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Bora Simmons
National Project for Excellence in EE
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Sarah Haines
Maryland Assoc. for Environmental & Outdoor Educ.
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Chris Moseley
University of Texas at San Antonio
U.S. EPA
 Office of Environmental Education
EECapacity
 EPA funded national EE training program
housed in Cornell University’s Civic Ecology Lab
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U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
U.S. Forest Service
National Environmental Education Foundation
State EE Associations – such as TAEE, MAEOE
Organizational partners – such as the Project
Learning Tree, Arbor Day Foundation, Project
WILD, Keep America Beautiful, Project WET
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Developed Guidelines through a public
participatory process
Engaging educators in a deep discussion about
quality environmental education practice
Building EE as a profession
Guidelines for
the Preparation
and
Professional
Development of
Environmental
Educators
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A resource that provides a set of
recommendations about the basic knowledge
and abilities educators need to provide highquality EE
Developed through a broad-based review and
comment process
Six Themes
1) Environmental Literacy
2) Foundations of Environmental Education
3) Professional Responsibilities of the
Environmental Educator
4) Planning and Implementing
Environmental Education Programs
5) Fostering Learning
6) Assessment and Evaluation
1) Environmental Literacy
1.1) Questioning, Analysis, and
Interpretation Skills
1.2) Knowledge of Environmental
Processes and Systems
1.3) Skills for Understanding and
Addressing Environmental Issues
1.4) Personal and Civic Responsibility
2) Foundations of Environmental Education
2.1) Fundamental Characteristics and Goals of
Environmental Education
2.2) How Environmental Education is
Implemented
2.3) The Evolution of the Field
3) Professional Responsibilities of the
Environmental Educator
3.1) Exemplary Environmental Education
Practice
3.2) Emphasis on Education, Not Advocacy
3.3) Ongoing Learning and Professional
Development
4) Planning and Implementing
Environmental Education
4.1)
4.2)
4.3)
4.4)
Knowledge of Learners
Knowledge of Instructional Methodologies
Planning for Instruction
Knowledge of Environmental Education
Materials and Resources
4.5) Technologies that Assist Learning
4.6) Settings for Instruction
4.7) Curriculum Planning
5) Fostering Learning
5.1) A Climate for Learning About and
Exploring the Environment
5.2) An Inclusive and Collaborative Learning
Environment
5.3) Flexible and Responsive Instruction
6) Assessment and Evaluation
6.1)
6.2)
6.3)
6.4)
Learner Outcomes
Assessment that is Part of Instruction
Improving Instruction
Evaluating Programs
Founded in 1985, MAEOE is a nonprofit
environmental education association serving
thousands of teachers, natural resource
managers, nature center staff, and
environmental program managers
We serve our audience through offering
dynamic training programs, workshops,
conferences, awards programs, networking
opportunities, publications, and related
materials and resources
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Most professions have a
certification program
There is no environmental
education degree program in
Maryland
Environmental education is
interdisciplinary. Educators
need solid training in
science, social studies,
economics, education, etc.
High quality EE supports
education reform goals such
as No Child Left Inside and
the state environmental
literacy requirement and can
positively impact school
performance.
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Resume: Theme 3:
Professional Responsibility
 Document
real world environmental education
opportunities you have been involved in
 Document relevant professional development
Two teaching observation evaluation forms:
Theme 3: Professional Responsibility; Theme 5:
Fostering Learning; Theme 6: Assessment &
Evaluation
 Lessons
observed must focus on environmental
education concept
Three Lesson Plans/Program Outlines:
Theme 1: Environmental Literacy; Theme 3:
Professional Responsibility; Theme 4: Planning and
Implementing EE; Theme 5: Fostering Learning;
Theme 6: Assessment & Evaluation
Lesson plans should:
 Include at least three different instructional
methodologies, one of which should be
investigative in nature
 Three different assessment tools
 Aligned with state curriculum and Core
Learning Goals
 Safety concerns, use of setting, differentiated
instruction
 Personal reflection
Environmental Literacy Assessment:
Theme 1: Environmental Literacy; Theme 2:
Foundations of Environmental Education; Theme 4:
Planning and Implementing EE; Theme 6:
Assessment & Evaluation
 Online
instrument that is password protected
Two letters of reference
that address how
candidate meets
the Six Themes of
the Guidelines
Research
Teaching
Service
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Draw an Environment Test (DAET)
 Adopted from Draw-A-Scientist Test
(Chambers, 1983)
Two part survey
 Draw a picture of the environment
 Open ended sentence completion defining
the environment
Rubric – DAET-R
NAAEE Guidelines
…” describe the broad view that environmental
education takes of the environment,
incorporating concepts such as systems,
interdependence, and interactions among
humans, other living organisms, the physical
environment, and the built environment.”
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DAET-R:
included evidence of four environmental
factors:
-human interaction
-living organisms
-physical environment
-built environment
Frequency of Factors Drawn by Participants
 69% no human factor
 22% humans without interaction with other
factors
 6% humans interacting with other factors
 2.6% humans as part of systems approach
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72.3% abiotic drawn the most with no
interaction
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Preservice teachers do not have a clear
understanding of the systematic relationship of
environmental factors
Preservice teachers do not consider humans to
be an integral component of the environment
Preservice teachers’ mental models are
incomplete when compared to the NAAEE
Guidelines
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Preservice teachers who have an object view of
the environment may not see the need to take
any responsibility for the environment.
Preservice teachers may be transmitting
inaccurate mental models of the environment
to their students.
There is a need for more EE in preservice
teacher education.
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Assess the infusion of EE in teacher education
programs across the U.S.
Identifying common supports and barriers in
addressing EE in teacher education programs
Explore the extent to which NAAEE Guidelines have
been integrated into programmatic decisions and
practice
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44% of respondents and 81% of
students have never heard of
guidelines
62% of respondents do not use the
guidelines for program development
67% of respondents do not use the
guidelines for program assessment
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Few states offer certification or endorsements
in EE.
Little to no emphasis of EE in teacher education
programs.
Over 85% of states don’t require any
coursework in EE.
Over 80% of the institutions don’t require EE in
coursework.
EE emphasis is limited primarily to early
childhood and elementary education.
Limited knowledge and usage of the NAAEE
Guidelines for Excellence.
 Assessment
Portfolio
 an edited collection of evidence of
professional growth and reflections
representing progress throughout the course.
 a minimum of two pieces of evidence and a
reflection about each item of evidence must
show how candidates have acquired
knowledge and skills in the six themes of the
EE Guidelines
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Texas Environmental Literacy Plan
Texas Environmental Education Certification
Accreditation with NAAEE
Texas Certificate of Recognition in
Environmental Education
 45
hours of approved professional development for
teachers
 UTSA preservice students eligible upon graduation
 EE infused into coursework based on guidelines
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NCATE: Standards for the Initial Preparation of
Environmental Educators
NAAEE: Developing
 National
Certificate of Distinction for Environmental
Education Programs [College/University]
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Offer a workshop thru our
Guidelines Trainers’ Bureau
Access information thru EELinked
eelinked.net/n/guidelines
Attend another webinar
May 8th 4:00pm (Eastern)
Nonformal EE Programs: Guidelines for Excellence
June 26th 4:00pm (Eastern)
Early Childhood EE Programs: Guidelines for Excellence
For more information:
Akiima Price
akiima@apriceconsulting.com