularly schools with high proportions of students from groups currently underrepresented in the STEM workforce.

 

Oklahoma State University (0336934)

 

Project Title: Rural Alliance for Improving Science Education

Institution: Oklahoma State University

PI/Co-PI: Thomas A Wikle, Joel W Helmer, and John E Steinbrink

Partner School Districts: Perkins/Tryon, Morrison, and Hennessey

Number of Fellow/year: 10 Graduates

Target Audience: Grades 6-12

Setting: Rural

NSF Supported Disciplines: interdisciplinary (Earth Sciences, Life sciences, General sciences)

PI email: geogtaw@okstate.edu

URL: www.geog.okstate.edu/RAISE/

 

Background: Despite recent implementation of statewide science education standards, students from rural Oklahoma communities lag behind the nation in math and science ability.  Compounding the problem is a shortage of math and science teachers making it necessary for teachers to offer subjects outside of their primary science teaching area.

 

Intellectual Merit of the Proposed Activity: The Rural Alliance for Improving Science Edication (RAISE) places outstanding students (fellows) in 6-12 grade classrooms to work one-on-one with public teachers in three rural school districts.  Supervised by a committee of science teachers and faculty form Oklahoma State University (OSU), RAISE builds on existing relationships among OSU faculty and K-12 teachers established through POLARIS, a Department of Education sponsored project for improving middle and junior high science instruction.  The interdisciplinary are of Geographic Information Science (GISci) serves as the focus for the development of innovative science curricula with the goals of: 1) strengthening curricular ties among ecology, biology, Earth science and environmental science, and 2) providing measurable improvement in student performance on state-mandated science tests.

 

Broader Impacts of the Proposed Activity: RAISE targets rural school districts with significant numbers of Native American students and high poverty rates.  Fellows from the Departments of Botany, Zoology, Microbiology, Geography, Geology, and Environmental Science are completing their OSU degree with stronger communication skills, an improved understanding of science pedagogy, and a greater appreciation for the needs of both teachers and diverse learners. Lesson plans and other materials developed by fellow/teacher teams will be disseminated regionally through summer institutes and nationally though a project web site promoted via science education journals and teacher conferences.  The principal benchmark for project success is: 1) student improvement on science sections of the state-mandated Oklahoma Core Curriculum Test and, 2) the number of teachers/schools throughout the state and nation that integrate RAISE materials into 6-10^th grade science instruction.

 

Pennsylvania State University-University Park (0338240)

 

Project Title: Graduate Research and Education in Advanced Transportation Technology (GREATT)

Institution: Pennsylvania State University

PI/Co-PI: Daniel C Haworth, Leanne M Avery, William S. Carlsen, Michael T Lanagan, and Renee D. Diehl

Partner School Districts: Bellefonte Area, State College Area, Steelton-Highspire, and Susquehanna Township

Number of Fellow/year: 12 Graduates, 3 Undergraduates

Target Audience: Middle-High School

Setting: Urban, Suburban, Rural

NSF Supported Disciplines: Engineering, Physical Sciences

PI email: dch12@psu.edu

URL: http://www.vss.psu.edu/nsf"

This Track 2, GK-12 project builds upon existing relationships and infrastructure developed in the previous GK-12 project and is a collaboration among several colleges and institutes at The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, The Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Indiana, PA, The Pennsylvania College of Technology, Williamsport, PA and four central Pennsylvania school districts. Each Graduate Fellow is paired with one or two K-12 teachers in one school district for the duration of his/her tenure on the project.   There are eight principal project activity areas: Fellow training, module development, K-12 classroom activities, field trips, Web-based projects, summer workshops, outreach and public relations and longitudinal studies of project participants. 

 

The Intellectual Merit of the project centers around using the theme of advanced transportation technology as a proven “hook” that will capture the interest of upper middle school and high school students and provide a natural springboard for introducing broader issues in the relationship between technology and human society including environmental issues, sustainability, ethics and safety.

 

The Broader Impact of the project is that it will provide novel STEM resources for K-12 teachers and schools and will institutionalize ties between higher education and K-12 schools.  This project represents an effective approach to address an issue of local and national concern. 

 

Significant Outcomes of Track 1 Project: In each year of the Track 1 project, several hundred K-12 students were exposed to STEM concepts and practitioners in a positive and meaningful context; and approximately 10 graduate and undergraduate engineering students were provided with a unique opportunity to convey STEM concepts to K-12 teachers and students. Several new manipulative kits and associated lesson plans have been made available for K-12 science teachers. Two novel web-based tools for teaching STEM concepts (HEV Interactive Game) and for facilitating interactions among universities and K-12 schools (Question of the Week) have been developed and tangible links have been established between Penn State and central-PA school districts, in keeping with Penn State’s goal to “. . .create new partnerships with K-12 education and make the concept of lifelong learning a reality.” [Kellogg Commission, 2000]

 

Polytechnic University of New York (0337668)

 

Project Title: Revitalizing Achievement by using Instrumentation in Science Education (RAISE)

Institution: Polytechnic University of New York

PI/Co-PI: Vikram Kapila, Magued G Iskander, and Noel N Kriftcher

Partner School Districts: George Westinghouse, Paul Robeson, and Seward Park

Number of Fellow/year: 6 Graduates, 6 Undergraduates

Target Audience: High School (Grades 9-12)

Setting: Urban

NSF Supported Disciplines: Science, Mathematics, and Technology

PI email: vkapila@poly.edu

URL: http://www.gk12.poly.edu/

 

This GK-12 project develops a partnership between Polytechnic University and 3 New York City high schools to enhance student achievement in the Regents Exam of Living Environment, Physics, and Math--A. 

 

The intellectual merit of the proposal includes, raising academic achievement of students in STEM disciplines; stimulating students’ interest in science and math by integrating “high-tech” sensing and data collection technologies in high school STEM curriculum, instruction, and laboratory; giving professional development opportunities to teachers; and encouraging cross-pollination of education research and technical concepts among the university and school faculty.  

 

The Broader Impacts of the proposal include reinforcing STEM training and educational experience of a socially diverse and economically disadvantaged inner-city student body; building the laboratory infrastructure for sensor-based STEM curriculum and instruction; and broadening the ties of Polytechnic’s Packard Center with local school districts and local businesses to sustain and grow its outreach activities.

 

Rutgers University-New Brunswick (0337839)

 

Project Title: Building a Learning Community in Science and Mathematics through Educational Partnerships

Institution: Rutgers University

PI/Co-PI: Kathleen M Scott, Michael J Carr, Jolie A Cizewski, Warren D Crown, and Joseph G Rosenstein

Partner School Districts:

Number of Fellow/year: 8 Graduates, 4 Undergraduates  

Target Audience: Middle School (Grades 6-9)

Setting: Urban, Suburban

NSF Supported Disciplines: Mathematics, Physical Sciences, Biology, Computer &

Information Sciences, Engineering, Geosciences, Environmental Sciences

PI email: scott@biology.rutgers.edu

URL:  http://mslc.rutgers.edu/nsfgk12

 

Narrative: This Track II GK12 program builds upon the experiences and achievements of our initial program to establish and support learning communities among the university and local school districts. It partners teachers and administrators from local school districts with Rutgers University Fellows (graduate students and advanced undergraduate students) and faculty in science, mathematics, engineering and technology.  School teams, each comprised of a Rutgers University STEM graduate student and two or three middle school teachers, work together to enhance their school curriculum and develop new hands-on science and mathematics activities. Each team shares activities with a partner team. Training is provided in a two-week Summer Institute that includes team-building activities, development of team goals, training in pedagogy for the Fellows, exposure to new material in science and mathematics for the teachers, and preparation of a standards-based hands-on activity. Throughout the academic year, the teams work together to enhance existing curricula and develop innovative hands-on activities. Fellows collaborate on developing and presenting activities with their partner teams. Professional development of teachers is offered during the Summer Institute, each semester at Rutgers, and by the fellows in the schools. The Rutgers Science Bus Program, where fellows showcase their most innovative activities, is integrated with this project, enhances the dissemination of the results of this GK12 program, and institutionalizes the involvement of graduate students in New Jersey schools. Each of these activities is being evaluated throughout the project by analysis of team portfolios, focus groups and surveys.

