1

ABSTRACT

The University of Wisconsin-River Falls (UWRF) seeks to enhance its STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering

and Math) teacher preparation through clinical teaching partnerships with two schools in the region. The proposed STEM

Lab Initiative (SLI) will span a three year period and place pre-service science and math Teacher Education students from

underrepresented teaching populations (students of color, females in science or math) in classrooms with a mentoring high

school instructor. UWRF students and their cooperating instructors will work together over the course of 12 weeks to plan,

teach, and assess two in-class science labs or two in-class math manipulative lessons. The two main outcomes of the

STEM Lab Initiative will be to (1) increase the skill and ability of Science/Math education students to create and teach

Science lab lessons/Math manipulative lessons and to (2) increase the knowledge and skill of Science/Math education

students in the area of lesson assessment. The STEM Lab Initiative is intended to directly support and advance the Growth

Agenda for Wisconsin and the Inclusive Excellence plan by enhancing learning opportunities for underrepresented students,

increasing student retention, by tailoring UWRF’s academic programs to meet regional workforce needs, and by fostering

engagement between UWRF and the regional community.

The STEM Lab Initiative will be an exciting opportunity for underrepresented Teacher Education students to

participate in a rich, meaningful, and directed field experience to augment their mandated pre-professional experiences.

Implementing the STEM Lab Initiative will strengthen the preparation of future STEM educators by giving them a unique

chance to apply academic theory in a “live” setting. As a pre-student teaching field experience it will also offer STEM

education students an early look at school culture and practice refining their in-class teaching skills. In addition to providing

UWRF STEM Teacher Education students with invaluable pre-service teaching experience the STEM Lab Initiative will also

give the Teacher Education Department at UWRF a timely opportunity to explore new Teacher Education field experience

models. As an early, in-depth field placement that allows students to practice teaching, SLI can serve as a prototype for

meaningful experiential teaching and learning opportunities.

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PROJECT NARRATIVE

1. Description of Project In order to further enhance the preparation and training of students entering the high need teaching fields of

Science and Math, the University of Wisconsin-River Falls (UWRF) and the WiTEACH program1 have partnered with Red

Wing High School (grades 8-12) and River Falls High School (9-12) to launch the STEM Lab Initiative. Through these

partnerships, UWRF Science and Math Teacher Education students will be provided with a directed and meaningful field

experience to augment their mandated pre-professional experiences. In the three years of this grant cycle, the STEM Lab

Initiative (SLI) will partner 24 UWRF students from historically underrepresented populations in STEM education with

cooperating Science or Math teachers. Each semester four students will be selected as SLI participants; two will be placed

with teachers at Red Wing High School (RWHS) and two will be placed at River Falls High School (RFHS). The UWRF

students will work with their cooperating teacher to design, teach, and assess two Science labs or two Math manipulative

lessons over the course of a 12 week paid teaching assistantship. The UWRF students will be onsite at the high school

twice a week for two and a half hours each visit in order to work collaboratively with their cooperating teacher. The UWRF

students will assist in the classroom, plan their two lessons, learn how to run and manage a Science lab/Math manipulative

lesson, and develop student assessments for their lessons.

The participating students will meet every two to three weeks with the Primary Investigator to participate in data

collection and to discuss progress and questions over the course of the assistantship. The participants will also have a

UWRF Teacher Education faculty member made available to them in order to assist with lesson development and to provide

relevant professional support. SLI participants will also keep a reflective journal during their assistantship to catalog their

thoughts, lessons learned, reactions, etc. The participants will also write a short “reflection paper” in summary of these

journals to jump-start the professional practice of examining their teaching experience and looking for ways to better meet

the needs of their students.

1 Description of the WiTEACH program included in Appendix

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The scope of this project covers three years and has three distinct phases. Year One: Implementation and

Expansion. An SLI pilot program was launched during the academic year 2011/12 and placed four students at RWHS.

