Noyce Project Needs, Assumptions, and Hypothesis Needs Statement Careful attention to teacher induction, in the first three years of teaching assists novice teachers in successfully navigating their early career experiences (Moir et al., 2009) Much of the praxis of mathematics and science teachers in middle schools is not consistent with the knowledge of how young adolescents learn developed in the last several decades. A middle school classroom today does not look terribly different than one four decades ago, and these practices persist in spite of many efforts to change them (Duschl et al., 2007) Schools face the quandary of placing teacher candidates in settings where they will learn to ignore the principles of learning emphasized in coursework. (Crawford, 2007). In order to meaningfully improve student learning, veteran and novice teachers must come to see continuous improvement of teaching (Stigler & Hiebert, 2009) as a crucial professional function. Assumptions and Hypothesis Professional learning communities, in which teacher candidates, novice teachers, experienced teachers, administrators, and university faculty work together to interrogate students’ learning and achievement, provide the mechanism for integrating research- proven best practices into the everyday context of school life. The professional learning community will mediate the closing of the gap between theory and practice. General principles of curriculum design for young adolescents include developing real-world connections arising out of students’ concerns, integrating knowledge across disciplines, building upon the strengths that youth bring, accepting diverse cultural backgrounds as the basis for learning rather than a deficit, and posing serious, intellectually challenging tasks. Research supports engineering and problem- solving challenges as a way to implement these goals for STEM learning in the middle grades

Goals and Anticipated Outcomes List sent yesterday to Joan Prival

Cheche Konnen Center of TERC ASME Engineers ICGB Digital Innovations Mercer Un? RESA CONSUMERS FACILITIES EXPERTISE GCSU STEM and education faculty Digital Innovations Communities In Schools Grad. assistants Clerical staff XXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXX XXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXX INPUTSACTIVITIES – committee work Master Teaching Fellows Scholars-in- Residence Program Mentoring Program Courses PLC Seminar Leadership and school improvement XXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXX OUTPUTS Products- committee work XXXXXX XXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXX XXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXX Formative instruments and assessment data; summative reports XXXXXXX OUTCOMES Changes- committee work Increased PDK of host teachers Increased pool of well-qualified STEM teacher candidates Effective project management Continuous improvement of project Increased capacity in STEM teaching at middle and college levels in central Georgia IMPACT short-term long-term Increased STEM achievement by middle level students National model for rural regional communities of STEM educators Noyce Project LOGIC MODEL Georgia College & State University Master Teaching Fellows School administrators Teaching Fellows Georgia College XXXXXXXX XXXXXXX XXXXXXXXX Assessment of activities, projects, and products Science Education Center Digital Innovation Center Evaluators Increased pedagogical skills of STEM faculty XXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXX Effective recruitment plan for STEM MAT candidates Effective field-based teacher prep program Oversight Committee XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Bridge-building competitions Engineering Day Parental involvement Scholarship program management XXXXXXXX XXXXXXX

Teaching Fellows Middle Grades Master Teacher Fellows PROPOSED PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITY PLC SEMINAR GCSU Education Faculty GCSU STEM Faculty CheChe Konnen Science & Engineering Organizations Digital Innovation Center Communities in Schools Scholars-In - Residence Mentoring Master-level courses Mentoring Coaching and Mentoring