 

Intellectual Merits: This project is resulting in enhanced instruction of middle school students in STEM disciplines through student-centered classroom experiences, refined methods of training teachers and fellows to work collaboratively, and development of a graduate level teaching course based on GK12 activities. 

 

Broader Impacts: The graduate and undergraduate fellows are enhancing their teaching and communication skills, learning to work as members of a team, and will be better prepared for future careers where they can build on their GK12 experiences. Teachers are becoming knowledgeable about current trends in these disciplines as they increase their interest in and knowledge about STEM. Middle school students, including urban students from disadvantaged backgrounds, are experiencing the excitement and relevance of science and mathematics, and becoming familiar with career opportunities in these fields. The modeling of innovative hands-on inquiry methods is becoming a part of each school’s mathematics and science program.  The results of this project will be disseminated across the state by graduate student involvement in the Science Bus Program.

 

Significant Outcomes from Track I:  A total of twenty-seven graduate fellows, seventeen undergraduate fellows, and forty-five teachers formed nine teams each year to bring the excitement of contemporary mathematics and science to middle school classrooms.  The number of school districts expanded from four in Year 1 to seven in Year 3.  This program developed and implemented methods to successfully recruit STEM graduate and undergraduate students and teachers into the program. The program design incorporated a Summer Institute training program, which included a unique series of team building activities and workshops that prepared teams for their work in the schools, culminating with the development of the team’s first academic year activity.  The program also developed effective strategies for having second-year Graduate Fellows assume a leadership role in ways that strengthened the program.  Experienced fellows presented activities developed with their team teachers to other participants at the Summer Institute and at academic year follow up meetings, as well as advising new fellows based on their experiences in the schools. During the academic year program, all of the teams effectively collaborated in developing activities that enhanced the curriculum of their school, related mathematics and science to real life applications, and positively affected middle school student attitudes toward mathematics and science.  The team activities in the school enhanced the teaching skills of the fellows and their ability to work collaboratively.  Teachers reported increasing their content knowledge, and continue to use the activities developed by the team.  This project is partially supported by funds from the Directorate for Biological Sciences.

 

San Francisco State University (0337949)

 

Project Title:  SFSU/SFUSD Science Teachers and Research Scholars Program

Institution:  San Francisco State University

PI/Co-PI:  Kimberly D. Tanner, John Stubbs, and Kathleen A. O’Sullivan

Partner School Districts:  San Francisco Unified School Districts

Number of Fellows/year:  12 Graduates

Target Audience:  Middle and High Schools

Setting:  Urban

NSF Supported Disciplines:  Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Geosciences, and Mathematics

PI email:  kdtanner@sfsu.edu

URL:  http://www.sfsu.edu/~gk12sf/

 

The STAR Program is focused on individual partnerships between SFSU science graduate students and SFUSD teachers, working together on-site in middle and high schools to deliver high quality inquiry-based science instruction.  This Track 2 project uses a three phase plan to institutionalize graduate student-teacher partnerships by replacing the NSF GK-12 Graduate Teaching Fellows (GTF) over 5 years with COSE Graduate Research and Teaching Partners (GRTP).  These GRTP will be graduate students in the COSE who are working toward their Master’s degree in a science content discipline (Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Geosciences, Mathematics), but have a new requirement added to their thesis, a Science Education component.  The GRTP will take a series of pedagogy courses and, as a culminating experience, will participate in a 10 hour per week on-site partnership with a middle or high school teacher.

 

Intellectual Merit: The project contributes to the knowledge base of the emerging discipline of science education partnership, as well as pioneers strategies and structures for the integration of partnership efforts into the mission and goals of university science departments.  The Fellows develop pedagogical skills and K-12 education advocacy as part of their graduate training.  Teachers improve inquiry-based teaching methods and mentoring skills, and K-12 students experience enhanced science learning and gain access to diverse role models pursuing careers in science.  The institutionalization plan is a creative focus that imbues science education outreach into traditional research degrees throughout the SFSU COSE.

 

Broader Impacts:  The STAR Program partners, SFSU and the SFUSD, are both diverse urban educational institutions.  The 60,000+ students in the SFUSD, 55% of which are from economically disadvantage families, represent over 50 ethnic backgrounds, with no single group representing >30% of the total student body. Moreover, the STAR Program draws from a diverse graduate and undergraduate population at SFSU in which ~20% are Latina/ African American students. Thus, this program will directly influence K-16+ students traditionally underrepresented in science, as well as disseminate a model for institutionalizing partnership programs to other urban institutions.  The project expands the current science education partnership efforts at SFSU, establishes courses and reward structures that will sustain the effort beyond the term of the grant, and initiates new academic pathways in existing COSE Master’s degree programs to involve graduate students in science education partnership efforts as part of their scientific training. 

 

Results from Track 1: GTF (27 to date) have improved their skill in devising effective science learning activities and have committed to continued outreach in their careers.  Partner teachers have a renewed sense of enthusiasm for teaching science, documented in external evaluation surveys.  The GTF-teacher partners have made grade-specific adaptations of over 80 inquiry-based lesson plans to date, with direct impact on ~1500 students in 5 middle schools (4 inner city) and 1000 students in six high schools( 4 inner city). The inner city schools have >60% Latina/African American student populations. All partner teachers (14 MS, 16 HS) report that students have significantly increased interest in science activities as a direct result of GTF presence. From experience gained in Track 1, procedures have evolved which establish effective GTF-teacher partnerships prior to semester startup. Finally, the Track 1 experience has resulted in a very close partnership between the SFUSD and SFSU, which will allow for rapid and smooth implementation of the Track 2 STAR Program. Finally, the COSE administration has become a strong advocate of institutionalizing the GK-12 model as a component of science graduate degrees.

 

The Texas A&M University System HSC Research Foundation (0338310)

 

Project Title: Fellows Integrate Science/Math in Rural Middle Schools

Institution: Texas A&M University

PI/Co-PI: Larry Johnson, William R Klemm, James B Kracht, James R Lindner, and Rajesh C Miranda

Partner School Districts:

Number of Fellow/year: 2 Graduates, 15 Undergraduates

Target Audience: Middle School (Grades 6-8)

Setting: Rural

NSF Supported Disciplines: Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics

PI email: ljohnson@cvm.tamu.edu

URL:  Not available

 

Narrative:  This project is designed to: 1) develop and implement a mechanism to enrich graduate education; 2) enhance knowledge and skills of Fellows for educational outreach; 3) heighten Fellows appreciation of the needs and opportunities of rural, geographically-isolated students; and 4) improve teachers’ knowledge and understanding in STEM.  After an orientation workshop Fellows, in partnership with teachers, serve as role models and stimulate students’ interest in STEM by conveying the excitement of research and discovery both in local rural schools and, through distance education web-based resources and regional professional development workshops, in more distant schools.  Basically, university faculty and Fellows in combination with middle school teachers are developing and implementing day to day classroom activities in STEM using materials, such as the Peer Integrative Curriculum (http://peer.tamu.edu), already developed by existing federally-funded outreach projects

 

Intellectual Merit: Fellows in specific STEM disciplines are: improving their communication and teaching skills, enhancing their interest in K-12 education, and gaining an increased appreciation of the collaborative opportunities that exist between public and higher education. Teachers are gaining STEM knowledge and skills through professional development workshops and their work with the Fellows. In addition a set of teachers who are normally somewhat isolated from university resources due to their rural setting are discovering the mechanisms available to access university STEM faculty and programs.  Middle grade rural public school students are experiencing enriched experiential learning in STEM through the curriculum resources and engaging activities introduced.

 

Broader impacts:  Rural schools, because of their isolation, are traditionally underserved by university outreach programs.  In addition the schools targeted have a high percentage of under-represented minorities.  A detailed study of project outcomes coupled with broad dissemination through presentation at meetings and a web site will inform others of the potential for this project as a model for others.

