| Outcome/Accomplishment:
The NSF funded Engineering Research Center for Biorenewable Chemicals (CBiRC)
has an Education Outreach Program (EOP) at its lead institute, Iowa State
University (ISU), which has made a tangible difference in the Des Moines
Public School District. As a result of this program, the district,
in partnership with the National Commission on Teaching and America’s Future
(NCTAF), has committed to developing a science teacher Professional Learning
Community (PLC).
Impact/Benefit:
The Des Moines Public School District is the largest school district in
Iowa, serving a large and growing underrepresented minority population.
The PLC brings CBiRC faculty, students, and education specialists together
with pre-college science and math teachers to improve STEM education by
sharing experiences and learning strategies.
Explanation/Background:
The CBiRC’s EOP was devised to meet the Center’s goal of enhancing pre-college
STEM education. An exciting aspect of the EOP is the “First-year
Summer Pre-college” professional development program for teachers. In its
initial year, teachers who had participated in this program voiced their
concern about the disconnect between middle and high school teachers.
This led to CBiRC recommending the PLC in cooperation with NCTAF.
In a win-win situation, the NCTAF agreed to support the PLC, as it met
their goal of creating and sustaining well-focused learning communities.
The NCTAF provided resources
that enabled the district to commit to providing science and math teachers
for 90 minutes twice a month to develop the PLC. CBiRC science and
engineering faculty and students participate in these meetings, thereby
reinforcing the interdisciplinary research efforts underway at CBiRC.
In addition, teachers are able to create authentic student assessment strategies
through advice given by ISU K-12 curriculum and instruction experts. |
