Science Teachers

“New Era” for Science Education

Caroline — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 18:59:16 -0500

Education Secretary Arne Duncan told the National Science Teachers Association that he wants to launch a "new era" of science education in the United States, one that encourages students to ask tough, challenging questions and brings more specially trained science and math teachers into the classroom, according to a recent Associated Press article. Citing national math and science teacher shortages, Duncan also suggested that these teachers be paid more. Watch a video of Duncan’s speech.

In addition to modernizing science education, Duncan said he will use his $5 billion “Race to the Top” fund (part of the federal stimulus package) to drive sweeping reforms state-to-state, such as:

• developing rigorous college- and career-ready standards and high-quality assessments;
• establishing preschool to college and career data systems that track progress and foster continuous improvement;
• making improvements in teacher effectiveness and in the equitable distribution of qualified teachers for all students; and
• providing intensive support and positive interventions for the lowest-performing schools.

As we’ve mentioned in past blogs, we hope Washington is prepared to do what it takes to compete for the “Race to the Top” grants. This will require bold leadership, the courage to innovate and a commitment to high expectations for every student.

2009 Regional Teacher of the Year, Central Kitsap District: David Young

laura — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 17:24:55 -0600

Yes, David Young has taught at Clear Creek Elementary school in Silverdale, Wash. for the last 12 years. But not only does he see himself as a teacher, Young sees himself as a student too. “I’m always learning and trying to get better at teaching,” said Young. And it’s his desire to learn, just like his students, that continues to make instruction in his classroom a success.

Young, who teaches 2nd and 3rd grade loop—“looping up” refers to students who begin their next grade level with the same teacher—says having students two years in a row means less time working on assessment at the beginning of the second year. He sees looping as an opportunity because he can “hit the ground running” with his students in the Fall.

Young describes himself as creative and hardworking, and someone who likes humor in the classroom because it’s what makes learning enjoyable for him and for his students. Young said knowing his students well makes him aware of their interests. With this information, he allows his students to take lessons in different directions. Most important, Young says, is “making sure they understand the purpose of what they are learning.”

Accordingly, Young created the Readers’ Choice Award. This program empowers students to write and publish their own stories for other students to read and vote for which one they like best. At the end of the year, the student authors with the most votes win an award for the book store. Since creation of the program six years ago, more than 1,200 books have been published. Rather than just publishing their work, Young said the Readers Choice Award takes it a step further and “gives them a purpose to write with an authentic reason.”

Sticking to his goal of making his classroom enjoyable, Young also incorporates some of the latest technology with his lessons. He likes to make regular use of document reader cameras, so he doesn’t have to spend extra time using an overhead projector. And as the school’s building technology coordinator, he is currently working on fundraising for interactive white boards. It’s great to have technology available in the classroom so he can make a point, and everyone can see it “right at that moment,” Young said.

In addition to hitting the basketball court once a week, Young enjoys spending time doing various activities and sports with his wife and their two young children. But one thing for sure, a teacher with a sense of humor, who makes sure his students understand the purpose of what their learning, and takes action to incorporate 21st century technology in the classroom, is a great teacher. Young is one of nine teachers selected as the 2009 Regional Teachers of the year from OSPI.

2009 Regional Teacher of the Year, Mead School District: Dave Gamon

laura — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 16:02:13 -0600

“I have to make science more than the book,” said Dave Gamon, who teaches life science at Northwood Middle School in Spokane, Wash. And considering his classroom is home to a chinchilla, bearded dragon, frogs, birds and tropical fish, it sounds like he is doing just that. Gamon is one of nine teachers to win the 2009 Regional Teacher of the Year Award.

Gamon is fascinated by science and has fun in the classroom. And apparently lots of it, “I’m like a big kid,” said Gamon, who calls himself an engaging person with an appreciation for the world around him. Gamon said he couldn’t imagine teaching something that he didn’t enjoy.

