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  1. Kathy Kennedy
  2. PISA2 Program Manager
  3. Presenter’s NSFRESOURCECENTERS
  4. Stevens Institute of Technology, Center for Innovation in Engineering in Science...
  1. Katherine Soriano
  2. Presenter’s NSFRESOURCECENTERS
  3. Stevens Institute of Technology, Center for Innovation in Engineering in Science...

Partnership to Improve Student Achievement in Physical Science

NSF Awards: 0962772

2017 (see original presentation & discussion)

Grades K-6

PISA2, a multi-year professional development program for grade 3-8 teachers, was funded through the Math Science Partnership program in 2010.  The goal was to improve students’ achievement in science and engineering and ability to utilize 21st century skills by enhancing teacher content knowledge and pedagogical practices.  Two models were offered--one preparing teachers for Science Specialization Endorsement through a sequence of 5 graduate courses (Scholars program) and one preparing teachers to implement strategies to support students’ understanding of physical science and engineering concepts (Teacher Leader program).   Together, these programs have impacted 400 teachers from urban and suburban districts.  Here, we focus on the Teacher Leader program for elementary teachers (grades 3-5). The Teacher Leader professional development (PD) model consists of three components: one week-long summer institute, two one-day workshops during the school year, and two in-class visits to plan, observe and reflect on implementation strategies. With the release of NGSS, the PD providers were responsive to the competing priorities faced by elementary teachers who are now also required to teach science and engineering. We chose to focus on the use of the engineering design process to support physical science learning; claims, evidence and reasoning to link science to literacy; and use of notebooks to promote student thinking and reasoning. The central strategy was to illustrate through multiple experiences the ways in which science learning supports student growth across subject areas.  Evidence from PD provider classroom visits and a teacher practices survey speak to the success of the PD model.

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Discussion from the 2017 STEM for All Video Showcase (16 posts)
  • Icon for: Kathy Kennedy

    Kathy Kennedy

    Lead Presenter
    PISA2 Program Manager
    May 15, 2017 | 06:56 a.m.

    Thank you for taking the time to watch our video! We hope you find the description of our PD model and the strategies used to support change in teacher practice helpful. Our research team found significant increases in the following areas:

    1. Increased use of Arguing from Evidence in the classroom.
    2. Increased use of hands-on science and engineering.
    3. Specific instructional strategies that encourage the use of data and evidence, particularly the use of science notebooks to promote data collections, graphing, using patterns to make predictions and reflective writing.

    We are especially interested in discussion regarding the impacts identified by our research team, but please feel free to comment on any aspect of our project. Thanks!

  • Icon for: Brian Drayton

    Brian Drayton

    Researcher
    May 15, 2017 | 10:58 a.m.

    Having teachers be learners for a while like this is a "two-fer" -- the leaders can model good inquiry-oriented pedagogy, while the teachers are immersed in the experience (and the fun) of learning and sense-making.  

         The video starts off talking about "21st century skills, "  a term that I've always found ill-defined -- most lists include things that were being advocated in 1920 :)  What do they look like in your program?

  • Icon for: Kathy Kennedy

    Kathy Kennedy

    Lead Presenter
    PISA2 Program Manager
    May 15, 2017 | 12:00 p.m.

    Brian,

    Thank you for your feedback. I agree with your comment about our PD approach being a “two-fer”. The learning outcomes of the teachers was very organic as they constructed meaning through experience. Our discussions reflected the sensemaking from both the learner perspective and also how they would promote this understanding in their classroom in a similar manner with their students. Experiencing the concepts as students supported the teacher learning in a powerful way.

    The 21st century skills that have always been desired; critical thinking, innovation & creativity, problem solving, and teamwork are situated in our program as key components of the engineering design process and outputs of the three dimensional learning advocated by NGSS.  With a focus on active learning and the engineering design process, our program was explicit in calling attention to steps such as generating and evaluating multiple solutions in addition to working within a team and communication within the group and to larger audiences. The engineering design process has emerged as an effective framework to highlight the skills that underpin success in our classroom today.

