Math and Science Grant Collaborative

Year One UpdateTuscarora IU # 11 and

Central Intermediate Unit # 10

By: Linda Russo and

Bobbie W. Pfingstler, Ed.D.,

Project Directors

Instructors/Faculty from Juniata College Randy Bennett, Ph.D. Professor of Biology* bennett@juniata.edu

John Bukowski, Ph.D. Professor of Mathematics bukowski@juniata.edu Kathy Jones, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Education*

jones@juniata.edu Sharon Conaway, Science in Motion Biology Mobile educator conaway@juniata.edu Ben Sunderland, Ph.D. Professor of Mathematics sunder@juniata.edu Cathy Stenson, Ph.D. Professor of Mathematics stenson@juniata.edu Jerry Kruse, Ph.D. Professor of Mathematics kruse@juniata.edu Kimberly Roth, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Mathematics roth@juniata.edu Jay Hosler, Ph.D. Professor of Biology hosler@juniata.edu Amber Helsel, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of Chemistry helsel@juniata.edu Tara Yorke, Science in Motion Chemistry Mobile Educator yorket@juniata.edu Norris Muth, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of Biology muth@juniata.edu Roy Nagel, M.S. Science Safety Coordinator Juniata College nagle@juniata.edu Chuck Yohn, Ph.D. Executive Director of Raystown Field Station yohn@juniata.edu Debra Kirchhoff-Glazier , Ph.D. Professor of Biology kirchhof@juniata.edu Vince Buonaccorsi, Ph.D. Professor of Biology buonaccorsi@juniata.edu Jamie White, Ph.D. Professor of Physics white@juniata.edu Matt Beaky, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of Physics beaky@juniata.edu

Instructors from TIU #11 and CIU #10 Tim Miller, TIU # 11

Linda Dell, TIU # 11

LaTisha Hockensmith, TIU # 11

Tracy Hinish, TIU # 11

Bobbie Pfingstler, Ed.D., CIU # 10

Susan Bickford, Ph.D., CIU # 10

Bethann McCain, CIU # 10

David Bauman, PDE Science Content Advisor

Science Standards and Concepts Taught During the Summer Institute

2.1 Scientific Practices – Middle and High School Teachers

2.2 Physical Science Physics – Middle and High School Teachers

2.3 Chemistry -

2.4 Life Sciences Biology – Middle and High School Teachers

2.5 Earth and Space Science –

2.6 Technology – Middle and High School Teachers

2.7 Engineering –

2.8 Other -

Professional Learning CommunityLead by Tracy Hinish – Assistant Executive Director at TIU # 11

Began during the Year I Juniata College Summer Institute

Continues throughout the MSP Partnership

Utilizes the Professional Learning Community on SAS

Minimum Requirements forPLC Participation for Math/Science Partnership 

 

A. Minimum Requirements: Post two entries per month. One entry will be posted by the 15th of each month. The second entry will

be posted by the last day of the month in response to at least one grant participant. Responses to one person one time only until all participants have a response from you B. Reflections: Could focus on an outstanding lesson or experience Could focus on an area of difficulty asking if anyone has ever tried something similar and the response

they had from students Professional readings and professional development Will occur every other week of the project May offer as many reflections as you desire with a minimum being every other week one time C. Responses: Respond to at least one person every other week Respond to someone different each time until you have responded to each participant Responses may offer suggestions to help someone Responses may validate an outstanding lesson or experience Response may offer resources or professional literature to support a participant D. Start date for PLC: September 2013

Science Teachers at Work during the Juniata College Summer Institute!

Teachers Participate in a Science Safety Presentation at Raystown Lake Field Station.

Debriefing after Field Work at Raystown Lake

Searching for Insects!

Search, write, discriminate.

Teachers Use Science, Math, Technology and Collaboration in Hands-On Discovery.

Problem-Solving as a Team

Science AND Mathematics

Science Work in the Classroom – Teachers from TIU 11 and CIU 10 work together!

Pre and Post Test Results from Year I Summer Institute Project Name: IU 11 and 10 

Test Name:

TCK Matched

only My Name: Voigt  

Year: 2013  

     

T test value: 6.41219  

P value: 0.00000       

Total number of records read:   34

Number of teachers with both    

pretest and posttest scores:   34

Number of teachers with     significant gains:   24

OtherTotal Number teachers 35Number with any gain 30Number with no gain 2Number with decrease 2

Year One - Sept., 2013 – June, 2014 4 Professional Development Days

Day One: Tuesday, September 17, 2013 Curriculum Writing, PLC, David Bauman from PDE, Hoss's Community Room in Huntingdon, Pa 8:30 -4:00

Day Two:   Thursday, Oct. 10, 2013 Literacy Design Collaborative, Juniata College 8:00 - 4:00

  Day Three: Thursday, Nov. 21, 2013 Literacy Design

Collaborative, Juniata College 8:00 - 4:00

  Day Four: Tuesday, February 4, 2014 Literacy Design

Collaborative, Juniata College 8:00 - 4:00

 

Stipends/reimbursements for professional development

Schools will receive a stipend: To cover cost of substitute teachers To reimburse teachers for travel expenses For administrative costs associated with collecting PSSA

and PVAAS data for evaluation purposes

Teachers will receive a stipend for participation $1000 was paid to the teachers this summer They will receive final $1000 at end of school year

Comparison Group

The grant requires that the Teacher Content Knowledge Assessment be administered to a comparison group of teachers at two appropriate time points (two weeks apart).

Individual scores are not reported to the district or school.

Scores reported only in aggregate form.

Comparison Group teachers will receive a $50 stipend for taking the test two times.

The test will be proctored by an IU employee per grant requirements.

