T C E B TRIANGLE COALITION ELECTRONIC BULLETIN AUGUST 23, 2001 VOL. 7, NO. 31 _____________________________________________________ Published by the TRIANGLE COALITION FOR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION _____________________________________________________ THIS WEEK'S TOPICS: U.S. LOOKS ABROAD FOR TEACHERS TO FILL GAP 2002 NSTA AWARD PROGRAMS RECOGNIZE SCIENCE TEACHING'S UNSUNG HEROES BOEING TENTH ANNUAL SUMMER SCIENCE CAMP FAVORS FACE TIME OVER SCREEN TIME FOR 400 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA STUDENTS NEW SCIENCE RESOURCES AT FREE HOMESCHOOLERS ESTIMATED AT 850,000 TOYOTA TAPESTRY GRANT PROGRAM EXPANDS TO $550,000 IN TEACHING GRANTS FOR THE ENHANCEMENT OF SCIENCE EDUCATION GRANT AND FUNDING INFORMATION ____________________________________________________ U.S. LOOKS ABROAD FOR TEACHERS TO FILL GAP (Source: AOL News, August 14, 2001) Confronted with a growing shortage of teachers, some U.S. school districts are hiring staff from abroad to fill vacancies in America's classrooms. Districts across the United States are experiencing an acute shortage of teachers; and as more baby boomers retire over the next decade, the situation can only worsen, members of a panel of educators said at a forum on education. Carlos Ponce, in charge of recruitment in Chicago's public schools -- America's third largest school district -- said he had sought teachers from other countries, largely for math, science, and language classes. The immigration authorities agreed to grant a limited number of special visas each year for vacant slots because Chicago had a "critical shortage" of teachers, he said. More than 40 foreign teachers have been hired in the Chicago area, and most were put in schools where it was hardest to place teachers. While exact statistics were not available, the officials said the same trend was occurring in other areas, including New York and Maryland on the East Coast and California in the West. Cleveland's school district recently turned to India for candidates and in some areas; up-front cash enticements are being offered to lure teachers. The education experts, however, stressed that the solution to the lack of teachers lies more in improving pay and working conditions for U.S. educators and in giving the teaching profession the respect it deserves. There are currently about 3 million teachers in U.S. schools; and the National Center for Education Statistics estimates more than 2 million more will need to be hired in the next decade to keep up with retirement, attrition, increased student enrollment, and the demand for smaller class sizes. Tom Loveless, director of the Brown Center on Education Policy and a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, said about 50 percent of teachers left their jobs in the first four years and a large number quit due to relocation of a spouse or partner. He said it needed to be easier to move from one district to another and to provide alternatives to the strict certification process. ************************************ 2002 NSTA AWARD PROGRAMS RECOGNIZE SCIENCE TEACHING'S UNSUNG HEROES The National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) has announced its 2002 Teacher Award Programs for K-12 science educators in the U.S. and Canada. The awards recognize and reward educators who are committed to making a difference in science teaching and learning. The NSTA teacher awards recognize K-12 teachers of science, principals, and other educators who are demonstrating their passion for science education. "There are countless unsung heroes who are giving so much to help their students succeed in science," said Harold Pratt, NSTA President. "It's only fitting that we recognize them for their effort and contribution. We also want to showcase the outstanding lesson plans and projects that educators are developing so that their peers can benefit from their work." This year, NSTA is offering 14 different award programs that are administered by the Association and funded by various corporations and organizations. Many of the awards recognize teachers for their development and implementation of unique science programs and curricula, as does the Gustav Ohaus Program for Innovations in Science Teaching, while others honor individuals who show outstanding leadership and dedication to the profession, including NSTA's prestigious Robert H. Carleton Award. For information about the NSTA Teacher Awards Program, visit www.nsta.org/programs. Deadline for most of this year's programs is November 15, 2001. ************************************ BOEING TENTH ANNUAL SUMMER SCIENCE CAMP FAVORS FACE TIME OVER SCREEN TIME FOR 400 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA STUDENTS Four hundred students in Southern California spent three weekends in July with engineers and rocket scientists, taking part in science workshops that build creative thinking skills, problem-solving ability, and self-esteem in a fun and energizing environment. The Boeing Summer Science Camp is a collaboration of big business, educators, and volunteers designed to increase the number of students preparing for technical and scientific careers. The camp is free for kindergarten through twelfth graders and reaches a diverse group of students. The program was started ten years ago as a community outreach program by a handful of engineers and company