During year one of the new grant cycle (2012/13 academic year) SLI will again place four students at RWHS and expand to

place four additional students at RFHS. Year Two: Program Continuation and Data Collection. A total of eight students

will be placed at RWHS and RFHS during the 2013/14 academic year. Data collection will continue towards the overall

purpose of building a data sample size from which statistical significance can be derived. Year Three: Continuation, Data

Distillation and Overall Assessment. In order to provide a more accurate evaluation of this type of field experience it is

necessary to have a sufficiently large sample size. Taking into consideration quality control, manpower, current UWRF

science and math Teacher Education enrollment, funding, and partner school capacity to provide cooperating teachers we

cannot build to a sufficient sample size in one year. At the end of a three year grant cycle (and including the four students

from the pilot year) SLI will have a data sample size of 28, a number from which statistical significance can be derived. At

the end of the three year grant cycle we will also have been able to investigate if/how to incorporate this field experience (or

one of a similar nature) into an existing Teacher Education course or embed it within a new course.

1.1 - STEM Lab Initiative Pilot

A one year grant award from the UW System Teacher Recruitment and Retention Initiative has allowed four UWRF

students to participate in the STEM Lab Initiative at RWHS for the 2011/12 academic year. The collaboration between

UWRF and RWHS is based on a mutual desire to prepare the next generation of highly qualified, socially conscious Science

and Math teachers. In conversations between UWRF and the high school’s leadership, RWHS Principal Beth Borgen

expressed an interest in having the school utilized as a “teaching academy” for teacher education students. That willingness

to shape and guide promising young teachers has already proven to be significant and substantial for UWRF’s students.

The cooperating teachers at RWHS have lent their experience and expertise to the teaching assistants and provided

counsel on the “how to” of lab creation, lab management, classroom techniques, and assessment creation.

The preliminary qualitative evaluations of Fall 2011 SLI participants suggest that the experience has had a

significant impact on the students’ confidence as teachers, their ability to create and lead hands-on lessons, and their ability

to link academic theory to professional practice. The participant coded as Math Student One reported how the experience

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helped to connect classroom theory to “actual” classroom teaching: “We had talked about using Algebra Tiles in [UWRF Math

Education courses] and I didn’t see the need for them. Then seeing them in action at Red Wing, incorporating the Algebra Tiles into the

lesson, how it made the concepts so much clearer for the kids; for me professionally, that was great.” Science Student One talked

about how the SLI experience allowed her to grow into an assertive professional: “I felt like I understood [the material], but I was

uneasy about running a lesson. I didn’t think the kids would listen to me. [The RWHS cooperating teacher] really pushed me to be a

presence in the classroom. It’s been totally immersive and I’ve gained a sense of authority and confidence as a teacher.”

When the participants were asked about their overall impressions of the SLI program their responses were

indicative of a supportive, meaningful, and informative experience. Math Student One: “[SLI was] the most beneficial field

experience I’ve had so far. It was the first time I felt like the cooperating teacher took an interest in me and my professional

development.” Science Student One: “I learned a lot from [the RWHS teacher] and from the experience. Every time I got there I

learned something new. Every chance [the teacher] got he was passing along information on teacher development, IEP’s, or subject

matter. He did everything he could to broaden my knowledge.”

The preliminary feedback from semester one of the SLI program has been very encouraging and has reinforced the

core principles that are the impetus for this program:

Early, hands-on field experience serves to link classroom theory and teaching practice

Immersive field experiences allow pre-service teachers to build confidence as professionals

Practicing their professional craft early and often will allow pre-service teachers to enter student teaching more prepared

This in turn, will allow student teachers to reach a higher level of professional refinement

With added clinical practice STEM Teacher Education graduates are more thoroughly prepared to enter the workforce as successful professionals

2. Statement of Need 2.1 - Student Preparation & Retention

Teaching, much like medicine, is a profession that requires practice in order to become an expert in the field. Thus,

practice needs to be at the center of our teacher preparation programs (Zimpher et al, 2010). The SLI experience provides

teacher candidates entering the most in-demand teaching subjects just that; an early, engaging opportunity to practice

teaching. One of the most influential contemporary researchers in the field of teacher preparation, Linda Darling-Hammond,

refers to this need as “practice in practice”. Working with a mentor teacher SLI participants plan, teach, and assess two

Science or Math lessons for a class of middle/high school students. This is a unique opportunity within UWRF’s Teacher

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Education program. Typically, the first opportunity for a teacher candidate to teach a lesson would at the earliest come a full

year later. According to a 2010 report commissioned by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education

effective teacher preparation programs should integrate “clinical practice” throughout their programs. SLI provides an added

layer of clinical training woven into teacher preparation at UWRF.

