NORTH CAROLINA STEM TEACHER EDUCATION PROGRAM (NC STEP) PROGRAM OF STUDY NC STEP is an innvative alternative licensure teacher certificatin prgram administered by Nrth Carlina New Schls and apprved by the Nrth Carlina State Bard f Educatin n January 12, 2012. The prgram recruits and retains cllege graduates wh have STEM related degrees and are interested in becming high schl science, technlgy, engineering and math teachers. Qualified candidates participate in a cst free nn-traditinal teacher training prgram that cnsists f a year-lng internship in a Nrth Carlina New Schls netwrk schl, cmplete fur n-line graduate level curses thrugh WIDE Wrld at Harvard Graduate schl f Educatin, attend prfessinal develpment wrkshps and cnferences ffered thrugh Nrth Carlina New Schls, and receive mentring and caching at their respective schls thrugh NC New Schl s Integrated System f Schl Supprt. The candidates, in return, make a three-year cmmitment t teach in a high need district/schl, while earning benefits and a salary as a full-time teacher, ultimately gaining a NC Prfessinal Educatrs License. NC STEP s Prgram f Study: 1. Ten mnth, minimum f 18 hrs per day, internship in a Nrth Carlina New Schls netwrk schl bserving, experiencing all activities f the schl day, reflecting and preparing fr teaching a class during the secnd semester f the internship. 2. Mentring during the internship year by a team f schl-based master teachers prficient in their cntent and in utilizing the NC New Schls Design Principals and the Cmmn Instructinal Framewrk. 3. Fur WIDE Wrld Online Prfessinal Develpment Curses fr Educatrs - the fllwing graduate level curses take place nline thrugh study grup discussins, assignments and with lcal chrt teams: Teaching fr Understanding I - The Teaching fr Understanding Framewrk is a tl fr instructinal planning and revisin that cntinually rerients attentin back t understanding. The Teaching fr Understanding: Fcus n Student Understanding curse prvides an intrductin t the Teaching fr Understanding framewrk, where participants learn t clarify educatinal gals, link student wrk t experience, design active learning instructinal units, develp effective assessment practices, and reflect n their wn teaching practice. Teaching fr Understanding II This curse puts int practice the wrk begun in Teaching fr Understanding 1 as participants apply the framewrk and cncepts
frm the first curse t their teaching practice, refining the instructinal units develped in the first Teaching fr Understanding curse and devising their wn practice. Making Thinking Visible - teachers and leaders learn abut thinking rutines that help students build understanding in the subject areas. These rutines help t create a vibrant culture f thinking, thughtful learning, and understanding in the classrm. Differentiating Instructin - teachers and leaders learn hw t identify student readiness levels, interests, learning styles, and Multiple Intelligence Prfiles. Participants will design tiered activities and assessments that allw students t learn the same cntent in different ways. The emphasis is n practical use f differentiated instructin in the classrm t respnd t the unique needs f all learners. 4. Nrth Carlina New Schls Prfessinal Develpment Activities: SUMMER INSTITUTE - Summer Institute serves as a catalyst fr learning and building cmmunity, cnnecting teams frm innvative schls acrss the state as they share successes, learn prmising practices, and plan next steps fr deepening fidelity t the NC New Schls Design Principles. Highlights include facilitated team time fr reflectin and actin planning, cncurrent sessins cnnected t the Design Principles, pprtunities t hear natinally knwn keynte speakers and state leaders in educatin, and netwrking amng principals, teachers, cunselrs, cllege liaisns, and cmmunity cllege and district ffice leader. SCALING STEM - The Scaling STEM cnference is an pprtunity fr all schls in ur netwrk t learn frm experts frm acrss the state and natin and with each ther t advance STEM strategies fr all. Quality STEM educatin prepares all students t thrive in the mdern ecnmy, nt just future scientists r engineers. Increasingly, graduates require mre flexible and adaptable cmpetence in math, science and technlgy. They will need t design and cmmunicate