volunteers. Since that time, Boeing and community volunteers have given students and teachers a gift of over 80,000 hours of their time to jump start learning in new ways. At Boeing Summer Science Camp, the students address issues and solve problems through collaborative teamwork. Workshop topics range from astronomy and the challenges of human space flight to building robotics, geology, and the science behind deep sea diving. Engineers, scientists, teachers, and technical professionals work side by side to deliver high interest science activities using inexpensive materials such as paper towel rolls, two-liter bottles, and wire. The volunteer instructors work throughout the year to design their workshops and develop new activities that will spark young minds to continue to explore science and technology fields. This year's camp is made possible through contributions from The Boeing Company and Boeing volunteers. Additional support is provided by the Challenger Learning Center, IBM, The Oxford Academy in Orange, Cerritos College, Anaheim Unified High School District, and the University of Southern California. For more information on the Summer Science Camp and other Boeing educational programs, visit www.boeing.com/space/rss/community/discoverindex.html ************************************ NEW SCIENCE RESOURCES AT FREE Several new resources for science have been added to the Federal Resources for Educational Excellence (FREE) website at www.ed.gov/free. FREE makes it easy for teachers, parents, students, and others to find teaching and learning resources from more than 40 federal organizations. - "For Kids Only: Earth Science Enterprise" helps students learn about aerosols, ozone, air pressure, tropical rainfall and hurricanes, plate tectonics, earth science careers, and more. (NASA; http://kids.earth.nasa.gov) - "Bugscope" offers magnified images of specimens of beetles, spiders and other insects, and anthropods viewed through an electron microscope. (National Science Foundation; http://bugscope.beckman.uiuc.edu) - "NASA Oceanography: Learning" provides online field trips, remote sensing tools for monitoring ocean changes, information about reefs, carbon, phytoplankton, and other resources. (NASA; http://oceans.nasa.gov/learn/index.html) - "Teaching Earth Science" describes earth science education programs and resources across NASA for elementary grades through college. The website lists products recommended by NASA as outstanding for teaching earth science. It also offers past issues of "ESE Education Reports" -- an email update on NASA earth science research and education activities. (NASA; http://earth.nasa.gov/education/index.html) ************************************ HOMESCHOOLERS ESTIMATED AT 850,000 Approximately 850,000 children were receiving their education at home in 1999 according to a new report released by the U.S. Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). "Home Schooling in the United States: 1999" reports that about 1.7 percent of children ages five through 17 - the equivalent of grades K through 12 - were homeschooled. "The number of parents taking direct responsibility for teaching their children through homeschooling is approaching a million," said U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige, "and we expect the next report on homeschooling will reflect growth in the population and new homeschooling opportunities." The study found that homeschoolers are more likely than other students to live with two or more siblings in a two-parent family, with only one parent working outside the home. Parents of homeschoolers are, on average, better educated than other parents, though income is about the same. The percentage of homeschooled students remained about the same at each grade level and at each level of family income. Boys and girls were equally likely to be homeschooled. Parents gave various explanations for homeschooling their children. The most widely reported reasons were that they could give their child a better education at home, religious reasons, or a poor learning environment at school. Parents were asked about relationships with their local schools. According to the report, about 18 percent of homeschoolers were enrolled in schools part-time. About 11 percent said they used books or materials from a public school, and about 8 percent used a public school curriculum. About 6 percent of homeschoolers participated in an extracurricular activity provided by a public school or school district. The report marks the first time that NCES has developed an estimate of homeschooling. The full text of the report is available online at http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2001033. A free copy of the report can be ordered by calling toll-free 1-877-433-7827; via e-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED]; or online at www.ed.gov/pubs/edpubs.html. ************************************ TOYOTA TAPESTRY GRANT PROGRAM EXPANDS TO $550,000 IN TEACHING GRANTS FOR THE ENHANCEMENT OF SCIENCE EDUCATION The Toyota TAPESTRY Grants for Teachers program, the largest K-12 science teacher grant program in the nation, has expanded and will now award up to $550,000 in grants. The TAPESTRY program, sponsored by Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A. Inc. (TMS) and administered by the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA), has