In-STEP
In-Service Science Teacher Enhancement Program

The second and third steps are designed to enhance subject matter expertise and teaching strategies that will enable teachers to meet and exceed the National Science Education Standards in low income districts. The fourth and fifth steps are partnerships with informal science education institutions and other local universities to provide professional development programs, advanced degree programs, participation in professional activities and engage in action research.

Specifically the objectives are:

1. Establish a model procedure for the systematic and pervasive infusion of curriculum change across school district boundaries and throughout a large geographical area;

2. Demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency of an inter- and intra-school faculty-based, curriculum dissemination model;

3. Administer programs that help teachers incorporate hands-on curricula into their classrooms independent of school curriculum or commercially available textbook materials;

4. Increase science literacy by a factor of 3 in the targeted population;

5. Increase the understanding of the processes of science by 70%;

6. Improve performance on the Missouri State Department of Elementary and Secondary School MMAT state normative examinations in science by 30%;

7. Increase student interest in science by 80% as measured by the Student Science Survey Index;

8. Triple the number of students selecting at least one additional science course beyond the historical average during their early grades (8-10);

9. Establish a mechanism for sustained interaction and support from community resources;

10. Develop a cadre of certified school-based master teacher trainers to aid with in-service updates and skills to train new teachers added to the faculty; and

11. Provide a continuous series of opportunities for teachers to develop a step-wise professional growth program throughout their careers.

The methodology for teaching instruction is based on the constructivist model as is the total In-STEP concept. The curriculum scope and sequence will be parallel but an in depth expansion of the NSRC Science Technology for Children's materials. There will be monthly academic year programs and school-to-school circuit riders that will help teachers implement the reform program in their classrooms.

In-STEP is aimed at 750 teachers and their students in 10 urban school districts in lower income areas of the Metropolitan St. Louis area with special consideration for partnership with the St. Louis Public School Urban Systemic Initiative project.