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Eric.ed.gov – Pathways to STEM Initiative (PSI): Evaluation Report for an Investing in Innovation (I3) Development Grant

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of the Pathways to STEM Initiative (PSI) on students and science teachers and to describe the level of PSI implementation. One group of middle schools participated in PSI, which included project-based science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) coursework; extra-curricular STEM opportunities for students; and teacher professional development. A multivariate matching algorithm was used to identify a comparison group of schools that received the participating district’s standard science curriculum. The students in the study schools were 62% Hispanic/Latino, 17% Black/African American, and 12% White. Additionally, 23% of the students were English language learners. The study compared students’ science achievement and teachers’ beliefs about science and attitudes toward STEM across the treatment and comparison schools and assessed the fidelity… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – Employer-Sponsored Teacher Internships in Science and Math: A Part of Education Reform Strategy.

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: In 1981, an estimated 25% of the nation’s secondary school teachers had summer jobs outside education. This report on the current status and future directions of employer-sponsored teacher internship programs has an underlying theme: that such programs can make a serious contribution to the career and professional development needs of teachers and to the quality of instruction. Chapter 1 considers how employer-sponsored teacher internships are connected to educational reform. The second chapter discusses the purposes of teacher internships. Eleven pioneer teacher internship programs are briefly described in chapter 3. Many of these programs focus on improving mathematics and science instruction; many also place a strong emphasis on communication skills. All rely heavily on the leadership and motivation of employers to improve scientific and mathematical understanding and competence.… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – From the Classroom to Washington: Einsteins on Education Reform

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: The Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars was delighted to host a group of current and former Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellows as they celebrated the 20th anniversary of the fellowship program. Outstanding math and science teachers in America’s K-12 schools, the Einstein Fellows spend a year (or sometimes two) working on Capitol Hill or in the science related offices of several federal agencies. The 1990 cohort of Einstein Fellows was part of a growing national concern about the performance of Americas K-12 schools and the lagging performance of American students in mathematics and science. Now, 20 years later they continue to be a part of a growing federal role in seeking excellence and equal opportunity in the nation’s schools. The road to effective education reform has… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – 2012 Tennessee Education Lottery Scholarship Special Report: An Examination of Grant and Loan Forgiveness Programs for Special Populations

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: Comprising eleven financial aid programs, the Tennessee Education Lottery Scholarship (TELS) provided financial aid to 101,569 students at a cost of $297,589,674 in 2010-11 (Tennessee Student Assistance Corporation [TSAC], 2011). The four largest programs (the HOPE scholarship program, the General Assembly Merit Scholarship program [GAMS], the ASPIRE award, and the Tennessee HOPE ACCESS Grant), which are referred to colloquially as the Hope Scholarship program, account for 70 percent of the students and 91 percent of TELS expenditures. There is a growing body of research focusing on these four programs, including an annual fact book published by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC). However, research on the smaller TELS programs remains scant. This report provides a descriptive overview of five of the smaller TELS programs, including: the Dual… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – Problems in Math and Science Education. Research in Brief.

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: A conference sponsored by the National Institute of Education (NIE) examined some of the issues associated with the shortage of science and mathematics teachers. This report discusses problems related to the shortage and reviews strategies that have been undertaken to alleviate the shortage. Solutions are proposed and priorities are identified. These include: (1) curriculum improvement directed to make instruction more meaningful for the average student; (2) increased research on classroom learning and instruction; and (3) recruitment and retention of more competent teachers in the areas of science and mathematics. (ML) Link til kilde

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Eric.ed.gov – Math and Science Teacher Shortages: Dilemmas Old and New.

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: This presentation describes the problem of teacher shortages in mathematics and science, providing a brief overview and some background for subsequent discussions of possible activities, solutions, and strategies. Five views that shape the problem definition are first given: (1) individual teachers do make a difference; (2) to be effective, teachers must be masters of what they teach, and must find their subjects intensely intriguing; (3) solving the teacher shortage should be focused at all levels; (4) the problem is one of both quantity and quality; and (5) this is not a new problem. Then two reasons for the teacher shortages are discussed: the severe reduction in the number of newly trained persons entering teaching, and the large exodus of those in teaching. The decline in quality and… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – Recruiting, Preparing, and Retaining High Quality Secondary Mathematics and Science Teachers for Urban Schools: The Cal Teach Experimental Program

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: Recruiting, preparing, and retaining high quality secondary mathematics and science teachers are three of the most critical problems in the nation’s urban schools that serve a vast majority of children from socially and economically disadvantaged backgrounds. Although the factors contributing to these problems are complex, one area that has caught the attention of leaders of the teacher education community centers are the alternative pathways (or routes) through which teachers are trained and allowed into the profession. Many of these alternative pathways, teacher educators argue, aim to move teachers into teaching on a fast track and thereby short-change the necessary training that candidates need to have to become adequately prepared as classroom teachers. This article looks at the arguments on both sides: proponents and critics of traditional and… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – The Effects of Teacher Professional Development on Gains in Student Achievement: How Meta Analysis Provides Scientific Evidence Useful to Education Leaders

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: The Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) was awarded a grant from the National Science Foundation to conduct a meta analysis study with the goal of providing state and local education leaders with scientifically-based evidence regarding the effects of teacher professional development on improving student learning. The analysis focused on completed studies of effects of professional development for K-12 teachers of science and mathematics. The meta analysis results show important cross-study evidence that teacher professional development in mathematics does have significant positive effects on student achievement. The analysis results also confirm the positive relationship to student outcomes of key characteristics of design of professional development programs. The following are appended: (1) Meta Analysis Coding Form Excerpt: Scaffolded Guide for Determining Inclusion of a Document; (2) Effects… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – West Virginia University’s Health Sciences and Technology Academy

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: This article describes the Health Sciences and Technology Academy, an outreach and engagement program by West Virginia University to encourage higher education faculty members and administrators, public school teachers, and community leaders to assume the responsibility of mentoring high school students. The primary goal is to increase the college going rate among underrepresented students in West Virginia. Additional goals are to improve science and math skill acquisition, to empower communities through leadership development of their youth, and to increase the number of health care providers as well as the number of math and science educators in West Virginia’s currently underserved communities. Link til kilde

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Eric.ed.gov – America’s Answer

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: The U.S. arm of technology giant Siemens Corp. recently reported it has 3,000 jobs open because of the dearth of skilled workers. More than half of those open jobs require science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) skills. A recent study by ManpowerGroup found that a record 52 percent of U.S. employers have difficulty filling critical positions within their companies–up from 14 percent in 2010. Many of these jobs require a strong background in STEM, but American colleges are producing fewer math and science graduates. This has led to a skills mismatch in our country. The bottom line is that STEM workers are more likely to be employed and more likely to earn better pay. The unemployment rate for workers who only have a high school degree is… Continue Reading