Reform-Based Urban Science Teaching: Identifying Necessary

Resources and Impact

Symposium organized by

Gail Richmond and Christina Schwarz

Michigan State University

This work was made possible by a grant from the National Science Foundation (ESI #0138945 ). The opinions expressed are those of the presenters and not the funding agency

Welcome, Introductions and Overview

What are we?

Who are we?

Where are we going today?

What are we?

PI*CRUST = Professional Inquiry Communities for the Reform of Urban Science Teaching

Who are We?

Project Senior Staff (all presenting today)

Gail Richmond

Christina Schwarz

Deb Smith

Ed Smith

Tim Smith

Who are We? (Cont’d.)

Postdoctoral FellowShinho Jang

Graduate Assistants (Past & Present)Shih-pei Chang In-Young ChoMarc CollittiKelly GrindstaffBrett MerrittSteve Tuckey

Symposium “Roadmap”

Welcome, Introductions and Overview (Gail)Project Background, Goals, & Launching (Deb)The “Instructional Approach” (Ed)Project Activities (Tim & Gail)Project Impact (Christina & Gail)Challenges (Gail & Tim)Questions, Contributions, and Discussion (All)

History and evolution of the PI-CRUST grant

“How long did it take you to make that pot?” someone asked the potter. “A lifetime,” the potter replied. (Loucks-Horsley, Love, Stiles, Mundry, and Hewson.2003)

Sources and Roots

Work with teachers:1986-91 Curriculum Development LabOne unit/ teacher/ schoolCo-planning and teaching in lab classCurriculum development

Underpinnings:

Conceptual change and misconceptions research

Shulman’s teacher knowledge work

Summer Institute and follow-up

Work with teachers:Summer institute:

4 weeksContent immersionDemo lessonsSmall group teachingCoachingReflection/discussionCurriculum developmentClassroom follow-upAfter school PLCPrincipals’ weekend

Underpinnings:Content and PCK workManagement issuesResearch on principals as essential to reformAssessment issues

CDL-West Park Place

Work with teachers:After school meetings K-4Common content focusClassroom work: co-planning and teaching, curriculum developmentFocus on students’ ideas and learningCoachingTeacher leadership: NSTA, NARST

Underpinnings:Conceptual changeResearch on students’ ideasResearch on effective teaching strategiesSchool change -- Essential Schools

Statewide Systemic Initiative Delaware

Work with teachers:Five districtsAcross the stateMonthly meetings at bestSchool teamsAssessmentsIn-class co-planning and teachingCurriculum development

Underpinnings:

School change

Teacher knowledge

Demonstration sites

Politics!

Michigan State University and Averill Elementary SSG

Work with teachers:One schoolAfter school meetingsCo-planning and teachingCoachingCurriculum developmentSummer work:

Common content K-5Content immersionChildren’s ideas research

Teacher leadership: MSTA, NARST

Underpinnings:National Science Education StandardsBenchmarks for Science LiteracyMichigan Essential Goals and Objectives for Science EducationPreservice teachers work:

Content/nature of sciencePCK

Work with Susan Loucks-Horsley et al.

Lansing School District: Pacing guides development

Work with teachers:

Grades 2-5

June, 2001

Two weeks

Teachers 2-5

MSU faculty

Underpinnings:NSESBSLMichigan Curriculum FrameworksRosalind Driver’s booksChapter 15, BSL

Lansing School District:Assessments (2-5)

Work with teachers:

Assessments development 8/01

Same teacher groups

Grades 2-5

Underpinnings:Research on authentic assessmentsResearch on student conceptionsBSLNSESKey role of assistant superintendent

Lansing School District:Curriculum adoption process

Work with teachers:Grade-level teamsReview of many publishers, including NSF-funded projectsRevised Project 2061 curriculum analysis guidelinesPilot testing

Underpinnings:Project 2061 curriculum analysis proceduresNSESBSLAtlas for Science LiteracyMSU faculty and grad studentsTeachers as co-facilitators

Writing the PI-CRUST grant

“Another positive development has been a shift … to designing professional development around the essential knowledge teachers need to teach the mathematics and science embodied in the standards. We see more examples of professional development that engages teachers in understanding the content they teach, deepening their knowledge about how to teach this content in particular, and learning about ways that students think about and learn this content.” Loucks-Horsley et al. 2003

Eighteen strategies for Professional Learning(Loucks-Horsley et al. 2003, p. 113)

Curriculum alignment and instructional materials selectionCurriculum implementationCurriculum replacement unitsPartnerships with universitiesStudy groups

Examining student work and thinkingImmersion in inquiry in scienceCoachingDevelopment of mentorsWorkshops, institutes, etc.