 

University of Alabama-Tuscaloosa (0338312)

 

Project Title: Graduate Teaching Fellows in Middle and High School Education

Institution: University of Alabama

PI/Co-PI: Beth A Todd, Kenneth C Midkiff, Sharon E Nichols, Jill Shearin, Zhijian Wu

Partner School Districts: Tuscaloosa City and Tuscaloosa County

Number of Fellow/year: 24 Graduates, 12 Undergraduates

Target Audience: Middle-High School

Setting: Suburban

NSF Supported Disciplines: Engineering and Mathematics

PI email: btodd@coe.eng.ua.edu

URL:  www.bama.ua.edu/~gk-12

 

Under the auspices of the University of Alabama (UA) Center for Advanced Vehicle Technologies, undergraduate and graduate fellows in engineering and mathematics will work in science and mathematics classrooms in middle and high schools in Tuscaloosa city and county. 

 

The intellectual merit of this project lies in its responsiveness to three current, critical challenges for improving math and science education.  It is simultaneously increasing students’ interest in STEM fields; demonstrating the wonder of discovery while improving students’ mastery of math and science skills; and acknowledging the professionalism of teachers. 

 

The broader impact of this program will be quite high in that through the participating schools, it will reach a significant number of underrepresented middle and high school minority students (approximately 75%).  In addition, a large number of the key project leaders are women, including the PI, and will thereby serve as role models to the participating fellows, students, and teachers.  This project will also build sustainable alliances between UA, middle and high schools, and the Alabama automotive industry. 

 

University of Arizona (0338247)

 

Project Title: Collaborative to Advance Teaching, Technology and Science in (CATTS)

Institution: University of Arizona

PI/Co-PI: Supapan Seraphin, Michelle K Hall, James A Knight, Stephen M Pompea, and Joseph C Watkins

Partner School Districts: Tucson Unified, Amphitheater, Sunnyside, and Flowing Wells

Number of Fellow/year: 9 Graduates, 9 Undergraduates

Target Audience: Grades K-12.

Setting: Urban

NSF Supported Disciplines: Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics

PI email: Seraphin@u.arizona.edu

URL:  http://www.mse.arizona.edu/catts/

 

Intellectual Merit:  This project develops new methods and models of graduate education with an emphasis on teaching and outreach and will provide data concerning how teacher-scientist partnerships develop, evolve, and impact teaching and learning.  The project creates: (1) opportunities for teachers to work with fellows outside the classroom on team building and professional development; (2) a culture at the university that supports and promotes education and outreach training; and (3) program sustainability by weaving CATTS into the institutional fabric of the university and partner school districts.  Activities and policies implemented to develop strong partnerships between the GK-12 Fellows and teachers, the cornerstone of the initial GK-12 program, are based on an analysis of the following sources from the current project: journal writings, surveys, interviews and classroom observations of Fellows and teachers.  This Track 2 project includes a new partner, a program recently inaugurated at the university, the Certificate in College Teaching, and adds a new dimension to the current evaluation efforts, examination of the impact of CATTS on the attitudes and activities of university faculty, with an emphasis on the Research Advisors of the Fellows. The new certificate program provides university students with the opportunity to develop their college level teaching, mentoring and outreach skills and will provide institutional support for maintenance of CATTS.  The research focus on faculty reflects lessons learned from the first four years experience; a key to the process of establishing the value of outreach in a research-oriented university is to involve, as much as possible, the wide spectrum of STEM faculty who work with the Fellows.

 

Broader Impacts: The project broadens participation of underrepresented groups, both in the schools served and the Fellows recruited. Partner schools serve an ethnically (from 56-100% minority) and economically (from 56-80% receiving free or reduced lunches) diverse group of students, including a Native American charter school.  Over 20% of the Fellows classify themselves as belonging to racial or ethnic minorities; while only 1-4% of the STEM students at the university are so classified.

 

Outcomes from Track 1:  There have been benefits for Fellows, teachers and university personnel. All-former Fellows indicate they plan to continue their collaborations with schools in their professional careers, and many are already doing so. Of those who have graduated, two have taken academic jobs in science departments that include responsibilities for teacher preparation and both cite their experience in CATTS as critical for gaining the job.  More than 80% of the 90 teachers participating in CATTS report increases in their use of inquiry and the amount of science they teach in their classroom. Informal and formal follow-up indicates they are doing so.  The new curriculum and teaching techniques adapted educational materials created through as many as twelve different NSF projects at the University of Arizona.  The project provided the infrastructure needed to involve a select group of faculty in outreach for the first time (approximately 30% of the faculty sponsors) and changed the attitudes of a number of research-oriented faculty from mildly tolerant to strongly supportive of graduate student participation in a K-12 outreach experience.

 

University of California-Davis (0338357)

 

Project Title: The Collaborative Classroom-Based Inquiry and Fellows Program

Institution: University of California

PI/Co-PI: Evelyn M Silvia, Wendell H Potter

Partner School Districts: Dixon, Folsom-Cordova, Natomas, and Vacaville

Number of Fellow/year: 7 Graduates, 7 Undergraduates

Target Audience: Grades K-12

Setting: Suburban, Rural

NSF Supported Disciplines: Chemistry, Earth Sciences, Geology, Life Sciences,

Mathematics, and Physics

PI email: emsilvia@ucdavis.edu

URL:  Not available

 

Narrative Summary: The Collaborative Classroom Based Inquiry (CCBI) project connects University of California-Davis (UCD) graduate and undergraduate students with K-12 grade mathematics and science teachers who are conducting classroom-based inquiry. The fellows deepen their understanding of the issues of teaching and learning by working side-by-side with expert teachers who research their own pedagogy.. The subject matter expertise of the fellows contributes to the teacher-researchers’ work by adding a different lens to their analysis of student learning. The K-12 grade students benefit from the collaboration as they receive research-based instruction, informed by systematic data collection on student learning as well as the latest results of research in the disciplines of mathematics and science. Fellows and teachers work together in the summer to explore teacher-research techniques, the State Standards in their subject matter area, and curriculum design. During the school year they collect data in the K-12 classrooms about what K-12 students know and understand in specific mathematics or science content areas and design curriculum that reflect that data. Fellows apprentice with the mentor teacher-researcher taking up various instructional tasks such as facilitating group work or class discussions, presenting class demonstrations, teaching specially designed curriculum units using large group guided-inquiry techniques, and leading the students in lab work. Evaluation of the project includes analysis of student learning, case studies of teacher-research groups as well as surveys of all participants on beliefs about the nature of science and mathematics as well as perceptions of sound pedagogical practices.

 

The intellectual merits of this project include, for the Fellows, opportunities to experience an inquiry stance toward their teaching so that they strive to constantly improve their practice by focusing on student learning; K-12 teacher-researchers gain a deeper understanding of science or mathematics content areas; and the K-12 students gain an enriched understanding of mathematics and science. Through their research on the project, UCD faculty better understand how teacher-research contributes to teachers’ learning and in particular how a subject matter focus enhances the teacher-research process.

 

The program has broad implications. The research-based curriculum will reach approximately 3000 K- 12 students with whom participating teacher -researchers work. The Fellows’ pedagogical knowledge and orientation to attend to student learning will impact the university students they will eventually teach. Findings from the teacher-research project will be shared with other teachers at conferences and through the CCBI website and the curriculum developed will be made available through the CCBI website. 

 

University of Colorado-Boulder (0338326)

 

Project Title: Inspiring and Building Tomorrow's Workforce: A Grades 3-12 Engineering Continuum

Institution: University of Colorado

PI/Co-PI: Jacquelyn F Sullivan, Lawrence E Carlson, and Malinda R Schaefer

Partner School Districts: Boulder Valley, Denver County

Number of Fellow/year: 8 Graduates, 2-6 Undergraduates

Target Audience: Elementary, Middle, High School (Grades 3-12)

Setting: Urban, Suburban

NSF Supported Disciplines: Earth, Life, General and Physical Sciences, Engineering, and Mathematics

PI email: jacquelyn.sullivan@colorado.edu

URL: http://itll/colorado.edu

 

This Track 2, GK-12 project builds upon existing relationships and infrastructure developed in the previous GK-12 project with two school districts serving diverse students traditionally underrepresented in engineering and the College of Engineering and Applied Science.