“For it to be fun for the students, it has to be fun for the teacher,” said Gamon, who added, “if a teacher isn’t enjoying what subject their teaching, then neither will the kids.”

Gamon said it is his job to bring the world of science to his students. “I want them to see life sciences the moment they walk through the door,” said Gamon who focuses on making his classroom “alive” by having a lot of critters and colorful murals. Staying true to this belief, he occasionally brings in an outside expert as an additional resource, such as a genetic counselor who explains the fertility process to students. Stressing the importance of bringing many resources into the classroom, Gamon also incorporates visual communications with his lessons to keep his students engaged.

Gamon earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Biology, and has taught science for the past thirteen years. When he is not spending time with his family or playing sports outdoors, you can bet he is bringing science to life in his classroom. “It’s a real gift to be able to love what you’re doing,” said Gamon.

The Teacher of the Year Award is sponsored by many organizations, including Partnership for Learning, PEMCO, and many representatives from several different organizations select the winners. Washington’s 2009 Teacher of the Year recipient was Susan Johnson. As a regional winner, Gamon can expect to attend conferences, share his expertise with the community, and advocate for educational issues.

One resource to help Gamon and other Washington science teachers make science “alive” and rigorous is the Pacific Science Center’s LASER program’s inquiry-based curriculum and professional development. Evaluations show that LASER students are more excited about science and posting higher WASL scores.

What does it take to get more Math and Science teachers? Getting creative and getting serious

Caroline — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 17:04:33 -0600

Washington is not the only state struggling to find more math and science teachers. Over the next decade, schools nationwide will need 200,000 or more new teachers in science and math, according to estimates by such groups as the Business-Higher Education Forum in Washington D.C.. Here at home, we’ll need at least 460 new math teachers by 2013, so every student can take three years of high school math—part of the State Board of Education’s recent CORE 24 proposal.

What’s a State to do, especially a cash-strapped one? Getting creative about recruiting and then getting serious about providing high-quality teacher preparation, mentoring and financial incentives seem to be part of the solution.

Take the case of two new Massachusetts teachers:

A former mortgage loan officer, Jeremy Kennefick saw science teaching as a more fulfilling option, and happened across Teach! SouthCoast, a partnership between the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth College, and several school districts, including that of New Bedford, where he now teaches eighth-grade science at Normandin Middle School. He's receiving a $5,000 scholarship – funded by a federal grant – in exchange for teaching in the district for at least three years. Twice a week, he takes classes with a group of 20 who will earn their teaching licenses within a year. He’ll receive three years of mentoring.

Geoffrey Gailey, a biology major in undergrad, won a Knowles Science Teaching Foundation (KSTF) fellowship, while pursuing his master’s in teaching at Cornell University. He’s now teaching at The Engineering High School in Boston. The KSTF fellowship provides tuition assistance, summer stipends, and ongoing professional development for up to five years. Out of 128 KSTF fellowships awarded since 2002, fewer than 20 individuals have left teaching. By comparison, about a third of new science and math teachers typically leave the profession within three years.

We’re encouraged that Washington’s very own Basic Education Finance Task Force recently recommended state incentives, such as loan forgiveness and more pay, for teachers in shortage areas; mentoring new teachers up to five years; and revamping teachers’ career and salary advancement to reward effectiveness.

And, luckily for Washington, federal leadership may soon be on the horizon. On the campaign trail, President-elect Barack Obama called for 40,000 new scholarships to draw undergraduates and career-changers into high-needs schools and making science and math education a national priority. Obama also voiced support for the creation of high-quality teacher preparation residencies with strong mentoring components-an approach proven successful by Secretary of Education-nominee Arne Duncan in Chicago.

To find out more, check out Obama’s education agenda.

PESB moves to ensure a quality supply of math and science teachers

maureen — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 18:18:47 -0600

Just when you thought I was snowed in, I dug myself out for some late-breaking education news! The Professional Educators Standards Board (PESB) has released their report to the legislature with recommendations for how Washington should recruit a quality supply of math and science teachers.

