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NDSU CoMSTeP (COllaborative for Math and Science TEacher Preparation) is an NSF DUE-funded CETP (Institutional Focus) project (DUE 9876681). The project is focused on the improvement of preparation provided to preservice science and mathematics teachers and on recruiting increased numbers of students, including native Americans, to consider middle and high school teaching. Funding for the project was awarded in March 1999.
Project Goal:
To increase the number of secondary science and mathematics teachers graduating in our state, and especially at our institution, by changing the culture of undergraduate teacher preparation. This is a teacher recruitment project targeting undergraduate science and mathematics students who are not in teacher preparation career tracks.
Project Objectives:
- Increase the number of math and science teachers graduated by NDSU, and native American math and science specialists from the tribal colleges–in particular, TMCC–and NDSU.
- Improve the quality of preparation of science and math teachers, both in terms of content knowledge and pedagogical preparation.
- Change instruction in undergraduate science and mathematics courses to reflect the sort of inquiry that we want teachers to have their own student practice in the middle and high school classroom after they complete our teacher education program.
- Provide a variety of classroom experiences and information about teaching during their undergraduate program to help attract math and science students to teaching and to improve their understanding of teaching and learning.
CoMSTeP Activities and Partners:
- Activities:
- TEAMS: Student organization on the TEAching of Math and Science
- Annual Reform Conference: State conference on reform of undergraduate science and math education
- NEXT-STEP: Small grant program providing implementation support for groups of faculty conferees
- Partners:
- Turtle Mountain Community College: Support for new elementary education program at TMCC, recruitment of science and mathematics students
- Teachers in area schools: Discovery Junior High, Ben Franklin Junior High, Oak Grove Lutheran, Fargo North High, Fargo South High
- Related Projects with Cooperative Activities:
- Bush Foundation Grant (NDSU): Support for innovative teaching, such as Problem Based Learning
- GraSUS (NSF-NDSU): GK12 project to place graduate and undergraduate students in K-12 classrooms
- ONR Project (Office of Naval Research–NDSU): Collaboration of Engineering, Science and Mathematics at NDSU with ND Tribal Colleges to provide enrichment activities for high school students through the tribal colleges.
TEAMS: TEaching Math and Science
TEAMS is a campus organization for students considering math or science teaching as a possible career. The organization is the focal point for several project activities designed to:
- Recruit talented math and science students to teaching
- Develop a community of students with an interest in math and science teaching
- Provide information about teaching and teacher certification programs
- Provide a range of classroom experiences in local schools, tribal colleges, and at the university
- Help students become involved in special activities such as tutoring, science fairs, mathematics competitions, and science olympiads
TEAMS rotates weekly "TEAMS Teas" in departments, holds periodic social activities such as bowling, pizza, or end of semester barbecues, organizes visits to local schools to visit with science and mathematics teachers, and recruits students for science fairs, math contests and similar activities. The TEAMS program coordinators are a first point of contact for questions about math and science teacher certification programs and help to recruit TEAMS members to work as undergraduate assistants in math and science classes.
Annual ND Reform Conference: Reform of Undergraduate Science and Mathematics Education
Since 1998, CoMSTeP has sponsored a three-day May conference for science and mathematics faculty from all ND institutions of higher education, including public and private two and four year colleges, tribal colleges, and universities. Nationally recognized speakers with expertise in math and science reform efforts work with ND leaders in science and mathematics to:
- Provide information about the need for reform in undergraduate science and math programs
- Provide information about successful instructional strategies in math and science
- Encourage faculty from across the state to discuss science and math education
- Provide small grant support for teams of faculty to plan and implement new instructional ideas
- Provide a forum for faculty to publicize their own reform efforts in science and math programs
Preservice Teacher Preparation
- Teacher Education: Intended to provide enhanced teacher preparation and field experiences)
- Early Field Experience: Assist with math and science field experience placements in local schools
- Student Teaching: Assist with mathematics placements
- Departmental Activities: Designed for recruitment of talented students, enhancement of undergraduate science and mathematics instruction and learning, and to provide classroom experiences
- Math EXCEL: Special extended recitation sections for first year regular calculus using graduate and talented undergraduate mathematics students as teaching and classroom assistants.
- Chemistry SI (supplemental instruction): Special support activities for introductory chemistry courses using talented undergraduate chemistry students.
- Physics PBL (problem based learning): Reformed instruction in introductory physics with support from talented undergraduate classroom assistants.
- Biology and Geoscience Classroom Assistants: Additional support of undergraduates to increase interaction in large-lecture introductory courses.
NDSU CoMSTeP Project Features
- Strong support of disciplinary faculty:
The leadership group includes the chairs of Chemistry and Mathematics, the dean of the College of Science and Mathematics (formerly chair of Botany), the director of the Center for Science and Mathematics Education (a geoscience professor), and the undergraduate program director in mathematics (who has a joint appointment in Teacher Education).
- Involvement of faculty from every higher education institution in the state:
Faculty from all tertiary institutions have attended reform conferences. May have received support for reform activities. A planning group with representatives from across the state worked on precursors of the NDSU-CoMSTeP grant. Low population in ND and the mobility of students preclude any institution in the state from working in isolation.
- Major related projects have goals that mesh with those of CoMSTeP:
Three other funded projects support (a) reformed instruction and assessment in undergraduate courses, (b) strengthened ties with tribal colleges; (c) recruitment of Native American students to math, science and engineering; and (d) strengthened ties between science, math, engineering and technology disciplines and NDSU and local schools through the NSF GK12 program. The leadership of each of these programs overlaps with that of CoMSTeP.
- Close relationships with math and science teachers in local schools and across the state:
Members of the leadership group have leadership roles in the state and ties with many participating teachers from other activities, such as professional development projects, graduate degree programs for teachers, and state teacher and education organizations.
Project Leadership:
- PIs (Martin, Schwert, White, McCarthy, Comez)
- Leadership group (PIs plus Hammond, Oswald, Montplaisir, Taylor, McQuay)
- NVC (Lyle Andersen, Montana; Jim Birk, Arizona; Allen Janes, ND)
- External Evaluators and Advisors (Richard Lesh, Purdue; Madeleine Long,
AAAS; Debra Tomanek, Arizona)
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