 

The Broader Impact of the project is very high.  Fellows, in partnership with cooperating teachers, are improving STEM literacy in high-needs schools through a grades 3-12 pre-engineering program and are learning to be effective service learning mentors for undergraduate students engaged in K-12 classrooms.  Students are from seven high needs, suburban and urban schools, with large minority enrollments. 

 

Part of the Intellectual Merit of the proposal is that the Fellows will use engineering as a vehicle to integrate math and science learning by K-12 students in the seven participating schools.  The Fellows will become “engineering ambassadors,” who deliver a hands-on engineering curriculum that addresses state educational STEM standards and serve as role models for grades 3-12 students to link the study of math and science to future careers in engineering and technology.  This project is receiving partial support from the Directorate for Engineering.

 

University of Illinois-Urbana-Champaign (0338215)

 

Project Title: EdGrid Graduate Teaching Fellows Program

Institution: University of Illinois

PI/Co-PI: Deanna M Raineri, Richard D Braatz, Bertram C Bruce, Orville V Burton, and Eric Jakobsson

Partner School Districts: Champaign Centennial High School; Danville High School;

Hinsdale, District 86; Technology Center of DuPage; Urbana High School, Home Hi

Number of Fellow/year: 8 to 10 Graduates, 6 Undergraduates

Target Audience: Middle-High School

Setting: Urban, Suburban, Rural

NSF Supported Disciplines: Animal Science, Anthropology, Atmospheric Sciences,

Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Geography, Mathematics, Physics, Social Sciences

PI email: raineri@uiuc.edu

URL: http://www.gk12.ilstu.edu

 

Narrative:  The Fellows collaborate with campus faculty and participating K-12 teachers to integrate computer-based modeling, scientific visualization and informatics in K-12 science and mathematics education. Modeling and visualization tools are developed that engage students and help them to “learn how to do science, learn the nature of science and learn science content”. The GK-12 EdGrid project provides professional development opportunities for K-12 science and mathematics teachers to improve K-12 science teaching and learning.

 

Intellectual Merit. The GK-12 EdGrid Program draws on significant higher education institutional resources (both human and technology-related) in the STEM disciplines to create a framework for sustainable K-12 education outreach. These efforts contribute to advancing knowledge and understanding of the role of: a) higher education STEM discipline faculty and students in the professional development of K-12 teachers; b) STEM discipline faculty and students in improving learning of K-12 students through the engagement of innovative technologies that foster integration of research and education; c) educational collaboratories in K-12 settings; c) graduate students in building sustainable university-school partnerships; d) graduate students in promoting K-12 student interest in higher education STEM disciplines (by acting as role models); e) university-school partnerships in improving pedagogical practices in university education through the engagement of higher education faculty and graduate students with experienced K-12 teachers.

 

Broader Impacts. The GK-12 project utilizes EdGrid’s web portal, the Inquiry Page (http://www.inquiry.uiuc.edu), national conferences and various publications to disseminate the GK-12 experiences, modeling and visualization tools and curriculum materials to support teachers nation-wide. By partnering with other on-campus programs serving primarily underrepresented student groups, the GK-12 EdGrid program actively seeks and recruits graduates and advanced undergraduates from underrepresented populations. The GK-12 EdGrid program also broadens its already interdisciplinary focus by actively recruiting graduate students from the social sciences. The addition of social science disciplines allows for more coverage of the K-12 curriculum and adds yet another varied vision that contributes to the richness of the UIUC GK-12 program.  The GK-12 EdGrid program leaders are working with institutional and school administrators to make GK-12 activities an integral and sustainable part of the UIUC graduate training experience.

 

University of Illinois-Chicago (0338328)

 

Project Title: Scientists, Kids, and Teachers (SKIT): A GK-12 Partnership with the Chicago Public Schools

Institution: University of Illinois

PI/Co-PI: Donald J Wink, Jeff Lewis, Thomas G Moher, Maria Varelas, and Stacy A Wenzel

Partner School Districts: Chicago Public Schools

Number of Fellow/year: 10 Graduates, 1 Undergraduate

Target Audience:  Grades K-12

Setting: Urban

NSF Supported Disciplines: Chemistry, Biology, Computer Science, Earth and

Environmental Sciences

PI email: dwink@uic.edu

URL:  http://tigger.uic.edu/~dwink/GK-12.html

 

Previous Project:  The SKIT project evolved out of our Track I project, UIC Graduate Fellows in K-12 Education (NSF DUE-9979537). The prior project was organized around four different interventions in schools in Chicago and two nearby suburbs. Findings show Fellows influenced K-12 education through multiple roles, including that of teacher, curriculum developer, professional developer, student mentor, educational researcher, university representative, and resource gatherer. Teachers reported Fellows helped them plan in advance for lessons and labs; offer one-to-one attention to more students; address topics in deeper and more engaging ways; and offer more hands-on experiences, along with alternative explanations. As Fellows contributed to changes in urban K-12 classrooms, they also gained valuable understandings about the complexities of teaching, learning, and assessing STEM knowledge in diverse settings.

 

Current Plans: The new SKIT project focuses on and supports the new (2003) Chicago Math and Science Initiative (CMSI) of the Chicago Public Schools (CPS). CMSI includes focused staff development, instructional support for teachers through a cadre of mathematics and science support personnel, increase in instructional time, adoption of standards-based curricula, standardization of assessments, and capital improvements. SKIT Fellows work in three different areas within the CMSI structure: K-8 mathematics and K-8 science, for which CMSI has identified particular curricula that schools may implement; and high school science and mathematics, where Fellows work in department-wide projects and district-wide networks. All Fellows attend CPS professional development activities and assist classroom teachers and specialists in delivery of instruction, assessment of student work, design of classroom-based research, and enhancement and development of curriculum. At UIC, Fellows attend GK-12 summer workshops and academic-year courses to gain an understanding of teaching and learning in urban school settings and to share their CPS experiences.

 

The project’s intellectual merit centers on facilitating change through Fellows’ participation in several overlapping learning communities. The anticipated broader impact is to support and sustain reformed STEM education in the nation’s third largest school system, and allow CPS to benefit much more directly from STEM expertise at UIC as UIC also learns from CPS. The project plan includes a phased transition from an NSF-supported program infrastructure to a sustainable UIC/CPS infrastructure over the course of the grant.

 

Project evaluation is organized around a set of 11 specific objectives addressing impact on Fellows, teachers, students, as well as institutional impact on UIC and CPS. Evaluation is based on a broad set of quantitative and qualitative data obtained through participant activity logs and journals, student performance in various assessments, questionnaires, and interviews. Evaluation guides ongoing program development and assess its effectiveness with respect to both particular project objectives and the transition to a self-sustaining program.

 

University of Louisville-Research Foundation (0337860)

 

Project Title: Groundwork Education in Mathematics and Science (GEMS)

Institution: University of Louisville

PI/Co-PI: Christine L Rich, Linda Jewell, Lee Nickerson, and Wiley Williams

Partner School Districts: Jefferson County

Number of Fellow/year: 9 Graduates, 3 Undergraduates

Target Audience: Elementary School

Setting: Urban

NSF Supported Disciplines: Mathematics, Chemistry, Physics, and Geosciences

PI email: cvrich01@louisville.edu

URL:  http://www.math.louisville.edu/gems

 

Narrative Summary: The University of Louisville GEMS program is exploring strategies for improving the quality of science and mathematics education at six Title I elementary schools in the Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) by instituting a job-embedded professional development program that partners elementary teachers and STEM graduate or undergraduate students in the classroom. Fellows, teachers, university faculty, and JCPS specialists in mathematics and science form an inclusive learning community committed to the development and implementation of inquiry-based teaching methods aligned with state and national standards. Twelve Fellows and twenty-four teachers, assembled into 6-member School Teams, use NSF-supported curricula in science (FOSS, DSM II, and STC) and Investigations in Number, Data, and Space as the primary focus for laying a scientifically and pedagogically sound groundwork for presentation of STEM concepts to students in grades 3-5. Fellows receive preparatory training to familiarize them with state and national standards, current mathematics and science methods, and state assessments. School teams train together in hands-on summer workshops that emphasize cooperative strategies for melding curricular content with teaching practices that best foster student learning. Biweekly seminars and mentoring support provide new learning opportunities and sustained professional development throughout the academic year.

