Various international reports, most notably the TIMMS (Third International Mathematics and Science Study) and its most recent follow up (TIMMS-R), indicate the performance of American students in mathematics and science declines as students progress through the grades. The major fall off occurs sometime in the middle school years. Key recommendations are: a) teaching more challenging mathematical concepts in the middle school years; and b) incorporating real world examples of application of these math concepts so as to engage interest of the student.

Discussions with middle school science teachers in small school districts (under 2000 students, of which there are 199 in Pennsylvania) indicated that there is often a discrepancy between math preparation and the math required for the science coverage. Therefore a significant amount of time is spent putting in place the necessary math instead of teaching science. A brief synopsis of the situation in the largely rural area surrounding Bloomsburg will be presented.

Bloomsburg University is developing a unique degree program in teacher training and renewal at the middle school level (grades 6 through 8) that: 1) addresses decline in performance in the middle school years in science and math concept skills, especially in math; 2) creates an environment that continually reinforces connections between math and science and builds conceptual knowledge in both areas; 3) fosters an ongoing professional relationship between middle school teachers and college science and math educators.

Components of the program under development include: a year long sequence in integrated math and science taught by physical and biological sciences and education faculty; internship experiences both in local schools and in the new Mathematics and Science Learning Center (a result of the NSF-CETP-Pa grant); and joint supervision of student teaching by content and methodology faculty. Connections to practicing middle school teachers through the Center are being developed including a videoconferencing capability.

Specific examples of how mathematical concepts can be developed by using experimentation in physical and biological science will be presented. These developed mathematical concepts can then be generalized and applied to solving other scientific problems, thus completing the learning loop. The exercises that accomplish this have been developed during the last two summers by math and science faculty with groups of selected middle school students attending a math/science summer camp at Bloomsburg University. The ways in which these types of experiences can be incorporated into joint math/science courses at the middle school level, and how national standards in both math and science, as well as the TIMSS study recommendations, can be met, will be presented.