VT STEM - Meeting Notes

VT STEM K-12 Outreach Initiative
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
10:30 - 12:00, Room C, Graduate Life Center

Minutes

  • Welcome
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  • VT STEM meetings continue on second Tuesdays, here at the GLC
    • April 10, 2007, 10:30-12 Proposed Agenda
      • Virginia Assistive Technology System (VATS)
      • Jason Project – WBRA TV station – a TV based geography outreach program
      • invite John Dooley, Vice Provost for Outreach & International Affairs
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  • Attendees, continuing and new:
  • Karen Cairns - environmental educator
  • Whitney Edminster - Engineering Diversity
  • Patty Gaudreau – Montgomery County Public School’s Science, Health and Physical Education Coordinator
  • Lea Hamblin (for Susan Faulkner) VBI
  • Shelly Jobst - Assistant Director Outreach Program Development
  • Susan Magliaro – Dean of SOE
  • Penny McCallum – Director of the VT SW Center
  • Josh Peebles – lab manager physics
  • Mike Rosenzweig - Biological Sciences - Science Outreach Program – STEM Outreach Initiative Co-coordinator
  • Llyn Sharp - Geosciences – STEM Outreach Initiative Co-coordinator
  • Sarah Umbarger-Wells (for Tom Wilson) Upward Bound / Talent Search
  • John Wells – Technology Education / STEM Associate Professor
  • George Yakman - Technology Education / STEM Student - STEM Outreach Initiative GA
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  • brief updates, announcements
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  • INSPIRES– an educational module from MD coming here April 2 & 3
  • –it is taught as 4 week program, the materials are built into the program’s funding
  • Engineering /Health Care – students create a human dialysis system
  • 14 people have registered so far
  • Contact Whitney Edminster for more information.
  • http://130.85.11.37/IMD/
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  • VT STEM Presenters:
    • NOTE: the Roanoke City Science Coordinator was unable to make the meeting
    • Patty Gaudreau – Montgomery County Public School’s Science, Health and Physical Education Coordinator
      • presentation on what the school system needs to strengthen their science programs
  • Patty Gaudreau’s (PG) Presentation points:
  • 78% of VA schools are accredited – MCPS is not – mostly due to low mathematics scores
  • overall MCPS students just pass AYP at 70% - this is currently the cut score – this score will go up over the next few years – MCPS has no wiggle room, we must do better
  • MCPS can’t just ‘invite people in to help’
  • MCPS has to address the achievement gaps (between state and MCPS)
  • MCPS needs extra help with disadvantaged and disabled students – they have the highest failure rates
  • MCPS defines disadvantaged students as those who qualify for free and reduced lunch
  • A very small percentage of students in MCPS fall into minority divisions
  • After school programs are problematic due to transportation issues
  • Summer programs problematic due to transportation issues and costs
  • PG is trying to work with school board for after school transportation for enrichment programs
  • Historically – MCPS had program-based curriculum
  • now the state is dictating the need to use VA Standards of learning based/approved programs
  • particularly for math – have to use pacing guides and benchmark testing – 9 week blocks
  • if students don’t pass then remediation plan needs to be implemented
  • MCPS wants help with after school and summer programs
  • Currently field trips are limited; elem: 2 field trips, MS/HS 1 field trip/year – limited due to instructional time concerns  - county mandate
  • (Wells ?: are methods prescribed?)
  • PG– no – currently using a number of best practices – vocab and comprehension focused on for Eng, Math, Sci & SS)
  •       Sci teachers feel like this isn’t getting at deep learning – especially when teaching for tests
  •       there will be stricter latitude in the near future for teaching practices
  • (Wells ?: Can parallel curriculum be offered through Ag. Sci & TE for reinforcement?)
  • PG – Rick Weaver – the MCPS CTE coordinator, is very interested in such programs
  •       many time prereqs. eliminate college bound students from taking CTE
  • (Wells: example from NJ reinforcing CTE making students stronger in science and math)
  • PG - Dual enrollment classes – helps disadvantaged students – free college credit
  • (Wells: also gives more time to college tracked students)
  • Summer Academy (new name as summer school has a connotation that it’s all about remediation)
  • this title makes it more inviting for a broader range of topics
  • STEM outreach is invited to interact with students during these times
  • Summer Program Supervisor: Rochelle@mcps.org
  •       PG doesn’t think there are upper level/AP courses offered at this point for summer
  •       welcome volunteers to work with these groups
  • Pulaski Co. schools offer PE credit for Summer Academy
  • (Magliaro Sidebar: criminal background checks are desired through VT for use in various school divisions. There is a call for having one contact place for interns from VT, currently this is not manageable. People are looking into services for background checks that give certificates and badges. These need to be checked annually. Many school districts won’t accept a police check alone. This affects service learning, tutorials, all outreach programs, student teachers, observers and researchers. Coordination is needed, ideas include; IDST – Office of Placements, needed - ?bring up with J. Dooley)
  • (Sharp: the commonalities across school divisions should be evaluated to cover all the requirements so the system developed is good enough for all the school districts.
  • Questions: fingerprinting --- done by whom? – staffing, ?HR, dean of students, passport office – there is also a need for an ID card or emblem put on current passports (similar to an organ donor on driver’s license)
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  • PG - develop all types of relationships