Key features: K-8, five years

Summer learning institute:

Immersion in content learning through inquiry

Nature of scientific work

Curriculum analysis

Students’ ideas

Effective teaching strategies

Teacher knowledge research

PCK research

Student ideas research

NSES -- Inquiry book

Research on teachers’ ideas about NOS

Key features (cont.)

Personal classroom work:

Videotaping

Pre-lesson conference

Post-lesson conference

Viewing of tape

Coaching

Research on teacher knowledge and change

Research on coaching and mentoring

Key features (cont.)

After school Professional learning communities:

Grade level specific

Unit focus specific

Content specific

Collegial, safe

PCK focus

Personal stories, dilemmas

Urban context focus

Research on under-represented groupsResearch on teacher knowledge and changeResearch on expertiseResearch on student ideas and learningTeachers as Learners series and discussions

Key features (cont.)

Principals included in design -- SLI, PCKHuman and social resources:

Teacher leadersProfessional culture

Material resources:videotapesrevised lessons/ units

Research on policy change and implementation

Immediate issues

Funded in August -- no time for recruitment, staff professional development, or Summer Learning InstituteMiddle school issues and context very different from elementaryDecision to get teacher groups up and running in fallNo time to do school team and site selection

“Many a slip twixt the cup and the lip”

“In every case, programs looked very different two to five years … into their implementation than they did on the drawing board.” Loucks-Horsley et al., 2003

The Instructional Approach

Process SummaryDevelop content understanding/demonstration teachingGoal clarification (3 dimensional model)Review research on student ideasAssessment revision/development Analysis & evaluation of instructional approach of adopted materials (Modified Project 2061 criteria)Adaptation, revision & gap fillingReview & interpretation of student workTeacher feedback, video review

e.g.,

has

Defined in terms of

can be

Addressing

Guides the design of

Activity Sequence

ActivityActivityActivityActivityActivityActivityActivityActivity Activity

Engage Explore Explain Elaborate EvaluateInstructional

Model

Instructional approach

Rationale

Activity Strategic funtion(s)

or

Discussion

Mini-lecture

Data collection etc.

Learning goal(s)

Learning goal(s)

Applications of the ModelAnalysis of adopted and other curriculum materials (e.g., Balls and Ramps)

Interpretation and evaluation (Project 2061 criteria also)Documentation of use and feedback

Design of modified and/or additional activities

Documentation of use and feedback

Account of Activities

Professional Learning Communities

Summer Learning Institutes

Observations and Coaching

Impact of Project

On Teacher Participants

On Students

On Project Staff

On District Administrators

Impact on Teacher Participants

Data SourcesContent knowledge assessmentsInquiry scenariosDeveloped curricula/assessmentsVideotapes of classroom teaching at entry into projectVideotapes/field notes of focus unit teaching*Pre/post-observation interviews*Audiotaped PLC meetings*Audiotaped & videotaped SLI meetingsYear 2 Interviews*

Impact on PI*CRUST Participants

Collaboration & Community

Understanding of Content & Inquiry

Classroom Practice

Results: Changes in PrioritiesInquiry

increasingly the focus of PLC sessionsvalue in deepening participants’ understanding and directing students’ learning

Increased emphasis on student assessments to inform design of instruction

I see how helpful it is to know what ideas my students are bringing to the topic we are learning about.. It helps me to design my lessons in ways that can address these ideas and help my students learn

Increased focus on benchmarks & standards to guide instructionIncreased value placed on student ideas“PI*CRUST has made me think about the kids & how they learn…

trying to focus more on, not necessarily what I know & what I think about it, but where they’re coming from--what knowledge they have when they come…those preconceptions & misconceptions…that to me has been very interesting.”

Results: Impact on Collaboration & Community

“Establishing a community of professionals to support your

teaching” that’s really been helpful.” (Interview)

“It was nice to collaborate with others and get their ideas, not

only on science but other issues as well.” (Reflection for SLI6)

If I did not have this group, I don’t think I would have tried the things I have.” (PLC 7 participant)

“I love this stuff! I’m absolutely having a blast….(Recently) I haven’t been able to be on schedule…and I miss it! Because I miss that learning community. We’re all about the same thing, We all want to share our ideas, whether they’re successful, what fell through, trying to help each other with what we could do differently…. It’s good, and it makes you feel ok if you don’t get it exactly right. And you don’t get that anywhere else.” (Gr. 7, 8 Special Education teacher, Interview)

Results: Impact on Content Understanding

Self-reports in interviews

Written assessments (SLI)

Artifacts from SLIs

Observations of focus unit teaching

Impact on Content as Reported From Interviews“In the past year I have definitely learned more about

rocks and minerals, I’ve also learned about which - in the last unit anyway – what rocks the students should learn about and why in terms of the rock cycle since my content knowledge I feel is stronger - because of that, I can now tie those into the learning objectives or the pacing guide statements that are listed … and that follows that I can now teach in more an inquiry based way.”

