An Innovative Approach to Earth Science Teacher Preparation: Uniting Science, Informal Science Education, and Schools to Raise Student Achievement

美国自然历史博物馆（AMNH）与纽约大学教育与社会政策研究所合作，正在开发一种科学教师培训的创新模式。该项目利用了世界一流的非正式教育机构AMNH的科学和教育资源，并借鉴了城市教师实习项目的最佳实践。该项目的主要目标是为教师候选人提供另一种途径，使他们能够获得董事会颁发的7-12年级地球科学专业教学硕士学位。这个为期15个月、36个学分的学术项目最初将为50名未来的地球科学教师提供服务。教师候选人将参加科学内容和教学法方面的严格课程，在AMNH进行暑期教学和科学实习实习，并在纽约市地区的高需求学校进行校本实习指导。毕业后，教师将保持与AMNH的联系，并承诺在纽约市高需求，低绩效学校至少教学四年。强大的教育研究和评估组件将有助于确定这种新的教师准备模式对纽约市学校学生成绩的影响。更具体地说，该项目将回答“与未参加AMNH项目的一年级地球科学教师所教的学生相比，AMNH MAT一年级地球科学教师所教的学生在学术上的表现如何？”这个问题，并假设通过AMNH项目培训的教师将培养出更高的学生，以他们在纽约州（NYS）科学评估中的分数衡量。鉴于纽约州要求试点项目在高需求、低表现的学校实施，该项目有可能吸引、激励和提高成千上万来自传统上代表性不足的人群（包括英语学习者、特殊教育学生和少数族裔群体）的学生的地球科学成就和对STEM职业的兴趣。此外，这个项目将收集关于非正式科学教育组织在培养合格的地球科学教师方面可以发挥的作用的有意义的数据。

The American Museum of Natural History (AMNH), in collaboration with New York University's Institute for Education and Social Policy, is developing an innovative model of science teacher preparation. The project leverages the scientific and educational resources of a world class informal education institution, AMNH, with best practices from Urban Teacher Residency programs. The primary project goal is to create an alternative pathway for teacher candidates to earn a Board of Regents-awarded Masters of Arts in Teaching (MAT) degree with a specialization in Earth Science teaching for grades 7-12. The proposed 15-month, 36-credit academic program will initially serve 50 prospective Earth Science teachers. Teacher candidates will participate in rigorous coursework in science content and pedagogy, summer teaching and science practicum residencies at AMNH, and mentored school-based residencies in high-need schools in the New York City region. Following graduation, teachers will maintain their ties with AMNH and commit to a minimum of four years of teaching in high-need, low-performing New York City schools.Strong educational research and evaluation components will help to determine the impact of this new teacher preparation model on student achievement in New York City schools. More specifically, this project will answer the question "How do students taught by first year AMNH MAT Earth Science teachers perform academically in comparison with students taught by first year Earth Science teachers not prepared in the AMNH program?", with the hypothesis that teachers trained through the AMNH program will produce higher achieving students as measured by their scores on New York State (NYS) science assessments. In light of the NYS requirement that the pilot program be implemented in high-need, low-performing schools, this project has the potential to engage, motivate and improve the Earth Science achievement and interest in STEM careers of thousands of students from traditionally underrepresented populations including English language learners, special education students, and racial minority groups. In addition, this project will gather meaningful data on the role informal science education organizations can play in preparing well-qualified Earth Science teachers.