From the Laboratory to the Classroom: Building Capacity for Math and Science Teaching in DC (Lab2Class)

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From the Laboratory to the classroom: Building Capacity for Math and Science Teaching in DC Secondary Schools (Lab2Class) is a collaborative NSF Teaching Fellows (TF) project that brings together American University's (AU) School of Education, Teaching, and Health (SETH), Departments of Mathematics and Statistics and Environmental Science, The Carnegie Institution of Washington, the District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS), and DC Public Charter Schools (DCPCS). The overarching project goals are to increase the number of highly qualified math and science teachers in high-need schools in Washington, DC by recruiting STEM professionals with strong backgrounds in science and math to teach in DC schools for at least four years after completing a one-year intensive teacher certification Masters degree program designed to prepare the Fellows for teacher licensure. Two cohorts of Lab2Class Fellows, consisting of a total of 32 Fellows, 16 in science and 16 in mathematics, are supported throughout their first four years of teaching with professional development, mentoring support and salary supplements. The project is built on the premise and research base that teachers with very strong content knowledge in STEM fields can help secondary school students develop these essential skills. Strategies and outcomes include the following: 1) careful preparation of teachers with deep math or science understanding to be effective teachers; 2) pedagogical innovations for teaching to traditionally under-prepared urban students; 3) assessments of student achievement; 4) insights of the Fellows regarding training and classroom activities; and 5) data on how knowledgeable teachers affect student attainment in a high-need school district. This project is grounded in the literature on what constitutes student learning in science and mathematics. The partners have come together to design a program that empowers teachers to think differently about how they teach in the STEM fields, focusing on inquiry and by using assessments as a tool for instructional decision-making with the ultimate goal of increasing the quality of instruction and student achievement in mathematics and science. The project also brings new information to bear on the conversation around the relationship between teacher content knowledge and student learning. While the partnership is increasing the quality of math and science teachers in Washington, DC, the impact is expected to grow as the participants take on leadership roles and engage in a more systemic change to improve STEM education in the District and beyond. This partnership serves as a model of teacher development in STEM education with potential to increase the pipeline of minority students into the STEM fields.