“[My content knowledge is] deeper, and I think that’s helped me be a better teacher with the knowledge of what the kids bring with them.”

Impact on Content from SLI Written Assessments

Question from 6th grade pre/post from the SLI: “How does an electromagnet work? Inside what kinds of tools/machines can they be found?” [Electromagnets are one of the content areas that 6th grade teachers are supposed to address.”Pre-response: NothingPost-response: “I know this one! Let’s see. A wire is coiled around a metal post. When a current passes through the wire, a magnetic field is created. How does this happen? I’m not quite sure. [They can be found in] doorbells and telegraphs.”

All 6 teachers increase their comfort with the content (sound and electricity) by at least one level rating after 6th grade SLI (e.g. from OK to “good”)

Results: Impact on Understanding of Inquiry

Trina: Today I was so tired because the kids were chatting. They do love this (moon phases project). They really knew the answers and they were arguing with each others. They wanted to disprove what others said. Meg: This is the 4th year that we have done the moon chart. In the past, I always encouraged them. I gave them a few answers about what the moon like yesterday. We hadn’t remind them to collect data. When we turn around, we had to say: “All right, we will give you a second chance to do the moon chart.” But the truth is that it needs thirty days to have them gather data. I do not want to give them the data. Trina: Is that inquiry? I mean I do not care about giving them the answers. They continue to get the patterns and eventually I…help them understand what pattern is. (PLC7)

Impact on Understanding of Inquiry (cont’d)

“After learning a little more understanding about scientific inquiry and having better picture of how to incorporate this idea more in my class … I … have a clearer view of why it is so important to have students use scientific inquiry in their

scientific investigations.” (Spontaneously-written comment on SLI6 post-assessment)

This (inquiry) is what scientists do. It’s how scientists solve problems, how they make sense of the world--our students can do this! (Comment from PLC7 participant)

“I interpret PI-CRUST to be moving toward an inquiry approach to science where the students are ideally solving – problem-solving and using science to answer questions about the real world and engaging the students with hands-on activities and experiments that would lead them to

science answers.” (Interview)

Results: Impact on PracticeObservations of focus unit teaching

Evidence of attempts to enact unit as developedEvidence of struggles to work with inquiry frameworkEvidence of efforts to employ reform-based teaching strategies in non-focus units

Debriefing after observationsConversations in PLC meetings

Learning to take risks“This project has helped me develop as a teacher because I feel a bit stronger in the background knowledge of what I’m teaching & also I’m learning to take some risks with things that maybe I would never have taken before.” (Interview, Grade 3 teacher)

Impact on OthersStudents

Increases in reported and observed engagementStruggles with model-building and testing because of lack of continuityIncreased understanding through use of models within a unitSignificant decrease in writing-associated anxiety (POMs, standardized tests)

P: Before, when I gave the MEAP, almost all of my students would see a constructed response item, throw up their hands, say “I can’t do this” and just give up. When I gave the MEAP last week, not one of my students said they couldn’t do it. “

E: Yes, some only wrote a sentence or two, but they all tried. They thought they could do it.” (Comments at PLC7 mtg, 3/05)

Impact on Others (cont’d.)Project Staff

Use of instructional model from teacher preparation courses in projectUse of instructional model from project in teacher preparation coursesUse of focus units in project in teacher preparation coursesReassessment of our role with respect to project participantsStrategic reassessment of goals and processes

Teacher CandidatesProject as model for lifelong professional developmentAdditional support for lesson, unit development

District AdministratorsBuilding partnershipRequests for district-wide PDSupport for additional PI*CRUST PD time and materials

Challenges: District Side

External pressuresSchool-basedDistrict-based

Quarterly assessmentsFocus on numeracy, literacyTeacher displacements

University-basedDeveloping appreciation &support of long-term nature of such work

Understanding, comfort level with reform-based instructionContent knowledge

A few last words of advice…Developing common understandings w/district administrators up-frontBe prepared to be flexible, adaptable to needs and contextA focus on construction of content-specific, grade-specific professional knowledge is critical!Development of common understandings, language across staff & participants (professional knowledge within communities)