  • Icon for: Sue Doubler

    Sue Doubler

    Facilitator
    Senior Leader
    May 15, 2017 | 11:09 p.m.

    Kathy and Katherine,

    What an ambitious project! You mention that teachers use experiences from the program in their own classrooms and this increases their confidence to teach science/engineering. Will teachers be able to transfer their learning to other science and engineering topics? Are there features of the program that you feel will  transfer easily and others that will be more difficult?

  • Icon for: Kathy Kennedy

    Kathy Kennedy

    Lead Presenter
    PISA2 Program Manager
    May 16, 2017 | 10:52 a.m.

    Sue –

    We have seen that teachers have been transferring their learning from the program to other topics – life and earth and space sciences. Specifically we have seen the use of science notebooks and the approach of “activity before concept” – creating a space for kids to explore a phenomena and then construct meaning. We have also seen the use of the engineering design process moving from trial and error to informed design choices by using fair testing to collect data. Another change we have been pleased to see is the increase valuing of reflection by teachers, giving time to students to think about and reflect on their experiences.

    We have seen teachers begin to use formative assessment probes to reveal student thinking but many teachers are unsure of how to use this information to inform their instructional planning. We also see that teachers are thinking a lot about how to authentically integrate math (such as graphing, creating data tables and identifying patterns) to build student skills across subjects.

    We recognize that it takes time to develop new teaching strategies and everyone falls someplace different along the continuum.

    ~Kathy & Katherine

  • Icon for: Sue Doubler

    Sue Doubler

    Facilitator
    Senior Leader
    May 19, 2017 | 02:32 p.m.

    I fully agree that new teaching strategies take time and everyone is at a different place on the learning continuum.

    In your PD model you have three components: a one week-long summer institute, two one-day workshops during the school year, and two in-class visits to plan, observe and reflect on implementation strategies. Do you see each component providing different dimensions of Teacher learning? In particular, what is the value-added of the in-class visits?

  • Icon for: Katherine Soriano

    Katherine Soriano

    Co-Presenter
    May 19, 2017 | 07:50 p.m.

    Site-visits were the opportunity for us to meet teachers where they were at (content knowledge- and pedagogy-wise) and provide what they needed to get to the next level. We had some participants that were teaching hands-on science for the first time and needed help with time- and materials-management. Other teachers might be moving from “learn and confirm”  hands-on lessons to “activity before concept” strategy. While in both cases the these strategies were modeled during the PD workshops, the site-visits helped them bring what they experienced to their classroom. Because we had teachers from such a range of districts across the state, implementing what they had learned required a “tailored” strategy for their students in their particular classroom and district.
    Katherine and Kathy

  • Icon for: Deborah Hanuscin

    Deborah Hanuscin

    Facilitator
    Professor
    May 16, 2017 | 12:41 p.m.

    I'm intrigued in the notion of "teacher leaders"- what kinds of leadership roles do teachers assume following completion of the program 

  • Icon for: Kathy Kennedy

    Kathy Kennedy

    Lead Presenter
    PISA2 Program Manager
    May 16, 2017 | 01:32 p.m.

    Deborah,

    We have been very pleased with the leadership roles PISA2 teachers have taken on. They have provided PD workshops within their schools and districts, become leaders of science PLCs, joined building and district level curriculum writing teams and have presented at state and national science conferences. We also have teachers who are coauthoring manuscripts for publication in NSTA journals!

    ~Kathy & Katherine

  • Icon for: Deborah Hanuscin

    Deborah Hanuscin

    Facilitator
    Professor
    May 18, 2017 | 09:28 a.m.

    These are all great examples! 

  • Icon for: Christine Cunningham

    Christine Cunningham

    Founder & Director, Engineering is Elementary
    May 16, 2017 | 02:55 p.m.

    Kathy and Katherine,

    We're glad to see EiE working so well in your program! We always emphasize the importance of professional development to districts that are adopting EiE because we've seen many of the same results you have. When teachers are excited and confident about engineering, their students have limitless potential.

