The American Physical Society (APS), in partnership with the American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT) and the American Institute of Physics (AIP) plans to establish a program that will dramatically improve the preparation of physics and physical science teachers, nation-wide. This project will increase the role of physics departments, in collaboration with education departments, to create more and better-prepared future teachers. The PhysTEC staff will negotiate signed subcontracts and a detailed Scope of Work from each of the preliminary Primary Program Institutions (PPIs) sites. The selection of PPIs will be based on the individual institution's commitment to become actively involved with teacher preparation reform as demonstrated by their degree of effectiveness (success) with previous efforts. The preliminary PPIs initially chosen will include a mix of very large and smaller institutions, as well as, one Historically Black College (HBCU). A small conference will also be scheduled in the fall 2000 in Washington, D.C. If the grant is awarded, planning and hiring of the Teacher-in-Residence will commence at each site during the spring and summer months of 2001. The full program of course revision and departmental changes would begin in the fall 2001. This project is co-funded by the NSF Division of Undergraduate Education, Division of Elementary, Secondary, and Informal Education, Division of Materials Research, and the Division of Physics.
