The Copernicus Project
University of California, Riverside
Graduate School of Education
Partnership Building & Pathway
Modeling for Science Teachers
The PRIME Conference
March 6, 2009
Linda Scott Hendrick, Ph.D.
www.copernicusproject.ucr.edu
Linda Scott Hendrick: Principal Investigator
Athena Waite: Co-Principal Investigator
Jocelyn Edey, Co-Director
Steve Gómez, Co-Director
Cathy Lussier, Co-Director
Raymond Hurst, Education/Business Liaison
Ryan Shiba
Kenisha Williams
Jacquelyn Rodriguez
Monica Esparza
Gloria Newman
A Pop Quiz
Nicolas Copernicus is
– a.) a new hip hop artist
– b.) a relief pitcher for the Dodgers
– c.) the scientist who defined
“out of the box” thinking
…500 years ago
– d.) the new lottery scratcher
Project Goals & Objectives
1. Early identification of diverse future
science teachers as well as established
science teachers at the:
• community college level (future teacher)
• teacher preparation level (teacher in training)
• novice & veteran teacher level
Project Goals & Objectives
2. Create & implement high quality,
focused teacher preparation &
advanced professional development for
identified:
• future science teachers
• new & veteran science teachers
Project Goals & Objectives
3. Create continued, sustained, mentored
support for new & veteran science
teachers through partnerships
Project Outcomes
 Increase the number & diversity of
science teachers
 Cultivate deeper science subject matter
knowledge & expert pedagogy
 Improve significantly students’ science
achievement
The 5 E Model and State and
National Content Standards
 Engage
 Explore
 Explain
 Elaborate
 Evaluate
Implementing Project Goals
The Copernicus
Project
Partners
Copernicus Partners
 Institutions of Higher Education:
– 4 Four-Year Institutions
– 4 Community Colleges
 8 School Districts
 Riverside County Office of Education
 Greater Riverside Chambers of Commerce
The Developmental
Teacher Preparation
Continuum
Building a Teacher
Education Pipeline
Science Blended Programs have been
be developed at 4-year partner IHEs to:
– Offer “early deciding”students an enriched
“blended” undergraduate science major
– Include early professional field experiences
– Provide a “fast track” to classroom teaching
– Allow transfer to partner 4-year IHEs
through an articulated community college
curriculum
Building a Teacher
Education Pipeline
Provides one ‘Teacher Education
Program Specialist’ at each partnering
community college
Conducts transfer workshops for
student course-taking advisement
Works with community college
counselors to place students in paid
summer internships in university
laboratories
Community College Counselors
 Teacher Education Program Specialists are provided at
each partnering campus.
 Provide early field experiences.
 Arrange transfer workshops & advisement for participation
in the Science Blended Program.
– Easy transfer to 4-year IHE’s through articulated curricula
– Fast track to teaching
 Paid Community College Internship (CCI) experience
Community College Science
Summer Internships (CCI)
 4 Partnering Community Colleges
 CC Students
60 participants
 2 Weeks
Community College Science
Summer Internships (CCI)
 Students live in dorms, experience campus life,
network w/ other future teachers.
 Students provided:
– campus admission & transfer information
– financial aid resources
– teacher credential program information.
CCI Lab Experience
 Science faculty create & deliver hands-on
science activities.
 Examples:
• organic solar cell fabrication
• water quality engineering
• invasive species
management
CCI Skills & Teaching
 Students taught pedagogy:
–
–
Learning styles
Strategies for
English language learners
& special needs students
 Students taught
technology
& presentation skills
 Students practice skills
& share knowledge w/ peers
CCI in Action
The Copernicus Project
Community College Internship
Program Outcomes for Community
College Students
CCI Outcomes
 Pre-test & Post-test surveys
 Pre-test & Post-test results indicate significant (p=.05)
– Increased interest in university transfer
– Increased interest in teaching
 Follow-up Surveys
– 50% respondents have now taken an education class
– 75% now confident that they will become a teacher
CCI - Student Feedback…
“I valued the labs and lectures, they ran
smoothly & were centered around the
students’ needs.”
“Dr. Hoddle’s entomology lab was very
impressive & professional. The pedagogy
was very useful & insightful!”
“I valued the knowledge that I have gained
through this experience. It has been a great
learning experience & a very fun process.”
Science Summer Institutes (SSI)
Science Summer Institutes (SSI)
 High School & Middle School teachers
 Partner w/ High School students
 2-week Summer Science education
 Topics
–
–
–
–
Year 1: Biology
Year 2: Chemistry
Year 3: Earth Science & Physics
Year 4: Elementary Science
through literacy (elementary
teachers)
 Mentor site visits throughout the year
 2 follow-up sessions
You are here
Standards
Pacing
Guides
HELP
Inquiry
learning
SSI – Goals and Content
 District administrators and teachers collaboratively select
standards-based content
 Pedagogy demonstrated and practiced in hands-on
experiences
 Teachers develop new inquiry-based lesson plans
(5 E Model – Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, & Evaluate)
 Technology skills developed and integrated into lesson
presentations
SSI – Goals and Content (cont.)
