This project is conducting a longitudinal study of the effects of an innovative pre-service elementary science education program at Western Washington University which was established with support from an NSF MSP grant.

There are four overlapping studies on the pre-service teachers (PSTs) and in-service teachers who are graduates of the program: (1) Comparing the pedagogical beliefs and skills of elementary PSTs as a function of the number (0-3) of reformed science content courses taken; (2) Comparing the same outcome variables for PSTs placed for student teaching with trained or untrained mentor teachers; (3) Comparing the impact of the science methods/practicum on PSTs who experienced the WWU reformed courses and those who did not; (4) An exploratory case study of the instructional practices of 20 novice elementary science teachers. The research utilizes the following existing instruments. (1) CLASS, the Colorado Learning Attitudes on Science Survey, (2) the Horizon Classroom Observation Protocol, (3) the Washington Educator Skills Test-Endorsement, and (4) the Washington State Science Assessment for 5th graders in addition to some instruments developed by the project. Studies 1-3 will each have 45 treatment and 45 control participants. Evaluation is by Horizon Research Inc. It focuses on project progress and effectiveness, which is appropriate for a research project. Its participation will also facilitate the use of the Horizon Classroom Observation Protocol.

The new undergraduate program at WWU has implemented and institutionalized many of the recommendations for best practices in preparing elementary school teachers in science. This project is seeking to analyze the impact of three essential dimensions of teacher preparation: inquiry-based science content courses, science methods/practicum courses, and student teaching.

Morehouse College proposes a research and development project to recruit high school African American males to begin preparation for secondary school science, technology, engineering and mathematics(STEM) teaching as a career. The major goal of the program is to recruit and prepare students for careers in secondary mathematics and science teaching thus increasing the number of African Americans students in STEM. The research will explore possible reasons why the program is or is not successful for recruiting and retaining students in STEM Teacher Education programs including: (a) How do students who remain in STEM education differ from those who leave and how do these individual factors (e.g. student preparation, self efficacies, course work outcomes, attitudes toward STEM/STEM education, connectivity to STEM/STEM education communities, learning styles, etc) enhance or inhibit interest in STEM teaching among African American males? (b) What organizational and programmatic factors (e.g. high school summer program, Saturday Academy, pre-freshman program, summer research experience, courses, enhanced mentoring, cyber-infrastructure, college admissions guidance, leadership training, instructional laboratory, program management, faculty/staff engagement and availability, Atlanta Public Schools and Morehouse College articulation and partnership) affect (enhance or inhibit) interest in STEM teaching among African American males?

Two cohorts of 40 students will spend six weeks in an intensive summer program with a follow-up Saturday Academy during their senior year before formally beginning their academic careers at Morehouse College. The program will integrate STEM education with teacher preparation and mentoring in order to develop secondary teachers who have mastery in both a STEM discipline as well as educational theory.

This pre-service program for future teachers will recruit 80 promising eleventh grade African American male students from the Atlanta Public School District to participate in a four-year program that will track them into the Teacher Preparation program at Morehouse College. The research will focus on the utility and efficacy of early recruitment of African American male students to STEM teaching careers as a mechanism to increase the number of African American males in STEM teaching careers.

The project is studying the impact of the mathematics and science intensive pre-service preparation program for elementary school teachers at North Carolina State University called the Accomplished Elementary Teachers of Mathematics and Science (ATOMS). Faculty in NCSU's Department of Elementary Education, researchers at the Duke University Sanford School of Public Policy's Education Research Data Center and the NC State College Professional Education Office are involved in conducting this project.

The project includes assessments of pre-service teachers' math and science content, teacher performance, self-report surveys, and teacher interviews. Researchers are also tracking participants' perspectives on the program and comparing knowledge dimensions and teaching performance of a sub-sample of ATOMS teachers to a similar group of non-ATOMS teachers. Each of the study dimensions (Knowledge Dimension, Teaching Performance, and Perspectives on the Program) will be assessed at three time points across this longitudinal study, providing a model for elementary teacher development of STEM teaching.