PDE Science Curriculum Frameworks (Draft) for Curriculum MappingCombination of PA Standards and Anchors and Next Generation Standards

Grade/Course

Big Ideas

Essential Questions

Concepts

Com-peten-cies

Voc. Standards

Eligible Content

Earth and Space Science

Life Science

Nature of Science

Physical Science

Unifying Themes

Collaborative Science Curriculum Writers

Grade 5, 6 Earth, Life, 7 Grade 8 Bio/Env. Physics/Chem.

Hart D’Ambrosia Caruso Gillam Rupeka

Dean McKelvey Sutika Kratzer Beegle

Norman McMath Quinter Addleman Mastrine

Himes Yeckley Goodman Rosensteel Schriver

Gregory Detwiler Snare Elder Eichelberger

Smith Clark Christophel Quinn  

Johnson Rennell   Walker  

Spotts        

Jordan        

Dickson        

Two Pennsylvania Intermediate Units, Recipients of the Title IIB Math and Science Collaborative, Will Utilize the Literacy Design Framework for Build Common Tools to Integrate Literacy and Content Standards Across Science Courses

 

By: Linda Russo, TIU # 11 and Bobbie W. Pfingstler, Ed.D., CIU # 11, Project Directors

 

Tuscarora Intermediate Unit # 11 in McVeytown, Pennsylvania, and Central Intermediate Unit # 10 in West Decatur, Pennsylvania were recipients of the Title II B Math and Science Grant. Over the course of three years, they will receive each year an amount of $315,141.00. In addition to partnership of the two Intermediate Units, Juniata College and Capital Intermediate Unit # 13, are also contributing partners.

The goals of the project are:

1. To improve individual teachers’ content knowledge in science and enhance their pedagogical skills in order to reduce the number of teachers who are not adequately prepared to teach science in grades 5-12

2. To improve inquiry-based science teaching practices

3. To increase academic achievement of students taught by the teachers involved in this program

4. To develop participating teachers into leaders of science in order to expand district leadership and promote professional development in support of effective teaching.

During the two-week Summer Institute, Juniata College will provide an intensive two-week (80 hour) opportunity for the thirty-seven teachers from high need districts a focus on embedding science content with learner-centered pedagogy. The districts include Title I schools and/or schools with greater than 25% of students scoring basic or below on the science PSSA and schools who are showing moderate to significant evidence of not meeting Pennsylvania’s standards for academic growth according to PVAAS data. During the institute, Juniata College faculty partners from the Biology, Physics, Chemistry, Environmental Science, Mathematics, and Education Departments will help participants learn fundamental integrated science concepts through simulation and modeling activities, inquiry-based investigations, current research, data analysis, and group investigations. The content will focus on physical and biological/life sciences with topics and activities designed to strengthen the subject matter background of fifth through twelfth grade science teachers and special education teachers.

Twenty-four hours of follow-up activities during the school-year will continue the Professional Learning Community that will support teachers’ application of science content in their schools through collaborative lesson planning and lesson study, and analysis of standards and instructional strategies and resources using the Framework of the Literacy Design Collaborative. Through the facilitation of the trained consultants from the two Intermediate Units in using the Literacy Design Collaborative, the PLC will meet three times during the school year at Juniata College to learn how to understand and articulate the relationships among the PA Comprehensive Literacy Plan (PaCLP), the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), and Literacy Design Collaborative (LDC). The science teachers will develop LDC tasks and modules for their subject area. They will also build consensus in scoring student writing using the LDC analytic rubrics. The exemplary tasks and modules will be stored on the PLC on the Pennsylvania Standards Aligned Portal for use for all members.

Additionally, each participant will be assigned a mentor/coach who will assist them as they begin to implement their new knowledge and practice in their classrooms.

Project Directors, Linda Russo and Bobbie W. Pfingstler, Ed.D., will relay quantitative and qualitative results at the end of each year of the three-year Title IIB Mathematics and Science Grant.  

Science PA Standards and Eligible Content AND PA Common Core Reading and Writing – Literacy Design Collaborative

MSP Grant Helps to Fund Coaches for Science Teachers

During the school year, two coaches will support the science teachers with visits to their classrooms, approximately two times per year.

Project Evaluators Will Visit Classrooms

Susan Voigt and Sheri Moyer, Capital Area Intermediate Unit, independent evaluators, will notify teachers prior to visitation.

Evaluation requirements Teacher Content Knowledge

Student Achievement

Change in Classroom Practices

DO SCHOOLS AND TEACHERS IN PENNSYLVANIA HAVE WHAT THEY NEED TO SUCCEED?

Make science count

Pennsylvania tests students in science, but it only holds schools accountable for meeting student performance targets on reading

and math tests. Science should count, too. When there are no consequences for science achievement, schools can easily give

science short shrift.

Ease the transition between high school and college

Pennsylvania students should understand the requirements for college admission and whether a high school diploma prepares them for college-level work. One way to ensure that diplomas have

meaning is to align state high school graduation and college entrance requirements. Pennsylvania also should expand access to rigorous courses in math and science.

For example, the state could strengthen initiatives that helps school boost participation in AP courses, especially among women and minorities.

Attend to achievement gaps

Pennsylvania continues to struggle with very large racial, ethnic and income-based achievement gaps in math and science. There is also evidence that the state's minority and low-income students have less access to educational opportunities, such as rigorous coursework, qualified teachers who feel well supported and other educational resources. Pennsylvania should ensure that its policies offer extra support to the students who need it most—while continuing to hold those students to a high bar.

Summer Institute Year II

Will be held at Juniata College on June 16 - 20 and June 23 - 27, 2014