So just what is PESB recommending to increase math and science teacher capacity? Well, in the interest of full disclosure, I was on the task force behind the report, so I’ve got a pretty good idea. Here are the highlights:

Create an Adjunct Teaching Corps of part-time math and science faculty at community colleges and baccalaureate institutions with interest in teaching secondary math and/or science part-time in Washington public middle- or high schools. I love this recommendation. It’s relatively low-cost and brings a significant amount of new and diverse experience into the classroom.

Ensure Math and Science Teacher Preparation Adequately Prioritized by Public Institutions. We recommend that Governor Gregoire convene, per PESB budget request to OFM, a Task Force of Public Higher Education Institution Leadership, along with other key K-12 stakeholders, to examine the place of educator preparation in public institutional mission and how institutional leaders may better prioritize and support it. This is a no-nonsense solution that should have been done yesterday. Currently, most Washington Colleges of Education over-produce elementary school teachers, while significantly under-producing math and science teachers—an area where there is dire need. This task force would look for ways to encourage Colleges of Education to counsel students and produce teachers that meet the demands of the state.

Fund Teacher Residency and Fellowship programs, with oversight by the PESB, operated by Teach for America (TFA) or The New Teacher Project, in which teaching interns earn significant stipends or salary. Washington is one of the most sought after locations in the TFA Corps, yet, to date, our state has never sought assistance from the program. While this strategy is more long term, it has proved to draw some of the best and brightest young minds in to the classroom.

Create tighter, more formal collaboration between colleges of education and liberal arts and sciences. Modeled after the nationally-renowned U-Teach program at University of Texas and a similar program at University of Colorado, Washington institutions should implement Compact degrees that allow most students to graduate with a degree and certification in math or science in four years. Imagine if you could earn an engineering degree and a math teaching certificate at the same time. I bet there’d be a lot more math and science graduates willing to teach out there.

Promisingly, Governor Gregoire has already included pieces of this report (namely, creating tighter links between Colleges of Education and K-12 teaching demands) in her budget proposal for this session. Stay tuned (and stay warm) for more news of the implementation of PESB’s recommendations over the coming session!

“For every action…

maureen — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 16:10:42 -0500

…there is a reaction.” Newton said that about motion, but he could have just as easily said it about the inertia of education reform—particularly when it comes to getting more teachers into the classroom. Circling around the news today, a Tacoma News Tribune column demonstrates this very point.

Responding to Liv Finne’s editorial on the barrier of teacher credentials in Washington state, Jill Van Glubt flies to the Professional Educator Standards Board’s (PESB) defense. Van Glubt, chair of PESB (which governs teacher certification in WA), seeks to make it clear that changing teacher certification laws to allow more professionals access to the classroom isn’t the silver bullet to increasing math and science teacher capacity or student performance.

“A high degree of knowledge in math and science is necessary for effective teaching, but not sufficient. Just knowing a tremendous amount about a subject does not mean you can teach it to a classroom of 14-year-olds,” writes Van Glubt.

“Teaching credentials that reflect attainment of both subject knowledge and teaching skills do, and must, matter. The purpose of a license is to assure the public that the holder has achieved an expected level of competency. After all, we are entrusting our children to that person’s care. Not only do we know that parents want licensed and qualified teachers, we know from research that it does make a difference.”

But what about Teacher for America? you might ask. Don’t those young teachers lack full licenses and have been shown to increase capacity and test scores?

Van Glubt responds: “Studies on TFA graduate effectiveness haven’t addressed the impact of credentialing and, in one, more TFA graduates held certification in the subject they were teaching than non-TFA. TFA has an impressive track record of high-caliber recruits that achieve positive student learning results. However, very few teachers in TFA stay beyond their two-year commitment.”

The debate on whether or not to reduce teacher certification laws in order to allow more mathematicians and scientists to teach is certainly far from over. Van Glubt recommends “a more aggressive recruitment strategy and greater access to a wider variety of training options,” but one wonders if this is merely more of the same strategy we’ve been using along. On the other hand, as the shortage of math and science teachers captures more attention, we may see more of a public push for dramatically improving current teacher recruitment and retention practices.

