Woods 1 03 08

							NSSP
  North Shore Science Partnership
Who We Are…
   The North Shore Science Partnership (NSSP), a collaboration
    between the Revere, Somerville, and Saugus Public Schools,
    and Northeastern University


   New MSP program funded by the Massachusetts Department
    of Education

   Offer middle and high school science and math teachers an
    intensive course of study leading to the completion of 9 out of
    10 of the courses required in Northeastern University's
    Masters of Education in Middle School Science program
The Partners
                            Dr. Christos Zahopoulos
                                Program Director
                             Northeastern University




                                                         Dr. Vincent McKay
     Dr. Dave Lyons             Frank Woods
                                                         Asst. Superintendent
Curriculum Director, K-12      Science Specialist
                                                              of Schools
 Revere Public Schools       Saugus Public Schools
                                                       Somerville Public Schools
The NSSP Program
   Offers middle and high school science and math teachers an
    intensive course of study, consisting of 11 Professional
    Development graduate level courses

   Courses are connected to the curriculum the teachers use and
    are aligned with the Massachusetts Curriculum Standards

   Originally co-developed for the Boston Science Partnership,
    an NSF-funded MSP Project by:
          University STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math)
           faculty member

          Middle School Science Lead Teacher

          High School Science Lead Teacher
The NSSP Program
   Courses aspire to teach high level content, while modeling
    research-based effective pedagogy

   Co-instructors are offered three full days yearly of
    professional development on a number of pedagogical topics,
    i.e., assessment, and differentiated instruction

   Each course is 60 hours long and it is offered either during the
    academic year, on weekdays and Saturdays, or during the
    summer, two week-long sessions

   $600.00 Stipend to participants
          3 NU graduate credits / $600.00
          3 UMass Boston graduate credits / $295.00
The NSSP Program
   The courses are open to all in-service and pre-service middle
    and high school teachers of science and math in public and
    private schools in Massachusetts

   Taught in conjunction with the Boston Science Partnership, an
    NSF-funded MSP Project

   Courses have been institutionalized and are offered at both the
    Northeastern University campus and the University of
    Massachusetts Boston Campus

   Teachers have the option of taking individual courses as
    needed, or use the credits towards a graduate degree
NSSP Courses
   Biology I Cell Biology and Genetics – A Human Approach
    This course offers an in-depth exploration of the biological principles,
    content knowledge, and pedagogical strategies needed for teaching cell
    and molecular biology and genetics at the middle and high school levels.
    Topics will include structure-function relationships of cells, cell
    membranes, and biological macromolecules; enzymes; cell reproduction;
    human genetics; and the transfer of genetic information in cells. The
    course takes a human biology approach to these areas, using activities and
    examples drawn from the human body. Content is aligned with the
    Massachusetts Curriculum Science and Technology/Engineering
    Framework and National Science Education Standards. The course
    consists of explanation of concepts, laboratory activities, problem-solving
    exercises, classroom discussion, readings, and other assignments.
    Emphasis is placed on gaining a rich understanding of biological
    concepts, while modeling the use of hands-on, inquiry-based teaching
    strategies.
NSSP Courses
   Biology II         Ecology, Evolution, and the Diversity of Life

   Chemistry I        The Particulate Nature of Matter
   Chemistry II       The Energetics of Chemical Change

   Chemistry III      Structure and Function (Organic & Bio-organic Chem)

   Earth Science I    Earth Systems
   Earth Science II   The Solid Earth

   Physics I          Forces, Energy, and Motion

   Physics II         Waves and Electromagnetism

   Engineering I      From Science to Engineering: Pre-Engineering
                       Design Experience
Why NSSP
   High Level Graduate Science Course Content

   Pedagogical Approaches Learned by Participants*
          Inquiry approach

          Learning Cycle i.e. 7 E’s (Excite, Explore, Explain, Expand, Examine,
           Extend, Exchange)

