By Mary Bigelow
Posted on 2017-03-05
I’m a science teacher in a small district, and I’m curious about lessons that incorporate the three NGSS dimensions of and what they “look like.” Where can I find examples to share? —B., New Hampshire
A good place to find examples of lessons aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) is NSTA’s K-12 journals (Science and Children, Science Scope, and The Science Teacher). The featured articles in each issue describe classroom lessons, and each has a graphic at the end that connects the lesson to a performance expectation and the three dimensions (Science and Engineering Practices, Disciplinary Core Ideas, and Crosscutting Concepts). After I read an article, I try to determine the connections to NGSS as a way to check my understanding. The photographs and other documentation in the article also help identify the focus and outcomes of the lesson.
Here are some examples from recent issues:
In a recent discussion forum, Peggy Ashbrook (who writes the Early Years blog) noted, “I find it useful to look at photos of children at work in a science and/or engineering activity, such as building with blocks, and name which practices I see in use.”
To continue your study and find more examples, see the resources at NGSS@NSTA, including Curriculum Planning and Classroom Resources
There are also examples on NSTA’s You Tube channel. Check out Introduction to Three-Dimensional Learning and The Vision for Science Education and the New Role of Teachers
If you have specific questions or requests, NGSS and STEM are topics in the NSTA discussion forums and e-mail lists. Our colleagues are always willing to help, and we can all learn together!
By Debra Shapiro
Posted on 2017-03-05
Ella Bonah (left), a teacher at Tyner Academy in Chattanooga, Tennessee, completed an apprenticeship through Project Inspire, a program that prepares teachers for positions in high-need schools. (photo by David Humber)
“Our challenge is recruiting and developing teachers for a mid-sized city and preparing teachers to serve in high-need schools. [Teaching low-income students requires] a specialized skill set beyond teaching content,” says Mark Neal, director of Project Inspire, a teacher apprenticeship program serving Chattanooga, Tennessee, and the Hamilton County School District. “We have been solely focused on secondary math and science, but we’re now expanding to [the elementary level],” he reports.
Project Inspire provides college graduates aspiring to teach with a year-long apprenticeship in a Hamilton County classroom and a stipend during that time. Higher-education partner Lee University of Cleveland, Tennessee, offers apprentices a 14-month degree program in which they earn a Masters of Arts in Teaching. Graduates are required to teach in a high-need school in the county for four years and receive coaching support and professional development (PD) from Hamilton County Department of Education and Lee University faculty.
“Secondary science is a difficult position to fill, and we have a number of priority schools that are difficult to teach in. We offer a one-year residency versus a student teacher practicum,” explains Justin Robertson, Hamilton County Schools assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction. Apprentices get to “see how students react, and they have permission to make mistakes. It’s a good way to prepare teachers for any school system, and specifically for our school system.”
“We continue to see really committed candidates, people who didn’t get this training as undergraduates,” says Neal. “[Though] we tend to get more recent undergraduates as applicants, our network has a strong interest in attracting career changers,” he observes, adding, “We’re aiming to have a more diverse and talented teaching force.”
Apprentices start planning with their mentors—known as “clinical instructors”—in June and spend several weeks during the summer with them. “Clinical instructors provide additional training and support throughout the year, and unstructured [PD] times as well…A lot of the best support comes from those sessions,” says Robertson.
In Project Inspire’s “gradual release model,” clinical instructors gradually allow apprentices to assume more and more responsibility, to ensure they “have a full role and are not just observing,” explains Robertson. “Side-by-side co-teaching and coaching is a great experience for [apprentices].”
Apprentices are taught “science methods used in our classrooms, our pedagogy and terminology,” Neal emphasizes, “so they don’t experience a disconnect when they hit the classroom.” They learn about “teaching in the context of high poverty, what it looks like in our area,” he explains.
As undergraduates, “a lot of our [apprentices] learned ‘old-style’ science, with a lot of lecturing. We try to stay with the cutting edge,” Neal contends. “Tennessee is writing its own standards, and they’ll be similar to the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). We refer [apprentices] to the [NGSS] during training.”
