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TEAMS is a science and mathematics secondary masters degree and certification
program that also provides a middle level endorsement. The program was
created as part of a National Science Foundation grant with the ASU Arizona
Collaborative for Excellence in the Preparation of Teachers (ACEPT) over the
past five years. Beginning this year program support comes from the COE and
the Arizona Teacher Excellence Coalition (AzTEC), a multiple
university/community college collaborative that encompasses the entire state
of Arizona.
The major purpose of TEAMS is to increase the quality and
quantity of middle level science and mathematics teachers for the state of
Arizona and beyond.
Why the Need for TEAMS?
Middle level science and mathematics education is in a crisis. These recent
words provide a national perspective of this need:
"Many middle-grades teachers lack the deep subject matter knowledge they need
to help their students meet ever-increasing academic standards." (Ann Bradley
and Kathleen Manzo (October 4, 2000). "The Weak Link," Education Week -
Special Issue on Middle Grades: Feeling the Squeeze).
"The middle school is the crux of the whole problem and really the point
where we begin to lose it. In math and science, the middle grades are an
intellectual wasteland." (William H. Schmidt (July 2000), Mathematics and
Science in the Eighth Grade: Findings From the Third International
Mathematics and Science Study. National Center for Education Statistics.
These comments point to two problems TEAMS is attempting to address: 1) the
need for improved middle level education and 2) the need for increased
preparation of middle level teachers in mathematics and science. In Arizona
we have a statewide teacher shortage in science and mathematics and of those
who do go into teaching, there is a 40% attrition rate within the first 5 years
of teaching (AzTEC, March 24, 2000). Part of the problem is that we don't
recruit, educate, graduate, and then support beginning teachers enough in
Arizona. As the recent National Commission on Mathematics and Science Teaching
for the 21st Century urged, "We need aggressive recruitment to attract new
teachers, accompanied by aggressive, and simultaneous effort to improve teacher
preparation (Before It's Too Late: A Report to the Nation, September
27, 2000)."
Addressing the need for improvement in middle level education Lisa Graham
Keegan, Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction, declared: "We need to
explore what is happening in our middle schools. We need serious study of our
curriculum from the 4th to 8th grades ((September 28, 2000, The Arizona
Republic)."
How is TEAMS addressing this Problem?
College of Education personnel who make up the TEAMS staff and faculty decided
six years ago that there were many individuals in society with degrees in
science, mathematics and engineering who might be interested in teaching
careers. These post-baccalaureate individuals might be recent graduates, in
mid career or even in retirement. We knew there also might be a large number
of retired military personnel who might still have many years to give to a
science or mathematics teaching career. Furthermore, we were convinced that
with the right encouragement and program we could prepare these individuals to
be successful middle school teachers.
In our first year of conducting a needs assessment, researching similar
programs, and planning the curriculum we concluded that to attract these
post-baccalaureate individuals the program had to be "fast-tract (one year),"
provide both Secondary Certification and a Master's Degree in Secondary
Education, and incorporate a great deal of field experience in schools and
classrooms where TEAMS students could work with exemplary mentor teachers.
We enrolled 10 students and 9 completed during the first year. In the second
year we enrolled 12 students and 12 completed.
While not producing the quantity of students we wanted, the program was rich in
its emphasis on the middle school concept, philosophy and curriculum, the
unique needs of the early adolescent child, the most recent ideas about
teaching science and mathematics to early adolescents, and the authentic
incorporation of technology into the curriculum. The TEAMS students were also
working as a cohort group and a great deal of effort went into establishing
the group as both a problem solving body and as a support system for one
another. Again, we knew from both research and our own collective pasts that
being part of a cohort was a key ingredient for mature adults to have a
successful return to a university setting to further their education.
Our program took a drastic turn when we found ways to use technology to recruit
students nationally and internationally. Our web site and participation in
science and mathematics education list serves greatly increased the number of
inquiries and applications to the TEAMS program. We now have a 1/2 time staff
person who serves as the recruiter and academic advisory/counselor for TEAMS.
With our Chandler Public Schools collaboration we can offer a
better-coordinated set of field and student teaching experiences as part of the
program. Chandler also provides a classroom in the district where the TEAMS
course work occurs. The number of qualified middle and secondary science and
mathematics teachers in Chandler, however, sets the limit on the number of
TEAMS students we can have in the program at any one time.
Who are the TEAMS Students and How Many Have We Prepared?