The study has potential to advance current understanding regarding teacher preparation, especially in terms of supporting elementary teachers' instruction in science and math. The project is also innovative and potentially transformative by asking interesting and pertinent questions of how teachers can affect the learning of their students. Besides generating new knowledge, this project also has the potential to impact STEM education research. The ATOMS pre-service teacher preparation program may serve as a model for effective pre-service teacher education across the nation if the researchers can clearly demonstrate the effect of participating in the program in changing teachers' knowledge, attitudes, and skills, as well as their students' achievement. Investigators propose the dissemination of findings to both K-12 audiences and institutions of higher education. Additionally, key findings will be bulleted for policy makers in brief reports or brochures sent to deans of Colleges of Education nationwide, highlighting recommendations based on the findings.

The Science and Mathematics Simulated Interaction Model (SIM) will design and clinically test simulations for mathematics and science teachers. The main hypothesis is that mathematics and science simulations will identify strengths and misconceptions in teachers' understanding of content and pedagogy, increase teachers¡ instructional capacity, and advance student achievement. The SIM will be designed for both preservice (in training) and induction-stage (early career) mathematics and science teachers. The eight different SIM simulations will focus on common problems of practice, challenges, dilemmas, issues that mathematics and science teachers encounter at the secondary level (grades 9-12). The Syracuse University School of Education and SUNY Upstate Medical University's Clinical Skills Center have partnered together in past simulation design and research endeavors. Through their SIM partnership, these organizations now focus on the first exploration of content-specific simulations. When designed and clinically tested, the researchers expect the SIM to serve as an innovative teacher development tool that helps novice mathematics and science teachers effectively transition from preservice preparation to classroom practice.

The heart of the SIM is a series of live, one-to-one interactions between novice mathematics and science teachers and standardized individuals (SIs). Similar to medical education's use of standardized patients, the SIM's standardized individuals are local actors who are carefully trained and scripted to present to novice teachers distinct mathematics or science problems, questions, or dilemmas. For example, how do novice mathematics teachers navigate a conversation with a standardized student who questions the relevance of advanced mathematics? Similarly, how do novice science teachers navigate a difficult conversation with a standardized parent who questions the teaching of evolutionary biology? Each teacher's simulation is immediately followed by an individual debriefing and a written improvement plan in a highly structured simulation to reflection to improvement plan cycle of assistance. Each simulation cycle is coupled with a content-specific seminar designed to support teachers' strengths and to address their content or pedagogical misconceptions. The SIM is structured as an iterative design project, where the initial design of the eight simulations will be clinically tested twice. 40 novice teachers (20 preservice and 20 induction stages) will take part in the clinical testing process. SIM data strands include pre-simulation questions, audio/video data of the simulated interactions between teachers and SIs, post-simulation teacher video reflections, and written professional improvement plans. The research team will focus on refining the simulations and identifying the teachers' strengths and misconceptions based on 160 different simulated interactions.

When complete, the SIM will consist of eight simulations that effectively identify the content and pedagogical strengths and misconceptions of secondary mathematics and science teachers. Initially, the SIM will be implemented within the Syracuse University School of Education. SIM products, processes, and all findings will be made available to all education researchers and teacher educators through password-protected digital access. The SIM's problem-based methodology challenges novice teachers to enact content and pedagogy, while also helping researchers to accurately and meaningfully assess teacher strengths and misconceptions in mathematics and science. As data are gathered and analyzed for each SIM problem of practice, we anticipate the formation of grounded theories and models of mathematics and science teacher development. These data - gathered through a methodology that places novice teachers in immediate, demanding, authentic situations - hold the potential to yield broader understandings of how novice science and mathematics teachers are transferring the content and pedagogy learned within teacher preparation into actual teacher practice.

The American Museum of Natural History (AMNH), in collaboration with New York University's Institute for Education and Social Policy and the University of Southern Maine Center for Evaluation and Policy, will develop and evaluate a new teacher education program model to prepare science teachers through a partnership between a world class science museum and high need schools in metropolitan New York City (NYC). This innovative pilot residency model was approved by the New York State (NYS) Board of Regents as part of the state’s Race To The Top award. The program will prepare a total of 50 candidates in two cohorts (2012 and 2013) to earn a Board of Regents-awarded Masters of Arts in Teaching (MAT) degree with a specialization in Earth Science for grades 7-12. The program focuses on Earth Science both because it is one of the greatest areas of science teacher shortages in urban areas and because AMNH has the ability to leverage the required scientific and educational resources in Earth Science and allied disciplines, including paleontology and astrophysics.