Perhaps only time will tell. I wonder what Newton would say…

To learn more about this issue and Alternative Routes to teacher certification, visit PESB’s website.

Retiring Math and Science Teachers: You’ll be dearly missed…

maureen — Tue, 27 May 2008 15:24:47 -0500

That’s because of the incredible shortage of qualified math and science teachers that exists in Washington state.

From today’s Tri-City Herald—

“As more and more baby boomers retire, employers nationwide are scrambling to fill jobs and entice skilled older workers to stay on a little longer.

Tri-City school officials aren’t forecasting an unusual surge of teacher retirements anytime soon, and figures obtained by the Herald seem to back up their confidence. But officials do say educators like Knepp — with her expertise in math and science — are especially hard to replace.

‘We do (think) about it, especially in certain subject matters,’ said Bev Johnson-Torelli, assistant superintendent of human resources for the Kennewick School District. ‘Right now, there isn’t a scarcity of elementary teachers. But there is in math, science, special education and (those who teach students learning English).’”

AND

“Finding enough qualified math and science teachers to make up for turnover, retirement and new demands in those subjects is a challenge, Tri-City school officials said.

One study by the Washington, D.C.-based Business and Higher Education Forum projected that 280,000 new math and science teachers will be needed by 2015.”

Thankfully, PESB was tasked in the state’s budget with developing a comprehensive math and science teacher recruitment strategy by the legislature earlier this year. Let’s hope their efforts can help to combat the impending baby boom retirement wave—or at least explore a program like California’s which recruits retirees back into the classroom.

Ain’t that a shame…

maureen — Tue, 06 May 2008 13:06:18 -0500

No, we’re not talking about the Fats Domino song—just the fact that our state missed out on $13.2 million to strengthen math and science courses. The grant from the National Math & Science Initiative would have provided teacher training and coaching, tutoring for students, materials and equipment, and incentives for teachers and students. But it’s gone now, because NMSI was unable to reach agreement with Washington schools on the terms of the grant contract and we’re sad.

In case you missed it yesterday, check out this Seattle Times article for the depressing details.

Teaching Science Teachers to be Leaders

allisonm — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 14:49:35 -0600

A big part of teaching is about knowing how to ask the right questions.

But what if the subject you’re teaching revolves around just that, the pursuit of more and more questions?

Welcome to science class, a period some of us may remember as an adventure into the innards of frogs, the Milky Way and everything in between. Science class today still requires students to know facts and formulas but they are also increasingly asked to seek their own answers to fundamental questions about how the world around them works.

“It is a much more active process of learning with teachers serving as highly skilled guides through a rigorous process of scientific inquiry. To do it well requires teachers that are passionate and incredibly knowledgeable and comfortable with the science content,” said Carolyn Landel, project director for the North Cascades and Olympic Science Partnership (NCOSP) at Western Washington University.

Nationally and locally, science education has long languished due to inadequate instructional materials, ineffective teaching strategies, and particularly at the elementary level, insufficient preparation in science to teach it well. Exacerbating these challenges, national and state standards include far more topics than students can learn over the course of their school experience, according to Landel (the State Board of Education and the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction are currently involved in revising Washington’s science standards and will complete their work in December of 2008).

So Landel and others brought together 28 school districts and five institutions of higher education in an innovative partnership to develop a network of “teacher leaders” with deep knowledge of science, how children learn, and how to plan effective instruction to support student learning. These teacher leaders are also coached on how to more effectively collaborate with their peers as well as serve as catalysts for change in science teaching throughout their school and district.

Thanks to Landel, NCOSP, and the hard work of the teacher leaders and their administrators, student learning in Northwestern Washington has increased dramatically.

