Science and Mathematics Educational Services

Science and Mathematics EducationalServices

James L. MullenexWilliam D. Smith

Much attention is being focused on thescience and mathematics curricula ofour public schools. Several nationallevel commissions have recognized thatthere is a great need to improve the levelof education in mathematics, science,and technology that is provided to ournation’s elementary and secondaryschool students.1 The school divisionswhich are located in rural counties andsmall cities often have a more difficulttask when focusing on curricular mat-ters than do those school divisions frommore densely populated regions. The

rural county/small city school divisions often lack specialists in the various cur-ricular areas and have difficulty assembling sufficient numbers of teachers froma given content area for curriculum development and in-service activities.

This article describes an attempt by a university which is located in a rural areaof Virginia to address the needs of surrounding school divisions in science andmathematics. The article will enumerate the needs which were identified by theseschool divisions and describe the university’s attempt to respond to those needs.This information will be useful to other school divisions and universities whichmay be exploring ways to cooperate to better serve the K-12 students in the con-tent areas of science and mathematics. Perhaps such cooperation may even bestimulated through the example presented here.

The Valley of Virginia Science & Mathematics Consortium (V’SMC)Approximately three (3) years ago, a small group of faculty and administratorsof James Madison University, Harrisonburg, Virginia, held a series of informalmeetings to discuss the possibility of a cooperative effort in science and mathe-matics education between the University and the public school divisions in thegeographic region served by the University. Public school representatives wereinvolved in these discussions, as well as representatives from each of the Univer-sity’s mathematics and science departments. These discussions resulted in thefollowing conclusions.

School Science and MathematicsVolume 87 (1) January 1987

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(1) The public schools were interested in many forms of assistance in the areasof science and mathematics.

(2) A needs assessment should be conducted to determine the variety of needsexisting in the school divisions in science and mathematics.

(3) The University and the public school divisions should cooperatively designa plan to address the needs in science and mathematics.

(4) If sufficient interest existed and if common needs existed, the Universitywould attempt to obtain funding to direct toward the identified needs ofthe school divisions.

As a result of the above planning, the Valley of Virginia Science and Mathe-matics Consortium (V^MC) was established at James Madison University onJuly 1, 1984. The funding came from the State Council of Higher Education inVirginia under a program entitled "Funds for Excellence." The V^MC projectwas funded at $200,000 for a two-year period. The V^MC project is a coopera-tive effort of the University mathematics and science departments, some depart-ments of the College of Education and Human Services, and the school divisionsin the Shenandoah Valley region of Virginia. The major goal of the V^MC proj-ect is to enhance the teaching and learning of science and mathematics in publicelementary and secondary schools in the Valley region. After one year of oper-ations, the V^MC project is successfully operating to meet this broad goal.The recipients of the services of the V^MC project are the schools in the 22

rural county/small city school divisions in the Shenandoah Valley region. The 22school divisions enroll a student population of approximately 77,000, employapproximately 3,000 teachers, and contain 112 elementary schools, 24 juniorhigh/middle/intermediate schools, and 33 high schools. The project’s maincommunication link with the 22 school divisions is through an identified contactperson in each division. In most instances, the contact person is the director ofinstruction in the school division.The V^MC project is administered by two co-directors, both of whom are

faculty members at James Madison University. The two co-directors are eachprovided with one-half released time from teaching for their administrative du-ties with the V^MC project. A one-half time secretary is employed. Availablefacilities of the University (e.g., classrooms, office space, laboratories, certainequipment) are utilized by the project. University faculty and public schoolteachers serve as consultants to the project and assist with providing services.The project has an advisory committee consisting of two University adminis-trators, a faculty member, a public school administrator, a personnel managerfrom a local industry, and an administrator from the Virginia Department ofEducation.


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The Needs Assessment

In the Fall of 1983, a comprehensive needs assessment was conducted in the 22school divisions to be served by the project. This needs assessment was con-ducted in three phases. First, a structured survey instrument was constructed bya small planning committee and sent to the directors of instruction in the schooldivisions.2 The directors of instruction solicited teacher input concerning thedivisions’ needs in science and mathematics and responded to the survey instru-ment. Second, the project co-directors sought input concerning the divisions’needs via their informal contacts with the divisions. Finally, a one-day confer-ence was held for directors of instruction and certain teachers. At this confer-ence, the results obtained from the survey assessment instrument and input frominformal contacts were presented and discussed. As a result of the above proc-esses, the school divisions’ needs in science and mathematics were identified andprioritized.The following items identify the major needs expressed by the 22 school divi-

sions and are listed in order of priority identified by the schools.

(1) Content courses for both elementary and secondary teachers in the contentareas of science and mathematics.

The content areas in which greatest needs were expressed were: earth andspace science, physical science, mathematics (all levels), and especially sci-ence for primary grades.

(2) Curriculum development in science and mathematics.

Curriculum development in primary and elementary grade science wasidentified as an area of greatest need.

(3) Science activities for primary and elementary grade students.

Many respondents expressed a great need for such activities that teacherscould employ to enhance their science curricula.

(4) Resource guides (for teachers) which describe available instructional televi-sion (ITV) programs, computer software, and human resources, to com-plement the science and mathematics curricula.

Many excellent ITV, computer, and human resources exist which can assistin enriching the science and mathematics curricula. An expressed need wasto have these resources brought together into guidebooks and to makethese resources known and available to teachers.

(5) Conference for high school students at the University in the areas of sci-ence and mathematics.

Over one-half of the responding school divisions expressed an interest inhaving their students come to the James Madison campus to participate inexperiences in science and mathematics which they could not normallyexperience in their schools.

