Breakout Sessions
Monday, January 30download .pdf version
Tuesday, January 31
download .pdf version
Monday, January 30; 3:00 pm - 4:15 pm
Description of Breakout Sessions
| PRESENTERS | TITLE | DESCRIPTION OF SESSION |
|---|---|---|
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Holly Bozeman,
Robyn Bell
The MSP Management Information System (MIS) |
Teacher Quality, Quantity and Diversity findings from the MSP Management Information System | We will use 2003-04 and 2004-05 school year data from the MSP Management Information System (MIS), to describe how Comprehensive, Targeted and Institute Partnerships have addressed teacher quality, quantity and diversity. Specifically, we will discuss project activities being implemented to enhance the teacher workforce. |
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Edward Britton,
Ralph Putnam
Research on MSP Teacher Recruitment, Induction and Retention |
Supporting beginning mathematics and science teachers | MSPs are employing varied strategies for addressing beginning teachers' subject-specific needs. In contrast, most U.S. induction programs do not explicitly emphasize particulars of mathematics or science teaching. Teacher induction programs seek to address teacher quantity and quality by reducing beginning teacher turnover and enhancing teaching quality, respectively. This session will survey key features of MSPs' efforts and those of a few other NSF-funded projects, and participants will choose issues to discuss. Subject-specific aspects of induction encompass a greater range of needs related to content or pedagogical content knowledge than often is recognized, but also some practical needs. |
| Adrian Epps, Atlanta Public Schools Nikita Patterson, Georgia State University Rosa Roberts, Atlanta Public Schools | PRISM Advanced Academy for Future Teachers (AAFT) | To implement a long term commitment to the recruitment and retention of mathematics and science teachers, the Atlanta Metro PRISM sponsored a three week institute at Georgia State University during the summer of 2004/ 2005 for Atlanta Public Schools high school rising juniors and seniors interested in teaching careers. The institute offered students an in-depth look at the ways in which content in mathematics and science is merged with effective instructional strategies in order to create learning experiences for the students. The students experienced teaching on the elementary and secondary mathematics and science levels. In addition, the students were giving an overview class covering the Georgia High School Graduation Test (GHSGT) and the SAT test. |
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Joni Falk Sheila Jones MSPnet |
MSPnet: How MSPnet is Being Used by MSP Members and the Public |
MSPnet currently has over 3,000 members, and its public interface has been visited by over 150,000 unique individuals, thus demonstrating significant outreach to the interested public. In this session we will share how the site is currently being used by staff affiliated with MSP projects and by the public at large. Drawing on qualitative and quantitative data, we will explore the implications for a project's use of the site as a vehicle for dissemination, for increasing collaboration between partners, and for capacity building across the MSP program. Examples of how some projects are making use of the site will be shared. MSPnet staff will present new features of the site and share plans for future development. The session will also be an opportunity for attendees to give feedback, express their current collaboration challenges, and suggest ideas for future online events and innovations. |
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Bill Haver, Joy Whitenack, Aimee Ellington, Vickie Inge Preparing Virginia's Mathematics Specialists |
Quality of Virginia's Mathematics Specialists | Fifty K-5 teachers are completing a master's degree program that will prepare them to serve as full-time Mathematics Specialists (coaches) in elementary schools. The program includes six mathematics courses that enable the teachers to develop a deep understanding of K-5 mathematics. The program also includes mathematics education and leadership courses. Since few K-5 teachers have studied mathematics extensively, we had to choose between individuals with strong mathematics backgrounds and individuals with strong K-5 teaching credentials. We chose the teaching credentials. We will discuss the implications of this choice on the quality, quantity, and diversity of Mathematics Specialists. |
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Roberta Jaffee, Bruta Irene Grimberg e-Mentoring for Student Success |
Online Mentoring for Beginning Science Teachers | In order to develop and maintain a highly qualified, diverse teaching force we need induction programs that support and engage early career teachers as they enter the profession. e-Mentoring for Student Success (eMSS) is piloting a national model for online mentoring of beginning science teachers. This partnership of NSTA, New Teacher Center @ UCSC, and Montana State University currently engages eight states in a content-focused mentoring network that matches new and veteran science teachers and involves content specialists. This session will discuss the project experiences, examine dialogue, and share plans for the project's expansion. |
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Mary Kennedy
Causal Inference in Instructional Workforce Research |
How much does teacher knowledge really enhance teaching practice? | In this breakout session, we describe findings from a RETA project that focuses on the relationship between indicators of teacher knowledge (such as educational background and test scores) and the quality of teaching practice as indicated by either observations or student achievement. We present some preliminary findings and seek audience discussion about the meaning of these findings. |
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Doris Kimbrough, Barbara Bath RM-MSMSP |
Fostering Collaboration among STEM, ED, and K-12 | The RM-MSMSP has developed professional development coursework and subsequent follow-up activities that target middle school mathematics and science teachers in seven partner districts. Employing a co-teaching model that brings together higher education STEM faculty, School of Education faculty, and representatives from the K-12 arena, effective collaboration was absolutely essential for success. Professional development workshops, targeting participating higher education faculty, focused on effective modeling of English Language Learning (ELL) strategies as well as the five "E's" of the Learning Cycle. This interactive session will demonstrate what we accomplished and discuss the positive response that this approach generated among higher education faculty. |