The proposed 15-month, 36-credit residency program is followed by two additional years of mentoring for new teachers. In addition to a full academic year of residency in high-needs public schools, teacher candidates will undertake two AMNH-based clinical summer residencies; a Museum Teaching Residency prior to entering their host schools, and a Museum Science Residency prior to entering the teaching profession. All courses will be taught by teams of doctoral-level educators and scientists.

The project’s research and evaluation components will examine the factors and outcomes of a program offered through a science museum working with the formal teacher preparation system in high need schools. Formative and summative evaluations will document all aspects of the program. In light of the NYS requirement that the pilot program be implemented in high-need, low-performing schools, this project has the potential to engage, motivate and improve the Earth Science achievement and interest in STEM careers of thousands of students from traditionally  underrepresented populations including English language learners, special education students, and racial minority groups. In addition, this project will gather meaningful data on the role science museums can play in preparing well-qualified Earth Science teachers. The research component will examine the impact of this new teacher preparation model on student achievement in metropolitan NYC schools. More specifically, this project asks, "How do Earth Science students taught by first year AMNH MAT Earth Science teachers perform academically in comparison with students taught by first year Earth Science teachers not prepared in the AMNH program?.”

The goal of this project is to develop two tests (instruments) to assess conceptual understanding of statistics.

The instruments are based on the levels A/B and on level C of statistical understanding development as described in the American Statistical Association Guidelines for Assessment and Instruction of Statistics Education (GAISE) framework. These instruments will be used to assess knowledge of statistics by grades 6-12 students. The instruments will have multiple-choice and constructed response (CR) items. The CR items will have scoring rubrics. The assessments will be pilot tested in school districts in six states. The instruments will be used by teachers to analyze students' growth in understanding of statistics and will be useable for both formative and summative purposes. An assessment blueprint will be developed based on the GAISE framework for selecting and constructing both fixed-choice and open-ended items. An evidenced-based designed process will be used to develop the assessments. The blueprint will be used by the test development committee to develop items. These items will be reviewed by the advisory board considering the main statistics topics to be included on the assessments. Through a layering process, the assessments will be piloted, revised, and field tested with students in grades 6-12 in six states. A three-parameter IRT model will be used in analyzing the items. The work will be done by researchers at the University of Florida with the support of those at the University of Minnesota, the Educational Testing Service, and Kenyon College. Researchers from TERC will conduct a process evaluation with several feedback and redesign cycles.

The assessments will be aligned with the Common Core State Standards for mathematics (CCSSM) and made available as open-source to teachers through a website. The research team will interact with the state consortia developing assessments to measure students? attainment of the CCSSM. As such, the assessments have the potential of being used by a large proportion of students in the country. The more conceptually-based items will provide teachers with concrete examples of what statistics students in grades 6-12 should know.

This CAREER awardee at Michigan Technological University is investigating the outcomes of a teacher education model designed to foster prospective mathematics teachers' abilities to notice and capitalize on important mathematical moments in instruction. The researcher engages prospective teachers in research-like analysis of unedited teacher-perspective classroom video early in their teacher education coursework in order to help them learn to identify, assess the mathematical potential of, and respond to important student ideas and insights that arise during instruction.

The research is based on a quasi-experimental design and involves three cohorts of prospective teachers. Practicing teachers from local schools collaborate with the research team. The data collected consists of classroom video. The video is coded and analyzed using Studiocode, which allows for real-time coding and for multiple users to code and annotate video segments.

The research findings are integrated into the institution's teacher education program and are also disseminated more broadly through publication and presentations at professional meetings.