 

The intellectual merit of GEMS resides in its research-based approach to integrating into the JCPS elementary schools an effective model for professional development that increases student interest and learning in mathematics and science. Fellows improve their communication skills as they devise level-appropriate methods for effectively conveying content to both teachers and their students. Benefits to elementary teachers include content resource support from both the Fellows and the university faculty, an improved ability to teach using inquiry-based learning and, the opportunity to make presentations and assume PD leadership roles in their school. Elementary students in the chosen schools benefit from content-enriched, inquiry-based instruction aimed at improving their performance on Kentucky’s high-stakes assessments.

 

A broader impact is that the university, and in particular science and mathematics faculty in the College of Arts and Sciences, benefit by expanding partnerships with local school districts. Another broader impact is potentially far-reaching: GEMS proposes a model of collaboration among STEM researchers and STEM educators at both the institutional and school level to advance the teaching and learning of science and mathematics. That collaborative and diverse partnership is already reflected by the composition of GEMS leadership. The recruitment and selection strategies for Fellows and teachers are aimed at ensuring that School Team composition is equally inclusive and diverse. Finally, GEMS is structured such that participants at every level can be actively engaged in GEMS research and educational activities including training, classroom teaching, project evaluation and outcome dissemination.  This project is partially supported by funds from the Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences.

 

University of Memphis (0338324)

 

Project Title: Computer Science Resources for Memphis Area High Schools

Institution: University of Memphis

PI/Co-PI: Linda B Sherrell, Thomas L McCauley, and Sajjan G Shiva

Partner School Districts: Memphis City and Shelby County

Number of Fellow/year:  6 Graduates, yr 1; 9 Graduates, 1 Undergraduate, yr 2,3

Target Audience: High School (Grades 9-12)

Setting: Urban, Suburban

NSF Supported Disciplines: Computer Science

PI email: sherrell@cs.memphis.edu

URL:  Not available

 

Narrative Summary:  This project, which is a partnership between the school districts in the Memphis metropolitan area and the University of Memphis, enhances the curriculum of high school programming courses. Fellows majoring in computer science assist participating teachers by presenting modules that emphasize important skills such as problem-solving, object-oriented design, teamwork, and software development processes.

 

Intellectual Merit:  Prior to each academic year, teachers and Fellows attend two summer workshops to receive instruction and to preview the modules for the coming year.  Innovative aspects include the use of Agent Sheets, a conceptual modeling tool, to teach introductory programming concepts and the use of both the game Mind RoverÔ and Lego Robots to introduce object-oriented programming.  Fellows receive additional instruction throughout the year from the PIs and create some of their own lesson plans and examples. The high school students are motivated to learn concepts common to all object-oriented programming languages through activities that are both challenging and fun.  Furthermore, students demonstrate their understanding of concepts by participating in a month-long Programming Challenge in which they work in teams to plan, design, implement, test, and document a software project.  Students may participate in multiple categories and they receive valuable feedback when they present their work to judges from both academia and local software firms.

 

Broader Impact: The broader impacts of this project are reflected in the benefits to each participant.  Fellows are improving their communication skills and are able to teach introductory computer science and software engineering concepts using innovative techniques, thereby better preparing the Fellows for future corporate or academic positions.  Participating teachers, most of whom do not have formal training in computer science, are building on their current knowledge base by attending workshops and interacting with Fellows who are computer science majors.  High school  students associated with the project have a better understanding of the field of computer science, which will help them to make informed decisions about their future careers.  The benefits to schools have been twofold: professional development activities for participating teachers and a higher quality program for students enrolled in computer courses.  The higher education partners are also benefiting from the project because the project facilitates collaboration between the computer science faculty and secondary teachers.  Furthermore, the Fellowships are helping the University of Memphis to offer more assistance to outstanding students interested in computer science. 

 

University of Missouri-St. Louis (0338341)

 

Project Title: Missouri Science Teaching and Education Partnerships (MO-STEP)

Institution: University of Missouri- St. Louis

PI/Co-PI: Patricia G Parker, Charles R Granger, Bette A Loiselle, and Patrick L Osborne

Partner School Districts: Ferguson-Florissant, Normandy, Maplewood-Richmond Heights, Pattonville, and Wellston.

Number of Fellow/year: 10 Graduates, 5 Undergraduates

Target Audience: High School (Grades 9-12)

Setting: Urban

NSF Supported Disciplines: Biology, Science Education.

PI email: pparker@umsl.edu

URL:  http://www.umsl.edu/divisions/artscience/biology/mostep/index.html

 

Background: The Missouri Science Teaching and Education Partnerships (MO-STEP) combines the academic strengths of the Department of Biology, the International Center for Tropical Ecology and the pedagogical background of the Science Education Program at UM-St. Louis in a tightly-coupled collaboration with five urban high schools located near the University and with conservation-focused organizations within St. Louis.

 

Intellectual merit: The intellectual merit of MO-STEP lies in provision of current information and practical, cutting-edge applications that link ecology, conservation biology and molecular genetics.  Through close ties with the Missouri Botanical Garden, Saint Louis Zoo, Forest Park Forever and the St. Louis Aquacenter, MO-STEP facilitates opportunities for field trips and summer internships that provide hands-on experience in systematics, ecology and biodiversity conservation.  MO-STEP is grounded in two concepts: (1) good teaching requires a sound discipline knowledge base and (2) good teaching strategies are critical to teaching and learning.

 

Broader impacts: MO-STEP facilitates the professional development of a collaborative team of university and high school faculty working to improve science education at grades 9 though 16.  Three historic barriers to school-university partnerships are (1) unwillingness of high school faculty to seek information from university faculty; (2) university faculty’s lack of understanding of the needs of high school science teachers; and (3) low prestige of science education as career choice in science graduate programs.  MO-STEP replaces this culture with close professional associations that encourage long-term partnerships.  Strong support of high school science instruction encourages high school faculty to continue the collaborative relationship while expanding graduate career opportunities.  The Biology Graduate Program at the University of Missouri-St. Louis has successfully recruited students from diverse cultural backgrounds and the program is well positioned to increase participation of under-represented groups. The schools targeted for participation include a high percentage of students from groups currently underrepresented in STEM fields This project is receiving partial support from the Directorate for Biological Sciences.

 

University of Montana (0338165)

 

Project Title: Ecologists, Educators, and Schools (ECOS) - Partners in GK-12 Education

Institution: University of Montana

PI/Co-PI: Carol A Brewer, Paul B Alaback, Lisa M Blank, David M Oberbillig, and Michael R Plautz

Partner School Districts: Bonner, Clinton, DeSmet, Florence-Carlton, Frenchtown, Hellgate Elementary, Lolo, Missoula County Public Schools, Potomac, Seeley Lake, Sunset, Swan Valley, Target Range, Woodman

Number of Fellow/year: 10 Graduates, 5 Undergraduates

Target Audience: Grades K-12

Setting: Rural

NSF Supported Disciplines: Biological Sciences

PI email: carol.brewer@umontana.edu

URL:  http://www.bioed.org/ecos/

 

The Ecologists, Educators and Schools (ECOS) – Partners in GK-12 Education Program brings together teachers and administrators in the Missoula Curriculum Consortium and University of Montana faculty from the Division of Biological Sciences and the College of Forestry and Conservation to create a national model of how authentic research experiences at the K-12 level can improve the teaching and learning of science. Using schoolyards and nearby open areas as outdoor research laboratories, ECOS Teams are developing science demonstration projects related to local ecology and conservation biology.  Throughout the academic year, K-12 students and their teachers interact with University of Montana faculty, postdoctoral scholars, and graduate and undergraduate students conducting related research in ecology.