Though they receive full certification that is portable, most graduates—“70%,” says Neal—teach in the Chattanooga area. “Generally in urban areas, the retention rate is only about 50%,” he points out.
In addition, Chattanooga is “known as ‘gig city’ because of all the tech startups; there’s a lot of innovation and change happening…Our program attracts [aspiring teachers] who are intentionally working in math and science and working in a high-need school—all in one package,” Neal contends.
Because of teacher shortages in Oklahoma, the Tulsa Public Schools (TPS) district was “having to [hire teachers] who were waiting on their certification…Some may be entering the teacher workforce for the first time; others may be coming from out of state and need time to have their current certification transferred; and others may be simply waiting on their certification to arrive, having just graduated from a teacher preparation program,” says Bradley Eddy, TPS director of certified talent. “We were paying them as substitutes, which was the only option at the time.”
But the substitutes “weren’t paid adequately, and we couldn’t keep enough substitutes. Asking someone to prepare lessons, deliver them, and handle connections with parents and community” for just $65 per day wasn’t effective, he acknowledges. “So we offered them a chance to work hourly as a substitute, with overtime.”
Though the numbers increased a little, those positions “didn’t pay well enough [to make up for] the extra work. We [decided] to create an exempt position with a flat rate and a shorter-term contract” to ensure retention, Eddy relates.
Under the current plan, uncertified teachers are hired as apprentices and are offered a one-semester contract. They earn a first-year salary of $25,000 with benefits, including health insurance, if their contract is renewed for a second semester.
“This saves [TPS] money because [constant teacher attrition] is financially unfeasible…and [we had] apprentices [with emergency certification, which] is only good for the year it’s granted and isn’t renewable. [And sometimes] there’s a delay in time in which a principal [decides] to hire [someone]. We offer an apprentice contract so we can pay them as full-time classroom teachers,” he explains.
Apprentices also receive up to two years of mentoring support, paid evening and Saturday PD opportunities, and certification test preparation. While they have to attain certification within one semester, their salary makes it easier for them to pay $400 for the certification tests, he points out.
Many apprentices express interest in teaching science. “We were able to fill all of our science and math positions this year,” Eddy notes.
While Project Inspire and TPS prepare teachers for their own schools, the year-long Teacher Training Course (TTC) at independent Shady Hill School in Cambridge, Massachusetts, trains apprentice teachers to work in preK–8 classrooms at other schools. “We occasionally hire teachers from our program,” says Tracy Polte, science department chair, but many apprentices “go on to public schools for their second year of teaching.” TTC apprentices can train to teach early childhood and elementary classes, middle school humanities classes, or middle school science, math, and science/math classes.
About 50% of applicants come from outside the area. “We receive 50 to 55 applications each year,” with 14 to 18 accepted into the TTC, Polte relates. The program attracts persons ranging from new graduates to those in their sixties, she reports.
Tuition for the TTC costs slightly more than $11,000. Shady Hill has financial aid and merit awards to help apprentices pay for the course, and many apprentices “coach after school or work in after-school programs,” she notes.
While some apprentices enroll only in the TTC for their certification, many also participate in the master’s degree program at nearby Lesley University. “They’re [attending] Lesley all summer” and during the school year, says Polte.
Apprentices in the TTC work in the classroom for four days a week, and attend workshops on Fridays. They work with one teacher for the first half of the year and another during the second half, and learn about teaching various subjects and age bands before deciding which ones they prefer. “We give them experience with lots of different kinds of students,” she observes.
“To be an effective teacher, you have to have more experience in the classroom than [what you’d have] in a student-teacher program,” Polte contends. “As an independent school, we focus on multiculturalism, and every workshop has a multicultural component.”
“We can’t cover all the content [for every subject], so we hope their background has provided some of the content,” she admits. In science, “we cover the main points for grades K–6 and help them understand the inquiry method and the engineering design process, how to integrate engineering into literacy, [along with] the joy students feel” in science classes.
Teaching apprentices “is written into our contracts,” says Polte. “It keeps all of us fresh and new and makes us work harder to keep material up to date.”