    -Christine

  • Icon for: Kathy Kennedy

    Kathy Kennedy

    Lead Presenter
    PISA2 Program Manager
    May 16, 2017 | 06:30 p.m.

    Christine,

    We agree! Our PD model included 2 complete EiE units. The time spent experiencing the units as students and teachers supported a deep understanding of the engineering design process.

    Teachers were confident integrating engineering using EiE once the school year started. Our coaching visits helped teachers work through any questions that came up with initial implementation and the students were off and running!

    ~Kathy & Katherine

  • Icon for: Sara Lacy

    Sara Lacy

    Senior Scientist
    May 18, 2017 | 12:17 p.m.

    Kathy,

    You mention that you collected evidence from classroom visits and a teacher practices survey.  Could you tell us a little about your research process?  What was your experience collecting and analyzing data? 

    Thanks, Sara

  • Icon for: Katherine Soriano

    Katherine Soriano

    Co-Presenter
    May 19, 2017 | 03:12 p.m.

    Hello, Sara -

    Our external evaluator conducted a longitudinal survey of teachers’ instructional practices to examine changes over the course of teachers’ involvement in the PISA2 program. Teacher Leaders take the survey at the start of their program (summer institute) and at the end of the school year. Many Leaders have participated in more than one Institute and over multiple years. The data suggest that teachers have increased the number of hands-on science and engineering activities and are experimenting with the targeted practices evidence-based explanation and the engineering design process.  

     

    In addition, the external evaluator conducted a small qualitative study to find out more about the ways participating teachers integrate the engineering design process (EDP) into their science teaching and the challenges they face in doing so.  Teacher interviews, classroom observation and artefactual data including teacher lesson plans and samples of student work have been collected and are currently being analyzed.  Preliminary findings suggest: (1) teachers with more PISA2 experience are using EDP in their classrooms, (2) teachers were observed facilitating group work and encouraging divergent thinking and strategies, (3) EDP is perceived as beneficial for diverse learners because all students can participate, (4) Teachers perceive engineering as more a problem solving and student centered than scientific inquiry, and (5) All teachers face time and resource constraints however those teachers who are not using EDP are in the midst of larger school and district reform efforts.

    Our PD model also included 2 coaching visits for each participant. Reporting from the coaching team reflects similar trends that the evaluator observed. Each teacher received 2 visits during the school year to support teachers with planning, implementation and reflection of content and strategies introduced over the summer institute.

    Katherine and Kathy

  • Icon for: Pam Pelletier

    Pam Pelletier

    Facilitator
    Director, K-12 STE, Boston Public Schools
    May 21, 2017 | 08:45 a.m.

    Interesting and engaging work with teachers -- and I see that there are many questions about teachers and their ability to transfer what they are learning to other contexts. Have you considered leveraging what you are already doing in ways that might more explicitly educate teachers about strategies to transfer and apply what they are learning in this content/context, to other areas of science content they must teach? Any suggestions for specific work from you project that might help with this challenge?

  • Icon for: Kathy Kennedy

    Kathy Kennedy

    Lead Presenter
    PISA2 Program Manager
    May 21, 2017 | 10:00 p.m.

    Pam,

    Thank you for your interesting question. We intend that all the approaches we model during the summer and school year PD sessions transfer into skills the teachers can apply to all of their science and engineering content. For example we are explicit in the role of formative assessment probes to elicit student thinking and how information from the probes can reveal naive conceptions or misconceptions. We provided teachers with resources that introduce them to probes that align with not only physical science but life and earth sciences as well.

    We also were explicit with the features of science notebooks, creating data tables during experimentation and making careful observations. We also introduced strategies to obtain formative feedback through examples of "gots & needs" or "parking lots". We have seen teachers begin to use these strategies throughout the year and teachers report during coaching visits or the PD sessions that they are trying them out in class. Leveraging these lessons in a more concrete way seems to be one of our next steps for the program.

  • Further posting is closed as the event has ended.