Math and Science Grant
Collaborative
Year One Update
Tuscarora IU # 11 and
Central Intermediate Unit # 10
By: Linda Russo and
Bobbie W. Pfingstler, Ed.D.,
Project Directors
Instructors/Faculty from Juniata College

Randy Bennett, Ph.D. Professor of Biology*
bennett@juniata.edu

John Bukowski, Ph.D. Professor of Mathematics
bukowski@juniata.edu

Kathy Jones, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Education*
jones@juniata.edu

Sharon Conaway, Science in Motion Biology Mobile educator
conaway@juniata.edu

Ben Sunderland, Ph.D. Professor of Mathematics
sunder@juniata.edu

Cathy Stenson, Ph.D. Professor of Mathematics
stenson@juniata.edu

Jerry Kruse, Ph.D. Professor of Mathematics
kruse@juniata.edu

Kimberly Roth, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Mathematics
roth@juniata.edu

Jay Hosler, Ph.D. Professor of Biology
hosler@juniata.edu

Amber Helsel, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of Chemistry
helsel@juniata.edu

Tara Yorke, Science in Motion Chemistry Mobile Educator
yorket@juniata.edu

Norris Muth, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of Biology
muth@juniata.edu

Roy Nagel, M.S. Science Safety Coordinator Juniata College
nagle@juniata.edu

Chuck Yohn, Ph.D. Executive Director of Raystown Field Station yohn@juniata.edu

Debra Kirchhoff-Glazier , Ph.D. Professor of Biology
kirchhof@juniata.edu

Vince Buonaccorsi, Ph.D. Professor of Biology
buonaccorsi@juniata.edu

Jamie White, Ph.D. Professor of Physics
white@juniata.edu

Matt Beaky, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of Physics
beaky@juniata.edu
Instructors from TIU #11 and CIU #10
Tim Miller, TIU # 11
Linda Dell, TIU # 11
LaTisha Hockensmith, TIU # 11
Tracy Hinish, TIU # 11
Bobbie Pfingstler, Ed.D., CIU # 10
Susan Bickford, Ph.D., CIU # 10
Bethann McCain, CIU # 10
David Bauman, PDE Science Content Advisor
Science Standards and Concepts Taught During
the Summer Institute
2.1 Scientific Practices – Middle and High School Teachers
2.2 Physical Science Physics – Middle and High School Teachers
2.3 Chemistry 2.4 Life Sciences Biology – Middle and High School Teachers
2.5 Earth and Space Science –
2.6 Technology – Middle and High School Teachers
2.7 Engineering –
2.8 Other -
Professional Learning Community
Lead by Tracy Hinish – Assistant Executive
Director at TIU # 11
Began during the Year I Juniata College Summer
Institute
Continues throughout the MSP Partnership
Utilizes the Professional Learning Community on SAS
Minimum Requirements for
PLC Participation for Math/Science
Partnership

A. Minimum Requirements:

Post two entries per month. One entry will be posted by the 15th of each month. The second entry
will be posted by the last day of the month in response to at least one grant participant.

Responses to one person one time only until all participants have a response from you

B. Reflections:

Could focus on an outstanding lesson or experience

Could focus on an area of difficulty asking if anyone has ever tried something similar and the
response they had from students

Professional readings and professional development

Will occur every other week of the project

May offer as many reflections as you desire with a minimum being every other week one time

C. Responses:

Respond to at least one person every other week

Respond to someone different each time until you have responded to each participant