The following provides a brief sketch of the 94 students who have completed or
currently are in the program:
TEAMS Students' Demographics
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1996 - 2000 = 94 students
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From 20 States, Canada, Mexico, and Senegal
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Females = 49
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Males = 45
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| "Minorities" = 13 |
| Science Degrees = 64 |
Math Degrees = 27 |
Both = 3 |
| Age:
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| 25 or less = 26 |
26-35 = 40 |
36-45 = 17 |
46 and older = 10 |
The growth of TEAMS over its first five years is outlined in the following:
Growth of TEAMS Program 1996-2000
| Year |
Enrolled |
Completed |
Took Teaching Position |
Still Teaching (9-1-00) |
Went Back University |
Not in Education Now |
| 1996-97 | 10 | 9 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 3 |
| 1997-98 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 8 | 1 | 3 |
| 1998-99 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 20 | 0 | 2 |
| 1999-00 | 23 | 23 | 20 | 19 | 2 | 2 |
| 2000-01 | 28 |
n.a. |
n.a. |
n.a. |
n.a. |
n.a. |
Total
Completing |
95 | 66 | 61 | 51 | 5 | 10 |
Note: The number of TEAMS students Not in Education Now (10) divided by
the total number of students who have completed the program 66 = an attrition
rate of about 15%.
How Well Prepared are the TEAMS Students?
We have conducted both qualitative and quantitative research on the TEAMS
students and the impact of the TEAMS program on them. Our students have shown
significant growth in their attitudes toward teaching science (see Technical
Report No. PRG00-1A) and have scored higher than their graduating peers in
other teacher education programs at ASU in their overall satisfaction of their
program (Educational Benchmarking Inc. Report). When compared to
secondary education majors in the reformed ACEPT program and non-ACEPT
graduates in both middle school and secondary education programs, TEAMS
students performed at a significantly higher level on the Reformed Teaching
Observation Protocol (RTOP) in their student teaching as well as first, second
and third year of teaching (see Beginning Teacher evaluation: Technical
Report).
Analyses of Pre-and Post-test Concept Maps on the concept of
"Teaching/Learning of Science" or "Teaching/Learning of Mathematics" as well as
analyses of TEAMS' students field experience journals further indicate
significant growth in their awareness of many reformed methods of teaching and
a priority on active student roles in the classroom (see Technical Report
No. PRG00-2).
Where Does TEAMS Go From Here?
TEAMS is now institutionalized within the COE and operates as a true
collaborative with the Chandler Public Schools. The mission of TEAMS has thus
increased to not only increase the quality and quantity of middle school
mathematics and science teachers but to help reform the science and mathematics
programs and teaching in the Chandler Public School System. Working toward
reform in the school district is a "win-win" situation for the district for
the TEAMS program because, if successful, the district and its teachers are in
a better position to help in the effective preparation of middle school science
and mathematics teachers while they are better meeting the needs of their own
students.
At TEAMS and within the COE there is a recognition that there are still many
post-baccalaureate individuals who would like to become certified middle and
secondary teachers but who can't take a year off work to complete an intense
program like TEAMS. These individuals are not only in science and mathematics
but all curricular areas found in secondary education. Based on the TEAMS
model the COE has created an evening/Saturday secondary teacher certification
program called INtegrated Certification In Teacher Education -Secondary
(See
http://sundial.ed.asu.edu/teams/incite.htm for more information on
INCITE-Secondary). This program is offered in the Chandler Public Schools with
courses and integrated field experiences with teachers and students offered in
the evening and on Saturday in the district.
Technical Reports:
Arizona Teacher Excellence Coalition (March 24, 1999). AriZona Teacher
Excellence Coalition - Power Point Presentation. Tempe, AZ: AZTEC.
Educational Benchmarking Inc. (July, 2000). Teacher Education Student
Benching Project Report for ASU. Springfield, MO: EBI.
Judson, E. & Sawada, D. (April 2000). Beginning Teacher Evaluation:
Technical Report, Grades 5-12. Tempe: AZ: Arizona Collaborative for
Excellence in the Preparation of Teachers.
Piburn, M. (No Date). TEAMS Evaluation 1996-1998: Analysis of Attitudinal
Variables. (Technical Report No. PRB00-1A). Tempe, AZ: Arizona
Collaborative for Excellence in the Preparation of Teachers.
Sawada, D (Rough Draft). TEAMS Evaluation 1999. (Technical Report No.
PRG00-2).Tempe, AZ: Arizona Collaborative for Excellence in the Preparation of
Teachers.
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