  • Rosenzweig: Summer Academy could be a vehicle for successful camps – a recruitment venue – the camps could offer a class through the academy to broaden the spectrum of what is offered to students
  • PG: currently there are too many programs – there needs to be a full time person to work with students about what opportunities are offered
  • (? could MCPS approve programs to be on a MCPS website  page with links)
  • PG: the lowest performing subgroups are encouraged strongly to attend Summer Academy
  • it’s a good way to reach the whole county vs. just Blacksburg
  • held at CMS new – possibly – will bus in students
  • PG: state doesn’t like ‘Everyday Math’
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  • PG: Another idea they want to grow in MC
  • ‘Science Fair’ in all four of the strands – to engage students in research – Academic Fairs
  • would like to connect students to local experts as mentors
  • Intel has a strong program to recognize students as researchers
  • doesn’t want a competition but a showcase
  • send on to local and statewide competitions
  • (Whitney: is it written into the plan to include disadvantaged & disabled students)
  • yes, want it to be inclusive
  •  (?what is the plan to include these students) (willingness to participate by less academically inclined students)
  • Learn and Serve grant – working with certain teachers – students can work in teams
  • (Wells: would this occur during the academic day? or  is it a pull-out?)
  • during the day, it is being started with teachers who already have a field component in their class
  • (?is Rick Weaver in on this planning to help pull in CTE students) – there is no planning
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    • Penny McCallum – Director, Virginia Tech Southwest Center at the Virginia Higher Education Center
      • presentation on what the SWVA school system needs to strengthen their science programs
  • Penny McCallum (PM) Presentation points:
  • the overwhelming common need from visits to schools: Science and Math, also technology in the classroom and engineering courses
  • PM is working on a summer in-service training for teachers – want appropriate workshops for E, M & H schools
  • NCLB grant working on with Llyn Sharp
  • had to identify a high needs school divisions – there were two in SWVA – included both in the grant
  • invited 2 other school divisions that are nearby
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  • prof. dev. activities at SWVA center
  • 52 teachers lacking full licensure in these schools - across 4 school divisions
  • 45 request training in using technology to teach science
  • all of the divisions are accredited
  • 3 schools in one division have a warning in math – all are middle schools
  • this is a result of SOL’s from last year
  • concentrate on science this first summer
  • include math and technology in science workshops
  • need to improve SOL content knowledge
  • supervisors – elem. teachers may not have had a sci. content course since college – some 20 yrs. ago
  • instructional strategies – particularly at elem. level – create interest and curiosity in elem. students for motivation to want to learn more about science
  • teachers taught to develop materials and use strategies to work towards these goals
  • divisions adopt different textbooks – hopefully will address SOL’s
  • improve IT into everyday instruction
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  • PM: worked for 25 yrs. with Title I students
  • learned that teaching hands-on showed better gains for students
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  • teachers are so pressured for time to teach to SOL’s – they are hoping that in-service science classes will offer more opportunity to try other things
  • 2-42% of students did not meet SOL’s across these school divisions
  • 6-16% middle
  • 9-21% high school
  • Grant designed to begin meeting needs of teachers – give fresher info
  •             better background for instruction and methods – more interested/interesting
  • Workshops included in the grant proposal: biotech in a box, bioethics, va resources, watershed, spiders, robotics, +++
  • school divisions realize a need for STEM development in SWVA
  • businesses in SWVA approached Rachel Fowlkes (of the SWVA center)– that an interest among girls in STEM needed to be addressed
  •             UVA, VT, ODU formed a committee
  •             FA.S.T. conference was developed– 600+ girls from SWVA were exposed to a day devoted to STEM activities, lessons, career ideas and educators
  •             5 presenters were from VT – all requested to be invited back for next year
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  • In the idea stage is a career fair for teachers – late July/early August
  •             teachers from across region to visit with corporations – what needs to happen in school systems to meet businesses needs
  •             want universities represented as well to show what they look for from students to join professional development programs that train people for business needs
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  • Educators needed in SWVA: special ed teachers, foreign language teachers, endorsement for MS math/sci, endorsement in algebra I & II
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  • In one county – there are no four lane roads any place in county – they have no foreign language teachers.
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  • Counties included in grant:
  • Dickenson and Lee Counties – have high needs
  • Russell (grant not funded last year), Washington (work with them already)
  • almost 2000 sq. miles of territory
  • Wise and Scott –are not high needs
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  • high-need school divisions are listed at – schev.edu administrators/faculty/ NCLB criteria
  • also www.doe.org – has information - go to the parent link – it’s clearest to find
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  • ANNOUNCEMENT:
  •  The website is scheduled to be transferred to the new VT format in 2 weeks. Please submit photos from your department that are relevant to the STEM outreach programs/mission.
  • Contact information: