Targeted MSP: The University at Buffalo/Buffalo Public Schools (UB/BPS) Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Partnership

跨学科科学与工程伙伴关系(ISEP)由纽约州立大学系统成员布法罗大学领导，并包括布法罗公立学校、布法罗州立学院和布法罗科学博物馆作为核心合作伙伴。支持合作伙伴包括Praxair Technology，Inc.，Roswell Park癌症研究所，Hauptman-Woodward医学研究所，西纽约服务学习联盟和布法罗公立学校区家长协调委员会。ISEP的重点是理工科学生在过渡到高中时的关键中学经历。该项目通过课程和跨学科研究经验，开发符合国家科学学习标准的科学技术课堂材料，以及探究式课程，在12所高需求城市学校(包括“支线”中学及其对应的高中)中采用了一种创新的教师专业发展方法。ISEP还结合了新颖的指导方法和扩大的专业学习社区，以建立领导力和资源，以改善高需求/高潜力的城市学校的科学教育。学习社区培养了包括中学和高中教师和学生、布法罗大学和布法罗州立学院STEM教职员工、教育教师、本科生和研究生、STEM志愿者专业人员和/或家长的指导关系。一个关键的计划组成部分是开发一种成功的机制，将最新的科学和工程研究方法整合到中学和高中教师的经验基础中。“教师的研究经验”在整个ISEP中很普遍，教师参与跨学科的团队研究计划，这些计划不仅注重研究经验，而且还注重开发符合学习标准并借鉴多学科方法的课堂材料。布法罗公立学校每年约有48名教师有机会通过多个科学和工程轨道接触尖端研究。包括校长在内的ISEP团队将这些研究经验与密集的领导力发展培训联系起来，在强化领导力发展培训中，教师将具有挑战性的科学课程和课程与国家和纽约州学习标准保持一致，专注于增加学生的探究体验。最终，教师提高他们的指导技能，学会在他们的学校内形成扩大的科学教育工作者的学习社区，并影响他们的整个学校文化。ISEP正在进行教育研究，研究科学教师发展跨学科科学探究知识的过程和条件，以及如何将这些知识转化为跨学科教学知识(PCK)，最终改善学生的科学学习。因此，ISEP的研究问题是：(1)科学教师对跨学科科学探究的概念是什么？通过密集的暑期研究和持续的专业发展，他们的观念是如何改变的？(2)科学教师如何将在大学研究实验室获得的跨学科科学探究经验和理解转化为课堂探究教学实践，即科学教师如何发展跨学科科学探究PCK？专业学习社区如何支持跨学科科学探究PCK的教师发展？通过ISEP产生的成果正通过一个组织严密的科学教师网络、利用NYLearns.org在地区和全州范围内传播、通过一个项目网站以及通过区域和国家场所的演讲和出版物在整个地区传播。

The Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Partnership (ISEP) is led by the University at Buffalo, a member of the State University of New York system, and includes as core partners the Buffalo Public Schools, Buffalo State College and the Buffalo Museum of Science. Supporting partners include Praxair Technology, Inc., Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Hauptman-Woodward Medical Research Institute, the Western New York Service Learning Coalition, and the Buffalo Public Schools District Parent Coordinating Committee. The focus of ISEP is the critical middle school experiences of students in science and engineering as they transition to high school. The project utilizes an innovative approach to teacher professional development among 12 high-needs urban schools (including "feeder" middle schools and their corresponding high schools) via courses and interdisciplinary research experiences, development of science and technology classroom materials that are aligned with state science learning standards, and inquiry-based curricula. The ISEP also combines novel mentoring approaches and expanded professional learning communities to build leadership and resources for improving science education in high-needs/high-potential urban schools. The learning communities cultivate mentoring relationships involving middle and high school teachers and students, University at Buffalo and Buffalo State College STEM faculty, education faculty, undergraduate students and graduate students, volunteer STEM professionals, and/or parents.A key program component is the development of a successful mechanism to integrate the latest scientific and engineering research approaches into the experience base of middle and high school teachers. "Research Experiences for Teachers" are widespread across the ISEP with teachers involved in interdisciplinary team-based research programs that focus not only on the research experience, but also on the development of classroom materials that are aligned with learning standards and draw from multidisciplinary approaches. Approximately 48 Buffalo Public Schools teachers each year have the opportunity to access cutting edge research through multiple science and engineering tracks. The ISEP team, which includes principals, links these research experiences to intensive leadership development training, in which teachers align challenging science courses and curricula with national and New York State Learning Standards, focusing on increasing the number of inquiry experiences for students. Ultimately, the teachers enhance their mentoring skills, learn to form expanded learning communities of science educators within their schools, and impact their entire school culture.ISEP is conducting educational research on the processes and conditions in which science teachers develop interdisciplinary science inquiry knowledge, and how this knowledge may be translated into interdisciplinary pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) that ultimately improves student science learning. Thus, the research questions for the ISEP are: (1) What are science teachers' conceptions of interdisciplinary science inquiry? How do their conceptions change through intensive summer research and ongoing professional developments? (2) How do science teachers translate interdisciplinary science inquiry experiences and understanding gained in university research laboratories into their classroom inquiry instructional practices, i.e., how do science teachers develop interdisciplinary science inquiry PCK? and (3) How do professional learning communities support teacher development of interdisciplinary science inquiry PCK? Findings produced through ISEP are being disseminated throughout the district via a well-organized science teachers network, regionally and statewide using NYLearns.org, through a project website, and through presentations and publications via regional and national venues.