 

Intellectual Merit: The ECOS Program: 1) introduces all participating faculty, graduate students, and undergraduates to teaching and learning research and national science education standards; 2) provides content-rich, multi-layered professional development in science for K-12 teachers; 3) develops school-based, content-rich laboratories and research projects for K-12 students; 4) supports a co-mentoring network of science faculty, in-service teachers, and graduate and undergraduate students; and 5) encourages the development of a writing community to disseminate results of the project in peer-reviewed journals and at national meetings.

 

Broader Impact: Scientific ways of thinking and understanding are being fostered in K-12 students and teaching practices focused on  “learning by doing” and inquiry instruction are being introduced to a number of school districts, many of which include rural and/or impoverished schools, traditionally underserved schools.  The Fellows represent future science faculty who will be effective linkages between scientists, mathematicians, engineers and technologists and educators in the K-16 continuum.  Specific project indicators are being collected in order to determine effective mechanisms to promote program sustainability and to facilitate transfer to other sites in Montana and around the country.  Ultimately, ECOS will contribute to a national model of how research projects can be introduced into the K-16 curriculum to enhance the teaching and learning of science.

 

University of Nebraska-Lincoln (0338202)

 

Project Title: Project Fulcrum: Phase II

Institution: University of Nebraska

PI/Co-PI: Diandra L Leslie-Pelecky, Gayle A Buck, Barbara J Jacobson, Roger D Kirby,

Suzanne R Kirby

Partner School Districts: Lincoln Public Schools

Number of Fellow/year: 22 Graduates, 4 Undergraduates

Target Audience: Elementary-Middle School (Grades 4-8)

Setting: Urban

NSF Supported Disciplines: Biometry, Chemistry, Computer science, Geosciences,

Mathematics/statistics, Materials Science, and Physics.

PI email: dleslie@unlnotes.unl.edu

URL: www.physics.unl.edu/~fulcrum

 

Narrative Description: Each Project Fulcrum (PF) Graduate Fellow partners with a Lead teacher who facilitates the Fellow becoming a school-wide resource.  Fellow activities include modeling the scientific method, developing materials to increase inquiry experiences for students, building links between the university, teachers and schools, facilitating role-model activities and serving as content resources.  Undergraduates work with Graduate Fellows to develop after-school math and science activities for at-risk students.  A summer preparation program uses case study and team-building exercises to establish and strengthen partnerships.  Continuing support consists of weekly group meetings of teachers and Fellows and monthly All-Hands meetings.

 

Intellectual merit:  A realistic model for how research universities can support the participation of STEM faculty in K-12 education is developed.  Project Fulcrum activities are institutionalized as part of a comprehensive infrastructure for science and math education.  Strategies for institutionalization include adapting Project Fulcrum outcomes and materials to other education projects through the Center for Math, Science and Computer Education, STEM departments supporting Fellows through graduate teaching assistantships, continuing support and expansion of a web-based resource database, UNL institutionalization of professional development seminars for graduate students, and the development and institutionalization of in-service workshops for LPS teachers.  Evaluation uses a web database to collect data from participants, including journals, observations, pre- and post-surveys and activity logs.

 

Broader impacts: Phase II builds upon Phase I improvements in the learning attitudes and efficacies of English Language Learners, low socio-economic status students and underrepresented minorities, and extends efforts to behavior- and learning- disabled students.  Strategies proven effective in classes with multiple at-risk groups are disseminated through workshops and publications.  The effects of Fellows on student stereotypes of scientists are evaluated with an emphasis on students from underrepresented groups.   District-wide in-service workshops, informed by these results, are developed to address student attitudes toward science and math, and how to provide students with a diverse range of role models.

 

The outcomes of Track I: Fellows unanimously indicate that they intend to continue involvement with K-12 education.  There is greatly increased demand from teachers to work with Fellows.  The relationship between the University and Lincoln Public Schools has been considerably strengthened and new collaborations to enhance teacher professional development activities are beginning.  Teachers appreciate being part of a professional community focusing on math and science teaching.  A cadre of scientists, including students, but also a significant number of STEM faculty, has become part of a volunteer core working with the Fellows.  This project is partially supported by funds from the Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences.

 

University of New Hampshire (0338277)

 

Project Title: Partnership for Research Opportunities to Benefit Education

Institution: University of New Hampshire

PI/Co-PI: Karen G Graham, Barbara A Hopkins, Dawn C Meredith, Barrett N Rock, and Charles Warren

Partner School Districts: Belmont, Durham/Lee/Madbury, Enfield/New Canaan,

Franklin, Goffstown, Milford, Nashua, Portsmouth, Raymond, Rochester,

Salem, Somersworth

Number of Fellow/year: 10 Graduates, 4 Undergraduates 

Target Audience: High School (Grades 9-12)

Setting: Urban, Suburban, Rural

NSF Supported Disciplines: Biochemistry, Chemistry, Mathematics,

Mechanical Engineering, Natural Resources, Physics, and Plant Biology.

PI email: kjgraham@cisunix.unh.edu

URL:  Not available

 

The University of New Hampshire in collaboration with twelve school districts in New Hampshire form graduate/undergraduate student Fellows and lead teacher partnership teams that are creating inquiry-based instructional practices in high school mathematics and science teaching. Each team consists of a lead teacher from one of the partnership school districts and a UNH graduate or pair of undergraduate students in science, mathematics, and engineering [STEM].  UNH discipline-based faculty mentors counsel and facilitate the marshalling of resources on behalf of the Fellows and PROBE teams.    

 

The PROBE project begins with Fellows and teachers participating in established UNH-based summer inquiry programs designed for pre-college students and teachers.  This summer activity culminates in a weeklong summer PROBE institute with a structure based on the National Research Council’s Enquiry in the Classroom Continuum.   The institute is designed to give the Fellows and lead teachers tools for the analyzing different modes of enquiry that they have experienced in the summer inquiry programs and then articulate through the targeted high school programs.  During the academic year each PROBE team works with the lead teacher’s partner school to implement instructional habits that nurture inquiry behaviors by teachers and students.  This begins with the use of inquiry-based lessons and authentic science and mathematics problem solving experiences and develops to include student-centered research projects as a part of each student’s science learning experience.

 

The intellectual merit lies in the development of inclusive curriculum models for inquiry and authentic research in mathematics and science.  This is further supported with onsite research on student learning conducted by the graduate student Fellows and teacher-leaders.

 

The broader impact is that as a result of the PROBE project teachers and Fellows can equate instructional changes in teaching practice with student learning.  Fellows gain a repertoire of strategies to use in communicating and teaching science.  Teachers and schools have sustained access to strong curriculum programs and resources and develop strong ties to the University community. This project is receiving partial support from the Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences.

 

University of New Mexico (0338283)

 

Project Title: Graduate Teaching Fellows in K-12 Optics and Photonics Education

Institution: University of New Mexico

PI/Co-PI: Charles B Fleddermann, Eli J Duryea, And Elizabeth M Everitt

Partner School Districts:

Number of Fellow/year: 11 Graduates

Target Audience: Grades K-12

Setting: Urban

NSF Supported Disciplines: Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Biology, and Chemistry.

PI email: cbf@unm.edu

URL: Not available

 

The faculty of the School of Engineering, the College of Arts and Sciences, and the College of Education at the University of New Mexico, in partnership with the Albuquerque Public Schools, are jointly implementing a Track 1 Graduate Teaching Fellows in K-12 Optics and Photonics Education program with the objective of improving math, science and engineering education at the 6-12 level by capitalizing on the unique existing strengths in optical science and engineering education, research and training in New Mexico, emphasizing the interdisciplinary field of modern optics and photonics.

 

The intellectual merit of this program is seen in its response to increasing local needs for qualified technicians, educators, engineers, and scientists in the fields of optics and photonics.  In addition the project provides advanced and innovative inquiry-based science and math education for K-12 students, through the integration of specific optics and photonics topics into their studies of science and mathematics.

 

The broader impacts of this program are reflected in the benefits accruing to each of the participants.  Specifically, the K-12 students gain increased knowledge of optics and interact with scientists and engineers; the K-12 students and the GK-12 Fellows improve their communications skills; the participating K-12 teachers become better qualified in a variety of STEM topics and have access to more educational resources; schools gain a better-qualified teacher workforce and higher student achievement scores.  University benefits include enhanced collaborations among the various colleges involved, recruitment incentives attracting high quality graduate students, and a better prepared freshman population.