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Carolyn Landel, George Nelson, Daniel Hanley North Cascades and Olympic Science Partnership |
Advancing Teachers' Science Content Knowledge and Knowledge of How Students Learn | Come and learn how a multi-institutional collaboration of higher education science faculty and K12 teachers in the North Cascades and Olympic Science Partnership is developing and implementing model preservice science content courses that lead to deeper teacher content knowledge and increased pedagogical content knowledge. This session will provide an opportunity to examine samples of preservice teacher work, view videos of teaching and learning, and review results from content assessments. Leave with significant insights into how to form authentic university-school partnerships that will have a positive impact on teaching and learning in your preservice science education program. |
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Jim Lewis, Ruth Heaton Math in the Middle Institute Partnership |
Highlights of Learning from the Math in the Middle Institute Partnership | In this session, we will discuss our efforts to develop partnerships between the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and K-12 schools, districts and ESUs, the development of our Institute and Math Learning Teams, the research initiative, and our efforts to promote institutional change and sustainability. We will highlight our findings about using distance education technology with rural teachers, the challenges teachers face as they try to transform Institute learning into classroom practice, and resources needed to develop teachers as leaders and support sustainable change in schools and higher education. We will also relate our work with experienced teachers to preservice teacher education. |
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Terry Millar, Eunice Krinsky System-wide Change for All Learners and Educators (SCALE) |
Knowledge, Understanding, and the Mathematics Explanation Structures of Middle School Math Teachers | Based on the body of learning sciences research, the 2001 NRC report "Adding It Up" names what students must have to learn mathematics with understanding: mathematical proficiency. This session describes what we believe teachers need in order to provide the kind of learning environments that nurture student mathematical proficiency, and how middle school mathematics professional development can be created to do this. Building on Perkins et al, we believe that teachers must have extensible and revisable math explanation structures. This session will be interactive and introduce "math explanation structures" and their supporting "math immersion resources." |
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Geoffrey Phelps
Learning Mathematics for Teaching |
Using the LMT teacher knowledge measures: A working session | This session is designed to provide assistance to projects using or interested in using the Learning Mathematics for Teaching (LMT) measures. This "working" session will be organized around the specific questions and issues that projects bring for discussion. We expect that the discussion will center on questions about how to analyze particular data sets, appropriate inferences that can be drawn, and strategies for reporting and discussing results. Projects interested in using the LMT measures are also encouraged to attend as they will likely find the discussion informative. |
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Pat O'Connell Ross, USED Judy Wurtzel, The Aspen Institute Janice Earle, National Science Foundation |
Mathematics in Title 1 Schools | The U.S Department of Education has announced an initiative to work with states to improve mathematics learning in high poverty schools. The Initiative will work with state departments of education to provide training and resources to help schools that are struggling to improve their achievement in mathematics. |
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Hannah Sevian, Marilyn Decker Boston Science Partnership |
Preparing science teachers for urban schools | Recruitment, retention, and preparation are intertwined challenges to placing high quality science teachers in urban classrooms. Often, science in urban schools is taught by teachers who have little or no content preparation. We present our approach to providing pre-service and in-service teachers with the science content and pedagogical content knowledge they need to teach effectively, how this has impacted our pre-service preparation program, and the lessons we have learned in the process that have implications for pre-service science teacher preparation generally. We offer a forum for discussion of these topics. |
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P. Sean Smith, Kim Cohen Assessing Teacher Learning About Science Teaching (ATLAST) |
New Tools to Assess Teacher Content Knowledge for Science Teaching | The session will describe ATLAST's approach to developing assessments of knowledge for science teaching. Participants will become familiar with three types of assessment items and will have an opportunity to examine assessments for science teachers in three content areas--force and motion, plate tectonics, and flow of matter and energy in living systems. The session will provide time for participants to talk with each other and the presenter about different approaches to assessing knowledge for science teaching. |
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Glenn Stevens, Al Cuoco, Wayne Harvey Focus on Mathematics |
Cultures that sustain | What is a core set of requirements for sustaining learning cultures in schools that engage teachers in rich and ongoing mathematical experiences, draw regularly on the expertise of IHE faculty, and have direct impact on student learning? We will discuss this question in the context of our own Focus on Mathematics MSP and then facilitate a general discussion about the evolving progress and stubborn challenges that MSPs face as they work to establish lasting collaborations among universities and schools. |
Job-Alike Sessions:
At the request of the community, a new type of session is being offered this year - job-alike discussions. These are not formal presentations; they are opportunities for people with similar roles in their MSPs to come together and talk about topics of common interest. Facilitators have been designated for these sessions to focus the conversations if necessary, and to ensure that everyone who wants to speak has an opportunity to do so.
