[Forwarded from the NSTA]
Before It's Too Late : The Report to the Nation by the National Commission
on Mathematics and Science Teaching for the 21st Century (cont.)
GOAL 1: Establish an ongoing system to improve the quality of mathematics
and science teaching in grades K-12.
Needs Assessment: The Commission proposes that each state must conduct an
immediate full assessment of the professional development needs, district by
district, of K-12 science and math teachers.
The assessment should also include (1) whether schools offer a full
complement of math and science courses; (2) whether the quality of
curricula, texts, and math assessments strongly supports high-quality
teaching and learning; (3) whether the necessary materials and resources
(labs and equipment) are available; (4) whether teachers are adept in using
technology; and (5) whether teacher certification and recertification
guidelines are sufficiently ambitious. The assessment should include as
many stakeholder groups as possible. "To put this into perspective,
collectively the states must plan to quickly reach the 1.7 million teachers
nationwide who provide instruction in science and mathematics" (this
includes elementary teachers).
Based on the needs assessment, states should develop a system of
professional development to address short- and long-term needs of teachers.
Summer Institutes: To address near-term needs, the summer institutes should
provide content knowledge for out-of-field teachers, conduct
discipline-based workshops, integrate technology into the teaching of math
and science, introduce new teaching methods, and improve skills for teaching
specific subject content by grade.
Over the long term, the Commission urges states to tailor the institutes to
teachers' demands and make regular institute attendance a part of teacher
recertification.
Inquiry Groups: " . . . All teachers need continuing, collegial contact;
peer reinforcement; and input from experts to sharpen their skills and
deepen their subject knowledge."
The Commission calls for establishing building and district-level inquiry
groups that will provide a venue for teachers to share ideas, gain the
benefit of one another's teaching experience, engage in common study to
enrich content knowledge, learn about technology, and design ways to
incorporate standards into their teaching.
Groups would continue throughout the summer and would be networked
electronically. "Time for in-depth study through regular work with peer
Inquiry Groups is a teacher's most valuable professional resource. It must
be considered sacrosanct."
Leadership Training: Many more potential leaders must be identified and
trained. These leaders would facilitate inquiry groups and summer
institutes.
Internet Portal: The Commission calls for an interactive conversational web
resource dedicated to science and math instruction. This "virtual resource
center" would be updated frequently and provide a one-stop-shopping learning
network. It would include an online professional journal that encourages
teachers to engage in publishable research and allows sharing of new
teaching strategies; access to Web sites with real-time data; a dedicated
database for teachers, which would include teaching ideas, lesson plans,
student work, and other resources; interactive resources for conversations,
meetings, and idea sharing; an outlet to distance learning courses in
science and math for teachers and students; and interactive video, for
observing teachers' pedagogy, mentoring practices, and online instruction.
Coordinating Council for Mathematics and Science Teaching: This
nongovernmental collaborative body will bring together groups that have a
stake in math and science education. The Council will monitor state and
local progress on needs assessment, summer institutes, leadership training,
and other initiatives. It will help schools and districts align their
professional development with state curricula, teaching guidelines,
performance standards, and assessments; collect and disseminate research on
improving teaching and identifying best practices; and measure progress.
Rewards Program: "To increase the attractiveness of the professional
development system, and to make clear that continual improvement in teaching
methods is highly valued, all states and local districts must institute a
program of recognition and rewards to deserving schools and teachers.
Schools with exemplary professional development systems, and those that,
most importantly, show improvement on rigorous assessments of student
achievement in math and science, must be recognized with monetary rewards
for their teachers and other staff, and through well-publicized showcase
events."
[Next time: Goal 2]
Jane Jackson, Co-Director, Modeling Instruction Program
Box 871504, Dept.of Physics & Astronomy,ASU,Tempe,AZ 85287
480-965-8438/fax:965-7331. http://modeling.la.asu.edu