Not only will the SLI experience enhance the training of our teacher candidates, but it will contribute to the

concerted effort to retain underrepresented populations of teacher candidates in high demand subject areas. Research in

the field of student retention indicates there is a very strong relationship between student persistence and their active

engagement in the learning process (Kuh, 2007, 2005; Tinto, 2006; Astin, 1987, 1992 in Simonet, 2008). When students are

actively involved in their education and not just passive recipients of knowledge, the material becomes more relevant,

absorbing, and interesting. These positive academic experiences are an important contributor to students’ satisfaction with

their role as a student, perception of campus climate, and ultimately students’ retention in higher education (Schreiner,

2008). Preliminary qualitative data from the Fall 2011 SLI participants points to the experience being professionally

affirming, engaging, and entirely positive.

2.2 - The Application of Teaching Theory

The STEM Lab Intiative (SLI) will provide burgeoning Math and Science teachers with a relevant and exciting field

experience that links the theory and knowledge gained in university courses with a practical experience that allows them to

apply their knowledge in a middle/high school classroom. Bridging the gap between teaching theory and the practical

application of theory is a central and necessary piece of any teacher training program (Dodds, 1989). Thompson and Ross

(2000) and Reynolds (2000) also note that connecting theory and practice in the teaching discipline is crucial to preparing

successful educators. By placing students in an early field experience under the supervision of a mentor teacher the SLI

students gain valuable skills that can’t be attained solely in an academic lecture. Participating in “live” labs will expose SLI

participants to questions, concerns, and problems that will compel them to think creatively in the context of their lesson –

this simply cannot be duplicated in a traditional university class. Early field experiences of this nature help to prepare

students for similar circumstances in the future and often minimize difficulties during student teaching (Silvino and Willsley,

1977).

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2.3 - Institutional Change

The Teacher Education program at UWRF already incorporates tutoring and observation into “early” (first, second,

and third year) field experiences. However, what it does not currently provide is an opportunity for Teacher Education

students to receive “practice in practice” before their fourth year of the program. SLI provides an avenue to investigate the

efficacy and departmental feasibility of incorporating an early opportunity for students to plan, teach, and assess hands-on

science and math lessons into the UWRF Teacher Education program.

The STEM Lab Initiative is also a program that if proven successful could be replicated with relative ease at other

UW institutions. A field placement similar to SLI could be piloted as part of a university class that already incorporates field

experience or as a stand-alone supplemental experience. A cost saving benefit of incorporating the experience into a class

that already requires field experience is that it circumvents the question of whether or not students should be paid for their

time at the school. The experience can be scaled to fit the needs and resources of the participating institutions – both in the

number of students taking part and in the length of the experience. Tapping into existing university/school partnerships has

proven to be a great way to jump start a program like SLI. Channels of communication are in place and a level of familiarity

and trust already exists concerning the quality of candidates and cooperating teachers. These are assets that can be

leveraged to establish another positive, symbiotic program.

3. Advancing the Growth Agenda for Wisconsin

The Growth Agenda for Wisconsin is a vision to help the state and its citizens thrive in the 21st century. Three

strategic goals underpin this vision; (1) Increase the number of Wisconsin graduates, (2) Create more well-paying jobs, and

(3) Build stronger communities. The STEM Lab Initiative supports and advances all three of these UW System goals as well

as the mission and institutional goals of UWRF.

3.1 - Increase the Number of Wisconsin Graduates

The STEM Lab Initiative aims to increase the number of Wisconsin graduates by involving students in activities

designed to enhance the teaching, learning, and academic success of underrepresented populations in the field of STEM

teacher education. The activities embedded within SLI allow students to link the theory and ideas presented in their college

classrooms to teaching practice in middle/high school classrooms; a technique proven to increase student retention and

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persistence towards graduation. SLI also provides academic and professional enhancement, preparing students to meet

and exceed Wisconsin’s teaching standards set forth in PI-34.02. As each UWRF student works with their cooperating

teacher to design a lab or manipulative lesson that teaches a particular concept, they are refining their knowledge in the

Math and Science disciplines and creating meaningful learning experiences for students.