This article originally appeared in the March 2017 issue of NSTA Reports, the member newspaper of the National Science Teachers Association. Each month, NSTA members receive NSTA Reports, featuring news on science education, the association, and more. Not a member? Learn how NSTA can help you become the best science teacher you can be.
The mission of NSTA is to promote excellence and innovation in science teaching and learning for all.
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Ella Bonah (left), a teacher at Tyner Academy in Chattanooga, Tennessee, completed an apprenticeship through Project Inspire, a program that prepares teachers for positions in high-need schools. (photo by David Humber)
By Kate Falk
Posted on 2017-03-03
This week in education news, the Idaho Senate Education Committee approved new science standards that omit climate change; more states introduce bills that interfere with science education; 100Kin10 renews its call to support STEM teachers; and a new study suggests spending an hour learning computer basics may positively change students’ attitudes about computer science.
Idaho Legislature Signs Off on School Science Standards That Leave Out Climate Change
The Senate Education Committee voted to approve new science standards for Idaho public schools that do not address the human impact on climate change. The vote essentially kicks the question of including climate change down the road a year, because lawmakers must permanently approve the science standards in 2018. Click here to read the article featured in the Idaho Statesman.
More States Introduce Bills to Interfere with Science Education
The South Dakota bill has now died in the legislature, while the Indiana resolution has passed the senate. Resolutions are not subject to veto, so that vote is final. But in the intervening time, similar bills have appeared in three other states, and a fourth state is considering eliminating references to climate change in its teaching plan. Click here to read the article featured on the Ars Technica website.
Trump Signs Laws to Promote Women in STEM
President Donald Trump signed two laws this week that authorize NASA and the National Science Foundation to encourage women and girls to get into STEM fields. The INSPIRE (Inspiring the Next Space Pioneers, Innovators, Researchers, and Explorers) Act directs NASA to promote STEM fields to women and girls, and encourage women to pursue careers in aerospace. The second law is the Promoting Women in Entrepreneurship Act. It authorizes the National Science Foundation to support entrepreneurial programs aimed at women. Click here to read the article featured on CNET.com.
With New Administration, 100Kin10 Renews Call to Support STEM Teachers
100Kin10 published an open letter that reiterated the importance of their mission in a new political climate. The underrepresentation of women in STEM fields is one of the challenges 100Kin10 lists in its open letter, along with the underrepresentation of minorities, dwindling enrollment in teacher-preparation programs for STEM, the high rate of STEM teachers who leave the profession, and the need for more early-childhood STEM education. Click here to read the article featured in Education Week.
After-school Programs Foster STEM Skills
While many classrooms and internship programs are actively trying to incorporate STEM education into the lives of children and young adults, after-school programs that focus on STEM let children explore new ideas without worrying about keeping their grades up. According to the study, “Afterschool & STEM: System Building Evaluation 2016,” which will be formally released in April, more than 70 percent of students in all participating states showed positive gains in STEM subjects, careers, knowledge and 21st-century skills by participating in STEM-focused programs after school. Click here to read the article featured in U.S. News & World Report.
The Hour of Code: Impact on Attitudes Towards and Self-Efficacy with Computer Science
Spending an hour learning computer basics may positively change students’ attitudes about computer science and increase their feelings of self-efficacy where that subject is concerned—especially among girls, suggests a study. Click here to read the article featured in Education Week.
Stay tuned for next week’s top education news stories.
The Communication, Legislative & Public Affairs (CLPA) team strives to keep NSTA members, teachers, science education leaders, and the general public informed about NSTA programs, products, and services and key science education issues and legislation. In the association’s role as the national voice for science education, its CLPA team actively promotes NSTA’s positions on science education issues and communicates key NSTA messages to essential audiences.
The mission of NSTA is to promote excellence and innovation in science teaching and learning for all.
Follow NSTA
This week in education news, the Idaho Senate Education Committee approved new science standards that omit climate change; more states introduce bills that interfere with science education; 100Kin10 renews its call to support STEM teachers; and a new study suggests spending an hour learning computer basics may positively change students’ attitudes about computer science.
By Jodi Peterson
Posted on 2017-03-02
States stakeholders are working now to develop plans to implement the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). These state plans will include new guidelines for accountability and much more. Plans are due to the U.S. Department of Education in either April or September this year.
