This one-year project will offer re-training opportunities for a number of uncertified middle school/high school chemistry teachers. The project will utilize the skills of Master Teachers, including one or more National Science Foundation Presidential Awardees, selected from 15 school systems in Northern Louisiana. During the academic year 1988-89, the Master Teachers, in conjunction with faculty from the Departments of Chemistry, and Science Education, will plan, develop, and field-test a resource handbook designed to aid all teachers of chemistry. During the summer of 1989 chemistry course-work will be provided for 20 chemistry teachers in the fifteen systems. The selected participants will be teaching with temporary certificates or outside their area of certification. The chemistry course will consist of two, four week sessions. Each four week session will involve daily class-meetings in the morning and two afternoon laboratory meetings each week. Participants will obtain a background in chemistry while at the same time accumulating materials, ideas, and experience that will enhance their skills as chemistry teachers. During the fall of 1989 the Master Teachers, with the assistance of chemists from Louisiana Tech University, will serve as system level chemistry consultants. Using the handbook as a base, three in-service programs will be offered in five sites in North Louisiana. Each participant will earn a total credits of 6 hours for lecture and 2 hours for laboratory, adding up to a total of eight credit hours of introductory chemistry for successful completion of the course. This project offers the opportunity of studying the impact of a concentrated exposure to chemistry instruction on uncertified teachers Louisiana Tech University has contributed an amount equal to 41% of the National Science Foundation award.
