Institution: Northeastern University, Boston, MA PI/CoPI: David Blackman, PI, Director, Institute for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics), Education; Jean Krasnow, Co-PI, Visiting Associate Professor, Education. Number of Fellows per year (graduate): 12 School District Partners: Boston Charter Schools: City on a Hill, Boston Renaissance, Health Careers Academy; Boston Public Schools: Boston Latin Academy, Fenway High School, John D. O'Bryant H.S., Quincy Upper School Target audience of the project (K-12 band): middle and high school, grades 7-12 Setting: urban Disciplines involved: Mathematics, Geology, Physics, Chemistry, and Biology
Narrative Summary: The NU GK-12-PLUS project will continue the Fellows program at Northeastern, incorporate lessons learned from the first round, share the knowledge gained from the program with the faculty concerned with improving graduate and undergraduate education, and institutionalize the program within the University. We will follow the participants over time to assess the impact of the work in order to fmd out how students best acquire facts, content and skills in a variety of learning situations. Innovative aspects of the program include ( 1) maintaining a close working relationship with the Principals and Headmasters of the Boston partner schools who will be Instrumental in matching Fellows with teachers, monitoring the program in their schools, and lobbying for a strong University-public school relationship and institutionalization of the program; (2) an outcomes-based approach, with curriculum and teaching materials produced each year and made available to others; and (3) an evaluation model that will document longitudinally the activities of the Fellows and their cooperating teachers, and track the achievement of students in STEM in the partner schools.
Intellectual merit criteria: This project engages the University and 7 urban schools in the question of how best to prepare students for future careers in math and science. The models developed and the results of our assessments over time will be made available to partner schools, to our departments of arts and sciences, and to the programs in our School of Education for preparation of mathematics and science teachers and integration of GK -12 activities into graduate education.
Broader implications criteria: The project will benefit all partners: Fellows will gain practical experience in the classroom; teachers will become better STEM educators and help introduce and strengthen STEM curriculum in their schools; the K-12 students will benefit from enhanced STEM instruction which should lead to higher scores on exams, better preparation for higher education, and eventual entrance into the technology- oriented workplace. Our model can be replicated by other universities partnering with urban schools, particularly in those with high proportions of underrepresented minority students.
