2nd Round of Grants Funded

Seven projects have been approved for the second round of grants. Each project was awarded $10,000. The participating universities and summaries are below:

*Abilene Christian University

Title: Advancement of the College and Career Readiness Statndards in Teacher Preparation Programs

PIs: Dr. Kim L. Pamplin, Dr. Michael Daugherity, Dr. Patricia Hernandez, Dr. Dana Hood, Dr. Rusty Towell

Contact info: Dr. Kim Pamplin, ACU Box 28132, Abilene, TX 79699-8132, pamplin@acu.edu

Phone: 325.674.2001; Fax: 325.674.6988

      Summary:     ACU proposes to redesign their pre-service secondary science teacher program, which would include students preparing for the various science TExES exams. The new program would include unification of science subject matter and methodology, the use of inquiry-based methods, and the alignment of CCRS and the secondary science program. In addition to this, they will expose pre-service teachers to classrooms of high-quality inquiry-based programs. The program will be evaluated by 1) ACU's Adams Center for Teaching and Learning, 2) the College of Arts and Sciences Academic Council, 3) the Teacher Education Academic Council, 4) the University Undergraduate Academic Council, 5) a group of practicing experienced science teachers from area schools, and 6) a group of pre-service science teachers. Topics addressed in this assessment will include the quality of research performed, the quality of the new course application, the quality of the new course syllabus, the quality of the proposed observation experiences, the quality of the proposed August Experience, and the quality of the student-teaching experience.

*University of Texas-San Antonio

Project Title: Linked in to CCRS Chemistry: Bridging High School and College Success in Science Teaching and Learning

PIs: Kimberly Bilica, Ed.D. and Lydia J. Martinez Rivera, Ph.D.

Contact info: Dr. Kimberly Bilica, Dept. of Interdisciplinary Learning and Teaching, College of Education and Human Development, University of Texas-San Antonio, One UTSA Blvd., San Antonio, TX 78249, Kimberly.bilica@utsa.edu and Jesse Hernandez, Grants and Contracts Coordinator, Jesse.hernandez@utsa.edu

Phone: 210.458.7438; Fax 210.458.7281

     Summary:   UTSA has two major goals for this project. One goal is to develop and produce CCRI-based vodcast modules on challenging chemistry concepts. The second goal is to disseminate the CCRI-based vodcast modules and associated research to Texas chemistry educators and educational researchers. The assessment plan for this project includes checklists, an expert panel review consisting of at least five chemistry teachers or instructors, and a data-driven mini-study of college chemistry student achievement.   

*Texas A&M University

Project Title: TAMU Biology College and Career Readiness Standards Symposium

PIs: Timothy P. Scott, Ph.D. and Omah M. Williams, M.Ed.

Contact info: Texas A&M University-College of Science, 3257 TAMU, Suite 517 Blocker, College Station, TX 77840-3257, tim@science.tamu.edu or owilliams@science.tamu.edu

Phone: Dr. Scott: 979.845.7362 or Ms. Williams 979.845.7362; Fax: 979.845.6077 

     Summary:     TAMU will conduct a symposium for up to 60 key public school personnel because of their use of the Science TEKS and our mission to facilitate integration and alignment of the BCCRS with school goals and curricula. The presence and participation of up to 40 higher education faculty, including faculty from community colleges and teacher preparation programs, deans, and TBEC will further support and provide perspectives in the implementation of the BCCRS for the purposes of career preparedness. For asssessment, attendees, upon their registration for the symposium will complete a Likert-scale based assessment on their knowledge about the CCRS. At the end of the symposium, participants will receive a Likert-scale evaluation, and then again several weeks after the completion of the symposium. Items examined will include CCRS knowledge, participant expectations, quality and ease of hands-on lessons, future plans for Biology CCRS implementation and alignment (where applicable), and overall quality of the TAMU BCCRS Symposium.

*Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi

Project Title: College and Career Readiness Standards (CCRS) Science Teaching Institute

PI: Dr. Cherie McCollough

Contact info: Dr. Cherie McCollough, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, 6300 Ocean Drive--Unit 5800, Corpus Christi, TX 78412-5800, cherie.mccollough@tamucc.edu

Phone: 361.825.3166; Fax: 361.825.2565

     Summary:    PI McCollough will teach students in Science Topics II, a pre-service capstone course for secondary science teachers (STME 4217) the theoretical framework surrounding the CCRS and introduce pre-service teachers to the standards. Students will create posters regarding parts of the standards and present them to in-service teachers during a College and Career Readiness Standard Institute at TAMUCC one Saturday in the Fall 2010 semester. This half-day workshop will include instruction and activities regarding the standards. The pre-service teachers will have the option to receive TEA credit for attending the workshop by paying the appropriate TEA fee and will receive a TEA certificate. Assessment by the in-service teachers will occur following the workshop and implementation of activities using Likert-scaled surveys. Assessment by pre-service teachers will involve SMTE 4270 students writing reflections concerning their experience. Additionally, a pre/post test concerning CCRS will be given to the pre-service and in-service teachers. Surveys will include how the attendance at the workshop changed perceptions regarding the CCRS, how the implementation of the CCRS activities changed perceptions of teaching science, and how the workshop experience altered science content knowledge.

*Texas State University (Dickinson)

Project Title: Addressing the Need for Teacher Comptence in Project-Based Instruction to Support College and Career Readiness Standards: A Comparison of Undergraduate and Post-baccalaureate Graduate Pre-service Training

PI: Dr. Gail Dickinson Co-PI: Dr. Emily Summers

Contact info: Dr. Gail Dickinson, dickinson@txstate.edu or Dr. Emily Summers, es33@txstate.edu

Phone: 512.245.2102; Fax: 512.245.1822 

     Summary:    This mixed methods longitudinal study consists of three phases. The first phase employs mixed methods approach to provide a historical backdrop for the case studies utilizing five years of undergraduate pre-service teacher data. The second phase employs a qualitiative descriptive case study of novice teachers and their students at a project-based high school. The third phase will add baseline data for pre-service mathematics and science teachers engaged in a graduate program targeting science and technology professionals who wish to change careers. Assessment for phase one will be completed by coding and re-analyzing systematically recorded pre-service teachers' observations of PBI classes and reflections about PBI. Phase two assessment is possible because administration gave permission of PI to interview students to determine what content they are learning, how deeply they are learning concepts, how they perceive science (and adjacent contents areas), as well as how they perceive PBI relative to other methods of instruction. In the third phase, university professors will mentor the graduate students and their cooperating teachers through the implementation of a PBI unit. The pre-service teachers will be observed teaching and interviewed regarding their attitudes towards PBI. Secondary student work products will be collected and analyzed for concept attainment.   

*Texas State University (Rudzinski)

Project Title: Integrating Technology (Tablet PCs with Ubiquitous Presenter and Vernier Probes) into POGIL (Process Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning) Activities Embedded in a Laboratory Development Course Designed for Pre-Service Chemistry Teachers to Support Science College and Career Readiness Standards (CCRS)

PI: Dr. Walter Rudzinski

Contact info: Dr. Walter Rudzinski, Wr01@txstate.edu

Phone: 512.245.2102; Fax: 512.245.1822

     Summary:    A chemical educator was hired to work with pre-service teachers seeking 8-12 Chemistry or Physical Science certification. The goal will be for pre-service chemistry teachers to think deeply about chemistry concepts and to adapt these resources for use in their classroom thereby enhancing laboratory instruction at the secondary level. The proposed project will test the efficacy of web-based technology (Ubiquitous Presenter), data acquisition systems (Vernier probes and sensors), and inquiry-based (POGIL) activities compared to traditional laboratories in which students follow a recipe style procedure to collect data using less reliable tools. Proposed methodology and learning strategy will follow the POGIL models by promoting active learning in CHEM 4295. The assignment of student group tasks designed to nurture collaboration in processes-skills development along with content knowledge will enhance and enrich students' conceptual understandings in chemistry. Following the POGIL model, learning groups will include student assigned roles: group leader-quality controller, technician, recorder, and presenter. The instructor will make sure students change tasks and group roles frequently, and do their work meticulously.   

* Prairie View A&M University

Project Title: College Readiness and REtention of Physics and Chemstry Knowledge at Prairie View A&M University

PIs: Dr. Orion Ciftja and Dr. Tamiko Porter

Contact info: Dr. Orion Ciftja, Dept. of Physics, Prairie View A&M University, Prairie View, TX 77446, ogciftja@pvamu.edu

Phone: 936.261.3137; Fax: 936.261.3149

     Summary:    Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU) will work to finalize refined college readiness Physics and Chemistry assessment tests. Tests will then be administered to undergraduate students taking Physics and Chemistry  classes. Then data will be analyzed to see the college readiness level of freshman students in Physics and Chemistry, as well as the level of retention of knowledge in Physics and Chemistry by non-freshman undergraduate students. The PI and Co-PI will implement and evaluate the tests, finalizing tests to be administered in the fall of 2010. The qualitative and quantitative data will be analyzed and categorized to clearly identify trends in the retention of Physics and Chemistry knowledge at Prairie View A&M University.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

 

 

 

 

 

 

July Workshop a success!