According to Landel, the entire program is firmly grounded in the research surrounding “How People Learn: Bridging Research and Practice”—a scientific, research-based approach to teaching and learning. “What distinguishes the partnership is its relentless commitment to translating research findings into practical strategies and tools that teachers and administrators can use to support their daily work -- helping every child learn.”

Founded in 2002 by former NASA Astronaut and Western Washington University science professor Pinky Nelson, NCOSP was conceived as a partnership between higher education and school districts to simultaneously improve the preparation of future teachers and the quality of the science programs and science instruction in schools.

A grant from the National Science Foundation awarded in September 2003 provided external resources to help the partnership take form and to conduct careful studies to monitor its impact. Nelson and Landel assembled a staff and launched the first Summer Academy with 160 local science teachers in 2004.

The teachers were offered a variety of tailored incentives for their participation in the NCOSP program. All were awarded a stipend for taking the classes, and many elected to receive graduate credits that could be used to complete a master’s degree. Still others applied portions of their NCOSP experience to their pursuit of national board certification.

“Each partner district had to decide which of their teachers would participate,” said Landel. “They know their staff; they know the needs and concerns of their school. We relied on their expertise to select those that would become teacher leaders.” The result was a broad sampling of teachers with diverse backgrounds; a very representative slice of the state.

Using expertise from different groups is another hallmark of NCOSP. “The teachers bring a wealth of knowledge about teaching, schools, and children. The higher education faculty has expertise in science content and research. When these groups work together, everyone learns,” said Nelson.

The first 160 local teachers (90 from elementary, 40 from middle and 30 from high school), met for a two-week immersion during the summer and experienced a deep-dive into the current research on learning and effective science instruction. Through structured scientific investigations, teachers were confronted with many questions. The facilitators of those discussions provided few answers -- the teachers did the hard work of constructing the answers themselves.

“Across all grade levels we need teachers to recognize science as a dynamic body of knowledge that changes based on the best available evidence. There is no better way to understand that idea than to experience it first hand. Teachers quickly realize that it’s the evidence their students generate and the questions they explore that will help them learn science.”

“My students have had to get comfortable with seeking answers to questions they generate,” said Roger Hasper, an NCOSP teacher leader at North Bellingham Elementary. “As I increased my use of questioning strategies and inquiry students started to take more responsibility for their thinking across all areas of the curriculum.”

After participating in the Summer Academy, the teacher leaders received continued support through regional Learning Community Forums, which met monthly for the first three years of the program. NCOSP’s teacher leaders also receive additional support from Teachers on Special Assignment (or TOSAs; teacher leaders who take a one-year sabbatical to support partnership activities across all districts). TOSAs help observe and facilitate ongoing meetings between teacher leaders, their teaching colleagues, and their school principal.

Squalicum High School Principal David Engle in the Bellingham School District has developed a deeper respect for the challenge of good science teaching and has seen significant improvement in his school’s science instruction since one of his staff became a teacher leader. This teacher leader has worked with other teachers in her building to share what she’s learning, increasing the impact on instruction across multiple classrooms.

“Students are more highly engaged in our science curriculum because of these instructional changes,” said Engle. “I've seen my teachers really address the misconceptions that students bring to class with them about basic science ideas and I've seen a much more reflective approach to science instruction from the teachers most involved in the NCOSP work.”

Engle’s school isn’t the only one that has benefited. Two years ago, only 36 percent of eighth-grade students at Nooksack Valley Middle School in Everson were proficient on the science WASL. In 2007, that number rose to 73 percent in classrooms taught by NCOSP teachers. The results at Nooksack Valley Elementary School were equally striking. The scores for fifth graders in NCOSP classrooms jumped from near the state average of 36 percent two years ago to almost 90 percent this year.

“All of our schools’ test results are now significantly higher than state averages – despite demographics that would predict otherwise. We are confident that we will continue to improve,” said Mark Johnson, Nooksack Valley Superintendent.

With the success of the first 160 teachers in 2007, NCOSP added an additional 250 teachers. This time, however, the new teachers were provided professional development guidance by the teacher leaders (all past NCOSP participants) at their school. This sort of collaborative model that uses the expertise of teacher leaders is exactly what Landel hopes will catch on in each of the participating districts and perhaps beyond.

