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MO-STEP Program Description and Project Proposal

Program Description

The Missouri Science Teaching and Education Partnerships (MO-STEP) combines the academic strengths of the Department of Biology, the International Center for Tropical Ecology and the pedagogical background of the Science Education Program at UM-St. Louis in a tightly-coupled collaboration with urban high schools located near the University and with conservation-focused organizations within St. Louis.

MO-STEP will be underpinned by two concepts: (1) good teaching requires a sound discipline knowledge base and (2) good teaching strategies are critical to teaching and learning. Participants will use inquiry, problem-based approaches in the laboratory or field to investigate local, national and international issues that surround human interactions with the environment and the ecology and conservation of natural and human-dominated ecosystems.

The program will support ten graduate fellows and five undergraduate fellows and place them in Biology classrooms in high schools within each of the following School Districts: Ferguson-Florissant, Normandy, Maplewood-Richmond Heights, Pattonville and Wellston. MO-STEP will provide professional development opportunities for participating high school faculty.

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Project Proposal

Project Description

Results from Prior Support
Charles R. Granger: Co-PI, Center for Inquiry in Science Teaching and Learning (CISTL), N.S.F., $10,264,221, Period: 01/01/03 to 12/31/08. Location: Washington University; ESI-0227619. Person Months: Summer: 0.60.

CISTL is a partnership program involving the St. Louis Science Center, Missouri Botanical Garden, Saint Louis Zoo, Washington University, University of Missouri-St. Louis and five collaborating school districts (St. Louis Public Schools, University City, Riverview Gardens, Maplewood-Richmond Heights and Kirkwood). CISTL’s major mission is to research the effectiveness of various strategies to enhance science teaching and learning with a focus on professional development and support needed to bring inquiry-based teaching and learning into K-12 science education in both formal and informal settings. The project, started in February 2003, will begin its first program this summer. MO-STEP is connected to CISTL through one of the MO-STEP principle investigators and findings and results will be shared between the two efforts so that effective interventions and strategies can be utilized and evaluated as appropriate.

Introduction
Teachers require pedagogical skills and need to be aware of novel techniques and resources available that facilitate teaching and learning. Teachers also require a sound command of their teaching discipline. Equipped with this, teachers are more likely to provide challenging activities and ask stimulating questions at a variety of cognitive levels. They are also more likely to engage their students in open-ended discussion. The academic conceptual focus of MO-STEP will be on the interrelationships between humans, plants and animals and their environment and the effect of these interactions on the integrity and conservation of both human-dominated and natural ecosystems. These effects will be explored at the hierarchical levels (molecular, genetic, species, population, community) that match the research expertise of University participants. Humans are increasingly becoming the dominant force in natural processes on this planet as nearly one-third of the earth’s land surface is used for agriculture and livestock grazing (Vitousek et al., 1997). Moreover, humans consume 50% of the world’s plant productivity, deposit as much nitrogen into the earth through use of fertilizers and burning of fossil fuels as does the natural nitrogen cycle, and indirectly alter natural systems through deliberate or accidental introductions of non-native species (Matson et al., 1999; Mack et al., 2001). Humans must be included in plans to conserve the integrity of ecosystems. MO-STEP will bring into the high school classroom, science topics that are timely and relevant and will introduce participants to cutting-edge science in, for example, disease transmission, invasive species, DNA paternity analysis, conservation of endangered species and the use of Geographic Information Systems for landscape and conservation planning. The pedagogical component will focus on integration of computers and information technology, curriculum development, resource-sharing and the use of audio-visual equipment and materials.

Barriers to school-university partnerships arise in many forms. Three major inhibitors come from (1) few opportunities for professional interaction between high school and university faculty; (2) university faculty’s lack of understanding of the needs of high school science faculty; and (3) the perception within graduate programs that K-12 teaching as a career path is less valued than higher education and research. MO-STEP will break these barriers through close professional associations, building camaraderie to focus on enhancing scientific literacy and numeracy. Because of the nature of the program and the inevitable breakdown of barriers, MO-STEP will intrinsically perpetuate itself. Successful enhancement of high school science instruction will encourage high school faculty to continue the collaborative relationship while the opportunity for expanding graduate career opportunities and the acquisition of new graduate and undergraduate students will retain the interest of university faculty. Monthly meetings between high school and university faculty will inculcate the culture of sharing and mutual support.