slutins t prblems thrughut their persnal and prfessinal lives. Highlights include presentatins by students and mdel STEM schls, cncurrent sessins cnnected t the Design Principles and NC STEM Attributes, pprtunities t hear natinally knwn keynte speakers, and state leaders, and netwrking amng educatrs. NEW TEACHER INSTITUTE - The New Teacher Institute prvides principals and teachers new t the NC New Schls netwrk the pprtunity t develp an understanding f the Cmmn Instructinal Framewrk, a set f strategies that help students read, write, think, and talk in every class, every day. Fllw-up supprt fr this institute is prvided at the schl level by the schl instructinal caches. ncnewschls.rg/ncstep
COMMON PRACTICES SYMPOSIUM - The Cmmn Practices Sympsium is designed as an pprtunity fr reflectin, sharing prmising practices, learning new skills, planning imprvements, and netwrking and cllabratin with clleagues within a regin. Teacher leaders frm acrss the NC New Schls netwrk demnstrate innvative strategies that lead t success fr all students in interactive wrking sessins designed t mdel the NC New Schls Cmmn Instructinal Framewrk. SECONDARY LENSES ON LEARNING (SLL) - SLL is a series f fur full-day seminars fr teams including the schl principal, an influential mathematics teacher, cunselr, district curriculum directr and ther schl persnnel. The series addresses the fllwing gals: 1)T prvide schl teams with experiences, infrmatin, and resurces t guide them in key areas f practice shwn t have significant impact n secndary students' mathematical learning, and 2)T develp each schl team s capacity t wrk tgether, as a cherent leadership team, t strategically advance pwerful mathematics teaching and learning in their schl. During this highly interactive seminar, participants: Engage in prblem-based activities that exemplify the Cmmn Cre Mathematical Practices; Discuss readings that link the essential questins addressed in each sessin t research; Reflect n student wrk, vide and written cases that prvide insights int instructinal decisins and student learning; Cnsider pprtunities t prmte equitable achievement at the classrm and schl levels; Identify strengths and weaknesses in their current mathematics prgram based n qualitative and quantitative data they cllect at their schl; Use these findings t create actin plans fr shrt-term and lng-term gals; Identify and cmmit t specific first steps t take, and plan fr invlving ther critical players. Between sessins, participants read relevant research, bserve in classrms, cllect data and reflect and plan as a mathematics leadership team. It is expected that teams, with the additin f ther critical players, will cntinue t meet regularly after the cnclusin f SLL t prvide leadership fr implementing, studying, reflecting n, and refining their mathematics prgram imprvement plan. Depending n the STEP Intern s area f cncentratin, the intern will participate in ne f the fllwing wrkshps: Prject-Based Learning (PBL) - This wrkshp engages participants in learning the principles fr designing, assessing and managing standards-fcused prjects as well as using perfrmance assessments t judge the relevant wrk generated by 21st Century learners. Thrugh a cmbinatin f direct instructin, vide analysis and hands-n cllabrative wrk, participants have the ncnewschls.rg/ncstep
pprtunity t plan, design and receive peer feedback n an engaging and rigrus prject using the Buck Institute fr Educatin mdel and tls. Every participant receives a free cpy f the PBL 101 Wrkbk and the PBL Handbk, which include rubrics, planning frms, activities, readings Intrductin t Mdeling Instructin in Science - The Mdeling Instructin Prgram, develped at Arizna State University, is dedicated t research-based refrm f science instructin and sustained prfessinal grwth and supprt fr science teachers. Mdeling Instructin is a guided inquiry apprach t teaching science where students create and apply cnceptual mdels f natural phenmena as a central aspect f learning and ding science. During each ne week intrductry wrkshp (bilgy, chemistry, physics) participants will reasn frm data and develp, mdify, and deply scientific mdels. Participants will further develp skills in fstering scientific discurse (classrm talk) and in assessment f student learning. Cre