PI 34.02 Teacher Standards (1) The teacher understands the central concepts, tools of inquiry, and structures of the disciplines he or she teaches and can create learning experiences that make these aspects of subject matter meaningful for pupils.

Following each lab or lesson, the SLI participants will create an assessment that will determine how well the lab/lesson’s

concepts have been communicated and absorbed.

PI 34.02 Teacher Standards (8) The teacher understands and uses formal and informal assessment strategies to evaluate and ensure the continuous intellectual, social, and physical development of the pupil.

During their SLI experience, UWRF students will keep a “reflective journal” and write a summative paper that analyzes

classroom activities, details possible improvements, and catalogues their thoughts and feelings about their participation in

SLI and the classroom.

PI 34.02 Teacher Standards (9) The teacher is a reflective practitioner who continually evaluates the effect of his or her choices and actions on pupils, parents, professionals in the learning community and others and who actively seeks out opportunities to grow professionally.

By reinforcing students’ proficiency in the Wisconsin teaching standards through hands-on practice SLI aims to

improve retention of underrepresented candidates in Teacher Education as well as boost academic and professional

success. The importance of these goals is highlighted by the dearth of underrepresented teacher candidates that persist

until acceptance into the Teacher Education program. In the academic year 2006, 141 students from underrepresented

populations indicated Teacher Education as their incoming UWRF program major. Three years later, the number of

underrepresented students that were still in the Teacher Education program was 34, a retention rate of 24%. Not only does

SLI aim to improve retention by elevating participants’ academic and professional skill, but as an early clinical experience

SLI can assist in retention by providing an initial program “hook” – an experience that is engaging, challenging, and

rewarding - that keeps students interested in Teacher Education. These themes of retention, enhanced learning, and high

quality educational experiences for all students are central in the UWS Growth Agenda, the Inclusive Excellence plan, and

are also highlighted in UWRF’s Core Value of creating an inclusive learning community.

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3.2 - Creating Well-Paying Jobs & Build Strong Communities

The STEM Lab Initiative will immerse underrepresented STEM Teacher Education students in a structured, relevant

professional environment. In so doing, UWRF and SLI are directly addressing the pervasive need to prepare teachers of the

highest quality for low supply/high need teaching jobs in areas like the STEM fields. In Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, and

Michigan the science and math disciplines are listed as “Teacher Shortage Areas” by the US Department of Education, and

have been since 2004 (US Department of Education, 2011). This persistent need is reflected in many states across the

nation and is projected to continue through at least 2014 when data for a new comprehensive report will be collected. SLI is

a program tailored to meet these local, regional, and national workforce needs for excellent STEM teachers.

Furthermore, by preparing teachers to fill important roles within their community, SLI is also helping to strengthen

the communities that surround UWRF. Teachers have a substantial long-term impact on the communities in which they

serve by facilitating the growth and development of students – the future of any community. SLI provides enhanced

professional training for teachers that will eventually be shaping the minds of tomorrow’s civic, social, and business leaders.

A community is only as strong as its citizens, and by preparing teachers of the highest quality to guide and instruct a

community’s citizens SLI and UWRF are working to build strong regional communities.

4. Program Sustainability

Once SLI has completed three years of field placements it will become clear how and where fiscal prudence can be

applied to the budget while still providing a viable and meaningful field experience. The three years of funding provided

during this grant cycle will allow UWRF time to set aside and allocate moneys to SLI based on a refined budget. In order to

increase the likelihood that the STEM Lab Initiative will be sustained beyond the Institutional Change Grants cycle we will

also be submitting grant proposals to other sources of funding like the National Science Foundation. In addition, once

collaborative partnerships have been solidified with Red Wing and River Falls Public Schools continuation of a mutually

beneficial field experience without grant funding becomes more likely. UWRF currently places Teacher Education students

in both districts for classroom experience and continuing SLI – another positive, symbiotic affiliation between partners- can

be broached at the end of the grant cycle. A development that makes this a heightened possibility is the recent partnership

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that establishes RFHS as a Professional Development School (PDS) for UWRF Teacher Education student teachers. The

PDS is currently an “end of program” teaching experience but the three years of this grant cycle will allow time to explore

how clinical experience like SLI could be incorporated into the PDS sooner in the UWRF curriculum.

