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Improving Teacher Quality

Bell Gardens Science Project

Grant Number: 08-501

Grant Award: $945,222

Duration of Project: Wednesday, October 01, 2008 - Sunday, September 30, 2012

Project Subject Areas: Science

Grade Band: K-4

Project Websites:

Institutes of Higher Education:

  • California State University, Long Beach

Local Education Agencies:

  • Montebello Unified, Montebello

Partners:

  • WestEd
  • K-12 Alliance

Number of teachers/principals/highly qualified paraprofessionals participating in the project:

50

Goals:

The Bell Gardens Science Partnership goals are to:
  1. increase student achievement in science
  2. increase teacher content knowledge in science and ELD pedagogy
  3. increase English language development of students
  4. impact teacher attitude and self-efficacy in science
  5. improve teacher pedagogical skills by implementing the reflective TLC process as a professional learning community
  6. strengthen parent-school-community relationships

Activities:

The core intervention involves all teachers at BGE in the professional development model, which includes an ELD institute (district funded), a science content institute (grant funded), an on-site extended institute, which include the Teaching Learning Collaborative, a lesson study model, community science events, and fieldwork at local science informal institutions.

Anticipated Outcomes:

Gains in learning for students, teachers, and parents are anticipated outcomes of the Bell Gardens Science Partnership:
  • Student science achievement will be measured using appropriate TIMSS and NAEP items for students in 3rd and 4th grade, and the 5th grade science CST
  • Teacher content growth will be measured using pre-post tests aligned with the content of each summer institute
  • Students’ English Language Development will be based on CELDT and English Language Arts CST scores, with a control group to be used for comparison
  • The impact of incorporating informal science institutions on teacher content learning and attitudes will be measured using pre/post content tests and the STEBI-B instrument
  • Pre/post workshop questionnaires will be used to examine teacher awareness of local community science resources
  • Parent-community relationships will be investigated through parent/teacher reports, pre/post Kentucky Family and Community Involvement Guide (CPAC, 2007) and focus group interviews

Contacts:

Institute of Higher Education: Susan Gomez-Zweip, Co-Director/RD, sgomezwp@csulb.edu
Institute of Higher Education: William Straits, wstraits@csulb.edu
Local Education Agency: Patricia Alvarez, LEA Co-Director, alvarez_patricia@montebello.k12.ca.us

Questions, Comments, Corrections?

Send an e-mail to Teacher_Quality@cpec.ca.gov .