Session Title: PIs and Project Directors about Project Management
Session Facilitator: M. David Burghardt
Session Title: PIs and Project Directors about Project Use of Evaluation Data
Session Facilitator: Robert (Mike) Bayer
Session Title: Evaluators - issues in evaluation design, data collection, and analysis
Session Facilitators: Norman Webb and Valerie Williams
Session Title: STEM Faculty about involving faculty in MSPs
Session Facilitators: Nancy Shapiro
Session Title: Professional Development Providers about planning and designing professional development
Session Facilitators: Bill Badders and Linda Gojak
Tuesday, January 31; 11:00 am - 12:15 pm
Description of Breakout Sessions
| PRESENTERS | TITLE | DESCRIPTION OF SESSION | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Margo Bartiromo The Consortium for Achievement in Mathematics and Science (CAMS) |
Lessons Learned about Content Coaching | The Consortium for Achievement in Mathematics and Science (CAMS) aims to develop professional capacity, a well-qualified teaching force and a student-centered learning climate in every middle school mathematics and science classroom. In the context of this effort, one of several professional development strategies involves seven In-Class Support Coaches working with 350 teachers across four urban districts. This session will address successes, challenges and lessons learned related to: identifying and selecting Coaches; creating a common language and vision of teaching and learning; identifying and delivering professional development for Coaches; supporting Coaches in schools; and bridging communication between principals and Coaches to develop a mutual understanding of each other's work. | ||||||
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Rolf Blank Longitudinal Study of the Effects of MSP-Supported Professional Development on Improving Mathematics and Science Instruction |
Effects of MSP Professional Development on Improving Instruction in Math and Science |
The session will include findings from the CCSSO study team's longitudinal analysis of data from teachers in MSP professional development vs. comparable non-MSP teachers. The study examines two questions of importance to all leaders in science and math education:
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David Brant Susan Marshall Faculty Outreach Collaborations Uniting Scientists, Students and Schools (FOCUS) | Recruiting the Next Generation of STEM Teachers from the STEM Majors in the Research I Universities | Preparing adequate numbers of diverse and well-qualified STEM teachers depends on engaging the STEM students and STEM faculties of the large research universities. Only in the STEM departments of these universities is there a large enough pool of students with the requisite aptitudes to meet the need. This breakout session will describe how the UCI Comprehensive MSP is working to broaden the "future teacher highway" through recruitment and support of potential teachers from among UCI STEM undergraduates, active involvement of STEM faculties, and effective partnerships with the UCI Department of Education and the California Community Colleges. We will also describe the amplification of this effort at UCI to all of UC through the California Teach initiative. | ||||||
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Marilyn Carlson Project Pathways |
The Complexities of Developing Relevant Tools for Evaluating Teacher Quality | This session will provide an overview of the complexities of developing reliable tools to assess the learning and STEM beliefs of secondary mathematics and science teachers. We will provide an overview of a framework and instrument that the Pathways Project is using to assess secondary mathematics and science teachers' understanding of the concept of function, a unifying concept of secondary mathematics and science. We will also provide an overview of our progress in developing a beliefs instrument to track shifts in teachers beliefs about the learning and teaching of mathematics and science. | ||||||
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Cindy Callard, Cathy Carroll Developing Everyone's Mathematics Content Knowledge |
Supporting Teacher Leaders in Providing High-Quality Mathematics Professional Development | We believe that teacher quality can be significantly improved through high quality professional development experiences. Thus, a primary component of the DEMC MSP project is to develop a cadre of teacher leaders who can provide high quality professional development in their communities. In this session we will share some key aspects of our teacher leader development program, highlighting how we have recently engaged a core group of leaders in considering the issues and challenges in designing and facilitating professional development through the Leadership Curriculum for Mathematics Professional Development (LCMPD), an NSF-funded project. | ||||||
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David Carraher
The Fulcrum Institute for Education in Science |
Intellectual Challenges Science Teachers Face |
Science teachers face intellectual challenges on many fronts:
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Richard Ingersoll
University of Pennsylvania |
Continuing the Conversation with Richard Ingersoll | Richard has agreed to respond to questions people may have following his plenary presentation. He will have additional data to respond to particular questions about the mathematics/science teaching work force. | ||||||
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Claudia Khourey-Bowers
Stark County ESC Math-Science Partnership |
Quality Science Lessons: Trends and Questions |