Responses may offer suggestions to help someone

Responses may validate an outstanding lesson or experience

Response may offer resources or professional literature to support a participant

D. Start date for PLC: September 2013
Science Teachers at Work during the
Juniata College Summer Institute!
Teachers Participate in a Science Safety
Presentation at Raystown Lake Field Station.
Debriefing after Field Work
at Raystown Lake
Searching for Insects!
Search, write, discriminate.
Teachers Use Science, Math, Technology and
Collaboration in Hands-On Discovery.
Problem-Solving as a Team
Science AND Mathematics
Science Work in the Classroom – Teachers
from TIU 11 and CIU 10 work together!
Pre and Post Test Results from Year I Summer
Institute
Project Name:
Test Name:
My Name:
Year:
T test value:
P value:
IU 11 and 10
TCK
Matched
only
Voigt
2013
6.41219
0.00000
Total number of records read:
34
Number of teachers with both
pretest and posttest scores:
34
Number of teachers with
significant gains:
Other
Total Number teachers
Number with any gain
Number with no gain
Number with decrease
24
35
30
2
2
Year One - Sept., 2013 – June, 2014
4 Professional Development Days

Day One: Tuesday, September 17, 2013 Curriculum Writing, PLC, David Bauman
from PDE, Hoss's Community Room in Huntingdon, Pa 8:30 -4:00

Day Two: Thursday, Oct. 10, 2013 Literacy Design Collaborative, Juniata
College 8:00 - 4:00

Day Three: Thursday, Nov. 21, 2013 Literacy Design Collaborative, Juniata
College 8:00 - 4:00

Day Four: Tuesday, February 4, 2014 Literacy Design Collaborative, Juniata
College 8:00 - 4:00
Stipends/reimbursements for
professional development


Schools will receive a stipend:

To cover cost of substitute teachers

To reimburse teachers for travel expenses

For administrative costs associated with collecting PSSA and
PVAAS data for evaluation purposes
Teachers will receive a stipend for participation

$1000 was paid to the teachers this summer

They will receive final $1000 at end of school year
Comparison Group

The grant requires that the Teacher Content Knowledge Assessment be
administered to a comparison group of teachers at two appropriate time
points (two weeks apart).

Individual scores are not reported to the district or school.

Scores reported only in aggregate form.

Comparison Group teachers will receive a $50 stipend for taking the test two
times.

The test will be proctored by an IU employee per grant requirements.
PDE Science Curriculum Frameworks (Draft) for Curriculum Mapping
Combination of PA Standards and Anchors and Next Generation Standards
Grade/ Big
Course Ideas
Earth and
Space Science
Life Science
Nature of
Science
Physical
Science
Unifying
Themes
Essential
Questions
Concepts Competencies
Voc.
Standards
Eligible
Content
Collaborative Science Curriculum Writers
Grade 5, 6
Earth, Life, 7 Grade 8
Bio/Env.
Physics/Chem.
Hart
Dean
Norman
Himes
Gregory
Smith
Johnson
Spotts
Jordan
Dickson
D’Ambrosia
McKelvey
McMath
Yeckley
Detwiler
Clark
Rennell
Gillam
Kratzer
Addleman
Rosensteel
Elder
Quinn
Walker
Rupeka
Beegle
Mastrine
Schriver
Eichelberger
Caruso
Sutika
Quinter
Goodman
Snare
Christophel
Science PA Standards and Eligible Content AND PA Common Core
Reading and Writing – Literacy Design Collaborative
Two Pennsylvania Intermediate Units, Recipients of the Title IIB Math and Science Collaborative, Will Utilize the Literacy Design Framework for Build Common Tools to
Integrate Literacy and Content Standards Across Science Courses
By: Linda Russo, TIU # 11 and Bobbie W. Pfingstler, Ed.D., CIU # 11, Project Directors
Tuscarora Intermediate Unit # 11 in McVeytown, Pennsylvania, and Central Intermediate Unit # 10 in West Decatur, Pennsylvania were recipients of the Title II B Math and
Science Grant. Over the course of three years, they will receive each year an amount of $315,141.00. In addition to partnership of the two Intermediate Units, Juniata College
and Capital Intermediate Unit # 13, are also contributing partners.

