Research Experiences for Teachers (RET) in Engineering Program Engineering Education NSF Awardees Conference-Sept , 2007 Mary Poats, Program Manager-RET National Science Foundation Division of Engineering Education and Centers

RET Goals Build long-term collaborative relationships between in-service and pre-service K-12 STEM teachers, community college faculty and the engineering research community by involving the teachers in engineering research and helping them translate their research experiences and new knowledge of engineering into classroom activities; Support active participation of these teachers and future teachers and community college faculty in research and education projects funded by NSF ENG;

RET Goals Facilitate professional development of K-12 STEM teachers and community college faculty through strengthened partnerships between higher education institutions and local school districts; and Encourage researchers to build mutually rewarding partnerships with teachers and community college faculty.

ENG RET Investment ENG RET Investment (In Millions) ENG RET Investment (% of total NSF RET)

RET Funding Mechanisms Supplements Sites

RET Supplements Requests are made under an existing NSF award or within a proposal for a new/renewed NSF award Total cost of supplements are $10,000 per teacher; up to two teachers per supplement request, maximum of $20,000 Budget includes teacher/faculty stipend and up to $1,000 for the cost of materials, equipment, software, supplies for developing classroom instructions and experiments

RET Supplements Each ENG Division supports supplements through ongoing awards More than 300 teachers supported per year through ENG RET supplements

RET Supplements Statistics EEC $Other ENG Divisions $ Total ENG $ FY 04580K1.62M2.2M FY 05749K751K1.5M FY 06532K868K1.4M

RET Sites RET Site project based on independent proposal submitted to NSF by annual deadline. Provides groups of in-service and pre- service K-12 teachers and community college faculty with discovery based learning experiences in university engineering labs and facilities which are incorporated into school year classroom activities.

RET Sites Sites must have well defined focus with clearly articulated projects. Orientation session required to acquaint participants with laboratory methods, safety procedures, analytical methods, etc. Project may be carried out during summer, academic year or both.

RET Program Revisions RET Site proposals must be submitted by PI holding faculty appointment in College/Department of Engineering or Engineering Technology within U.S. academic institution. Sites must be held during the summer for a minimum of 6 weeks (exceptions considered).

RET Program Revisions Substantive plan for follow-up with teachers/community college faculty during academic year must be provided in RET Site proposal. Participating teachers/community college faculty must have a background in engineering, science, or math to participate in program.

RET Program Revisions Total amount of funding available for each RET Site program has increased to $500,000 for up to three years. Total amount available for each teacher for materials, supplies, equipment etc. increased to $2,000. Site proposal may also include request for support of a workshop to reach other teachers/community college faculty.

RET Sites Award duration up to 3 years Total award request up to $500,000 Currently over 26 active RET sites Support over 300 teachers per year

RET Sites Statistics Props.AwardsSuccess Rate Total RET $ M* FY %1.8 FY %2.5 FY %2.9 * Includes funding from MPS, PFI, EPSCoR

RET Contributes to NSF Strategic Goals The RET program is a significant contributor to the NSF goal of developing a diverse, internationally competitive, and globally- engaged science and engineering workforce. The RET program helps to build strong foundations and foster innovation to improve K-12 teaching, learning and evaluation in STEM.

Evaluation of the RET Program SRI International /university/index.html#ret /university/index.html#ret Supplements and Sites Initial Survey 2004-ERC, BES, DMII Follow-up-2006-all ENG Divisions

Academic Characteristics of ENG RET Participants 64% have at least a Master’s degree 7% have a PhD Comparable percentages for K-12 teachers nationwide—45% and less than 1%

Demographic Characteristics of ENG RET Participants Male-52%; Female-48% 44% under age 40; 56% age 40 or older 75% non-Hispanic white; 12% African- American; 6% Hispanic; 4% Asian; <1% Native American; < 1% Pacific Islander; 2% more than one race

School Characteristics of ENG RET Participants 91% active K-12 teachers/community college faculty (remainder administrators, e.g. principals) 67%-high school teachers; 22% middle school teachers; 7%-elementary schools; 3%-community college faculty; 1%-other type of school 78%-public school; 14%-public magnet schools; 6% private schools; 2%-other

School Characteristics of ENG RET Participants (cont.) 45% urban schools 40% suburban schools 15% rural schools

RET Outcomes and Impacts Increased almost all participants’ STEM knowledge base Awareness of STEM research methods, issues and career opportunities Motivation to find ways to improve student learning Ability to convey the excitement of STEM to students

RET Outcomes and Impacts Enhanced participants’ professional opportunities

RET Outcomes and Impacts Positive effects on students include: Increased awareness of STEM career options More positive attitudes about STEM subjects in general More interest in participating teacher’s classes

Opportunities for Enhancement of RET Program Require follow-up plan involving ongoing interaction that supports classroom implementation of lesson plans, curricula or skills developed in RET project Increase duration of program to at least six weeks; currently four-week minimum

Opportunities for Enhancement of RET Program Encourage PIs to maintain a focus on activities that are relevant to the participants’ ultimate need to translate what they have learned to their own classrooms Encourage PIs to recruit teachers from a single school or school district, preferably in underserved areas