Training Math and Science Teachers at the Community College Keith Clay Green River CC

To find this presentation… Go to: kclay/bestpractices.htm Which is right…   here here

The need: Current shortages in Secondary Schools Special Education 72% Mathematics 51% Science – Chemistry 44% Science – Physics 38% Science – Biology 38% Music – Instrumental 36% Early Childhood Special Education 33% Music – Choral 31% English as a Second Language 28% Bilingual 18% Japanese 10% Educator Supply and Demand in Washington State State Superintendent of Public Instruction

The issues: Half of our K-12 teachers begin college education at a Community Colleges. Secondary science teachers need dual majors: teaching + a science subject. Finishing in four years is difficult even for well-advised university students. Many universities have disagreed over courses CC students should take.

The goals: Consensus on courses for future HS teachers during first years of college. Transferable 2-year degrees accepted at teacher cert. schools in Washington. Programs within the reach of community colleges and their students. Highly qualified CC grads on equal footing with native university students.

The process: 2002: Math, science, and ed specialists from 12 CCs met with counterparts from WSU, WWU, CWU, and EWU. OSPI certification requirements were reviewed for secondary math, biology, chemistry, physics, geology, and general science. University requirements were compared with offerings at Washington CCs.

The process: Next 6 months: flew fast and furious. Committee co-chair Skip Paznokas (WSU) sought consensus among university science and ed departments. Committee co-chair Keith Clay (GRCC) worked toward consensus among CCs. Common ground was identified. Idiosyncrasies were discouraged.

The process: Winter 2003: 2nd meeting took place. Five HS teaching degrees approved: Math, Bio, Chem, Physics, Gen. Sci. (Lack of consensus tabled Geology) Loretta Seppanen (SBCTC), Paznokas, & Clay presented degrees to legislature. Spring 2003: Legislature approved.

The degrees: MATH Direct Transfer Associate (DTA or “AA”) 4 quarters calculus (through multivariate calculus – 20 credits of calculus) & linear algebra, and preferably calculus based probability and statistics. 1 quarter Intro to Education, Speech, Psych, Multicultural Ed (recommended), 2 quarters English, and remainder from AA degree distribution areas.

The degrees: MATH The complete statewide agreement: What it looks like at GRCC: (Don’t copy this down. You already have the links.)

The degrees: BIOLOGY Associate of Science (AS-T) 90 to 105 credits! No elective. 2 quarters calculus, 1 qtr. statistics, 3 qtrs. biology, 6 qtrs. chemistry, 3 qtrs. physics (recommended). 1 quarter Intro to Education, Speech, Psych, Multicultural Ed (recommended), 2 quarters English.

The degrees: BIOLOGY The complete statewide agreement: What it looks like at GRCC: (Don’t copy this down. You already have the links.)

The degrees: CHEMISTRY Associate of Science (AS-T) 90 credits. No elective. 2 quarters calculus & 1 qtr. stat or calc, 6 qtrs. chemistry, 3 qtrs. physics. 1 quarter Intro to Education, Speech, Psych, Multicultural Ed (recommended), 2 quarters English.

The degrees: CHEMISTRY The complete statewide agreement: What it looks like at GRCC: (You have the links.)

The degrees: PHYSICS Associate of Science (AS-T) 89 credits? No real elective. 4 quarters calculus, 3 qtrs. physics, 2 qtrs. chemistry, linear algebra, diff. eq., computer programming 1 quarter Intro to Education, Speech, Psych, Multicultural Ed (recommended), 2 quarters English.

The degrees: PHYSICS The complete statewide agreement: / / What it looks like at GRCC: (You have the links.)

The degrees: GENERAL SCIENCE Associate of Science (AS-T) credits. One elective? 3 quarters calculus, 3 qtrs. statistics, Three of the following four: 3 qtrs phys, 3 qtrs chem, 3 qtrs bio, or 2 qrts geol. 1 quarter Intro to Education, Speech, Psych, Multicultural Ed (recommended), 2 quarters English.

The degrees: GENERAL SCIENCE The complete statewide agreement: / / What it looks like at GRCC: (You have the links.)

The degrees: GENERAL SCIENCE Lest it escape your notice: There is no math or science on the general science requirement list beyond what is offered at a typical CC. Articulated 2 nd ary teaching programs could be created with students doing ALL math & science studies at a CC. Satellite programs could confer HS teaching certificates on a CC campus!

Tentative degree: GEOLOGY Associate of Science (AS-T) credits? No elective. 2 quarters pre-calc (?), 2 quarters calculus, 1 qtr. statistics. 2 qrts geology, 1-3 qtrs earth science, 3 qtrs chem, 2-3 qtrs phys, 0-1 qtr bio. 1 quarter Intro to Education, Speech, Psych, Multicultural Ed (recommended), 2 quarters English.

The degrees: GEOLOGY Questions: –Omit mention pre-calc and let students make it up on their own? –Or specify it as part of the degree, making the total requirement 100 credits? Meetings will resume fall (Keith Clay and Leslie H-N will be there) Not yet adopted at GRCC or elsewhere.

Challenges: Implementation What barriers separate your school from these degrees? Teaching loads? Class offerings? Administration? Coding of degrees? Advising? Identification of students?

Challenges: The Students Choose your career: Career:High School Physics Teacher Engineer First 2 years of college AS – Option 2 (math, sci, other) APP (math, science) Last 2 years of college Complete major + Education courses Complete major Starting Salary$30,000$60,000

Challenges: The Students So why do they do it? Most elementary teachers chose their careers while still in elementary school. Most high school science teachers chose their careers during their junior or senior years of college.

Challenges: The Students A future math or science teacher is: A student with a lifelong goal of secondary teaching (rare) A pre-med or pre-engineer who may have second thoughts (maybe not yet!) A gifted scientist and communicator without the mindset to do research. It could be anybody in our classrooms!

Challenges: Their Teachers (us) How do we teach our students? Are we teaching as well as we want them to teach our kids? Do college faculty understand teaching methodologies? Inquiry? Modeling? Can students take what they see in our classrooms and use it in theirs? A “no” doesn’t solve our problems.

Challenges: Their Classes What do we teach our students? Which of the following courses is more useful to a future HS physics teacher? –3 dimensional vector calculus –Earth science or meteorology Which one is required?

Challenges: Their Classes What do we teach our students? Which one is more valuable skill for a brand new HS chemistry teacher? –Use of state-of-the-art instrumentation? –Networking a cheap computer lab? Which one do we teach?

Challenges: Their Classes What do we teach our students? Which does a newly minted science teacher need to know how to write? –A lab report with multivariate statistical analysis of variance? –A grant proposal to Bill and Melinda Gates? Which one do we teach?

The CC Advantage: Low Inertia Community Colleges lack structural separations between “schools” of science and education. Community College education and science departments are usually small and (hopefully) quick to adapt. Community College faculty typically view education as their primary duty.

Question: If half of our teachers get their relevant math and science from CCs… If CC grads are no longer restricted to only 90 transfer credits… If teacher certification institutions are creating satellite programs on CC campuses… …should Community Colleges continue to think of themselves as the tail that is wagged by the dog? …or are CCs in a position to change the ways in which our teachers are trained?

The Mission: “A large percentage of prospective teachers begin their education in two-year colleges. These institutions, with their clear commitment to teaching and with so many prospective teachers as students, must be more significant partners in the system of teacher preparation.” Shaping the Future The National Science Foundation

QUESTIONS?