(6) Funds to purchase needed equipment and materials.



The previous six (6) areas of need were most frequently mentioned by theschool divisions. However, certain school divisions expressed needs that wereunique and innovative, but applicable to all of the school divisions. These in-cluded the following:

(7) Assistance with ideas for science projects.

Teachers need guidance, ideas, and examples which can be shared with stu-dents who wish to pursue science-related projects.

(8) Summer internships for science and mathematics teachers in business andindustry.

One school division felt that teachers needed to learn more about the appli-cation of science and mathematics in business and industry so that theycould better relate applications to their students.

(9) Visitation by teachers to other schools in which exemplary programs areoperating.

(10) Special field trips for groups of students and teachers.

The 22 school divisions had a full opportunity and plenty of encouragement toidentify the areas in which they needed asisstance in science and mathematicseducation. The above list includes all of the needs expressed by those school divi-sions. The results of this needs assessment are very valuable in any effort to im-prove the level of science and mathematics education in public schools.

Response by the V^SMC: Actions to Address the Needs

During the first year of funding, the V^SMC project has enlisted the assistance ofapproximately 30 James Madison faculty members and numerous public schoolteachers and administrators to take action to meet the needs expressed by theschool divisions. Persons providing services are paid as consultants by the proj-ect. The following is a listing of services provided by the V^MC as of December,1985.

(1) Content workshops for secondary teachers.

Eleven (11) content workshops have been offered with over 200 teacherparticipants. These workshops span all areas of science and mathematics.A workshop in PASCAL programming was also offered.

(2) Workshops in science for the primary grades.

Two such workshops have been conducted. These workshops satisfied agreat need. However, the workshops were unable to accommodate allteacher applicants.

(3) Curriculum development in science and mathematics.

The V^MC project supported several curriculum development projects inthe school divisions. Still to be addressed is the important area of curricu-lum development in primary and elementary grade science.


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(4) Science activity booklet for the primary grades.

The project has produced a 70-page booklet which contains over 100science activities which are appropriate for the primary grades. These ac-tivities have been correlated with the science objectives in Virginia’s Stand-ards of Learning program.3

(5) Resource guides for teachers.

In cooperation with the Virginia Department of Education and a local pub-lic television station, a resource booklet of ITV programs has been pro-duced. These programs were reviewed by public school teachers and corre-lated with the content of science and mathematics courses. Production ofresource guides for computer software and human resources still needs tobe pursued.

(6) Enrichment experiences for high school students.

In May and June of 1985, approximately 400 high school students werebrought to the James Madison campus for a series of interesting, motiva-tional, hands-on experiences in each of the major science areas (biology,chemistry, geology, physics, mathematics, and computer science). Theseexperiences, led by faculty members, provided extraordinary encounters inscience and mathematics for these students. Students were on campus forperiods of one day or one week. This program will be expanded to includemiddle school students in the near future.

(7) Funds for equipment and material purchase.

The V^MC project provided each school division with funds for the pur-chase of equipment and materials to support its science and mathematicscurricula.

(8) Assistance with science projects.

A booklet is being produced which provides numerous ideas for worth-while student science projects for each area of science. Also, a videotape ofa regional science fair was produced. The videotape provides ideas on proj-ects and ways to display the projects.

(9) Summer internships in industry for teachers.

Funds were provided to employ 10 science and mathematics teachers in avariety of local businesses and industries during part of the summer of1985. This project was so popular that several businesses and industriesvoluntarily funded the internships.

(10) Teachers learning from teachers.

Funds were provided to several school divisions to hire substitute teachersto free the regular classroom teacher to visit exemplary classrooms of otherteachers.

(11) Field trips for students and teachers.

The V^MC funded a consultant and paid the consultant’s travel expenses



to help 20 members of a high school geology club plan and conduct a fieldtrip to Iceland, r

Students participated in biology and geology field trips as a part of the en-richment experiences. Several of the content workshops for teachers incor-porated field trips. A three day resource collecting field trip was conductedfor teachers of earth and space science.

Additional activities are being pursued by the V^SMC project.

Summary

The response to the V^SMC project has been excellent. The recipients of servicesand the providers of services are enthusiastic about the project and their involve-ment in it. The project is evaluated by reports from the school divisions. Each ac-tivity sponsored by the project is evaluated by questionnaires completed by theparticipants.Many services, both new and innovative, as well as repetitive, are being re-

quested from the project. In fact, the requests for services exceed the financialability of the project to respond. All components of the consortium, the schooldivisions, the university, and the state department of education are hopeful thatfunding will be available to continue the operation of the project. It is expectedthat the Valley of Virginia Science and Mathematics Consortium will serve as astimulus for other universities and school divisions to cooperate and worktoward enhancing the quality of teaching and learning in science and mathe-matics.

Author’s Notes:

1. Such commissions include:(a) The National Science Board commission of Precollege Education in Mathematics,

Science, and Technology.(b) The National Commission of Excellence in Education(c) The Task Force on Education for Economic Growth of the Education Commission

of the States.(d) The Twentieth Century Fund

2. A copy of the needs assessment survey instrument is available by writing to Dr. WilliamD. Smith, Co-Director, V^MC, Department of Educational Resources, James MadisonUniversity, Harrisonburg, Virginia 22807.

3. Standards of Learning Objectives/or Virginia Public Schools (Science), Commonwealthof Virginia, Department of Education, Richmond, VA., (January, 1983).

James L. Mullenex William D. SmithJames Madison UniversityHarrisonburg, Virginia 22807


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Science and Mathematics Educational Services