“There are many more teachers across the state that could benefit from this type of program,” said Landel. “The next question we need to sit down, study, and ask ourselves is, ‘What does it take to build other partnerships like this that benefit teachers and students and how do we implement them to support broader statewide changes?’”

In the science of teaching science, the questions never really end.

To learn more about the North Cascades and Olympic Science Partnership, visit www.ncosp.wwu.edu or email Carolyn Landel at Carolyn.Landel@wwu.edu.

For updates on Washington’s revision of state science standards visit the State Board of Education’s website.

To learn more about a complimentary statewide effort to improve science education in Washington State visit LASER’s website.

Holding Back Vital Change

House Bill would deny students the math necessary to be college ready

Representative Dave Quall has introduced and will hold a hearing Monday, Feb. 4 on HB 3299, a bill to reverse the state's requirement for a third year of high school math. This would be a major step backward. The requirement is already not likely to be implemented until 2013. Reversing the requirement would diminish important momentum and extend the pattern of awarding diplomas to students who are not prepared for a two-year community or technical college or other higher education.

Two Legislators Focus on Ending Washington's Math Teacher Shortage

Why can’t we offer more math to high school students? What’s holding us back from doing away with remediation—those costly pre-college classes half of community college students need even though they’ve just received a high school diploma? The answer, more often than not, is that we simply don’t have enough qualified math teachers.

Two legislators are stepping up this session to squarely address the challenge. Rep. Pat Sullivan and Sen. Rodney Tom have both introduced bills that would set in motion a process to quantify the shortage of math and science teachers; unify, strengthen and accelerate recruitment efforts; and introduce financial incentives to attract new math and science teachers into the profession. The House bill (HB 2809) was broadly supported in last week’s public hearing. The Senate bill (SB 6781) is slated to be heard February 6.

The Professional Educators Standards Board (PESB) has shown a strong commitment to work on this issue, as well. PESB recently released the preliminary results of a statewide survey of school districts that reported impending teacher shortages in meeting the new third year of math requirement. This was an encouraging step forward but gathering accurate data on this topic remains challenging. And when it comes to things such as pay incentives—only the legislature can pave the way. Recent public opinion research has shown strong support for using pay incentives as a way to attract qualified math and science teachers, even if it means they will be paid more than teachers of other important subjects.

We applaud these two legislators for stepping up and offering proactive solutions to the statewide shortage of math teachers.

For other updates on important education-related legislation please visit our blog, The Hall Monitor.

Rush to Judgment

allisonm — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 17:34:45 -0600

It's no secret that the quality of a teacher has an immense impact on student achievement. And with teacher shortages looming, particularly in specialized areas such as math & science and special education, it's definitely a hot topic of discussion.

One which will only get hotter with the release of a new report Rush to Judgment: Teacher Evaluation in Public Education from the Education Sector, an independent education policy think tank.

Authored by Thomas Toch and Robert Rothman, the report makes some strong statements about comprehensive teacher evaluations and performance pay. From "drive by" teacher rating systems and evaluations based solely on test scores identified as key contributors to the "crisis in teacher evaluation," the report calls for "A New Model" that includes:

Explicit standards (such as the Teacher Advancement Program model)
Multiple measures (such as the National Board portfolios)
Multiple evaluators (evaluation by teams of teachers to limit the subjective nature of conventional evaluations)

The report even goes into time, cost and evaluations of evaluations. It is definitely worth a read, especially since the Professional Educators Standards Board just announced in this press release that Washington state needs 450 new teachers just to meet the new requirement of a third year of math to be phased in by 2013.

Plus, the Legislature is also mulling over a couple of relevant bills in play right now to address teacher shortages: HB 2043 (establishing the recruiting diverse Washington teachers program) and HB 2809 (regarding math and science teachers).

Check out the report and tell us what you think.