Plus Mathematics -Cre-Plus Mathematics is a fur-year integrated curriculum that replaces the traditinal Algebra-Gemetry-Algebra 2-Precalculus sequence. Each curse features interwven strands f algebra and functins, statistics and prbability, gemetry and trignmetry, and discrete mathematics. The curriculum emphasizes mathematical mdeling and is designed t make mathematics accessible t mre students, while challenging the mst able students. The curriculum materials als include a suite f cmputer sftware called CPMP-Tls that prvide pwerful aids t learning mathematics and slving mathematical prblems. The materials prmte active learning and teaching centered arund cllabrative investigatins f prblem situatins. 5. Schl- Based Seminars These schl- based seminars are a required cmpnent addressed during the STEP Internship. The seminars are specifically planned t address tpics required fr successful cmpletin f the STEP Prgram f Study and as required by the NC State Bard f Educatin. Required tpics are: -Schl Orientatin, -Classrm Management in a Student Active Envirnment, -Ethical Standards fr Teachers, Effective Cmmunicatin -Respnsibilities and Opprtunities when Wrking with Exceptinal Children, -Using Cmmunity Resurces as Part f the Cre Curriculum, -Teacher as Leader in Their Classrm, in Their Schl, and in Their Prfessin, -The Schl As Part f the District Educatin Organizatin and as Part f the State Organizatin, -Resume and Interviews, and -Preparatin fr Leading Yur Own Class ncnewschls.rg/ncstep
6. Cmpletin f an electrnic prtfli with the fllwing cmpnents: Fur Unit Plans 1. TfU Unit - develped thrugh WIDE Wrld (1 st summer curse) 2. TfU Unit - develped thrugh WIDE Wrld (spring curse) 3. Cntent Unit - develped under the guidance f the mentr team (internship) 4. Cntent Unit - develped under the guidance f the mentr team (internship) Classrm artifacts t include: Vide f ne full class perid. Lessn plan crrespnding t the vide submitted including all activities, questins and artifacts referenced in the lessn. Samples f student wrk created during the videtaped lessn. Chse cmpleted assignments frm students f varying ability (high, average and lw). Vide analysis and reflective narrative 4/5 pages in length, addressing the fllwing questins: What are the verall lessn s strengths and areas fr imprvement? What were the learning gals fr this particular lessn? Hw well were the learning gals achieved? What evidence frm the videtaped lessn supprts yur determinatin? Describe hw this lessn utilizes CIF strategies t create an envirnment f student engagement where students read, write, think, and talk in every class every day? Which CIF strategies were particularly effective in terms f reaching yur learning gals? Hw can CIF strategies be mdified and/r enhanced in this lessn t imprve effectiveness f reaching yur learning gals? What d the cmpleted assignments tell yu abut students understanding f the lessn s gals and bjectives? Hw did yu assess the student wrk? Hw did yu prvide feedback? Hw did the student wrk prducts influence yur subsequent lessn planning and instructinal practice fr the next few class perids? Hw might this lessn change if given the pprtunity t d it again? ncnewschls.rg/ncstep
Reflectins Summative Reflectin - Chse 5 reflectins frm yur seminar/internship experience that best illustrate yur prfessinal grwth as a teacher. Using these dcuments and yur experience in seminars, describe hw yu have evlved as a teacher. Identify 1 r 2 seminar tpics that have significantly impacted yur instructinal practice and describe hw this learning has added t yur prfessinal grwth. Schl Culture Reflectin - Address the fllwing questins in yur narrative: What are a few key experiences that yu participated in at yur hst schl that illustrate ne r mre f the NC New Schls Design Principles? Hw d these experiences help yu define the culture f yur hst schl? Why is schl culture imprtant? What impact des schl culture have n student learning? Feedback Reflectin - Address the fllwing statements/questins in yur narrative: Describe a time in yur internship experience where yu received valuable feedback frm clleagues, teachers, administratrs, and/r students. Hw did yu use that feedback t change yur verall grwth and develpment as a STEM teacher? ncnewschls.rg/ncstep