This research study enriches the education of STEM teachers by using emergent technology to provide pre-service middle school mathematics teachers early teaching experiences that address topics in algebra and equity. In particular, the research team at Texas A&M University Main Campus is using Second Life and other technology to structure carefully planned learning experiences for pre-service teachers. Virtual technologies are used to provide pre-service teachers practice in presenting and assessing problem solving activities in a virtual classroom with diverse populations. Researchers hypothesize that technology enriched strategies have the potential to deepen pre-service teachers' understanding and effectiveness in teaching emerging algebra concepts to diverse student populations. The activities of the study are designed to answer five research questions:

1. How successful are the proposed design strategies for developing technology-rich activities for pre-service teachers?

2. How effective are technology-rich activities in developing pre-service teachers' deep knowledge and understanding of the algebra concepts of variable, change, and operations?

3. How effective are virtual simulations of problem-based teaching of algebra concepts in enhancing pre-service teachers' knowledge and skill in teaching diverse students?

4. What are the trajectories of pre-service teachers' development of knowledge of teaching algebra concepts to diverse students?

5. To what extent can technology-rich activities be effectively implemented in a whole-class setting?

The study is a design experiment using an iterative process to develop prototypes that pre-service teachers employ to become more effective in teaching algebra concepts to diverse student populations. Up to 25 students in a semester are piloting the materials that are continually being refined based on the results of the piloting. Growth in knowledge and practice by students is being measured by assessment instruments and research observations. The Mathematics Teacher Efficacy and Beliefs Instrument is an existing measure. The Knowledge for Teaching Algebra for Equity (KTAE) test is being developed to use as a pre- and posttest in the final phase of the project when students in sections who use and do not use the prototypes are compared. One hundred students are field testing the KTAE. The five member advisory board is being used for guidance and evaluation.

Products from the study will include prototype problem solving and equity activities, a knowledge for teaching algebra for equity (KTAE) assessment, guide to simulation of mathematics students in Second Life, and trajectories of knowledge for teaching algebra for equity. Findings from the study are being disseminated through journals and at professional conferences. This project capitalizes upon the use of state-of-the-art technology to simulate dynamic classroom experiences beyond the scope of prior teacher training programs. Successful implementation could revolutionize teacher training on a broad scale.

The University of Arizona is partnering with the Tucson Unified School District to implement and study a professional community designed to alleviate the mismatch between the expectations of student teachers in mathematics and science and their mentor in-service teachers. This vexing problem often arises when student teachers expect to implement reform-based pedagogies while their mentor teachers insist on traditional approaches. The project is creating a "third space," a professional community that includes 40 pre-service and 50 in-service teachers, university scientists and mathematicians, science and mathematics education faculty, and school district administrators. The third space is providing a neutral forum for the exchange of perspectives on issues of pedagogy with the expectation that student teachers would implement inquiry-based science and problem-solving mathematics pedagogies with the knowledgeable support of their mentor teachers. The project is being implemented in two low-income, culturally and linguistically diverse elementary schools with a comparison school used as a control.

The evaluation/research component is a qualitative study led by Horizon Research, Inc. The fundamental research question is whether the third space model establishes interpretive systems that foster enactment of inquiry-based and problem-solving teaching practices. Data collection will include all participants in the third space forum, but focuses on the pre-service and in-service teachers through written products and discussions of lesson design activities, videotapes of teaching by pre-service and in-service teachers, and analysis of comments made in a web-based forum. Instruments to be used are the Reform Teaching Observation Protocol (RTOP), the Experiences Patterns Explanations (EPE) framework, and the Inquiry-Application Instructional Model (I-AIM).

The main product of this project is the third space model and the research that supports its success. The model will be disseminated broadly and if replicated widely, it would represent a major improvement in the professional development of teachers in the areas of inquiry-based science and problem-solving mathematics.

The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) in collaboration with the Council on Exceptional Children (CEC) is organizing and hosting a focused working conference on Response to Intervention (RtI) and related strategies in teaching and assessment in Mathematics. The ultimate goals of this work are: To build a core community of researchers and practitioners from mathematics education and special education to identify, expand and sustain the research needs in this critical area; to identify and improve the research available related to teaching mathematics within a Response to Intervention model; and to develop professional development resources to support teachers's (pre-service and in-service) understanding and application of research-based RtI strategies in mathematics.

Expected outcomes include: a preliminary analysis of needed research studies; a synthesis of both mathematics education research and special education research around a key question of interest; and examples of content for inclusion in professional development and pre-service teacher education. Results will be disseminated through NCTM and CEC print, web, and conference facilities.