historically awarded 50 grants of up to $10,000 totaling $500,00. The program will now include a minimum of 20 additional "mini-grants" of $2,500 each that are available to K-12 science teachers. The "mini-grants" are designed to encourage participation from teachers who have projects that are smaller in scope than the larger grants and require less time and funding to administer. The application process for the "mini-grants" is shorter than for the larger TAPESTRY grants but the experience will be just as rewarding for the teachers and students. "The "mini-grants" provide an excellent opportunity for less experienced grant writers to take advantage of this great program," says Harold Pratt, president of NSTA. "The "mini-grants" can be used for smaller projects that take less than a year to complete and have smaller budgets, so teachers with various project sizes and levels of experience in grant writing are encouraged to apply." Toyota TAPESTRY has also added a third category to the program, Science and Literacy. Now, in addition to Environmental Science and Physical Science, the new Science and Literacy category will support the development of literacy skills in the context of science teaching and learning. Projects in this category will highlight techniques and practices that embed literacy strategies in inquiry-based science instruction and support the instructional goal of improving science achievement. Projects in all categories should have a community connection and involve students in science outside the normal classroom setting. Applicants can apply in any of the three categories for either the main grant or the "mini-grant" program. Over the past 11 years TAPESTRY has awarded nearly $4.5 million in grants to 443 teams of teachers from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, the U.S Virgin Islands, and the Northern Mariana Islands who have created innovative science projects that can be implemented in their school or school district. For more information or to receive an application for both grant programs, call 800-807-9852 or visit the Tapestry web site at www.nsta.org/programs/tapestry. Entry deadline for both programs is January 17, 2002. ************************************ GRANT AND FUNDING INFORMATION (Source: PEN NewsBlast, August 3, 2001) - The National Association of Partners in Education and MetLife Foundation are offering a new program to recognize exemplary teacher-parent partnerships. (Visit http://www.partnersineducation.org/MetLife%20Award.pdf to download a brochure in PDF format.) - The NSF Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Teacher Preparation (STEMTP) program responds to the critical need for qualified teachers of mathematics and science in elementary and secondary schools. The program supports efforts to develop exemplary science and mathematics PK-12 teacher education models that produce and retain effective teachers who have the skills, confidence, and commitment to enable all students to attain high standards of achievement in mathematics, science, engineering, and technology. (Visit www.nsf.gov/cgi-bin/getpub?nsf01136 for details.) - The eSchool News School Funding Center offers information on up-to-the-minute grant programs, funding sources, and technology funding. (Visit www.eschoolnews.org/funding for details.) - Among a wealth of other information, the ED site "Information on U.S. Department of Education Initiatives" provides comprehensive information on applying for grants and listings of current funding opportunities. (Visit www.ed.gov/funding.html.) - "School Grants" is a collection of resources and tips to help K-12 educators apply for and obtain special grants for a variety of projects. (Visit www.schoolgrants.org for details.) _____________________________________________________ This TCEB is made possible by a grant from AT&T. Please visit www.att.com/learningnetwork for more information about AT&T's support for education. The TCEB is a newsletter provided to members of the Triangle Coalition. Members may forward individual articles or the issue in its entirety providing that credit is given to the Triangle Coalition, and all of the following contact information is included in any republication. For TCEB subscription or membership information, contact: Triangle Coalition for Science and Technology Education 1201 New York Avenue, NW, Suite 700, Washington, DC 20005 phone: 800-582-0115 fax: 202-289-1303 e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] www.triangle-coalition.org To submit information for possible inclusion in TCEB, contact: Joanne Van Voorhis, Target Marketing, Editor [EMAIL PROTECTED] ************************************ THE MISSION OF THE TRIANGLE COALITION IS TO FOSTER COLLABORATION AMONG LEADERS IN EDUCATION, BUSINESS, AND GOVERNMENT TO IMPROVE SCIENCE, MATHEMATICS, AND TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION. The Triangle Coalition membership includes business, labor, education, science, mathematics, technology and engineering organizations, and community and state-based alliances. ************************************ -- This is the CPS Science Teacher List. To unsubscribe, send a message to <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> For more information: <http://home.sprintmail.com/~mikelach/subscribe.html>. 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