Goals and Objectives
MO-STEP will work with five, under-resourced, urban high schools and will address issues of discipline content and pedagogy. The overall goal of MO-STEP is to develop a diverse, mutually supportive, collegial team of graduate fellows, undergraduate students, high school faculty and higher education faculty that will provide long-term opportunities for the exchange of ideas and the analysis of innovative teaching methods. Significant outcomes of this goal will be graduate students that enter their careers as better and more effective teachers and increased academic performance and scientific literacy of high school students. The overall goal of MO-STEP will be accomplished by updating and enriching the biological sciences curriculum taught in neighborhood schools, while at the same time providing an innovative, graduate-level curriculum and mentored classroom experience for GK-12 graduate fellows. MO-STEP will provide new professional development opportunities for participating high school faculty. This enriched partnership between university professors and high school faculty will result in easier transitions of students from high school to college and consequently, increased numbers of science majors, especially among minorities, and reduced drop out rates for science majors. To achieve the project’s overall goals MO-STEP will take advantage of existing partnerships between UM-St. Louis and the region’s important scientific institutions: Missouri Botanical Garden, Saint Louis Zoo, St. Louis Science Center, Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, Forest Park Forever and the St. Louis Aquacenter to strengthen and enrich the shared learning experiences of MO-STEP’s students and educators.

Objective 1: Improved communication and teaching skills for GK-12 fellows
Traditionally graduate students within scientific disciplines receive little formal training in pedagogy and often are expected to learn effective communication and teaching skills simply by practice as they are assigned teaching roles as part of their graduate student financial package. MO-STEP will address this serious gap in the teaching preparation of biology graduate students through specialized formal and informal training, individual mentoring, and hands-on practice.

Objective 2: Content gain and professional development opportunities for school teachers
The past few decades have seen astronomical changes in science and technology, and the pace of change is unlikely to slow. These rapid advances represent overwhelming challenges to educators trying to keep pace. MO-STEP is designed to increase high school faculty content knowledge through training, working with GK-12 graduate fellows and university faculty, class work, internships with university researchers and affiliates, increased access to web-based resources, and through increased connections with other professional development initiatives in St. Louis.

Objective 3: Enriched learning by Grade 9-12 students
There is already a need in the workforce for research scientists and science educators and this is likely to increase in the future. Improved scientific literacy is required within the general public in order to guide public policy decisions and agendas that underpin scientific innovations. MO-STEP will increase scientific knowledge and literacy of high school students using inquiry based learning into subjects that are extremely relevant and to which students have natural interests. Enriched learning will be documented by pre-post tests and performance on standardized tests.

Objective 4: Strengthen partnerships between higher education and secondary schools
Perpetuation of MO-STEP will require strong partnerships between higher education and secondary schools. MO-STEP is designed to build an effective, diverse and integrated team that will break down traditional barriers between university and high school faculty. The program will strengthen partnerships by capitalizing on existing collaborations augmented by new resources, partners and administrative commitments. Strong collaborations between university and high school faculty will provide the foundation and framework to perpetuate MO-STEP.

Objective 5: Documentation of project outcomes
MO-STEP will be a dynamic learning program that will be modified as necessary to keep abreast of scientific and technological developments, as well as teaching methods and tools to maximize the effectiveness of achieving the project’s overall goals. To stay dynamic, MO-STEP will have a rigorous, independent and timely formative evaluation process that will guide the project as well as a reflective summative evaluation.

Objective 6: Incorporation into Institution's graduate programs
MO-STEP will significantly enhance links between research scientists and science education professionals at UM-St. Louis, as well as establish collaborations of the former group with nearby school districts. Long-term support of the project will require special recruitment strategies, modification of the Ecology, Evolution and Systematics program at UM-St. Louis to improve teaching skills of graduate students within Biology, and the establishment of new research and professional development opportunities for students and teachers from secondary schools. MO-STEP will impact a broad audience that extends beyond project participants.

Project Plan

Objective 1: Improved communication and teaching skills for GK-12 fellows
In the traditional scientific disciplines, graduate students typically receive minimal formal training in pedagogy. Mostly, students learn by “doing” and through observation of their peers, graduate mentors and advisors. Most UM-St. Louis biology graduates have aspirations to be science educators as well as researchers and UM-St. Louis has an exceptionally strong group of science educators. Therefore, MO-STEP will enable the Department of Biology to improve significantly the communication and teaching skills of GK-12 graduate fellows and this will have positive impacts on all graduate students in the Department. Teaching skill improvement of GK-12 graduate fellows will be accomplished through specialized formal and informal training, individual mentoring and in-classroom practice.

