Partnership to Improve Student Achievement in Physical Science:

Integrating STEM Approaches

PISA2

Edward Whittaker, Beth McGrath, Barbara Mammen & Augusto Macalalag Jr.

Stevens Institute of Technology

Michael AmendolaMorris School District

1. Bayonne Board of Education2. Camden City Public Schools3. Hoboken Public Schools4. Jersey City Public Schools5. Lakewood School District6. Margate City School District7. Morris School District8. Mustard Seed School (private)9. Princeton Regional Schools10. Red Bank Borough Public Schools11. Saddle Brook School District12. West New York School District

K-12 Partners

K-12 Partners

IHE & Other Partners

Stevens Institute of Technology Columbia University/Teachers College National Science Resources Center NJ Department of Education Education Development Center

(Evaluator) St. Peter’s College

PISA2 Theoretical Framework

Jolly, Campbell & Perlman, 2004

The Engagement-Capacity-Continuity Trilogy was developed as a model to describe the separate but necessary and interdependent factors essential for students to advance in the sciences and quantitative disciplines

EngagementCourse Content

Ready, Set, Science! (2008)Understanding scientific explanations

Generating scientific evidenceReflecting on scientific knowledge

Participating productively in science

Capacity

As each course builds successively deeper, broader content knowledge for teachers, PISA2 will build

teachers’ capacity to master more complex concepts.

Five New CoursesFundamental Principles of Physical

ScienceFundamental Principles of Earth ScienceEnergy Production & ConsumptionUnderstanding Global ChangeEngineering Solutions to the Challenges

of Energy & Global Change

ContinuityPISA2 will develop capacity to enable

partner schools’ continuity to make available well-prepared teachers and research-based curricula.

Leadership Development & Organizational Capacity Building-NSRC

Science Scope & Sequence Workshops-

NJDOE

Evidence-Based Curricular Selection

NJDOE, NSRC

PISA2 Goals To enhance teachers’ content knowledge in science &

engineering (S&E) and cultivate positive attitudes & beliefs towards teaching S&E

To increase students’ content knowledge and experiences in S&E

To promote students’ 21st century skills To institutionalize new graduate programs in STEM

education and impact undergraduate teaching & learning

To increase the number of teachers with elementary endorsement in science

To build leadership and capacity in partner school districts

Growth ModelYear Inservice Teachers Preservice

TeachersSchool Leaders

Total

Scholars(Sci.

Certif.)

Teacher Leaders

Pathways to Teaching

(Sci. Certif)2010-11 40 60 10 60

2011-12 40 60 10 170

2012-13 40 60 10 60 110

2013-14 40 60 10 170

2014-15 10 120

2010-15 160 240 50 120 570

Evaluation Questions Does scientific inquiry (SI) & engineering design process

(EDP) contribute to an increase in teachers’ content knowledge of science & engineering?

Does the use of SI & EDP contribute to an increase in students’ content knowledge of science & engineering?

Do students improve their 21st century skills as a result of the program?

To what extent did the teachers’ beliefs & attitudes towards teaching science & engineering change over time?

• To what extent did the program promote an increase in collaboration & shared vision among partners?

Research Questions

1. What are the teachers’ conceptions of the 21st Century Skills as they apply to teaching and learning?

To what extent do they change over time as a result of the instructional interventions?

2. What immediate and contextual factors limit or facilitate a teacher’s success in changing classroom practice?