COLLABORATIVES STRIKETHE MATCH

INTERACTING WITH DATA AND EACH OTHER TO PREPARE

TEACHERS

Pearl Solomon: psolomon@stac.edu, Robert Searson rsearson@stac.edu,

Gerardo Iturrino: iturrino@ldeo.columbia.edu , David Fried dfried@ercsd.k-12.ny.us

THE COLLABORATIVE PARTNERS

D A V ID F R IE DA S S IS T A N T S U P E R IN T E N D E N T

E A S T R A M A P O S C H O O LSN E W Y O R K

S H E L D O N S IL V E R A ND W IL L IA M S C H M A LZP R IN C IP A LS

P A R K R ID G E S C H O O LSN E W JE R S E Y

G E R A R D O IT U R R IN OL A M O N T -D O H E R T Y E A R T H O B S E R V A T O R Y

C O L U M B IA U N IV E R S ITYL D E O

JA C K C H IR IK J IA NG E O R G E T O W N U N IV E R S IT Y -E D V O T E K

P E A R L S O L O M O N A N D R O B E R T S E A R S O NP R O F E S S O R S O F E D U C A T IO N

S T . T H O M A S A Q U IN A S C O L L E G ES T A C

MAJOR PROJECTS AND FINDINGS

FROM PRESERVICE UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS TO GRADUATE STUDENTS AND

IN-SERVICE TEACHERS

The RENEW Model

R Recruit the best teachersE Educate them N Nurture them as they begin to practiceE Educate them again as the need for change developsW Watch them and learn

EARTH SYSTEMS FOR UNDERGRADUATES

EARTH SYSTEMS COURSE FOR UNDERGRADUATES TAUGHT BY ST. THOMAS AQUINAS (STAC) FACULTY AND LAMONT-DOHERTY

SCIENTISTS

PURPOSES AND ACTION COMPONENTS SHARED RESEARCH DATA SHARED INSTRUCTIONAL DATA–BASED ACTIVITIES WITH

CONCURRENT COLUMBIA COURSE SMALL GROUP MEETINGS WITH TEACHING CANDIDATES

FINDINGS: STUDENT INTEREST IN LEARNING SCIENCE OR SCIENCE AS A LIFE

ENDEAVOR IS WEAK STUDENT ATTITUDES SEEM UNRELATED TO SCHOOLS ATTENDED

OR PREVIOUS LEVELS OF SUCCESS AS STUDENTS STUDENTS SEEM UNINTERESTED IN LEARNING SCIENCE AS

INQUIRY

STUDENT ATTITUDES TOWARD LEARNING SCIENCE

Item COLUMBIA STAC

Taking science classes 1.9 1.9 Learning new science ideas 1.2 1.5 Working in science labs 2.4 1.8 Talking about science with classmates 2.2 2 Pursuing a career related to science 2.9 2.7 Taking more science classes 2.5 2.4 Reading articles or books about science 1.8 2.1 Looking at scientific data 2.4 2.1 Sharing my own science observations with others 2.2 2.1

LOOKING AT STUDENT DATAATTITUDES ABOUT LEARNING SCIENCE

1 2 3 4 5 6 78 9

COLUMBIA

STAC

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

ITEM

DEPTH OF INTEREST

COLUMBIA and STAC STUDENT ATTITUDES

COLUMBIA

STAC

EARTH2CLASS

LDEO-COLUMBIA AND STAC PROGRAM FOR INSERVICE TEACHERS

PURPOSES: Train selected cohorts of teachers from the New York metropolitan area and elsewhere to:

enhance content knowledge in the Earth Sciences

develop skills to incorporate improved electronic and hands-on investigations

increase student achievement on elementary, middle,and high school mandated assessment tests

EARTH2CLASS

Action Components Develop and revise www.earth2class.org web resources and curricular materials to serve as a more effective basis for teacher-scientist interactions. Train and support research scientists to develop additional instructional materials (print and electronic) correlated to state and national science education standards. Select and train approximately thirty-five participating teachers from New York City and other districts in Westchester and Rockland Counties in NY as well as Bergen, Essex, and Hudson Counties in NJ. Create two follow-up programs for curricular development based on E2C workshops. Design and carry out formative evaluation plans. Expanded dissemination of curricular materials through professional conferences, DLESE, and other venues.