Dr. Cherie McCollough conducted a CCRI workshop entitled "How People Learn: Teaching for Understanding and Retention of Knowledge," sponsored by Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi and the Career and College Readiness Faculty Collaborative Initiative for Science. Fourteen participants came to the Omni Marina Hotel in Corpus Christi, TX, July 9, 2010 to work on using the Understanding by Design (UbD) framework to existing lesson plans. College and Career Readiness Standards were emphasized in teaching what students need to prepare themselves and others for the future. All participants received copies of Understanding by Design (2005) by Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe and How Students Learn: Science in the Classroom (2005) edited by M. Suzanne Donovan and John D. Bransford.

 After working individually and together throughout the day learning the process of the UbD framework and beginning a classroom action research plan, participants shared with the group the plans hey had enhanced and how they intended to actively research the effectiveness of the lesson plan restructuring in their fal semester classes.

 

 

Ron Rohac slide

Click on the title to view the side "Science and ELLs:Questions from the Field," an information slide used in the February Symposium in San Antonio.

 

Symposium II Poster Session Write-ups and Abstracts

The following pictures below link to the write-ups and abstracts to what 9 different universities are doing to promote College and Career Readiness Standards. Please look to gain ideas for your college or university.

  Prairie View A&M                    Sam Houston State

 

Texas A&M College Station       Texas A&M-Corpus Christi

 

 

Texas State-San Marcos                          Texas Women's University

 

 

Mary Hardin-Baylor             Univ. North Texas

 

 

UT at Tyler

 

 

 

CollegeEd Creating a College-Going Culture Guide

Click on the link below to bring up the PDF file.

www.collegeboard.com/.../collegeed/collegeEd-create-college-going-culture.pdf

 

Preparing High School Students for College Science Classes by Ann Haley MacKenzie, editor of The American Biology Teacher. This came out in The American Biology Teacher, volume 71, issue 1, pages 6-7, December 2009.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CCRIFC Mathematics and Science Summit

September 23, 2010

Omni San Antonio Hotel at the Colonnade

Relevant Perspectives in Geographic & Scientific Literacy

November 05, 2010

Grapevine TX - Gaylord Texas Resort and Convention Center

Relevant Perspectives in Geographic & Scientific Literacy

The College & Career Readiness Initiative: Science and Social Studies Collaboratives are pleased to sponsor an upcoming symposium to address ways to create authentic learning and experiences for educators in Scienc and Social Studies. This symposium will focus on geopolitical and environmental issues.

Where: Grapevine, TX - Gaylord Texan Resort and Convention Center     When:   Friday, November 5th: noon to 8pm; Saturday, 6th: 8am-1pm

 Speakers:

Harm de Blij, Ph.D. is an author, professor, and television personality who for seven years was the Geography Editor on ABC's "Good Morning America." He also joined NBC News as Geography Analyst, appearing mostly on MSNBC. He was the writer and commentator for the original PBS Series "The Power of Place." He specializes in geopolitical and environmental issues.

Jean Johnson is Executive Vice President of Public Agenda, and a co-author of "Who Turned Out the Lights: Your Guided tour to the Energy Crisis." She has more than 20 years experience in public opinion and public policy. Her work has focused on issues ranging from education and energy to the federal budget and foreign policy.

Additional presentations TBD

Each university is invited to send a maximum of 3 participants from any of the following disciplines: Science, Social Studies, or Teacher Education.

Registration www.dfwnovember2010.eventbrite.com

Questions? Margaret Bolick margaret.bolick@tamucc.edu or Joann Blagg jblagg@uta.edu

Additional Information: www.grapevinetexas.gov or www.gaylordhotels.com/gaylord-texan

Note: Expenses are paid for by the College and Career Readiness Initiative: Science and Social Studies Collaboratives and will be arranged by: Jennifer Gage jgage@uta.edu

**Lodging for the night of November 5, 2010 will be provided. Additional nights may be secured at the same rate at the expense of the participants.**

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