Do you know what is in your state’s plan for ESSA? Do you know if it mentions science or STEM education?
Now is the time to help frame and define ESSA in a way that incorporates STEM teaching and learning.
What Can You Do?
It is critical that educators review and provide input to ESSA state plans because they can and will affect teaching and learning for years to come. You have the power to impact your state’s plan by promoting STEM as a critical piece of a well-rounded education.
These states have indicated they are submitting their plans by April: AZ, CO, DE, IL, LA, MA,, MI, MO, MT, NV, NJ, NM, ND, OH, OR, TN, VT, DC.
To find out more about your state plan for ESSA, visit your state’s department of education website.
To learn more about how you can reach out to state leaders about your state plan, learn more about the Student Success with STEM Campaign which contains outreach materials including alerts, mobilization challenges, overview of the law, and talk points to ensure that STEM is in state ESSA plans.
To learn more about ESSA and science/STEM visit http://www.nsta.org/about/clpa/
President Trump Calls for Voucher Program during Congressional Address
During his February 28 address to Congress, Trump called on lawmakers to “pass an education bill that funds school choice for disadvantaged youth, including millions of African American and Latino children.”
“These families should be free to choose the public, private, charter, magnet, religious or home school that is right for them,” Trump told lawmakers, while offering few details about how to pay for such a program or the political ramifications to public education.
Politico reported last month that the Administration is considering creating a tax credit scholarship program that would allow people and companies to allocate tax money to nonprofits that administer choice scholarships and cover students’ tuition or expenses. Read a National Council on State Legislatures overview of Scholarship Tax Credits here.
Read more about the address and the President’s proposal here.
Bracing for Budget Cuts?
President Trump last week also proposed a $54 billion increase in defense spending with corresponding cuts to non-defense spending. Although there are no details as yet, key lawmakers are hinting of a possible 12 percent drop in spending for these programs in FY2018. Education advocates are bracing for what may be massive cuts to federal education programs—including programs under ESSA– since education (and health and labor) programs make up about one-third of all non-defense discretionary spending.
The White House has said it plans to send a “final budget blueprint” to Congress by March 16, and a final budget will be public in early May.
During his address to Congress, the President called for a school voucher program to be created (see above), and while no details on how this would be funded were released, media sources are reporting that the Administration is considering the creation of a federal tax credit scholarship that would allow low income families to send children to private schools, including religious schools.
President Signs Two STEM Bills into Law
President Trump signed two bills into law that focus on bolstering women in science, technology, engineering and math. The INSPIRE Women Act (H.R. 321) directs NASA to provide a report to House and Senate committees about how current and former astronauts and other staff can promote STEM in schools. The Promoting Women in Entrepreneurship Act (H.R. 255) authorizes the National Science Foundation to expand its educational and professional programs for women into the commercial sector. The measures call for gender diversity in these fields but provide no new funding.
And finally
Last month the House overturned the Obama Administration’s accountability rule for the regulation governing teacher preparation programs. Ten Senate Republicans have filed a measure to get rid of the teacher prep regulations. The American Association for Colleges of Teacher Education (AACTE) Action Alert system is working to rescind the teacher prep regulations in the Senate. Go here.
Most in the education community are opposed to the teacher preparation rules and believe changes made by the federal government should be part of the upcoming reauthorization of the Higher Education Act.
Jodi Peterson is Assistant Executive Director of Communication, Legislative & Public Affairs for the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) and Chair of the STEM Education Coalition. Reach her via e-mail at jpeterson@nsta.org or via Twitter at @stemedadvocate.
The mission of NSTA is to promote excellence and innovation in science teaching and learning for all.
Follow NSTA
States stakeholders are working now to develop plans to implement the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). These state plans will include new guidelines for accountability and much more. Plans are due to the U.S. Department of Education in either April or September this year.
By Lauren Jonas, NSTA Assistant Executive Director
Posted on 2017-02-28
Ready for something completely different?
Ready to love science teaching even more?
NSTA is headed to Los Angeles this month for our 2017 National Conference on Science Education, March 30-April 2. And what happens in LA won’t stay in LA. You’ll go home with a brand new perspective on your teaching.
