Center of Excellence in Mathematics and Science Education Cooperative Partners College of Arts and Sciences College of Education Dr. Jack Rhoton East Tennessee

Center of Excellencein Mathematics and Science Education

Cooperative PartnersCollege of Arts and Sciences

College of Education

Dr. Jack Rhoton

East Tennessee State University


STEM EducationAs we think about the big picture of STEM

education, we might ask ourselves…

1. What are the drivers?

2. What is the context?

3. What are the issues?


The Drivers

1. The Global, knowledge based economy

2. The recognition that STEM fields underpin modern life and our standard of living

3. The need for all students to be STEM literate and the need for STEM experts

4. The need to build a skilled workforce of problem solvers, innovators and inventors

5. The need for life long learning


The Context

1. There are too few students who are choosing to study math and science beyond the compulsory school years

2. This impacts the pool of generic and specialized skills available


The issues

1. Student Participation

2. Curriculum content and pedagogy

3. Recruitment and retention of teachers

4. Teaching qualification and PD requirement


• Long term commitment• Maintaining focus• Capacity building• Sustainability• Leveraging resources• Credibility with stakeholders• Evaluation and benchmarking of results

Key elements of our centerAdvancing the support of math &

science education at all levels, K-16.

Tennessee First in Math and Science Education

Union

Campbell

Our Work is focused on strengthening math and science education at all levels

1. Pre-service math and science teachers

2. Undergraduate math and science education

3. In-service math and science teachers



A commitment to building a district’s capacity requires a latticed network of both formal and informal learning opportunities at multiple levels of the organization. These might include:

• introductory and advanced content-based . workshops for teachers• professional learning communities that focus . on questions of practice and • leadership development for school and district . leaders


1. ETSU/Eastman’s Scholars Mathletes Program

2. Unicoi Math Project

3. ETSU GEAR UP Math Project

4. Niswonger Math Project

5. Reaching for Excellence in Middle and High School Science Partnership

Some activities of the center…

6. Significant Contributions of ETSU

STEM faculty

7. Tennessee Junior Academy of Science

8. University School Revisioning

9. Governor’s School

10.Innovative Graduate Program Development



11.Upper East TN Science Fair, Inc.

12.Upper East TN Science Olympia

13.Summer Career Adventure Program

14.ETSU Franklin Math Bowl

15.Talent Expansion in Quantitative

Biology, NSF GK12, Howard Hughes Medical Institute



16.Publications…journals, books

17.Conferences

18.Participated in revising the state’s science standards

19. International Math / Science Study

20.Graduate students working with inservice and preservice programs



Impacts ofPartnership Projects

• Trained over 1000 math and science teachers • Directly impacted approximately 75,000

students• Involved over 60 partner schools in the 16 school

districts of UETEC• Gains in teacher content knowledge• Gains in student achievement • Improved teaching strategies


Impacts of Partnership Project (cont’d)

• Increased funding for math & science supplies & equipment for the region’s schools ($85,000 for 2007-2008 school year)

• ETSU Arts & Sciences faculty visiting schools on a regular basis

• 120 math and science teachers will participate in professional development activities and enroll in a three-hour graduate course during summer 2009


Engagement of Arts & Sciences and College of

Education Faculty• During the past six partnership Awards, 12 faculty have

been recognized for MSP work.• Five Arts & Sciences faculty have participated each year• Five of the faculty in 2007-2008 have engaged in MSP

work for more than 200 hours each.• Six have engaged in 110 or more hours each

during the past year.


Reaching for Excellence inMiddle & High School Science Partnership

Project Management Team

• Central Office Curriculum Directors (with decision making authority)• Middle School & High School Principals• Six University Science Professors (biology, chemistry, physics)• Middle School & High School Teachers• Graduate Assistant (working with low achieving students)• External Evaluator• Project Director


Student Achievement

Elements of Professional Development and Teacher Needs Assessment

Instructional Teams Project Director

Teacher Knowledge Gain

Teacher Leadership Institutes

Project Management

Team

Sustained Academic Year

Follow-up

Teacher Input


Do We Have Any Results?

Analysis of data from one of our current Math Science Partnership programs shows 5-12 science students proficiency rising in conjunction with new educational approaches.


Summer Workshop Pretest and Post-test ResultsSummer Workshop Pretest and Post-test Results

Teacher Achievement

0.0%

20.0%

40.0%

60.0%

80.0%

100.0%

1 2

Pretest Post-test

Item

s P

ercent

Corr

ect

Pre Post Performance by Grade Level

46

49

52

55

58

61

64

1 2

PrePost

Est

imat

ed M

argi

nal M

eans

Grade 5

Grade 6

Grade 7

Grade 8

Middle School Level

Science Proficiency by Grade

0.0%

20.0%

40.0%

60.0%

80.0%

100.0%

5 6 7 8

Grade Level

Per

cent

Pro

ficie

nt o

r A

dvan

ced

Pretest

Postest

High School Post-test Biology Gateway Exam

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

Not Proficient Proficient Advanced

Post Proficiency of High School Biology Students

Co

un

t

26.6%

71.4%

2%

Outcomes• Aids students in the mastery of essential

mathematics and science concepts; • Motivates students to pursue STEM-related

careers; • Provides students with real-world tasks that

encourage career exploration; • Provides faculty with guidelines and

resource curriculum materials; and • Provides faculty with assessment strategies

and rubrics


What Else are We Learning?• Limitation in region’s human capacity to engage in

reforming K-12 mathematics & science• Essential role of ETSU in reforming K-12 mathematics

& science education• Important linkage between preservice education and

an array of alignment concerns across P-16


Challenges, Opportunities & Implications

• Gain Public Support• Develop & train high-quality mathematics &

science teaching work force• Provide students appropriate opportunities to

learn• Prepare guidance counselors to provide

quality career guidance


Documents

Center of Excellence in Mathematics and Science Education Cooperative Partners College of Arts and Sciences College of Education Dr. Jack Rhoton East Tennessee