The goals of the project are:

1. To improve individual teachers’ content knowledge in science and enhance their pedagogical skills in order to reduce the number of teachers who are not
adequately prepared to teach science in grades 5-12

2. To improve inquiry-based science teaching practices

3. To increase academic achievement of students taught by the teachers involved in this program

4. To develop participating teachers into leaders of science in order to expand district leadership and promote professional development in support of effective
teaching.
During the two-week Summer Institute, Juniata College will provide an intensive two-week (80 hour) opportunity for the thirty-seven teachers from high need districts a focus
on embedding science content with learner-centered pedagogy. The districts include Title I schools and/or schools with greater than 25% of students scoring basic or below on
the science PSSA and schools who are showing moderate to significant evidence of not meeting Pennsylvania’s standards for academic growth according to PVAAS data. During
the institute, Juniata College faculty partners from the Biology, Physics, Chemistry, Environmental Science, Mathematics, and Education Departments will help participants
learn fundamental integrated science concepts through simulation and modeling activities, inquiry-based investigations, current research, data analysis, and group
investigations. The content will focus on physical and biological/life sciences with topics and activities designed to strengthen the subject matter background of fifth through
twelfth grade science teachers and special education teachers.
Twenty-four hours of follow-up activities during the school-year will continue the Professional Learning Community that will support teachers’ application of science content in
their schools through collaborative lesson planning and lesson study, and analysis of standards and instructional strategies and resources using the Framework of the Literacy
Design Collaborative. Through the facilitation of the trained consultants from the two Intermediate Units in using the Literacy Design Collaborative, the PLC will meet three
times during the school year at Juniata College to learn how to understand and articulate the relationships among the PA Comprehensive Literacy Plan (PaCLP), the Common
Core State Standards (CCSS), and Literacy Design Collaborative (LDC). The science teachers will develop LDC tasks and modules for their subject area. They will also build
consensus in scoring student writing using the LDC analytic rubrics. The exemplary tasks and modules will be stored on the PLC on the Pennsylvania Standards Aligned Portal for
use for all members.
Additionally, each participant will be assigned a mentor/coach who will assist them as they begin to implement their new knowledge and practice in their classrooms.
Project Directors, Linda Russo and Bobbie W. Pfingstler, Ed.D., will relay quantitative and qualitative results at the end of each year of the three-year Title IIB Mathematics and
Science Grant.
MSP Grant Helps to Fund Coaches for
Science Teachers
During the school year, two coaches will support the
science teachers with visits to their classrooms,
approximately two times per year.
Project Evaluators Will Visit Classrooms

Susan Voigt and Sheri Moyer, Capital Area Intermediate Unit,
independent evaluators, will notify teachers prior to visitation.

Evaluation requirements

Teacher Content Knowledge

Student Achievement

Change in Classroom Practices
DO SCHOOLS AND TEACHERS IN PENNSYLVANIA HAVE WHAT THEY
NEED TO SUCCEED?

Make science count
Pennsylvania tests students in science, but it only holds schools accountable for meeting
student performance targets on reading
and math tests. Science should count, too. When there are no consequences for science
achievement, schools can easily give
science short shrift.

Ease the transition between high school and college
Pennsylvania students should understand the requirements for college admission and whether
a high school diploma prepares them for college-level work. One way to ensure that diplomas
have
meaning is to align state high school graduation and college entrance requirements.
Pennsylvania also should expand access to rigorous courses in math and science.
For example, the state could strengthen initiatives that helps school boost participation in AP
courses, especially among women and minorities.

Attend to achievement gaps
Pennsylvania continues to struggle with very large racial, ethnic and income-based
achievement gaps in math and science. There is also evidence that the state's minority and
low-income students have less access to educational opportunities, such as rigorous
coursework, qualified teachers who feel well supported and other educational resources.
Pennsylvania should ensure that its policies offer extra support to the students who need it
most—while continuing to hold those students to a high bar.
Summer Institute Year II
Will be held at Juniata College on June 16 20 and June 23 - 27, 2014