Specialized formal training
GK-12 graduate fellows will be expected to complete existing course requirements of the Ecology, Evolution and Systematics graduate program in Biology. In addition, all GK-12 graduate fellows will be required to participate in the annual 2-week summer workshop and the bi-monthly graduate seminar described below. Further, MO-STEP coordinators will meet 1-2 times annually with the GK-12 graduate fellow and their academic advisor to ensure that each fellow enrolls in courses that will provide them with the discipline knowledge base and the educational theory and praxis that will make them exceptionally qualified educators. GK-12 graduate fellows may also enroll in the Department of Biology’s Graduate Certificate Programs, such as the Certificate in Tropical Biology and Conservation and the new Certificate in Biological Education (see Objective 6).

All GK-12 graduate fellows will participate in a 2-week summer workshop run by biology and science education faculty. These workshops will also be open to other biology graduate fellows, undergraduate teaching assistants from Science Education and high school science faculty from the participating school districts. The participating high school faculty will be recompensed for their attendance at the summer workshop. The workshop in the first year will be held at UM-St. Louis and will cover the following topics: MO-STEP as a collaborative, team-driven venture; roles and responsibilities of participants; curriculum content; basics of pedagogical strategies; curriculum development; curriculum enrichment opportunities (field trips, technology available); school orientation; moral and social issues in the classroom; school discipline and classroom management and school safety code. A major goal of the first summer workshop will be to provide the pedagogical foundation that is so critical to effective teaching and learning. Fellows will learn how to use inquiry, problem-based approaches in the classroom, laboratory or field settings to investigate local, national and international issues that surround human interaction with the environment. The ecology and conservation of natural and human-dominated ecosystems will be presented through the hierarchical levels of molecules, genes, organisms, populations, species and communities. GK-12 fellows will work closely with high school faculty during the workshop in developing teaching and learning activities that can then be applied during the school year. This workshop will initiate team building, a concept central to the success of MO-STEP, and forge the partnership between higher education and high school participants through sharing and mutual learning of discipline content and teaching strategies. Summer workshops in subsequent years will focus on issues of curriculum development, innovative teaching methods and student evaluation techniques. MO-STEP activities will be guided by the Missouri Frameworks Science Curriculum and the National Science Education Standards.

In addition to a formal 2-week summer workshop, GK-12 graduate fellows will participate in seminars (2 each month) during the academic year that bring together all graduate fellows, undergraduate teaching assistants, participating high school faculty and key university faculty. These meetings will be held, in rotation, at the institutions participating in MO-STEP, and will provide opportunities to discuss program developments, share lesson plans, learn about educational technology applications, and develop collaborative ventures. The seminar will allow MO-STEP participants to share teaching and learning experiences, successes as well as difficulties. These seminars will provide a strong support group for both graduate fellows and their mentors at the high schools and facilitate a rapid response when problems arise with teaching methods or content. Collaboration and team-building are key components of MO-STEP.

One of the important goals of the workshops and seminars will be to increase faculty and graduate fellows’ awareness and skills of new educational technologies. We emphasize this goal because research has shown that technologies can mediate learning conversations about representations among peers and between learners and teachers, both face-to-face and over a distance (Hoadley & Enyedy, 1999; Linn & Hsi, 2000; Pea, 1994; Roschelle, 1996; Suthers, 2001). Moreover, customized interactive environments have been developed to facilitate the exploration and learning of specific biology content (Linn & Hsi, 2000; Reiser, et al., 2001). All this research and development has been grounded in constructivist insights about learning that have been shown to have wide utility for all learners (Bransford et al., 1999). In addition, recent efforts have begun to show how some of these practices and technologies can particularly aid low-income, urban students (Krajcik et al., 2000; Schneider et al., 2002); low-income, urban students form the major target group for MO-STEP.

Informal training, individual mentoring and in-classroom practice
Informal training for GK-12 graduate fellows will be an on-going process. Each graduate fellow will be attached to a particular teacher at one high school. This will provide the fellow with the opportunity to become immersed in the school culture and teaching philosophy and the expectations and challenges of the high school. The fellows will spend an average of 10 hours per week in the biology classroom at their school and an additional 5 hours per week preparing for this classroom time. All GK-12 graduate fellows will be expected to produce lesson plans in cooperation with the mentoring teacher and these will be peer-reviewed and accumulated in a web-based portfolio. Lesson plan preparation will begin during the summer workshop and continue throughout the academic year. In addition, fellows will be required to spend a minimum of 60 hours a year in extra-curricular support or mentoring activities outside the classroom. These additional hours could be spent in tutoring students at-risk, assisting students preparing projects for Science Fair or through contributions to after-school programs such as science clubs, ecology clubs and other related extra-curricular activities. Regular attendance in the high school biology classroom provides an unparalleled opportunity to learn from experienced high school faculty. These faculty will be mentors to the GK-12 graduate fellows and help them develop and improve their communication and teaching skills. Graduate teaching assistants in university classrooms rarely have the opportunity for individual observation and mentorship from experienced teachers.