 Teachers share and publish new lesson plans
 AVID-like high school students partner with teachers
– Learn (pedagogy, science content, campus and credential info.,
etc.)
– Collaborate on science lesson with mentor SSI teacher
– Implement and teach science lesson to 5th grade class
– Develop leadership skills and academic motivation
 Teachers develop and implement Action Research
 Support and collaboration continue all year long
SSI – Goals and Content (cont.)
 University extension
credits available to
teachers
 Assist participating
teachers within their
authorized credential area to
earn a ‘degree
authorization’ in Science
(NCLB compliant)
SSI Pre-Post Test Comparisons
 Statistically significant increases: (p=.05)
– Teachers’ self-assessment of comfort in genetics
and biology related class activities and topics
– Development of inquiry-based pedagogical and
assessment orientations for students
– Teachers’ use of computer technologies
in class and at home in lesson planning
– Use of PowerPoint, image scanning, virtual labs,
e-portfolios and science internet resources during
lessons and in class
SSI Pre-Post Test Comparisons
 Statistically significant increases: (p=.05)
– Perceived ability to reach and motivate all of their science
students
– Perceived capacity to make a difference in students’ lives
– Positive perceptions of their decisions to become a teacher
– Satisfaction with teaching ability
– Value of collaborative meetings with other teachers
SSI Teacher Feedback
 “The time in content
area teams was
helpful, I enjoyed
working with teachers
that taught the subject
that I teach. Thanks to
Dr. Ferko for
explaining the labs to
me at a level I can
understand.”
SSI Student Feedback
 “I valued getting to
present our lesson
plans to the teachers
and listening to their
thoughts.”
 “This experience
made my summer
better, this made me
want to be a teacher,
I have a new respect
for them.”
Evaluation Plan
Components
Increased retention of science
teachers
Increased teacher training in
technology
Effective teaching of science through
literacy in elementary grades
Increased student science
achievement
The Copernicus Project
Science Summer Institute Outcomes
for Veteran and New Teachers
Science Summer Institutes (SSI)
Enhanced Teacher
Confidence Levels and Higher
Motivation
Science Summer Institutes (SSI)
Statistically significant increases: (p=.05)
---Development of inquiry-based pedagogical
and assessment orientations for students
---Teachers’ uses of computer technologies in
class and at home in lesson planning
---Uses of PowerPoint, image scanning,
virtual labs, e-portfolios, and science internet
resources during lessons and in class
Statistically significant increases: (p=.05)
Science Summer Institutes (SSI)
---Perceived ability to reach and
motivate all of their science students
---Perceived capacity to make a
difference in students’ lives
---Positive perceptions of their
decisions to become teachers
---Satisfaction with teaching abilities
The Copernicus Project
Science Achievement Scores for
Students of Copernicus Teacher
Participants
Year 2 – 2006 CCI
California Standards Test,
Biology- Year 1
Year
2
–
2006
CCI
Year 1- State:
+3 % increase
SSI High School 1:
SSI High School 2 :
SSI High School 3 :
SSI High School 4 :
SSI High School 5 :
SSI High School 6 :
+12% increase
+12% increase
+ 8% increase
+ 6% increase
+ 5% increase
+ 2% increase
California Standards Test,
Chemistry- Year 2
Year 2- State:
+4 % increase
SSI High School 1:
SSI High School 2 :
SSI High School 3 :
SSI High School 4 :
SSI High School 5 :
SSI High School 6 :
+20% increase
+11% increase
+8 % increase
+8 % increase
+7 % increase
+7 % increase
California Standards Test,
Earth Science- Year 3
Year 3 - State:
+3 % increase
SSI High School 1:
SSI High School 2 :
SSI High School 3 :
SSI High School 4 :
SSI High School 5 :
SSI High School 6 :
+43% increase
+28% increase
+26 % increase
+26 % increase
+25 % increase
+22 % increase
California Standards Test,
Physics- Year 3
Year 3 - State:
+8 % increase
SSI High School 1:
SSI High School 2 :
SSI High School 3 :
SSI High School 4 :
SSI High School 5 :
SSI High School 6 :
+71% increase
+61% increase
+55 % increase
+49 % increase
+43 % increase
+40 % increase
And that’s just
the beginning:
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CoperniKids: helping
underrepresented elementary
school students create a
pathway to a college education
in science.
Training high school students
in our teaching model, then
having them teach science to
5th graders.
Training veteran teachers on
the latest scientific research.
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“Our journey has never
been one of short cuts or
settling for less. It has not
been the path of the fainthearted. Rather, it has
been the risk-takers, the
doers, the makers…”
What is Important to You?
For Discussion in Table Groups:
Learn
Link
Leverage
Collaborate
Next Steps
Report from the Group
Thank you for your participation and interest!