How does this happen? It starts and ends with your fellow teachers who share what really works, in real classrooms. Whether you’re in sessions, socializing, experiencing the exhibits, or visiting local museums, you’ll be surrounded by thousands of fellow teachers who will be there to help you solve your problems and celebrate your successes. And boring won’t be on the schedule.
Below are just a few of our favorite sessions, guaranteed to give you fresh perspective.
More About the 2017 National Conference on Science Education
Browse the program preview, or check out more sessions and other events with the LA Session Browser/Personal Scheduler. Follow all our conference tweets using #NSTA17, and if you tweet, please feel free to tag us @NSTA so we see it! Need to request funding or time off? Download this letter of support.
The mission of NSTA is to promote excellence and innovation in science teaching and learning for all.
Add Professional Learning Institutes to Your Conference Experience
Professional Learning Institutes (PLIs) are focused, content-based programs that explore key topics in science/STEM education in depth. One-Day PLIs are a preconference full-day session only. Full PLIs begin with a full-day preconference session, followed by pathway sessions that offer further exploration of the topics covered. PLIs are presented by experts in science/STEM education, professional learning, standards implementation, assessment, curriculum, and resources/materials development. Institutes are offered in conjunction with the NSTA National Conference on Science Education and require conference registration.
At the Los Angeles Conference, full PLIs will begin with the preconference one-day session on Wednesday, March 29, 2017, from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm, by preregistration only. The pathway sessions will be scheduled on Thursday, March 30, 2017, and/or Friday, March 31, 2017. The PLI One Day Work Sessions will be held only on Wednesday, March 29, as preconference sessions only.
Los Angeles, California: March 29, 2017
To register online for the Los Angeles conference and to purchase PLI tickets, click here. You may also download a registration form (PDF).
Professional Learning Institute (PLI) Ticket Scholarship Opportunity
The Northrop Grumman Foundation is providing free PLI attendance (a $150 value) to Los Angeles area teachers attending the NSTA National Conference in Los Angeles, March 29–April 2, 2017.
To qualify for a PLI Ticket Scholarship you need to be:
Please complete a short eligibility survey via this link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/PLI17
You will receive an email confirming your scholarship once you are accepted based on the criteria listed.
If you have any questions, please contact Wendy Binder at wbinder@nsta.org.
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Ready for something completely different?
Ready to love science teaching even more?
Journal of College Science Teaching—March/April 2017
By Debbie A. French and Andrea C. Burrows
Increases in student-centered pedagogy have been more prevalent in K–12 education than in collegiate undergraduate science education. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of using student-centered pedagogy advocated in K–12 education on introductory astronomy students’ content knowledge, interest, and recall of content taught in the semester. Forty-two students participated in the study and took the Test Of Astronomy STandards (TOAST) at the beginning and end of the semester. The students had an average initial TOAST score of 37% and a post-TOAST score of 62%. Students also participated in surveys reporting their interest in astronomy, whether their interest in astronomy changed, and what they remembered from the course. Students (79%) reported the class increased their interest in astronomy in a survey given at the end of the semester. Students reported remembering the active-learning activities more than astronomical facts. These results show encouraging results for creating and implementing student-centered pedagogical techniques in college science courses of all disciplines.
Increases in student-centered pedagogy have been more prevalent in K–12 education than in collegiate undergraduate science education. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of using student-centered pedagogy advocated in K–12 education on introductory astronomy students’ content knowledge, interest, and recall of content taught in the semester. Forty-two students participated in the study and took the Test Of Astronomy STandards (TOAST) at the beginning and end of the semester. The students had an average initial TOAST score of 37% and a post-TOAST score of 62%.
Increases in student-centered pedagogy have been more prevalent in K–12 education than in collegiate undergraduate science education. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of using student-centered pedagogy advocated in K–12 education on introductory astronomy students’ content knowledge, interest, and recall of content taught in the semester. Forty-two students participated in the study and took the Test Of Astronomy STandards (TOAST) at the beginning and end of the semester. The students had an average initial TOAST score of 37% and a post-TOAST score of 62%.