TEXAS REGIONAL COLLABORATIVES FOR EXCELLENCE IN SCIENCE TEACHING Improving Teacher Performance and Student Achievement with the Texas Regional Collaboratives Presented by Carol L. Fletcher & Joel Blasingame CAST 2004 Corpus Christi, Texas

TEXAS REGIONAL COLLABORATIVES FOR EXCELLENCE IN SCIENCE TEACHING 2 In the Service of Texas Science Teachers Who We Are Texas Regional Collaboratives for Excellence in Science Teaching program is an award-winning statewide network of K-16 partnerships that provide sustained and high intensity professional development to K-12 teachers of science across the state. This infrastructure of over 22 institutions of higher education collaborating with education service centers, school districts, and business partners has an 13-year track record of designing and implementing exemplary science professional development using research-based instructional models, materials, and best practices.

TEXAS REGIONAL COLLABORATIVES FOR EXCELLENCE IN SCIENCE TEACHING 3 Activities Professional Development Programs provide an average of 105 contact hours of TEKS-based professional development through Instructional Teams to 25 teachers of science per region to prepare and support them to become Science Teacher Mentors (STMs) serving other teachers at the campus, district, and regional levels. Professional Development Academies (PDAs) are provided to Instructional Teams that consist of professors of Science and Science Education, Science Specialists and Master Teachers. PDAs focus on the elements of science education reform in Texas. PDAs enhance the knowledge and skills necessary to develop, sustain, and facilitate high quality Professional Development Programs.

TEXAS REGIONAL COLLABORATIVES FOR EXCELLENCE IN SCIENCE TEACHING 4 Site Locations UT-Pan American/Edinburg UT-Brownsville Texas A&M/Corpus Christi Rice University/Houston Galveston County/UTMB/Galveston College Region VII/Kilgore Texas A&M-Texarkana Region VIII/Mount Pleasant Region IX/Wichita Falls UT-Dallas North Central TX College/Gainesville UT-Arlington University of North Texas/Denton Region XII/Waco Region XIII/Austin Region XIV/Abilene Region XVI/Amarillo Region XVII/Lubbock Our Lady of the Lake/San Antonio. Statewide Geographic Distribution Austin Amarillo Lubbock Abilene Denton Dallas Texarkana Kilgore Waco Houston Galveston Corpus Christi Brownsville Edinburg San Antonio Gainesville Wichita Falls Arlington Mt. Pleasant Geographic Distribution

TEXAS REGIONAL COLLABORATIVES FOR EXCELLENCE IN SCIENCE TEACHING 5 Site Locations UT-Pan American/Edinburg UT-Brownsville Texas A&M/Corpus Christi Rice University/Houston Galveston County/UTMB/Galveston College Region VII/Kilgore Texas A&M-Texarkana Region VIII/Mount Pleasant Region IX/Wichita Falls UT-Dallas North Central TX College/Gainesville UT-Arlington University of North Texas/Denton Region XII/Waco Region XIII/Austin Region XIV/Abilene Region XVI/Amarillo Region XVII/Lubbock Our Lady of the Lake/San Antonio Statewide Geographic Distribution - Expanding Our Reach Austin Amarillo Lubbock Abilene Denton Dallas Texarkana Kilgore Waco Houston Galveston Corpus Christi Brownsville Edinburg San Antonio Gainesville Wichita Falls Arlington Mt. Pleasant Geographic Distribution Proposed new Collaborative sites El Paso Victoria College Station San Angelo Midland/Odessa Beaumont

TEXAS REGIONAL COLLABORATIVES FOR EXCELLENCE IN SCIENCE TEACHING 6 Multiplier Effect 20 Regional Collaboratives 585 Teacher Leaders High Intensity Professional Development 2,067 Teachers Mentoring and Professional Development Outreach Students Impacted = 220,116 Data compiled from September May 2004

TEXAS REGIONAL COLLABORATIVES FOR EXCELLENCE IN SCIENCE TEACHING 7 Statewide Impact 341 School Districts Served 723 Campuses Served 2,652 Teachers Served* 220,116 Students Served Data compiled from September May 2004 *585 Teacher Leaders + 2,067 Outreach Teachers = 2,652 total teachers

TEXAS REGIONAL COLLABORATIVES FOR EXCELLENCE IN SCIENCE TEACHING County Distribution Campuses Served in 137 Texas Counties

