Abstract
The National Science Foundation GK-12 program, started in 1999, partnered university STEM graduate students with K-12 classroom teachers to co-teach inquiry science “to boost the content of elementary and secondary education and the quality of graduate and undergraduate education at the same time” (Colwell, 1999). In the current study we describe the adaptations to the original Vanderbilt GK-12 program – now called the Scientist in the Classroom Partnership (SCP) – that have allowed the program to continue for over 20 years while maintaining the essential components. The SCP has been integrated into the STEM program of the partner school district, and is now in its 21st year. All of the participants in the SCP program have benefited from the experience: fellows have gained important teaching, communication, and mentoring skills; teachers have gained science content knowledge and confidence in teaching science; and students have exhibited increased excitement about science and interest in science careers. The SCP has provided professional training for 184 fellows; has provided over 200 professional development hours per teacher for 138 middle and high school teachers in 35 schools; and has positively impacted the STEM learning of over 30,000 students.
Highlights
A current major reform effort is to better prepare students for jobs demanding STEM expertise
To determine the possibility that the Scientist in the Classroom Partnership (SCP) program results in increased retention of STEM teachers, we examined the current status of all middle and high school teachers who participated in the program up to the present to determine the percentage of teachers who remained in the K-12 system
The current paper presents the results of a 20-year Scientist in the Classroom Partnership (SCP) program that has been sustained and integrated into the STEM curriculum in partnership with the local public schools
Summary
A current major reform effort is to better prepare students for jobs demanding STEM expertise. The U.S Congress Joint Economic Committee (2012) recently reported that many students do not have access to quality STEM education, resulting in little interest or ability to enter or continue along the STEM pipeline. Careers in STEM areas are predicted to grow from 4.7% in astronomy to 32% in computer science by 2028, with entry-level salaries over $100,000 in many areas (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2018). This growth is much faster than that predicted for all other job areas (Vilorio, 2014). Jobs outside traditional STEM fields will require STEM skills, further underscoring the need for strong STEM education (U.S Congress Joint Economic Committee, 2012)
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