 

University of Oregon-Eugene (0338153)

 

Project Title: Improving STEM content for K-6 grades in coastal rural schools in Oregon

Institution: University of Oregon

PI/Co-PI: Alan L Shanks, Janet Hodder

Partner School Districts: Coos Bay and North Bend

Number of Fellow/year: 9 Graduates, 2 Undergraduates

Target Audience: Grade K-6

Setting: Rural

NSF Supported Disciplines: Science and Mathematics, Natural Resources

PI email: ashanks@oimb.uoregon.edu

URL:   http://materialscience.uoregon.edu/GK12/Overview.html

 

This proposal will provide support to two rural school districts in meeting the challenges of the Oregon standards based education reform in science and math. By building on a partnership we have already developed with the school districts we will permanently enhance Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education in these districts. We will use Oregon Institute of Marine Biology (OIMB) graduate and undergraduate GK-12 Fellows to provide targeted instruction to elementary students (grades K-6), and professional development to teachers in STEM content. STEM education will be enhanced through the presentation of marine and aquatic sciences utilizing and building upon the Marine Activities, Resources, and Education (MARE) curriculum developed at the University of California Berkeley.

 

The intellectual merit of this proposal includes our goal to permanently improve teacher’s understanding of science content, and their use of inquiry and the scientific method to teach STEM subjects. Summer workshops will familiarize Fellows with the MARE curriculum and provide practical pedagogic knowledge for teaching in K-6 classes, and an understanding of the Oregon based standards system. A MARE Lead Teacher cadre will be developed in each school district that will act as mentors for the fellows and as support for other teachers in the district. These teachers will participate in summer “training” workshops for the Fellows. A second series of summer institutes for additional teachers will strengthen the working partnership between fellows and teachers, and improve the teacher’s knowledge of science and scientific inquiry. To accomplish the later goal, teachers in the summer institutes will design and carry out scientific inquiries in the marine habitats of Coos Bay. They will design investigations, collect and analyze data, and prepare a work sample appropriate for assessing the investigation.  Fellows will meet weekly with the GK-12 coordinator and OIMB faculty to discuss project implementation and direction and provide opportunities for additional training. They will also meet regularly with the GK-12 Coordinator and Lead Teachers from each school to assess progress. A "decision-oriented" evaluation using both qualitative and quantitative analytic techniques will provide participants with formative evaluations to facilitate decision-making and will be used to analyze project data and draw summative conclusions.

 

The broader impact of this project includes the development of a more permanent University/K-12 relationship; the development of teaching, communication, and team-building skills by the GK-12 Fellows; the opportunity for Fellows to gain knowledge and experience of the K-12 teaching community; and the formation of working partnerships with faculty, Fellows, and teachers. Teachers and their students will accrue a number of benefits including up to date scientific information, experiences with real science via inquiry-based investigations, and exposure to working scientists. In addition all participants will strengthen their connection with the community in which they live.  This project is partially supported by funds from the Directorate for Geosciences.

 

University of Pittsburgh (0338135)

 

Project Title: The Pittsburgh Partnership for Energizing Science in Urban Schools

Institution: University of Pittsburgh

PI/Co-PI: Joseph J Grabowski, Jennifer L Cartier

Partner School Districts: Pittsburgh Public School District

Number of Fellow/year: 11 Graduates, 1 Graduate Researcher, and 7

Undergraduates

Target Audience: Elementary-Middle School

Setting: Urban

NSF Supported Disciplines: Chemistry, Biological Sciences, Neurosciences, Physics and Astronomy, Geology, and Mathematics.

PI email: joeg@pitt.edu

URL:  http://chemed.chem.pitt.edu/gk-12

 

Narrative:  Well-documented barriers to good science teaching exist at the elementary and middle school level, most notable of which, there is little time in an overstuffed curriculum for sustained exploration of significant science concepts. One response has been the development of hands-on kits such as the Full Option Science System (FOSS) curriculum in use in the PPSD. While FOSS materials are a step in the right direction in terms of increasing the emphasis on exploratory experiences for students and decreasing the sheer number of “facts” and “topics” to be covered, they are not, in and of themselves, a solution to the problem of inadequate science instruction. The fact remains that too many teachers lack the necessary content knowledge to engage their students in rich discussions around the concepts underlying empirical experiences within the FOSS curriculum.  We have selected the “big idea” of energy as a theme, as it fits with many of the FOSS units in use in PPSD. The adoption of a conceptual theme will provide better articulation between teams as well as providing students with a “conceptual consistency”.

 

Intellectual Merit:  To increase content support for teachers, we will form partnerships between grade 3-8 teachers in PPSD and STEM students at the University of Pittsburgh (selected to represent the diversity of STEM personnel). Funding will support 12 teams of elementary/middle schoolteachers, STEM graduate students and undergraduate students, as well as math and reading specialists from selected schools. Given time demands on elementary curricula, it is important to have interdisciplinary support in order to establish the time within the school day to teach innovative and rigorous science. An important activity of each team will be to study and implement grade-level appropriate FOSS units and to design and deliver related professional development workshops to other PPSD teachers, in order to disseminate validated approaches. A project coordinator, with assistance from School of Education faculty, will provide support related to inquiry pedagogy and instructional approaches (emphasis on modeling and argumentation) consistent with those described in the National Science Teaching Standards.  An external evaluator will oversee assessment instrument design and data planning, will conduct site visits, and will collect, analyze, and report on data on progress toward project goals.

 

Broader Impacts:  Increasing teacher content knowledge is an important goal of our project, but it is by no means the only one. We also anticipate that GK-12 Fellows will gain valuable insights into the complexities of urban school teaching and effective pedagogical strategies, both through the training activities, the mentoring they receive and deliver, discussions with other participants, and their interactions with school students. During the preparation course each summer and follow-up endeavors, particular emphasis will be placed on the nature of science as a “sense-making” endeavor supported by social discourse. This view of science, although consistent with current reform movements in science education, is still new and quite foreign to most STEM students (and many K-12 teachers). Thus, our work with teams will include explicit discussion of the nature of scientific inquiry, examples of strategies to engage elementary/middle school students in argumentation and explanation related to empirical phenomena, and reflective analysis of instruction provided by team members.  All of the GK-12 activities will serve to establish links (currently completely lacking) between the PPSD teachers and the STEM faculty and students at Pitt while specific activities, such as the Family Science Night and monthly newsletter, will connect project personnel with school student’s families.  This project is receiving partial support from the Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences.

 

University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez (0338193)

 

Project Title: Graduate and Undergraduate Students Enhancing Science and Technology in K-12 schools (II)

Institution: University of Puerto Rico

PI/Co-PI: Juan J Lopez-Garriga, Dalas E Alston, Jose E Cortes-Figueroa, Luisa M Guillemard, and Hernan Santos

Partner School Districts: 10 districts

Number of Fellow/year: 10 Graduates, 12 Undergraduates

Target Audience: Grades K-12

Setting: Urban, Rural

NSF Supported Disciplines: Biology, Geosciences, Mathematics, Physical Sciences, and Engineering

PI email: sonw@caribe.net

URL:  http://sonw.uprm.edu

 

The near, mid, and long-term future of our society depends on the development of the curiosity, imagination, diversity, efficiency, and learning of our societies members. Mathematics, science, and engineering, tied to the understanding of global perception and communication skills, are essential elements that our students must develop and transfer to further strength our society.  Track II of Graduate and Undergraduate Students Enhancing Science and Technology in K-12 Schools (II): GUEST K-12 (II) continues to integrate GLOBE (Global Learning and Observation to Benefit the Environment) program and CBL (Calculator Based Laboratory) technology with scientific measurements as a means of enhancing science knowledge and communication skills of fellows, K-12 teachers and students. Typically fellows train 40 teachers during five, 8-hour days, each summer, in GLOBE protocols and CBL. These workshops link fellows with teachers so they work together more efficiently and develop a positive professional relationship. After the training, fellow; 1) make follow-up visits each week to schools, 2) lead Saturday follow-up workshops for teachers, 3) organize and attend visits of teachers to the UPRM facilities. 