Each pair of GK-12 graduate fellows at the participating schools will collaborate with a senior undergraduate student from Science Education. The undergraduate student will have expertise in use of technology in teaching and learning and will help teach in the high school biology classroom and in the preparation of class materials. This pairing between disciplined-based graduate students and advanced science education majors will strengthen the pedagogical and educational technology training of the GK-12 fellows and the content learning of the science education majors.

Objective 2: Content gain and professional development opportunities for school teachers
Teacher training is a career-long learning process and MO-STEP will either initiate or enhance programs of professional development for participating high school faculty. Science is a rapidly evolving discipline and teachers require frequent opportunities to update their knowledge and understanding of new developments and techniques. In 1999, only one-third of teachers reported feeling well prepared to use computers, the internet and information technology software in classroom instruction (National Science Board, 2002). Teachers with fewer years of experience were more likely than teachers with extended experience to use computers and the internet (National Science Board, 2002). GK-12 graduate and undergraduate fellows will be expected to have strong computer skills and, where appropriate, transfer these skills to both students and faculty within the participating high schools. Any requirements regarding the incorporation of technology in classroom instruction by participating high school faculty will be identified and suitable professional development programs developed. Participating high school faculty will be encouraged to enroll in non-degree courses, the Graduate Certificate in Biological Education (see Objective 6) and/or the M.Ed. program. The budget includes an annual tuition allowance of up to six credit hours for high school faculty participants.

In addition to this, high school faculty will be offered professional development opportunities during the summer. These will include attachment to a research laboratory to work on a clearly-defined, product-oriented project that introduces the teacher to skills and techniques that can be integrated into the high school curriculum. This research opportunity may take place in the laboratory or in the field. Participating UM-St. Louis faculty are addressing cutting-edge biological questions at field sites in the Missouri Ozarks, Galapagos Islands, Amazon, llanos of Venezuela, rain forests of Guyana, the Caribbean and Brazilian cerrado. Alternatively, an internship in non-formal education in cooperation with city, state or nonprofit education center will provide hands-on teaching experience outside the classroom under the mentorship of practicing non-formal educators. Research and education internships will be funded through stipends to the teacher and, where appropriate, could be used as credit towards the Graduate Certificate in Biological Education and/or the M.Ed. degree. As appropriate, participating high school faculty will be appointed as adjunct faculty in the Department of Biology and/or the College of Education. These appointments will provide a formal link between the schools and UM-St. Louis and a mechanism to maintain contact following completion of the project.

Objective 3: Enriched learning by Grade 9-12 students
College professors indicate dissatisfaction with the preparation of high school students in basic numeracy and literacy (National Science Board, 2002). MO-STEP will promote scientific literacy and numeracy by having biology graduate students working side-by-side with high school students, providing them with guidance and feedback. The general concept area will be focused on the ecology and conservation of human-dominated and natural ecosystems. Recent studies have demonstrated that students have an inherent interest in nature and environmental topics and that environmental subjects provide an excellent mechanism to integrate across disciplines. For example, ecology is strongly quantitative and many learning activities combine biological and mathematical concepts. Moreover, scientists must interpret and communicate their biological findings, which provide opportunities to improve both verbal and written communication skills of students. The GK-12 graduate fellows will put into practice teaching principles of “cognitive apprenticeship” (Collins et al., 1989) in which they model and coach numerical, mathematical and scientific ways of thinking and conducting inquiry. By working with active researchers, high school students will gain some of the benefits of being legitimate participants in the practices of science (Lave & Wenger, 1991; Wenger, 1998). They will build personal connections with the GK-12 graduate fellows and observe their biological research activities and thereby gain practice-based scientific literacy through developmentally and cognitively appropriate projects that they conduct in their high school classes (O'Neill & Polman, in press). Graduate fellows will further enrich student learning by providing feedback, both in conversations and in writing, helping the high school students face the challenges of conducting inquiry based learning of scientific concepts and rigorous practices (Polman & Pea, 2001). Feedback will include comments on scientific merit, evaluation criteria and clarity of expression, spelling and punctuation. MO-STEP will use every opportunity to enhance numerical skills and reinforce mathematical concepts. Fellows will also provide remedial help to students performing below peer group level.