5. Project Timeline & Outcomes

The STEM Lab Initiative is a three year program intended to provide Teacher Education students with an early

opportunity to link teaching theory to practice, and gain valuable professional insight from the experience. The two overall

outcomes of the SLI experience are derived from the Ten Wisconsin Teaching Standards and align with the goals of the

Growth Agenda for Wisconsin (increase graduates through enhanced learning): Increase the skill and ability of

Science/Math education students to create and teach Science lab lessons/Math manipulative lessons and Increase the

knowledge and skill of Science/Math education students in the area of lesson assessment.

Progress towards the overall stated outcomes will be measured by a timeline of incremental benchmarks of

success. During the first year of operation (academic year 2012/13) the STEM Lab Initiative will place four students with

cooperating teachers at Red Wing High School and expand to place an additional four students at River Falls High School.

The student selections will be pulled from a pool of candidates that meet the following criteria: minimum cumulative gpa of

2.75, student has taken and passed the Praxis I exam, and student has two faculty/staff recommendations. The selection of

SLI participants is the first benchmark of the program and will be completed by the second week of the UWRF semester.

The next benchmark will be the placement of the SLI participants in RWHS or RFHS and the beginning of their

teaching assistantship. Each successive benchmark that follows the participants’ placement is the completion of one piece

of their total collection of work (two labs/lessons, lesson assessment, reflection paper) or a piece of the project evaluation.

Table 1 further outlines the proposed benchmarks and their estimated timeframe for completion. Each semester during the

three year grant cycle will follow the timeline set forth in Table 1. Quantitative and qualitative data will be compiled each

semester to ascertain preliminary progress towards the program’s state outcomes. During the third year of the program a

comprehensive evaluation will be conducted that utilizes the complete data set covering the entire grant cycle.

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6. STEM Lab Initiative Evaluation

In order to evaluate the attainment of the stated outcomes the SLI program will be evaluated through formative and

summative assessments. Each SLI participant will complete a pre and post survey modified from the Interstate New

Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (INTASC) Readiness Survey. The survey will be used as one tool to assess

participants’ level of attainment towards the two stated outcomes. The SLI participants’ survey results will be compared with

a control group’s survey results to determine if any statistically significant differences can be determined between

participants and non-participants.

One on one interviews with SLI teaching assistants will also be conducted at two points during the semester: 5-7

weeks after initial classroom placement and 11-12 weeks after initial classroom placement. These interviews will provide

participants an opportunity to vocalize positive and negative feedback relating to their experience. It will also serve as a

qualitative way to measure the participants’ progress towards attaining the program outcomes. The entire cohort of SLI

participants will also take part in an end of session “focus group” that will give students a forum to discuss their experiences

together and for best practices to be pulled from their cumulative feedback.

The cooperating teachers will also complete two survey evaluations of their SLI teaching assistants, one after the

completion of the first lab/lesson and the second at the end of the semester. The surveys completed by the cooperating

teachers will provide a gauge as to the growth of SLI teaching assistants in the areas of lesson planning, lab management,

and student assessment.

Table 1 – Yearly SLI Benchmarks

Benchmark Activity Timeframe

Selection of UWRF STEM students for placement By 2nd week of semester

Participant Pre Experience Survey Assessment 2nd week of semester

Placement With Cooperating Teacher 3rd week of semester

First lab/lesson & lesson assessment 4-6 weeks after placement

Co-op Teacher Evaluation 1 of Participant 5-7 weeks after placement

Qualitative Participant Evaluation 1 5-7 weeks after placement

Second lab/lesson & lesson assessment 10-11 weeks after placement

Co-op Teacher Evaluation 2 of Participant 11-12 weeks after placement

Qualitative Participant Evaluation 2 11-12 weeks after placement

SLI Participant - Personal Reflection Paper 14-15 weeks after placement

Participant Post Experience Survey Evaluation 14-15 weeks after placement

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PROJECT TITLE:

CATEGORY:

INSTITUTION:

