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

这是一份针对NSF 15-555计划征集的教职早期职业发展计划(Career)提案。职业生涯计划是国家科学基金会范围内的一项活动，为那些通过杰出的研究、出色的教育以及教育和研究的整合来体现教师学者作用的初级教师提供最有声望的奖项。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，该计划基于相关研究和国家报告确定的因素，这些因素是关于什么是21世纪学校的模范做法。该项目将通过使用STEM准备性等级标准来作出这一决定，该标准是通过先前的一项裁决制定的，本研究将对该标准进行进一步修订。评分表将使用15项标准记录参与学校在校长、教师和学生层面的准备程度，这些标准包括STEM的基本支持、核心要素、属性和特点的组合，通过：(1)学校领导力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，反映高质量的教学实践；以及(4)支持典型校本项目的资源(如人员、时间、空间、材料和用品)的投资。该项目将使用调查、焦点小组和面对面访谈来收集18名校长的数据；使用课堂观察和调查来收集380名教师的数据；以及使用调查来收集3700名学生的数据。这些数据收集，加上其他间歇性的研究活动，将提供有关参与学校现有项目的见解，这些项目涉及有效的学校领导力、最先进的教学实践，以及对学生对STEM教育的兴趣、动机和自我效能的影响。该项目的主要成果将是基于校长、教师和学生的意见，在项目顾问委员会和孟菲斯大学教育政策研究中心的指导下，经过现场测试的联合改进的STEM准备程度标准。该准则将有助于向地区教育利益攸关方和大学合作伙伴决策者提供关于在哪里以及何时投资资源以进一步支持更高质量的STEM项目和学校发展的选择。它还将有助于确定如何改善学生对未来学习和职业课程的总体看法，以及为教师培训开发专业发展单元。除了这些关键的学区级成果外，这些成果还将用于通过进一步完善STEM教师领导力证书课程和STEM教师领导力证书课程来加强教师准备工作。

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.