TEXAS REGIONAL COLLABORATIVES FOR EXCELLENCE IN SCIENCE TEACHING 9 Poverty Levels of Participant Schools Low Poverty Under 35% Medium Poverty 35% - 50% Poverty Levels for public schools are determined by the percentage of students who receive free or reduced lunches. High Poverty 50% - 75% Very High Poverty Above 75% Percentages based on 713 teachers that provided campus poverty level data from September May 2004

TEXAS REGIONAL COLLABORATIVES FOR EXCELLENCE IN SCIENCE TEACHING 10 Title I Status of Participating Campuses 76% 24% Based on 692 Teachers reporting campus Title I status from September May 2004

TEXAS REGIONAL COLLABORATIVES FOR EXCELLENCE IN SCIENCE TEACHING 11 Teacher Demographics - Teaching Level Data based on 771 teachers for funding period September May 2004

TEXAS REGIONAL COLLABORATIVES FOR EXCELLENCE IN SCIENCE TEACHING 12 Ethnicity of Students Served by Collaborative Teachers 9.8% 1.6% 51.5% 34.6% 2.3% 0.2% Based on actual classroom data reported by 621 teachers from September May 2004.

TEXAS REGIONAL COLLABORATIVES FOR EXCELLENCE IN SCIENCE TEACHING 13 Impact on Teachers: Science Content Knowledge Data represents combined mean scores of 12 different assessments, 8 Regional Collaborative Sites, and approximately 250 teachers.

TEXAS REGIONAL COLLABORATIVES FOR EXCELLENCE IN SCIENCE TEACHING 14 Impact on Instructional Team Members  Bridging II TAKS training significantly improved the statewide leadership capacity for delivering professional development to science teachers in Bridging II TAKS Module 2: Using Tools to Explore Matter. Instructional Team Members (ITMs).  37 ITMs participated in three days of professional development on Bridging II TAKS to enhance their ability to deliver professional development to science teachers in the field.  ITMs rated their degree of preparation to deliver the Bridging II TAKS module in a 19-item pre and post-survey. Statistically significant improvements were noted. Response Categories 1 = Not Adequately Prepared 2 = Somewhat Prepared 3 = Fairly Well Prepared 4 = Very Well Prepared

TEXAS REGIONAL COLLABORATIVES FOR EXCELLENCE IN SCIENCE TEACHING 15 Impact on Science Teacher Mentors  Thirty-two contact hours of Bridging II TAKS training were provided statewide to 389 Science Teacher Mentors (STMs).  STMs rated their degree of preparation to deliver the Bridging II TAKS module to their colleagues in the field in a 19-item pre and post-survey. Statistically significant improvements were noted.  STMs completed the training significantly more prepared to share the professional development provided through the Bridging II TAKS module with their fellow classroom teachers. Response Categories 1 = Not Adequately Prepared 2 = Somewhat Prepared 3 = Fairly Well Prepared 4 = Very Well Prepared

TEXAS REGIONAL COLLABORATIVES FOR EXCELLENCE IN SCIENCE TEACHING 16 State Average District Average Collaborative Average Data Before Collaborative Activities Data After Collaborative Activities Rice University Regional Collaborative Average Scores Eighth Grade TAAS Science Test Results

TEXAS REGIONAL COLLABORATIVES FOR EXCELLENCE IN SCIENCE TEACHING 17 Rice University Regional Collaborative Comparison of Collaborative Science Teacher Mentors to Non-collaborative Science Teachers Shown are test scores for pre- & post-science content tests (TIMSS test, TAAS tests, and primary grade science content tests as grade appropriate) of students having participant and non-participant teachers. Differences in student performance between the two groups are highly significant statistically. Also shown is the average percent improvement in student scores for the two groups. Student Achievement—Collaborative Vs. Non-Collaborative Teachers % 11% participant students non-participant students participant students non-participant students IMPROVEMENT prepostprepost Average Student Score Percent Improvement

TEXAS REGIONAL COLLABORATIVES FOR EXCELLENCE IN SCIENCE TEACHING 18 Eighth Grade Science TAAS Scores East Texas Regional Collaborative

TEXAS REGIONAL COLLABORATIVES FOR EXCELLENCE IN SCIENCE TEACHING 19 Student Achievement on TAKS

TEXAS REGIONAL COLLABORATIVES FOR EXCELLENCE IN SCIENCE TEACHING 20 Student Achievement on TAKS: Region VII Collaborative

TEXAS REGIONAL COLLABORATIVES FOR EXCELLENCE IN SCIENCE TEACHING 21 Student Achievement on TAKS: Region VIII Collaborative

TEXAS REGIONAL COLLABORATIVES FOR EXCELLENCE IN SCIENCE TEACHING 22 Student Achievement on TAKS: Region XII Collaborative