Funds Cost to Funds Cost to Funds Cost to

Requested Institution Requested Institution Requested Institution

350$ 350$ 350$

2 Classified Staff: 4,104$ 4,104$ 4,104$

3 Limited Term Employee:

6,480$ 6,480$ 6,480$

6 Other (i.e., Guest speakers, Consultants, etc): 4,800$ 4,800$ 4,800$

7 Fringe Benefits 350$ 350$ 350$

11,980$ 4,104$ 11,980$ 4,104$ 11,980$ 4,104$

1 Equipment:

2 Supplies & Expenses: 6,480$ 6,480$ 6,480$

3 Other (describe):

6,480$ -$ 6,480$ -$ 6,480$ -$

18,460$ 4,104$ 18,460$ 4,104$ 18,460$ 4,104$ PROJECT FUNDING TOTALS:

EQUIPMENT/SUPPLIES & EXPENSES

Briefly identify items. Justify each in Budget Narrative

detailing travel (i.e., mileage, meals, lodging)

University of Wisconsin - River Falls

FY2013-14 FY2014-15FY2012-13

PERSONNEL SALARY

*Identify Personnel in Budget Narrative

1 Faculty and Academic Staff:

4 Research and Grad Assistants:

5 Student Workers:

University of Wisconsin System

Growth Agenda Grants Program

2012-13 BUDGET FORM

STEM Lab Initiative

Institutional Change Grant Category

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BUDGET NARRATIVE

Year One: 2012-13

Faculty/Academic Staff $512 = ($350 +$162 fringe) University of Wisconsin –River Falls academic faculty member Dr.

Thomas Holleran will be serving as the UWRF Teacher Education faculty liaison for SLI participants. Dr. Holleran will be

paid an overload of $350 for providing academic counsel and assistance to UWRF STEM Lab Initiative participants and time

devoted to SLI planning.

Classified Staff In-Kind $4104 = ($19/hr x 4 hrs/week x 54 weeks) UWRF will be contributing to the project through a

“time release” of Teacher Education Department Advisor/Recruiter, Tyler Koepke to oversee and administer SLI related

work as Principal Investigator. It is estimated that the PI will average 4 hours per week for roughly 54 weeks working on

grant related activities. At the PI’s current salary of $19/hour this amounts to $4104 of in-kind contribution from UWRF.

Student Hourly $6667.92 = [(8 students x 5 hrs/week x 12 weeks x $13.50/hr) + $187.92 fringe] Eight UWRF students

will be at RWHS or RFHS for five hours each week for 12 weeks. The hours SLI participants work at cooperating high

schools are in addition to mandated pre professional DPI hours for teacher licensure and on top of full academic course

loads. The UWRF students will be paid $13.50 an hour. Paying student participants will make this extracurricular opportunity

more attractive to students, increase the benefit for UWRF students and thus increase the pool of SLI applicants.

Non UW Employee $4800 = (8 teachers x $600 stipend) Eight students (4 during Fall semester, 4 during Spring

semester) will be matched with a cooperating teacher each year. The cooperating teachers at RWHS and RFHS will receive

a stipend of $600 for 60 hours of work (5hrs/week x 12 weeks) mentoring a UWRF student. Paying the cooperating

teachers to assist UWRF students will provide an incentive for them to participate in SLI and reward them for their hard

work. Cooperating teachers will assist UWRF students in planning labs/lessons, executing labs/lesson, and creating

assessments. Cooperating teachers will also provide UWRF students with general advice and assistance in classroom

management and in-class presence. Cooperating teachers will complete evaluations of SLI participants.

Supplies and Expenses $6480 = (8 students x 2 labs each x $400/lab) + (8 students x $10) Eight UWRF students will

each be planning and executing two labs/lessons over the course of their 12-week classroom assistantship. Each lab/lesson

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will cost approximately $400. This cost projection was arrived at after discussion with the Chair of the UWRF Physics

Department, Dr. Earl Blodgett. Lab expenses will vary according to each specific lesson, however it was agreed that a

quality lab demonstration would cost roughly $400. In order to attract “control group” students to take the pre and post

survey we will be paying eight students $10 each. By offering students money to complete the survey it places a value on

the activity and thus students are more likely to take the activity seriously. Payment to complete the survey also increases

the likelihood of drawing a larger pool of candidates to take the survey.

Year Two: 2013-14

Years two and three of the STEM Lab Initiative follow the same budget as Year One.

