Western Upper Peninsula Center for Science, Mathematics and Environmental Education

2001-2002 Annual Report

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The Western Upper Peninsula Center for Science, Mathematics and Environmental Education, has offices in the Copper Country Intermediate School District and on Michigan Technological University’s campus. The center provides services to 21 school districts and their communities in  Baraga, Keweenaw, Houghton, Ontonagon and Gogebic counties. The center strives to develop scientifically literate and environmentally committed citizens, scientists and community leaders for the 21st century by providing innovative and quality programming for students, teachers and the community.

 

Overview of the Year’s Accomplishments

 

Ø      387 teachers participated in 6479 hours of professional development offered by the center.

Ø      52 teachers participated in the Earth Science Teacher Training Initiative, which provided knowledge and resources to implement the Earth Science Content Standards in the classroom.

Ø      55 teachers participated in the Educator’s Science and Mathematics Institute Series to help teachers develop standards based classroom teaching units.

Ø      26,388 students participated in the center’s programming.

Ø      864 students participated in 60 after school science and math classes in 20 elementary buildings.

Ø      437 students and teachers in grades 4-9 participated in the Western UP Science Fair.

Ø      2507 students and parents participated in Family Science and Math Night Programs

Ø      11,797 students participated in 250 classroom presentations, assemblies and field trips.

Ø      97 elementary and middle school students participated on 10 FIRST LEGO League teams.

Ø      Placement and training of 13 graduate students in 11 school districts to assist teachers in curriculum alignment and development.

 

 

Organization of the Report

 

This report is organized around the Western Upper Peninsula Center for Science, Mathematics and Environmental Education Three-Year Strategic Plan for 2000-2003.  The Strategic Plan identifies six service areas:  Leadership, Professional Development, Student Services, Curriculum Support, Community Involvement, and Resource Clearinghouse.  In each service area—the goals and quality indicators are described.  Descriptions of strategies used to accomplish these goals and indicators of the effectiveness of the work are also presented.

 

Educational Leadership

 

 
Focus of Leadership Services for 2001-2002

 

1.       The Center will influence policy for mathematics and science education in the region, state and nation, by actively participating in the Michigan Mathematics and Science Centers Network.         

  1. The Center  will exert leadership in coordinating educational activities in the CCISD and GOISD to provide equal access to services that meet the needs of teachers and students in the service area.
  2. The Center  will provide leadership for schools in the CCISD and GOISD by participating in State Wide Initiatives to improve mathematics and science education.

 

 

Strategies:

Ø      Center staff gathered input and assess needs of school districts using many strategies both formal and informal.

Ø      Center staff  maintained a website and email listserves to provides teachers and administrators with information on programming at the Center, professional development, grant opportunities, educational research and policies.

Ø      Center staff  worked collaboratively with community organizations, various departments at Michigan Technological University and school districts to coordinate programming and leverage resources.

 

Evidence:

·            Information from the formal needs assessment was used to develop the strategic plan for center programming.

 

·            The center was able to obtain funding and resources to enhance programming.

 

·            Teachers and administrators in the service area were more aware of the educational programs offered at the Center and from other organizations.

 

Professional development programs addressed a need for strategies to engage students in inquiry-based activities using higher order thinking skills that provide connections to the real world.

 

Student programming engaged students in inquiry-based activities, promote environmental stewardship and explored careers in math and science related fields.

 

Family Science and Math Night Programs addressed a need for encouraging family participation in the education of their children.

 

Established a resource clearinghouse to address the need for access to scientific equipment and standards-based science and mathematics curricula.

 

The Center obtained National Science Foundation funding to recruited MTU students  to conduct  after -school science classes in 20 elementary schools and provide curriculum support in the classroom.

 

The center worked collaboratively with MTU Education Department to fund and implement the Educator’s Science and Mathematics Institute Series.

 

The participation of students in Center programming increased from  13547 in 2000-2001 to 26, 388 in 2001-2002.

 

In addition to the leadership activities above, the Western Upper Peninsula Center provides leadership by maintaining expertise in state and national initiatives in mathematics and science education, by helping districts implement mathematics and science curricula, and by sharing important information with local schools.  To promote the improvement of mathematics and science education both regionally and state wide, Center staff have also participated in the following committees, task forces or presented at the following conferences.

 

Committees

Michigan Rural Systemic Initiative Advisory Board

Michigan Mathematics and Science Centers Executive Board

Michigan State University’s Extension Advisory Board

Keweenaw Community Foundation Advisory Board

Regional Principals’ and Superintendents’ Meeting

Regional School Improvement Committees

 

Presentations

National Science Teachers Association National Conference

Metropolitan Detroit Science Teachers Association Conference

North American Association of Environmental Educators Conference

State of the Lakes, Great Lakes Conference

 

 

Professional Development

 

 
Focus of Professional Development Programming for 2001-2002

 

  1. The Center will support teacher participation in selected professional development programs by leveraging Eisenhower Consortium Funds and assist teachers to become facilitators for such programs.

 

  1. The Center  will partner  with various department at Michigan Technological University to provide high quality professional development opportunities that help teachers implement the state and national standards and model effective teaching.

 

 

 

Strategies:

Ø      Development and implementation of programs to address the need for strategies to engage students in inquiry-based activities using higher order thinking skills, and provide connections to the real world.

Ø      Development and implementation of programs that give teachers the tools and resources to implement the Michigan Content Standards and integrate science and mathematics into other content areas.

Ø      Development and implementation of programs that focus on the development of standards-based classroom teaching units and encourage teachers to share innovative ideas with other teachers.

 

Professional development was delivered in many ways, depending on the identified needs in the service area.  Two primary formats included: (1) single events, lasting from a portion of one day to several consecutive days, focused on a particular topic, skill, or issue, and (2) multiple session events, either a series of sessions with a single focus or a sequence of sessions, one building on the previous one, conducted periodically over a several week/month period.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Table 1: Participants Receiving Professional Development

 

 

 

Reported Gender**

Position

Participants

# of Indiv.

Total Hours

Males

Females

Admin

Math Tchrs.

Science Tchrs.

Tech

Tchrs.

Combined Subject

Other or Unknown*

Pre-K

 

7

84

1

6

1

 

 

 

5

1

Elementary

 

141

1,684

29

112

5

 

1

1

134

 

Middle/Jr. High

 

26

566

13

12

 

4

11

1

1

9

High School

 

71

1,102.5

45

26

 

18

16

4

 

33

Others*

 

142

3,042

33

62

4

13

15

2

16

92

Total

 

387

6,478.5

121

218

10

35

43

8

156

135

*      Other includes persons who work across grade levels, are not teachers or administrators, or did not indicate position.

**    All individuals did not indicate Gender.

 

 

Table 2: Single Session Professional Development Activities

 

 

 

Math

Science

Technology

Integrated

M/S/T

Other

Total

 

Events

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pre-K

Hours

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

# Participants

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Events

 

5

 

4

 

9

 

Elementary

Hours

 

15

 

33

 

48

 

 

# Participants

 

92

 

61

 

153

 

Elementary

Events

 

 

 

1

 

1

 

&

Hours

 

 

 

3

 

3

 

Mid/Jr. High

# Participants

 

 

 

11

 

11

 

 

Events

1

1

 

1

 

3

 

Mid/Jr. High

Hours

1.5

1.5

 

1.5

 

4.5

 

 

# Participants

7

4

 

10