The Science and Mathematics
Teacher Imperative
SHEEO
August 12, 2010
Howard Gobstein
Co-director, SMTI
Executive Officer and Vice President
Overview
• National context
• What’s the Problem?
• How SMTI attempts to address this for
universities
• States and regions – the real action
• Key challenges
NOW is
the best opportunity in at least a
generation to address needs in STEM
education … and…
Also the most critical time
Swirl of National Activity
• NGA/CCSSO/Achieve – common core standards
• Data Quality Campaign, NMSI, Wilson, TfA, MfA, PTEC
• Foundations, industry incl: Change the Equation, Business
Higher Education Forum
• federal government: President’s interest, Race, Innovation,
NSF
• CCSSO and SHEEO Actually MET TOGETHER!!!
The problem?
Economic studies conducted even before the
information-technology revolution have
shown that as much as 85% of measured
growth in US income per capita was due to
technological change.
…(we are) deeply concerned that the
scientific and technological building blocks
critical to our economic leadership are
eroding at a time when many other nations
are gathering strength.
Improve K–12 science and mathematics education
Recommendation #1: Annually recruit 10,000
science and math teachers
The Problem - refined
We found some 500 discernible M/S teacher
preparation programs across APLU campuses,
with support from myriad sources
“Despite all the studies, initiatives and projects
over the last several decades, we have hardly
moved the dial” – Nancy Zimpher, 2006
(then president, University of Cincinnati, now Chancellor, SUNY)
‘[it’s akin to] hundreds of pilot lights
across the country …
Tom Luce, National Math-Science Initiative (NMSI)
How do we know …?
“…the surprising discovery and further confirmation that
there was no comprehensive source of information
about effective programs and practices to prepare and
develop science and mathematics teachers or STEM
teachers more broadly.”
Charles Coble
What’s Missing in S/M Teacher
Preparation Programs?
• Common definition of quality
• Limited benchmarking or sharing of programs
• Insufficient institutional leadership and
commitment
• Link with regional and state efforts
Rationale for a Different Approach
Universities Need to Leverage:
• Collective action from national consensus by leading
universities on direction and definition of effort
• University leadership in concert with key faculty,
particularly from science and math disciplines
• National (and state) momentum based on some common
metric and framing of approaches
• Extensive cross pollination across existing initiatives
• Partnerships with education, state and regional
governments, business
APLU Institutional Commitment to the Science and
Mathematics Teacher Imperative
• Substantially increase the number and diversity of
high quality mathematics and science teachers in
middle and high schools
• Identify the immediate and longer term needs for
science and mathematics teachers in states
• Build partnerships among universities, community
colleges, school systems, state government and
other stakeholders to address statewide needs for
teachers on a sustained basis
SMTI UNIVERSITIES IN 43 STATES AND COUNTING…
as of July 7, 2010
APLU Institutions committing to the
Teacher Imperative
APLU Institutions in The Leadership
Collaborative
January 6, 2010:
President Obama greets University System of Maryland Chancellor President
William Kirwan, (center), University of Kansas Chancellor Bernadette GrayLittle (right), and University of Colorado at Boulder Chancellor Philip
DiStefano (left). MEDIA CREDIT: AP/WIDE WORLD PHOTOS
5-Prong Strategy…
1st Galvanize university leadership
2nd Establish robust research, innovation and sharing
culture to enhance science and math teacher
preparation within institutions, including critical
role of disciplinary faculty
3rd Determine state needs for secondary science and
math teachers
4th Team-up with selected national and regional
partners
5th Facilitate state and federal fiscal and policy support
The Analytic Framework
A “taxonomic” tool to systematically identify and compare
leading practices and specific program attributes employed
by universities and their partnering school systems to:
– benchmark their own programs,
– stimulate program innovation
– enhance communication and sharing across the community
and
– assess progress in recruitment, pedagogical and contentknowledge instruction, clinical & field experiences,
induction, professional development, linked to policies and
program outcomes.
Early Reflections:
Interesting Models Are Out There
1.
2.
Redesigned locally, such as UC-Boulder
 Students have strong record of academic performance
 Increased disciplinary faculty ownership
 Altering promotion/tenure decisions
 Making teaching OK for physical sciences majors
 Learning Assistants (LAs) as a major recruitment strategy
Replication of UTeach spear-headed by UT-Austin/NMSI
 Students have strong record of academic performance
 Science dean leadership in teacher preparation
 Discipline-based early field experiences
 Making teaching OK for physical sciences majors
 Alignment with “New Tech” high schools
Improving State Need Assessments of
Science and Mathematics Teachers
A guide for developing or evaluating estimates of the need
4 principal objectives:
1. To help states assess the adequacy of their current science and
mathematics teacher workforce – both in number and quality
2. To give practical guidance to states and institutions in their
efforts to develop reliable future need projections
3. To provide examples and resources that state and university
officials can draw upon
4. To discuss the practical and theoretical challenges to improving
projections of teacher supply and demand
http://state-needs.teacher-imperative.com
http://k20center.ou.edu/
A statewide education research and development
center which promotes innovative learning through
school-university-community collaboration.
The Center uses five phases to transform conventional schools into highachieving, interactive learning communities:
• Phase I - Leaders Learning: Develops principals and superintendents to lead
systemic change and technology integration in their schools and districts.
• Phase II - Whole-School Learning: Supports Phase I leaders by focusing on
teachers, parents, and community leaders empowerment in creating
technology-rich learning communities designed to enhance student success.
• Phase III - Teacher Learning: Creates in-depth authentic research and
learning experiences for teachers in content areas
• Phase IV - Student Learning: Creates innovative learning strategies, such as
Digital Game-Based Learning, to encourage students to be involved in their
own learning.
• Phase V - University: Creates connections and collaborations to support
learning beyond high school.
http://p20lab.org/
www.osln.org
Recap
• Intense national need; incredible attention
• Problem is not just how many – how do we
know what works?
• SMTI university-centric approach, working
out into partnerships
• State-wide efforts are critical, across
institutions and across sectors
Challenges
• Defining effective teachers and their preparation in
science and math – in both particular disciplines
and with broad field expertise
• Developing potential for sharing of teacher
expertise across urban and rural schools
• Incorporating effectively this STEM-specific
initiative with broader state efforts in education
• Learning/sharing/stimulating with other states
Challenges -- 2
• Aligning state standards and data with those of
other states and with common core standards
• Engaging industry and other critical state leaders
• Learning/incorporating new school models such as
New Tech High with their
transdisciplinary/technology intensive learning
environments
Preparing Teachers:
Building Evidence for
Sound Policy
Committee on the Study of Teacher
Preparation Programs in the United
States; National Research Council
summary:
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/12882.html
Measuring What Matters
A Stronger Accountability Model for
Teacher Education
Edward Crowe July 2010
www.americanprogress.org
Contact Us
SMTI Co-directors:
Charles Coble -- [email protected]
Howard Gobstein -- [email protected]
APLU Director, Science and Education Policy
Jennifer Presley – [email protected]
Lead on Assessing State Needs for Science/math Teachers
Michael Allen -- [email protected]
www.teacher-imperative.org