Faculty/Academic Staff $512 = ($350 +$162 fringe) UWRF faculty Dr. Thomas Holleran will be paid an overload of $350

Classified Staff In-Kind $4104 = ($19/hr x 4 hrs/week x 54 weeks) Tyler Koepke, PI UWRF release time

Student Hourly $6667.92 = [(8 students x 5 hrs/week x 12 weeks x $13.50/hr) + $187.92 fringe] SLI participant’s hourly

wage

Non UW Employee $4800 = (8 teachers x $600 stipend) Cooperating teachers’ stipends

Supplies and Expenses $6480 = (8 students x 2 labs each x $400/lab) + (8 students x $10) Lab costs and control group

payment

Year Three: 2014-15

Faculty/Academic Staff $512 = ($350 +$162 fringe) UWRF faculty Dr. Thomas Holleran will be paid an overload of $350

Classified Staff In-Kind $4104 = ($19/hr x 4 hrs/week x 54 weeks) Tyler Koepke, PI UWRF release time

Student Hourly $6667.92 = [(8 students x 5 hrs/week x 12 weeks x $13.50/hr) + $187.92 fringe] Participant’s hourly

wage

Non UW Employee $4800 = (8 teachers x $600 stipend) Cooperating teachers’ stipends

Supplies and Expenses $6480 = (8 students x 2 labs each x $400/lab) + (8 students x $10) Lab costs and control group

payment

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

Abdal-Haqq, I. (1998). Professional development schools: Weighing the evidence. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press. Capraro, M., Capraro, R., & Helfeldt, J. (2010). Do differing types of field experiences make a difference in teacher candidates’ perceived level of competence? Teacher Education Quarterly, (4)131-154 Cruickshank, D., & Armaline, W. (1986). Field experiences in teacher education: Considerations and recommendations. Journal of Teacher Education, 37(3), 34-40.

Darling-Hammond, L. (2006). Powerful teacher education: Lessons from exemplary programs. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Dodds, P. (1989). Trainees, field experiences, and socializations into teaching. In T.J. Templin & P.G. Schemp (Eds), Socialization into physical education: Learning to teach (pp. 81-105) Erdman, J. (1983). Assessing the purposes of early field experience programs. Journal of Teacher Education, 34(4), 27-31. Goodman, J. (1985). Making early field experiences meaningful: A critical approach. Journal of Education for Teaching. 12, 109-125. Glickman, C. D., & Bey, T. M. (1990). Supervision. In W. R. Houston (Ed.), Handbook of research on teacher education (pp. 549-566). New York: Macmillan. Grisham, D.L., Berg, M., Jacobs, V., & Mathison, C. (2002). Can a professional development school have a lasting impact on teachers’ beliefs and practices? Teacher Education Quarterly, 29(3), 5-22. Howey, K. (1996). Designing coherent and effective teacher education programs. In J. Sikula, T. J. Buttery & E. Guyton (Eds.), Handbook of research on teacher education (2nd ed., pp. 171-193). New York: Macmillan. Jeffrey, J., (2008). Best practices in field-based teacher education program components. Prepared for NYU Steinhardt’s Department of Teaching and Learning Clinical Studies Advisory Committee, pp 1-53 McIntyre, D. J., Byrd, D. M., & Foxx, S. M. (1996). Field and laboratory experiences. In J. Sikula, T. J. Buttery & E. Guyton (Eds.), Handbook of research on teacher education (2nd ed., pp. 171-193). New York: Macmillan. Myers, E. (1996). Early field experience: A question of effectiveness. The Teacher Educator, 31(4), 226-237. Reynolds, A. (2000). Open the doors and see all the people. Teaching and Change, 8(1), 10-30 Silvino, P., & Willsey, A. (1977). An experiment in field-based teacher education. Education, 1(97), 220-225 Stairs, A., (2010). Becoming a professional educator in an urban school-university partnership: A case study analysis of preservice teacher learning. Teacher Education Quarterly, (2)45-62 Thompson, S., & Ross, F. (2000). Becoming a teacher in a professional development school. Teaching and Change, 8(1)31-50. US Department of Education. (2011). Teacher Shortage Areas Nationwide Listing. Accessed 2/1/2012 via http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ope/pol/tsa.html Wideen, M., Mayer-Smith, J., & Moon, B. (1998). A critical analysis of the research on learning to teach: Making the case for an ecological perspective on inquiry. Review of Educational Research, 68(2), 130. Zimpher, Nancy L. & Jones, Dwight D, et al. (2010) Transforming Teacher Education Through Clinical Practice: A National Strategy to Prepare Effective Teachers. Report Commissioned by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education