 

This Track II initiative, by the third year, will institutionalize the GK-12 strategy by creating a permanent GLOBE and CBL Practicum course as an integrated element of the university graduate program.  The GUEST K-12 (II) program will strongly interact with other GK-12 initiatives creating a significant interchange in STEM activities among diverse fellows, schools, teachers, and students.  The intellectual merit of the project resides in: (1) the creation of an integrative model that helps graduate students adapt current curriculum strategies in science, technology, and communication skills as part of their graduate education; (2) new generations of graduate students using and transferring science inquiry as teaching tools to K-12 teachers and students; and (3) fellows acquiring additional communication skills to attain their careers, social achievement, and success in less time. The broader impacts of the proposed project include: (1) the institutionalization of the program; (2) synergistic teaching/learning process effect of the interaction with graduate fellows, K-12 teachers, students, and other GK-12 initiatives; and (3) an expository model, based on GLOBE and CBL technology, transferable to the K-12 schools of the Nation by the interchange of fellows, and the use of teleconferencing, and other interactive technologies.  This project is partially supported by funds from the Directorate for Mathematics and the Physical Sciences.

 

University of Utah (0338340)

 

Project Title: GK-12 Project WEST (Water, the Environment, Science and Teaching)

Institution: University of Utah

PI/Co-PI: David S Chapman

Partner School Districts: Salt Lake City School District

Number of Fellow/year: 11 Graduates; 3 Undergraduates

Target Audience: Grades 4, 8, and 9

Setting: Urban, Rural

NSF Supported Disciplines: Geosciences

PI email: dchapman@mines.utah.edu

URL:  Not available

 

Project WEST (Water, the Environment, Science, and Teaching) links the University of Utah, the Utah Museum of Natural History, and the Salt Lake City school district in enhancing inquiry based science teaching in grades 4, 8, and 9 and the interdisciplinary training of university graduate and undergraduate students in the geosciences. The unifying theme of WEST (water and the environment) is significant is the west because of its obvious importance for human survival and livelihood in this arid region.  National standards and Utah standards for teaching science in this grade range focus on this theme.  Every school and university student and every resident in the State of Utah is impacted by the local hydrological cycle: our mountain ranges receive ten times the precipitation of valley floors, water runs off in streams or percolates into the ground supporting the many ecosystems found between 12,000 ft and 3,000 ft elevation, water provides for both agriculture and urban consumption, and flows ultimately to the unique ecosystem of the Great Salt Lake.  Water affects recreation, the economy, and settlement.  By gaining an enhanced understanding of the role of water in the environment, particularly in this time of severe drought, students will contemplate their place in nature.

 

Seven specific activities are designed to accomplish WEST and GK-12 goals: (1) teacher-fellow workshops, (2) a graduate fellow interdisciplinary research project/seminar, (3) a graduate fellow teaching/learning seminar, (4) classroom teaching activities and preparation of teaching resources, (5) K-12 student field trips, (6) development of a WEST web site, and (7) an annual WEST retreat that will link research discovery with effective teaching practice.   Project WEST facilitates integrative and inquiry based learning among elementary, middle, and high school students within a framework of core curriculum requirements and state standards.  It provides professional development tools to K-12 teachers in the form of materials, observatories, workshops, and field trips that promote more effective science teaching.  The multidisciplinary nature of WEST (geology, geophysics, meteorology, ecology) provides intellectual stimulation and enhanced learning opportunities for graduate students and undergraduates selected as GK-12 Fellows.

 

The NSF intellectual merit of this project is found within the conceptual theme and activities 2,3, and 7 above.  The broader impacts include the diversity of the schools participating in WEST. Evaluation of the project at every stage ensures that best practices are discovered and followed.  This project is partially supported by funds from the Directorate for Geological Sciences.

 

University of Washington (0338322)

 

Project Title: GK-12 Program in Mathematics at the University of Washington

Institution: University of Washington

PI/Co-PI: Loyce M Adams, Lillian C McDermott, Virginia Warfield

Partner School Districts: Northshore, Seattle:

Number of Fellow/year: 10-15 Graduates

Target Audience: Grades 5-9

Setting: Urban, Suburban, Rural

NSF Supported Disciplines: Mathematics

PI email:adams@amath.washington.edu

URL:  Not available

 

This project continues and expands the GK-12 Program in Mathematics at the University of Washington by leveraging several existing K-12 outreach programs to help increase the subject-matter understanding of pre-college mathematics teachers and their students while increasing the Fellows’ understanding of teaching and learning. Ten to fifteen graduate students are placed in local elementary and junior high school math classrooms. Fellows receive initial preparation in instructional methods of inquiry-based mathematics by McDermott (co-PI) and the Physics Education Group followed by Developing Mathematical Ideas sessions to analyze student thinking directed by Warfield, Co-PI of the Expanding a Community of Mathematics Learners, a local systemic change project. Fellows work with classroom teachers in a weeklong summer math workshop taught by our UCDS partners and returning GK-12 Fellows.  They observe the inquiry-method in actual UCDS math classrooms, debrief bi-weekly as a cohort, and receive follow-up mentoring by the faculty. The Track-2 award investigates whether the current GK-12 model is replicable and sustainable.

 

Intellectual Merit: Washington’s approach to GK-12 is novel in many ways. They have a dedicated team that includes practicing teachers who provide a teacher-to-teacher mentorship that complements the fellow-to-teacher relationship. This feature also allows for more fellow mentoring in the areas of classroom management and pedagogy. They also provide the fellow an opportunity to see how children develop their mathematical thinking from the elementary to the middle school years by placing them with both elementary and junior high teachers in a learning community.

 

Broader Impact and Example of Outcomes from Prior Projects:  Well-prepared fellows that are placed in public school classrooms will be more inclined to understand the issues in math achievement and know how to become productively involved in K-12 after leaving the University. For example, one of their graduating fellows this year has accepted a tenure-track job at a University where he plans to set up a similar outreach program.

 

Western Washington University (0338354)

 

Project Title: Catalysts for Reform: a university - schools partnership in northwest Washington

Institution: Western Washington University

PI/Co-PI: Scott R Linneman, Alejandro Acevedo, and Gisele Muller-Parker

Partner School Districts: Bellingham, Lummi Tribal, Mount

Vernon, Nooksack Valley

Number of Fellow/year: 9 Graduates, 4 Undergraduates

Target Audience: Middle School (Grades 7-8)

Setting: Rural

NSF Supported Disciplines: Biology, Chemistry, Geology, and Physics

PI email: scott.linneman@wwu.edu

URL:  http://www.gk12.wwu.edu/

 

Narrative Summary:  Catalysts for Reform will partner nine science graduate students, four advanced undergraduates, and eight science faculty from Western Washington University with 25 middle school science teachers from four neighboring school districts to improve learning in middle school science among diverse student populations.  

 

Intellectual Merit:  Catalysts for Reform will explore how to best use masters-level graduate students and advanced undergraduates from biology, chemistry, geology, and physics/astronomy departments to achieve improved middle school science teaching and learning through support of systemic reform. The Thinking to Learn. Institute model will be evaluated as a means to provide university disciplinary students with research-based teaching strategies through careful research protocols.   The impact of the institutes and workshops on pedagogical content knowledge on teacher knowledge and practice, curriculum selection and implementation, and ultimately on middle school student science performance will also be studied.

 

Broader Impacts:  The project will provide a national example of how graduate and advanced undergraduate students from multiple disciplines in a master’s degree granting regional university can acquire and apply research-based teaching strategies. Participants will have a systemic impact resulting in improved middle school student science learning and teacher content and pedagogical knowledge and practice in schools with high populations of Native American and Hispanic children. As a result of involvement of science faculty, the project will have a sustainable impact on undergraduate and graduate science teaching and learning. The Thinking to Learn. Institute, which will be embedded into the graduate science curriculum, is an innovative and replicable model for all higher education institutions.  This project is receiving partial support from funds from the Directorate of Geosciences.