1. ESTEEMS (ESTablishing Excellence in Education of Mathematics and Science) Project Overview and Evaluation Dr. Deborah H. Cook, Director, NJ SSI MSP Regional Conference January 7-9, 2008

2. Project Overview Project Goal: To provide standards-based, content related professional development in mathematics and science for regular and special education middle school classroom teachers. Project Partners: ESTEEMS unites Rutgers University, Middlesex County College, and Salem Community College, 15 school districts and three non-public schools.

3. Provide two, 2-week content institutes in mathematics and science focusing on “big ideas” within each discipline Provide strategies to adapt content knowledge in mathematics and science to special education students Provide on-site classroom visitations and coaching to promote more inquiry-centered and problem- solving instructional practices Offer course credit to assist teachers in meeting NCLB requirements for HQT and NJ specialization certificate Project Implementation Plan

4. Summer Content Institutes Institute Science Topics –Physics of light (2005) –Geology/Earth Science (2006) and –Chemistry (2007) Institute Mathematics Topics –Geometry and measurement (2005) –Algebra (2006), and –Data analysis, probability and statistics, and discrete mathematics (2007)

5. Evaluation: Participating Teachers Teacher Content Knowledge –Pre/Post Assessment Test –Delayed Post Assessment Test Teacher Surveys –Pre Background Survey –Post Practice Survey Teacher Classroom Practice –Reformed Teaching Observation Protocol (RTOP) –Administer Pre/Post test to Students (general education only/one or more classes)

6. Evaluation: Comparison Teachers Teacher Content Knowledge –Pre/Post Assessment Test –Delayed Post Assessment Test Teacher Surveys –Pre Background Survey Teacher Classroom Practice –Administer Pre/Post test to Students (general education only/one or more classes)

7. Cohort 1 Physical Science Summer Institute Pre-Post Scores For all 24 teachers, a highly significant increase in physics understanding (t = 11.2, p < 0.001) General Education teachers (n=12) showed a highly significant increase of 5.4 pts (t = 8.4, p<0.001) Special Education teachers (n=12), showed a highly significant increase of 5.5 pts (t = 7.0, p<0.001)

8. Cohort 1 Geometry Summer Institute Pre-Post Scores For all 28 teachers, a highly significant increase in geometry test scores (t = 3.57, p < 0.01). General Education teachers (n=16), showed a non-significant increase of 2.8 pts (t = 1.3, p > 0.10) Special Education teachers (n=12), showed a highly significant increase of 10.4 pts (t = 4.61, p < 0.01)

9. Cohort 2 Earth Science Summer Institute Pre-Post Scores For all 30 teachers, a highly significant increase in earth science understanding (t = 12.4, p < 0.0001) General Education teachers (n=18) showed a highly significant increase of 25.4 pts (t = 8.2, p <0.0001) Special Education teachers (n=12), showed a highly significant increase of 28.2 pts (t = 10.2, p <0.0001)

10. Cohort 2 Algebra Summer Institute Pre-Post Scores For all 32 teachers, a significant increase in algebra test scores (t = 1.58, p < 0.06) General Education teachers (n=18), showed a non-significant increase of 2.2 pts (t = 0.98, p N.S.) Special Education teachers (n=14), showed a non-significant increase of 4.29 pts (t = 1.22, p N.S.)

11. Cohort 3 Chemistry Summer Institute Pre-Post Scores For all 29 teachers, a highly significant increase in chemistry understanding (t = 3.0, p < 0.01) General Education teachers (n=18) showed a highly significant increase of 8.1 pts (t = 2.1, p <0.05) Special Education teachers (n=11), showed a highly significant increase of 10.7 pts (t = 2.0, p <0.06)

12. Cohort 3 Data Analysis Summer Institute Pre-Post Scores For all 28 teachers, a significant increase in data analysis test scores (t = 8.73, p < 0.0001). General Education teachers (n=18), showed a significant increase of 19.5 pts (t = 7.81, p <0.0001) Special Education teachers (n=10), showed a significant increase of 22 pts (t = 4.46, p <0.0016)

13. Reformed Teaching Observation Protocol (RTOP) The Reformed Teaching Observation Protocol (RTOP) is an observational instrument that: Assesses the degree to which mathematics or science instruction is “reformed” Is a criterion-referenced assessment Contains 25 items, each rated on a scale from 0 (not observed) to 4 (very descriptive) Has possible scores ranging from 0 to 100 points Indicates considerable presence of “reformed teaching” in a lesson, with a score greater than 50

14. Cohorts 1-2 Teacher RTOP Baseline and Follow-up Scores Year 1 Math teachers (n=30) showed an increase in reformed teaching from 20% to 70% Year 2 Math teachers (n=13) showed an increase in reformed teaching from 23.1% to 85.4% Year 1 Science teachers (n=28) showed an increase in reformed teaching from 6.9% to 82.1% Year 2 Science teachers (n=5) showed a significant increase in reformed teaching from 20% to 80% % of teachers whose RTOP scores were > 50

15. Disclaimer The instructional practices and assessments discussed or shown in these presentations are not intended as an endorsement by the U.S. Department of Education