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TYLER KOEPKE

UW River Falls 410 S 3rd

St River Falls, WI 54022 715-425-3708 tyler.koepke@uwrf.edu

Education

University of Washington Seattle, WA

MPA – Education Policy & Administration, 2007

Degree Project: “Identifying & Preventing Dropouts: An Analysis of Seattle Team for Youth and Nationwide

Promising Practices” (Prepared for the Seattle Office for Education)

University of Wisconsin–Madison Madison, WI

BA – Political Science, 2001

Professional Experience

Retention & Recruitment Coordinator 2010 - Present

UW – River Falls, Teacher Education Department, WiTEACH Program

Conduct budget oversight and management for assigned programs & projects (e.g. WiTEACH program, grant

awards). Implement research based retention activities including student based professional development, cohort

meetings, proactive advising, & peer support networks. Administer Falcon Tutors field experience for all Teacher

Education candidates. Conduct focused Teacher Education recruitment activities (i.e. presentations at Future

Teacher conferences, one on one meetings, high school classroom presentations, & community center

presentations). Work closely with Teacher Education students to provide academic advising & personal support.

Instructor/Advisor 2007-2009

Tacoma Community College, Fresh Start Program

Provided students with academic advising & educational planning. Worked collaboratively to design & implement

a college course & its curriculum. Taught an introductory course in College Preparation & Success. Served as

liaison to campus & community organizations.

Grants

Koepke, T. 2011, STEM Lab Initiative, UW-System, $11,000

Koepke, T. 2011, WiTEACH Program Scholarships, Xcel Energy Foundation, $2,500

Koepke, T. 2012, WiTEACH Program Scholarships, Xcel Energy Foundation, $3,000 (Pending)

Koepke, Vang, Yang, Johnson 2012, Recruiting & Retaining Underrepresented Future Teachers: A Student

Development Conference, $36,600 (Pending)

Organizational Leadership & Professional Involvement

Beyond Diversity Training, attendee 2011, Pacific Educational Group via St Paul Public Schools, St Paul, MN

It’s Time to Talk: Forum on Race, attendee 2011, YWCA, Minneapolis, MN

Diversity & Inclusivity Committee, member 2010- Present, UWRF College of Education & Professional Studies

Recruitment & Retention Committee, member 2011- Present, UWRF College of Education & Professional Studies

STEM Summit, attendee 2010, Cooperative Educational Service Agency 11, Baldwin, WI

Professional Conference for Bilingual Educational Assistants, presenter 2010, “Make a Difference – Become a

Teacher”, St. Paul Public Schools, St. Paul, MN

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APPENDIX

1. WiTEACH Program Description

The WiTEACH program at the University of Wisconsin River Falls (UWRF) is a comprehensive recruitment,

retention, and preparation program for students training to become educators in Science, Technology, Engineering, or Math

(STEM); Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL); and/or for prospective teachers from historically

underrepresented populations in education.

In collaboration with UWRF Admissions recruitment efforts the WiTEACH program specifically seeks out potential

Teacher Education candidates from historically underrepresented populations in education. The WiTEACH adviser/recruiter

conducts targeted high school presentations about teaching as a career and UWRF’s Teacher Education program to college

preparation classes, Future Educator Clubs, and science and math classes. Similar presentations are conducted at two-

year college Teacher Education classes and regional conferences.

The WiTEACH program’s activities and structure are based on best practices drawn from literature pertaining to the

retention of college students. Research suggests that students are retained and most successful when they have access to

a comprehensive academic experience. The basis for this comprehensive experience includes academic and social

support, early professional experiences in which to apply academic skills, peer and professional mentoring, continual

feedback, and financial support particularly for students training for professions where the debt to earnings ratio is “out of

balance” – like the field of education.

WiTEACH incorporates these best practices into a program that operates in conjunction with the academic and pre-

professional training programs of the Teacher Education Department at UWRF. WiTEACH currently provides direct,

scheduled services to 26 students that have self-selected into the program for academic, social, and/or advising support

and less frequent services to 148 more students that are in the STEM, TESOL, and/or “underrepresented” categories of

teacher education.

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2. ASSESSMENT TOOL

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