Texas Regional Collaboratives for Excellence in Science Teaching

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TEXAS REGIONAL COLLABORATIVES FOR EXCELLENCE IN
SCIENCE TEACHING
Improving Teacher Performance and Student
Achievement with the Texas Regional Collaboratives
Presented by Carol L. Fletcher Joel
Blasingame CAST 2004 Corpus Christi, Texas
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In the Service of Texas Science Teachers
Who We Are
Texas Regional Collaboratives for Excellence in
Science Teaching program is an award-winning
statewide network of K-16 partnerships that
provide sustained and high intensity professional
development to K-12 teachers of science across
the state. This infrastructure of over 22
institutions of higher education collaborating
with education service centers, school districts,
and business partners has an 13-year track record
of designing and implementing exemplary science
professional development using research-based
instructional models, materials, and best
practices.
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Activities
Professional Development Academies (PDAs) are
provided to Instructional Teams that consist of
professors of Science and Science Education,
Science Specialists and Master Teachers. PDAs
focus on the elements of science education reform
in Texas. PDAs enhance the knowledge and skills
necessary to develop, sustain, and facilitate
high quality Professional Development Programs.
Professional Development Programs provide an
average of 105 contact hours of TEKS-based
professional development through Instructional
Teams to 25 teachers of science per region to
prepare and support them to become Science
Teacher Mentors (STMs) serving other teachers at
the campus, district, and regional levels.
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Statewide Geographic Distribution
Site Locations UT-Pan American/Edinburg UT-Brownsv
ille Texas AM/Corpus Christi Rice
University/Houston Galveston County/UTMB/Galvesto
n CollegeRegion VII/Kilgore Texas AM-Texarkana
Region VIII/Mount Pleasant Region IX/Wichita
Falls UT-Dallas North Central TX
College/Gainesville UT-Arlington University of
North Texas/DentonRegion XII/Waco Region
XIII/Austin Region XIV/Abilene Region
XVI/AmarilloRegion XVII/Lubbock Our Lady of the
Lake/San Antonio.
Geographic Distribution
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Statewide Geographic Distribution - Expanding Our
Reach
Site Locations UT-Pan American/Edinburg UT-Brownsv
ille Texas AM/Corpus Christi Rice
University/Houston Galveston County/UTMB/Galvesto
n CollegeRegion VII/Kilgore Texas AM-Texarkana
Region VIII/Mount Pleasant Region IX/Wichita
Falls UT-Dallas North Central TX
College/Gainesville UT-Arlington University of
North Texas/DentonRegion XII/Waco Region
XIII/Austin Region XIV/Abilene Region
XVI/AmarilloRegion XVII/LubbockOur Lady of the
Lake/San Antonio
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Multiplier Effect
20 Regional Collaboratives
585 Teacher Leaders High Intensity Professional
Development
2,067 Teachers Mentoring and Professional
Development Outreach
Students Impacted 220,116
Data compiled from September 2002 - May 2004
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Statewide Impact
341 School Districts Served
723 Campuses Served
2,652 Teachers Served
220,116 Students Served
Data compiled from September 2002 - May 2004
585 Teacher Leaders 2,067 Outreach Teachers
2,652 total teachers
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Poverty Levels of Participant Schools
Low Poverty Under 35
Medium Poverty 35 - 50
High Poverty 50 - 75
Very High Poverty Above 75
Poverty Levels for public schools are determined
by the percentage of students who receive free or
reduced lunches.
Percentages based on 713 teachers that provided
campus poverty level data from September 2002 -
May 2004
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Title I Status of Participating Campuses
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76
Based on 692 Teachers reporting campus Title I
status from September 2002 - May 2004
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Teacher Demographics - Teaching Level
Data based on 771 teachers for funding period
September 2002 - May 2004
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Ethnicity of Students Served by Collaborative
Teachers
0.2
2.3
1.6
9.8
34.6
51.5
Based on actual classroom data reported by 621
teachers from September 2002 - May 2004.
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Impact on Teachers Science Content Knowledge
Data represents combined mean scores of 12
different assessments, 8 Regional Collaborative
Sites, and approximately 250 teachers.
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Impact on Instructional Team Members

• Bridging II TAKS training significantly improved
  the statewide leadership capacity for delivering
  professional development to science teachers in
  Bridging II TAKS Module 2 Using Tools to Explore
  Matter. Instructional Team Members (ITMs).
• 37 ITMs participated in three days of
  professional development on Bridging II TAKS to
  enhance their ability to deliver professional
  development to science teachers in the field.
• ITMs rated their degree of preparation to
  deliver the Bridging II TAKS module in a 19-item
  pre and post-survey. Statistically significant
  improvements were noted.

Response Categories 1 Not Adequately Prepared 2
Somewhat Prepared 3 Fairly Well Prepared 4
Very Well Prepared
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Impact on Science Teacher Mentors

• Thirty-two contact hours of Bridging II TAKS
  training were provided statewide to 389 Science
  Teacher Mentors (STMs).
• STMs rated their degree of preparation to
  deliver the Bridging II TAKS module to their
  colleagues in the field in a 19-item pre and
  post-survey. Statistically significant
  improvements were noted.
• STMs completed the training significantly more
  prepared to share the professional development
  provided through the Bridging II TAKS module with
  their fellow classroom teachers.

Response Categories 1 Not Adequately Prepared 2
Somewhat Prepared 3 Fairly Well Prepared 4
Very Well Prepared
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Eighth Grade TAAS Science Test Results
Rice University Regional Collaborative 1998-1999
Average Scores
State Average District Average Collaborative
Average
93.1
87.1
85.6
81.1
81.0
77.0
1997-1998 Data Before Collaborative Activities
1998-1999 Data After Collaborative Activities
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Student AchievementCollaborative Vs.
Non-Collaborative Teachers
Rice University Regional Collaborative
Comparison of Collaborative Science Teacher
Mentors to Non-collaborative Science Teachers
Shown are test scores for pre- post-science
content tests (TIMSS test, TAAS tests, and
primary grade science content tests as grade
appropriate) of students having participant and
non-participant teachers. Differences in student
performance between the two groups are highly
significant statistically. Also shown is the
average percent improvement in student scores for
the two groups.
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East Texas Regional Collaborative
Eighth Grade Science TAAS Scores 1996-2000
1996-1997
1997-1998
1998-1999
1999-2000
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Student Achievement on TAKS
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Student Achievement on TAKS Region VII
Collaborative
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Student Achievement on TAKS Region VIII
Collaborative
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Student Achievement on TAKS Region XII
Collaborative