EARTH2CLASS

2003 - 2004 Earth2Class Program

Sept 20, ‘03 Gerard Bond & Rusty Lotti: “Studying Climate Change Using the LDEO Deep Sea Sample Repository” Oct. 4, ‘03 LDEO Open House Oct. 25, ‘03 Arthur Lerner-Lam: “Living with Earthquakes” Nov. 15, ‘03 Martin Visbeck: "What Can Ocean Temperatures Tell Us about Climate in the Southern Hemisphere?" & Michael Studinger: "Uncovering the Secrets of Lake Vostok" Dec. 13, ‘03 Nicole Davi: “Learning from Tree Rings” Jan. 24, ‘04 Gerardo Iturrino: “Structure and composition of the oceanic crust ”Feb. 14, ‘04 Dorothy Peteet: “Marsh Archives of the Hudson Estuary” Mar. 20, ‘04 Christopher Small: “Exploring the Southern Oceans with Ships and Satellites” & Gregory Mountain: “Beneath the Ocean Floor: What Do We Know and How Do We Know It?” Apr. 17, ‘04 Dallas Abbott: “Historical Impact Craters” & Dee Breger: “Exploring the Microworld”

May 8, ‘04 Jeffrey Weissel: “Using Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) to Map

Natural Hazards and Disasters.”

I will definitely use the power point, the Hudson river links and the Stevens institution lesson of water resources

I would like to see a quick time movie of a few minutes of the guest scientist sharing what they do and what they love about their work.

It would be great to share with students to inspire them and show them that scientists are real people

Resources: I loved the Stevens Institution curriculum!!!!!

Interaction: Dr. Peteet was enthusiastic and knowledgeable about her topic. She would make a great role model for students.

Please get a movie link to her talking about what she loves to study.

Teacher Participant Comments

EARTH2CLASS Teacher Participant Comments

Workshops are organized and well plannedPresenters are good and content knowledgeableStudent learning activities that included physical oceanographic information were newly discovered Level of materials presented was difficult, but discussion session made it understandable. Teacher’s guide and activities would be used with their studentsWorkshops would be recommended to other teachers.

EARTH2CLASS Teacher Participant Comments

I plan on teaching by using many aspects of the Hudson river and link to earth2class for this marsh presentation. This topic is great for showing effects that people have had on the environment (deforestation, marsh reduction, climate change). I think it would fall under standard 7.

Interdisciplinary problem solving - key idea: consider environmental and social implications of various solutions to an environmental earth resource problem.

I was amazed to see how much of the marsh environment has been destroyed by development. The map of the historical location of marshes was most useful. It is difficult to select an item that is least useful.

PROJECT STEF

PROJECT STEF (SCIENCE TEACHERS ENSURE THE FUTURE)

Action Components:ENCOURAGING TEACHERS TO BE ROLE MODELS FOR FUTURE TEACHERS

SUMMER INSTITUTE PLANNING MEETINGS JOINT CONFERENCE: NAGT AND NEW YORK STATE

SCIENCE CONGRESS

PROJECT ERAP

EAST RAMAPO ASSESSMENT PROJECTPurposes To improve the student achievement in

mathematics, K-8, in the East Ramapo schools To reorganize curriculum and make it more

specific To prepare and administer curriculum-

matched proximal assessments. To help teachers use the results of these tests

to diagnose and respond to student needs.

Action components:In order to achieve a useful match between the curriculum, instruction

and assessments:2001

Specific designed-down Grade Level Objectives, organized by Key Ideas, were created from more general State curriculum documents.

2002 These were then organized for each grade into curriculum maps (units with

timeframes and specific objectives).

2002-2004

For each unit, the essential performance objectives were sequenced into test specifications for each assessment.

Groups of teachers wrote assessments. Each test item was matched to a specific content-based expectation.

2002-2004 Each assessment includes a group performance

component, as well as an assortment of questions that require different levels of cognitive demand.

The group performance and individual assessment contain extended response items are graded with carefully constructed rubrics. 

The tests were constructed by 44 grade-level teachers working in pairs.

Editing: 1. Math coordinators and consultant, Pearl

Solomon2. Dr. Solomon and Assistant Superintendent

David Fried

Dissemination and Evaluation:

Each test is disseminated electronically as a draft to grade level teachers, who are asked for revisions and feedback.

Following administration the results are recorded, analyzed and shared.  

PRODUCTS AND FINDINGS

By the end of April, 2004 we will have completed approximately 75 of these in grades K-8. Test construction and analyses has revealed specific deficiencies that are being addressed.Two of the district’s elementary schools were on the list of most improved schools in the state. Only four elementary schools in the county were on the list for math.

 

4=Exceeding standards 3=Meeting standards 2= Just below standards 1= Far below standards

East Ramapo Test ResultsNew York State Math Tests

 Percent of Students Performing at Each Level

  Level 2001 2002 2003

Grade4

3/4 57% 55% 67%

2 28% 33% 24%

1 14% 12% 9%

Grade8

3/4 32% 34% 37%

2 34% 40% 39%

1 34% 26% 25%

East Ramapo Test ResultsDistrictwide Standardized Math Test (TerraNova)

Median National Percentile

Grade 2001 2002 2003

3 53.3 59.7 67.3

5 50.0 54.6 55.1

6 52.4 55.1 59.3

7 50.6 53.9 49.9

PARK RIDGE

Purposes: To improve student achievement in

mathematics To provide professional development

opportunities for teachers that: Improve their own math knowledge Concentrate on teaching math with understanding Call attention to the expectations of the curriculum

PARK RIDGE

Action Components Analyses of state test results Identification of specific needs such as problem

solving and explanations of concepts Curriculum revision Demonstration lessons

Products and Findings

Curriculum is reorganized into teacher-friendly unitsCurriculum includes designed down embedded concepts and skills needed to achieve expectationsTime is allocated to cover all needed topicsTeachers respond to demonstration lessons by incorporating observed strategies

State Disaggregated Data vs. Park Ridge

Partially Proficient

Proficient Adv. Proficient

Statewide 32% 42.8% 25.2%

White Students

21.4% 47.1% 31.5%

Park Ridge 11.8% 48.2% 40%

Source: NJ Assessment of Skills and Knowledge – Cycle 1- Preliminary Reports

Comparing Statewide and Park Ridge Distributions

Total Points and Just-proficient Scores

Number Sense

Numerical Operations

Geometry and Measurement

Patterns/

Algebra

Total possible. points.

13.0 10.0 9.0

Statewide

Average7.7 4.5 4.8

Park Ridge

Average9.9 6.2 6.6

Comparing Statewide and Park Ridge Distributions

Total Points and Just-proficient Scores

Data / Probability/ Discreet Math

Problem Solving

Knowledge

Total possible points

10.0 20.0 42.0

Statewide

Average5.0 5.0 22.0

Park Ridge

Average7.4 7.4 30.0

Source: NJ Assessment of Skills and Knowledge – Cycle 1- Preliminary Reports

Score Range Comparison – NJASK – Grade 4 East Brook

Score Range 2001-2002 2002-2003

240-249 3% 10%

230-239 15% 10%

220-229 11% 5%

200-219 11% 18%

Source: NJ Assessment of Skills and Knowledge – Cycle 1- Preliminary Reports

Score Range Comparison – NJASK – Grade 4 West Ridge

Score Range 2001-2002 2002-2003

240-249 17% 22%

230-239 11% 31%

220-229 22% 14%

200-219 44% 33%

Source: NJ Assessment of Skills and Knowledge – Cycle 1- Preliminary Reports

Staff Development Demonstration Lessons

“University-based professional development schools (PDS) may be a remedy. University-based professional development schools are inching closer to a better or more equitable outcome for schools involved in well conceived partnerships. McConnell, Bruneau, Barbour & Ambrose (1991) define the professional development school in its broadest interactive sense as one “in which classroom teachers and university faculty work collaboratively to better understand teaching and learning.”

Source: “Project Smart”

Staff Development Demo Lesson Advantages

•Long Term, sustained professional development

•Conceptual v. Skills based approach

•Teacher Friendly

•Teacher ownership of the process of change

•Teachers become an integral part of the process

•Supported administrative assistance

•Conducted in a real classroom setting

•Training and curriculum Standards based

•Expose teachers to training conducted by experts

Curriculum Development Process

Review the State Standards

Define that to be taught at each grade level

Develop the indicators to address Standards at each level

Uncover the “embedded concepts”

Develop classroom activities to support the indicators

Develop the assessment

Provide increased Manipulative materials

On-going training