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Improve math and science teaching with partnerships
The United States faces a critical need to beef up math, science and technology teaching in the schools, a prestigious task force has recently declared, and can only do so by forging new kinds of partnerships among schools, districts and postsecondary institutions.
In a report from the National Research Council, released in August, a committee of K-12 and higher education teachers, scientists and mathematicians, and teacher education experts calls for reforms that echo many of the AFT's own recommendations in Building a Profession: Strengthening Teacher Preparation and Induction. At the same time, the committee focuses on the specialized imperatives of recruiting and retaining new math and science teachers, and providing ongoing professional development to those already teaching in the field.
The NRC committee report, Educating Teachers of Science, Mathematics and Technology: New Practices for the New Millennium, links pre-service and professional development in an ongoing continuum, and notes the crucial interaction colleges and universities must have with practicing teachers and school districts. Schools and experienced teachers must take greater responsibility for the training of new teachers, the report says, and community colleges and universities must be more responsible for experienced teachers' ongoing professional development.
"Teacher education in these subjects is a complex, career-long process that should stress intellectual and continuous growth," says Herbert Brunkhorst, co-chair of the committee that issued the report and chair of the science, mathematics and technology education department at California State University, San Bernardino. "To that end, the education system must bridge the traditional divide between K-12 and postsecondary educators, and collaborate in a way that mirrors athletic teams--with players who routinely practice and compete together, all striving toward a common goal."
The report notes that all college teachers must recognize their role in preparing teachers for the schools and take ownership of the task of improving teacher education. Faculty who teach introductory level courses, for example, must view their work not only as teaching but as modeling good practices.
Science education at Montclair State University has been moving in this direction for the past five years, says Bonnie Lustigman, chair of the biology department and a vice president of the MSU Federation of Teachers. This year, for the first time, the university is offering a doctoral program for experienced teachers in science education. Lustigman's department has two teachers from the local schools, who are adjunct faculty, teaching introductory science and science pedagogy classes. And this fall, the provost is putting in place an advisory board made up of district teachers and administrators and university faculty.
The NRC report calls for the appointment of master teachers in the schools who would also have adjunct appointments at their local community and four-year colleges. And it calls for a greater presence of faculty from the science, math and engineering departments in the professional development of teachers.
For more information on the report, go to
www.nap.edu/books/0309070333/html/.
You can print out pre-publication pages of the report using Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) format by choosing "Print" from the right-hand navigation on each section of the report. Adobe Reader is needed to be able to print out the report.
Higher ed is still tops in the public eye
American support for higher education is greater than it's ever been, a new report finds. Close to nine out of 10 people believe that a college education has become as essential for success in the world as a high school diploma used to be. In minority families, greater percentages of African-American and Hispanic parents than white parents believe that a college education is the number one factor in social and economic mobility. The report is based on a December 1999 survey conducted by Public Agenda, a non-partisan public policy firm, and sponsored by the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education. Called "Great Expectations: How the Public and Parents--White, African-American and Hispanic--View Higher Education," the report examines the public's views on college costs and the roles of students and institutions in achieving a quality experience.
One conclusion, based on comparisons of this survey's results with others, is that the public does not view higher education with as critical an eye as business, civic and elected leaders do. For example, the public is generally satisfied with the way institutions are run, whereas business leaders find fault with a lack of efficiency and accountability. And while the public is concerned about college costs, it also believes that where the will is strong, families and individuals can find a way to get the education.
The public does not see higher education as an entitlement, but 93 percent of respondents believe that cost should never be a barrier to a student who is qualified and motivated. As far as the form government aid should take, the public supports financial help for individuals over aid to institutions, believing that money sent to institutions is more easily wasted. The survey asked respondents how they preferred to receive the aid--in the form of grants, loans, work-study or tax breaks--and 78 percent rated tax breaks as their first choice.
The survey also asked people to rate by importance the tasks they expect college administrators to accomplish. The two top activities they report are controlling costs and spending money efficiently, and attracting the best possible teachers and researchers to their colleges.
On the other hand, the public also believes that students should be held most responsible for how well they do in school. Almost nine out of 10 respondents say that a student's effort, not the quality of the institution, is the key factor in how well a student performs. No amount of good teaching can compensate for a student who doesn't work hard, say the respondents. They also hold students, not colleges, responsible for students' failing to complete their college degrees.
More information on the report can be found at
www.highereducation.org/reports/expectations/expectations.shtml.