The purpose is to describe quality of 8th and 9th grade science lessons and to suggest influences on lesson quality including professional development, teacher certification, socioeconomic typology of schools, and curriculum. The teachers have had access to on-going professional development which integrated content, pedagogy, and instructional materials; instructional technology, and resource people to support effective science teaching in their classrooms. The potential influence of high-quality instruction on preparing students for science-related careers is also of interest. Key questions: What is the influence of sustained professional development on classroom practices? What external factors affect the type and quality of classroom practices? |
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F. Joseph Merlino
Math Science Partnership of Greater Philadelphia (MSPGP) |
MSP Evolving Theories of Action - A Collaborative Discussion | Joe will facilitate a discussion of MSP participants' theories of action about how to improve teacher quality and student achievement. For example, one theory line of action may be encouraging administrators to become instructional leaders. This leads to a supportive context that in turn diffuses opposition to reform efforts at the classroom level and fosters a school culture where teachers can acquire a deeper understanding of the curriculum and their student's developmental progress in learning it. Joe will reflect on how school-specific research data can test causal assumptions implicit in the different Theories of Action that are discussed. | ||||||
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Ruth Parker
Greater Birmingham Mathematics Partnership (GBMP) MSP |
Keeping the Focus on Mathematics in Professional Development | GBMP engages K-20 teachers together as learners of mathematics. An overview of lessons we are learning will be provided. Session participants will engage in a mathematics task that will provide a focus for a discussion of the following issues: (1) determining the 'big ideas' for mathematics PD content; (2) differentiation - meeting a wide range of learner needs; (3) developing mathematical understandings over time; (4) encouraging diverse ways of 'seeing', and looking for mathematical relationships; (5) building productive mathematics learning communities; and (6) promoting articulation K-20. | ||||||
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Pat O'Connell Ross, USED Ken Gross, Univ. of Vermont Geoffrey Phelps, Univ. of Michigan Panel of State MSP Coordinators' |
National Collaborations between NSF-MSPs and ED-MSPs | This session will explore ways to establish dissemination mechanisms for the work of NSF's MSP projects, so that states and local practitioners around the country can benefit from their work. | ||||||
| Philip Sadler | The Interaction Between the Science Content Knowledge of Teachers and Their Students | The weak link in standards-based instruction and professional development is assessment that accurately gauges understanding of science concepts. Our efforts have focused on developing misconception-driven diagnostic tests of all of the NRC's K-12 standards in physical and earth and space sciences. Our large item bank allows us to aid your MSP in measuring student gains from instruction and teacher gains from MSP professional development. We will share our findings from a national sample of 15,000 students and their teachers, characterizing the attributes of effective teacher institutes and science curricula, as well as the relationship between teacher knowledge and student learning. | ||||||
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James P. Spillane, Camille Rutherford Distributed Leadership for Middle School Mathematics Education: Content Area Leadership Expertise in Practice |
Studying Leadership and Management: A Distributed View | Adopting a distributed perspective on leadership for instruction, the presenters examine the challenges involved in identifying and analyzing leadership practice related to mathematics. The presentation focuses on three instruments - a social network survey used to identify leadership and an Experienced Sampling Methodology (ESM) log and Daily Practice (DP) Log used to gather data on leaderhsip practice. Using data from pilot work presenters examine issues of validity and reliability in using these methods. | ||||||
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Dylan Wiliam, Carolyn Wylie The Consortium for Achievement in Mathematics and Science (CAMS) |
Improving student learning: formative assessment | We will present a research-based argument for improving student learning through an Assessment for Learning (AfL) approach. We will discuss a model of professional development in which AfL is the focus, and teacher learning communities is the primary way in which school-based, on-going, content focused professional development is nurtured. We will illustrate some AfL techniques that are applicable across subjects, along with specific tools for mathematics and science that are currently being piloted in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Finally we will discuss lessons learned in the last two years about teacher change, its difficulties and how to support it. | ||||||
Job-Alike Sessions:
At the request of the community, a new type of session is being offered this year - job-alike discussions. These are not formal presentations; they are opportunities for people with similar roles in their MSPs to come together and talk about topics of common interest. Facilitators have been designated for these sessions to focus the conversations if necessary, and to ensure that everyone who wants to speak has an opportunity to do so.
The job-alike sessions being held include:
Session Title: PIs and Project Directors about Institutionalization and Sustainability
Session Facilitators: Gary Martin and Marilyn Struchens
Session Title: District and School Administrators about benefits and challenges to school/district involvement in MSPs
Session Facilitators: Mary Rapp
Session Title: Institute MSPs - challenges and opportunities
Session Facilitators: Herb Clemens