          Student-centered approach

          Grouping strategies

          Strategies to engage students more

          Technology

                           * Data Take from Participant's Exit Polls
  Why NSSP

Standard logic model for professional development programs


 PD and       Teacher        Highly         Better       Improved
 Support     Knowledge      Qualified     Classroom       Student
Activities   and Skills     Teachers      Instruction   Achievement
Anticipated influence on Teaching
   Instructional Methods

          More use of student-centered and/or inquiry-based methods

          Provide more peer-learning opportunities

          More use of activities to engage students

          Use of new strategies to structure lessons

   Activities

          Use activities from the courses

          More hands-on/student-centered activities

          More real-life applications
Anticipated influence on Teaching
   Science Learning Goals
          Emphasize student understanding of the concepts (vs. memorization)

          Focus on problem-solving skills

          Higher expectations

   Assessment
          Use more informal and formative assessments

          Use multiple assessments

          Use lab notebook
Why NSSP
           Participation In North
           Shore Science Partnership
           (NSSP)




           Excellent science teachers
                  AND…
           Excellent student
           achievement in science
The Facts
   NSSP is in its second year

   The program has been extremely well received and attended
    by teachers from the partner districts, as well as faculty from
    other school districts
          62 of 180 participants have come from the partner districts

          12 out of 16 members of Saugus Middle School and High School have
           participated in NSSP courses to date

          “Forces, Energy and Motion” (Physics I) Spring 2007
               - 50 Applicants / 25 slots
               - Course Ran with 44 Participants
               - 6 Co-instructors
Evaluation Criteria
   Program evaluators have been out to the various school
    districts to make post-course observations

   Evaluations are being made with the following research
    questions in mind:
      1.   How will the NSSP change participant teachers “Current Knowledge of
           Science” (TKS) and “Classroom Practice” in Science (TPS) in Middle
           School classrooms?

      2.   How does the NSSP participant’s change in Teacher Knowledge (TKS)
           and Teacher’s Classroom Practices (TPS) impact their student’s
           learning?
The Numbers
   Pre-post-test results show that the courses are having a
    significant impact on the content knowledge of the teachers:
           Course             Average Improvement (TKS)
          Biology I                  + 24%
          Biology II                 + 17%
          Chemistry I                + 25%
          Chemistry II               + 22%
          Chemistry III              + 35%
          Engineering I              + 34%
          Physics I                  + 22%
          Physics II                 + 9%
Post Course Impacts on Teachers
   Classroom observations with short follow-up interviews by
    evaluators during the school year indicate classroom changes
    that can be attributed to the partnership courses include:
          Given support for the implementation of the mandated curriculum;
           increased understanding of curriculum
          More able to support student learning due to fuller understanding of
           overarching scientific concepts
          Better understanding of how students learn scientific concepts, and
           common student misconceptions
          Better ability to answer students’ questions
Post Course Impacts on Teachers
      Decrease in teacher preparation time

      Clarification of own misconceptions

      Improved ability to make connections between activities
       and content

      Greater ability to meet needs of wider range of students

      Felt more secure as a teacher; had back-up resources
Future Plans
   A math component will be added as a required course for the
    Masters degree at NU
         Courses designed to meet individual students based on their needs
         Increased math emphasis in middle school science curriculum

   Re-emphasize and rewrite some course syllabi to improve
    consistency throughout the program
         Pedagogy
         Evidence of student learning, i.e., lesson plan work, portfolios, gather
          student data
Future Plans
   Pre-course meetings to be held by the project evaluator to:
          educate participants as to the types of evidence (video, portfolio review,
           collecting student work) that document changes in classroom practices,
           and their impact on student’s learning

   Require collection of samples of student work to be used (3
    or 4 pieces per teacher) for each course taken

   Post-course required professional development (5 hours)
    could include
          evidentiary support of inquiry based teaching

          sharing of student work demonstrating inquiry learning
Disclaimer
The instructional practices and
assessments discussed or shown in
these presentations are not intended
as an endorsement by the U.S.
Department of Education".