CAREER: A Study of Factors that Affect Middle School Levels of Readiness for Implementing STEM Programs

这是一个教师早期职业发展计划（CAREER）的建议，响应计划征求NSF 15-555。职业生涯计划是一个国家科学基金会范围内的活动，提供最负盛名的奖项，以支持初级教师谁通过杰出的研究，优秀的教育和教育与研究的整合，发挥教师学者的作用。该项目将调查六所城市中学是否正在实施高效的科学，技术，工程和数学（STEM）计划，这些计划是基于通过相关研究和国家报告确定的因素，这些报告是关于21世纪重点学校的模范做法。该项目将通过使用通过以前的奖项开发的STEM准备程度规则来确定这一点，该奖项将通过本研究进一步修订。该排行榜将记录参与学校在校长、教师和学生层面的准备程度，使用15项标准，包括STEM的基本支持、核心要素、属性和特征的组合：（1）学校领导作为教育变革的驱动力;（2）教师和工作人员在所有学术领域的专业能力;（3）以学生为中心的学习氛围，反映高质量的教学和学习实践;（4）资源的投资（如人员配备，时间，空间，材料和用品，伙伴关系），支持示范校本课程。该项目将采用调查、焦点小组和面对面访谈的方式，从18位校长那里收集数据;课堂观察和调查将从380位教师那里收集数据;调查将从3700名学生那里收集数据。这些数据收集，通过其他间歇性的研究活动增强，将提供有关参与学校有效的学校领导，最先进的教学和学习实践，以及对学生的兴趣，动机和自我效能感的影响的见解。该项目的主要成果将是根据校长、教师和学生的意见，并在项目咨询委员会和孟菲斯大学教育政策研究中心的指导下，联合制定一个经过实地测试的STEM准备水平标准。该规则将有助于告知地区一级教育利益相关者和大学合作伙伴决策者关于在何处以及何时投入资源以进一步支持更高质量STEM项目和学校的发展的选择。它还将有助于确定如何改善学生对未来学习课程和职业的总体看法，并有助于为教师培训制定专业发展模块。除了这些重点学区一级的成果，结果将用于通过进一步完善方法课程和STEM教师领导力证书课程来加强教师的准备工作。

This is a Faculty Early Career Development Program (CAREER) proposal responsive to Program Solicitation NSF 15-555. The CAREER program is a National Science Foundation-wide activity that offers the most prestigious awards in support of junior faculty who exemplify the role of teacher-scholars through outstanding research, excellent education and the integration of education and research. This project will investigate whether six urban middle schools are implementing highly effective science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) programs based on factors identified through relevant research and national reports on what constitutes exemplary practices in 21st century-focused schools. The project will make this determination through the use of a STEM level of readiness rubric developed through a previous award that will be further revised through this study. The rubric will document the participating schools' level of readiness at the principal, teacher, and student levels using 15 criteria that include a combination of essential supports, core elements, attributes, and characteristics about STEM through: (1) school leadership as the driver of change in education; (2) professional capacity among teachers and staff in all academic areas; (3) student-centered learning climate reflective of high-quality teaching and learning practices; and (4) investment of resources (e.g. staffing, time, space, materials and supplies, partnerships) that support exemplary school-based programs. The project will use surveys, focus groups, and face-to-face interviews to collect data from 18 principals; classroom observations and a survey to collect data from 380 teachers, and a survey to collect data from 3700 students. These data collections, augmented by other intermittent research activities, will provide insights about extant programs in participating schools regarding effective school leadership, state-of-the art teaching and learning practices, and the impact on students' interest, motivation, and self-efficacy about STEM education. The primary outcome from this project will be a field-tested jointly refined STEM level of readiness rubric based on input from principals, teachers, and students with guidance from the project's advisory board and the Center for Research in Educational Policy at the University of Memphis. The rubric will be instrumental in informing district-level education stakeholders and university-partner decision-makers' choices about where and when to invest resources to further support the development of higher quality STEM programs and schools. It will also be useful in identifying ways to improve students' overall perceptions about future courses of study and careers and the development of professional development modules for teacher training. Beyond these key school district-level outcomes, results will be used to enhance teacher preparation efforts through further refinement of methods courses and the STEM Teacher Leadership Certificate Program at the University.