Streamline to Mastery Phase II builds on the collective induction philosophy that undergirds successful NSF-funded Noyce programs at the University of Colorado Boulder. The project is integrating, expanding, and aligning teacher preparation, induction, and leadership by bringing together Noyce Teacher Teams of teachers and prospective teachers with different levels of experience. The focus of each team of veteran, novice, and prospective teachers is on conducting classroom research and the goal of this centralizing activity is the critical examination of assumptions about teaching and learning. The mechanism by which such reflection occurs is scientific inquiry into one's own practice, the practices of others, and the practices of students. This design is like that of any scientific laboratory-knowledge generation with all participants playing critical, productive roles as knowledge producers as well as expert learners. The project is a collaboration of the University of Colorado Boulder, Adams 12 5-Star Schools, Boulder Valley, Cherry Creek, Denver Public Schools, Englewood, Jefferson County, Mapleton, and St. Vrain Valley school districts and includes Colorado Legacy Foundation as a partner. The design of this project reaches beyond general descriptions of teaching practice such as "inquiry-based" and "student-centered" and into the realm of fundamental reorganization of learning contexts for teachers. The Streamline to Mastery Phase II research team activities serve as mechanisms both for the professional growth of participants and as a model for how scientific inquiry into personally and professionally meaningful problems leads to collective knowledge generation.
This project has the potential to impact thousands of students as well as to instigate large-scale change in the way teacher preparation, novice teacher induction, and veteran teacher professional development are conducted. The proposed Teacher Research Team model is potentially sustainable and builds on, rather than questions, the abilities and wisdom of people who devote their lives to teaching. This philosophy transcends into K-12 classrooms, where the skills and experiences of students can be utilized rather than questioned. The model proposed and tested in this project is based on equity and access, guided by the understanding that people will learn in contexts that capitalize on their social, linguistic, experiential, and cognitive resources. The project immediately impacts over 40 teachers, including 10 new Master Teaching Fellows, and their students in high-needs school districts in Colorado. The expectation that Noyce Teacher Teams publish and present their work, and engage other teachers in professional development activities leads to a greater impact on teachers and their students nationwide