MO-STEP learning activities will incorporate new technologies to assist students in grasping a solid understanding of biological concepts and enhancing their analytical and problem-solving abilities. Educational technology has become an integral part of research-based instruction in general (Bransford et al., 1999) and science instruction in particular (National Research Council, 2000). In numerous recent research projects, technology has been shown to support scientific inquiry through the development of conceptual understanding and mediation in communication and collaboration (Blumenfeld et al., 1991; Edelson et al., 1999; Polman, 2000). Computer-based tools have been used effectively in data collection and sharing (Feldman et al., 2000), analysis and sense making during inquiry. For instance, visual representations of data such as Geographic Information System maps help develop conceptual understanding of large-system phenomena like climate (Audet & Ludwig, 2000; Gordin et al., 1994; Malone et al., 2002). Students can create representations of concepts, causal relations (Suthers, 2001) and systems models (Stratford et al., 1998).

One of the strengths of the MO-STEP proposal is the breadth and research excellence of its participating faculty. Learning activities developed for MO-STEP will originate from research programs of its participating faculty and integrated in such a way to develop not only scientifically interesting and relevant questions, but also ones that challenge the analytical and quantitative skills of students. One example of the kinds of learning activities that GK-12 fellows will bring to the classroom is inquiry into the spread of West Nile Virus across the midwestern U.S. In this activity, student teams would be established to use (1) genetics to understand patterns of movement of the host species (Parker, UMSL); (2) climatological maps to understand distributions of mosquito vectors (Loiselle, UMSL); and (3) algebraic geometry to quantify patterns of population densities and distances. These teams would join together for a meeting of presentations by all the teams is held to discuss how we understand the speed with which diseases can move across the landscape (Miller, Saint Louis Zoo) and the conservation implications for the main vertebrate host groups, birds (Blake, UMSL). Another example of a learning activity MO-STEP would introduce into the classroom involves exploring the roles of museum and herbarium collections in worldwide conservation. In this activity, one team might investigate applications of reproductive physiological techniques in captive breeding and reintroduction programs (Asa, Saint Louis Zoo); another investigates the relationships among threatened plant species using museum studies and genetic approaches (Richardson, Missouri Botanical Garden; Kellogg, UMSL); a third explores threats to natural systems and quantification of population declines (Bourne, UMSL); a fourth introduces students to understanding the flora and fauna in St. Louis (Wilson, UMSL-Forest Park; Stevens, UMSL) and in rural Missouri (Stevens, UMSL; Hunt, UMSL). Presentations by all groups at a final meeting stimulates discussion of the problems worldwide and what approaches are available to meet them. Many such multi-group investigations that highlight scientific principles (e.g., disease transmission, host-parasite interactions, ecological niches, biological rarity) and have policy relevance would be developed and would link the student participants with groups of local experts in these applications, through their graduate fellows. Since all sciences are quantitative, we will emphasize the integration of information content with underlying mathematical procedures in all activities, as well as the importance of science in policy formulation. These learning activities will introduce students to cutting-edge technologies (e.g., molecular genetic analysis, GIS) used by scientists and educators.

Recognizing that participatory activities are an effective means of learning, MO-STEP will facilitate opportunities for field trips and summer internships for high school students. These activities will provide hands-on experience in ecology and conservation (e.g., biodiversity inventories, restoration ecology, molecular genetic studies in behavioral ecology, in-situ and ex-situ conservation of rare and endangered species) at sites such as the Missouri Botanical Garden, Saint Louis Zoo, Forest Park, Center for Plant Conservation and the St. Louis Aquacenter. The ICTE has an excellent working relationship with Arts-in-Transit and Bi-State Development Agency that will facilitate field trips by participating high schools. Arts-in-Transit provides art work and programs for the city’s bus and metro system, which is run by Bi-State. The ICTE’s relationship stems from its coordination of the EarthLinks: Ecology in Transit program that is directed towards increasing knowledge and appreciation of the natural world in urban and rural environments for elementary school (3-5th grades) students. This ICTE program is the result of a partnership between the Bi-State Development Agency, Arts-in-Transit, Missouri Department of Conservation, Missouri Botanical Garden, Litzsinger Road Ecology Center and the Green Center. A major limitation in conducting field trips for students is sufficient adult supervision and funds for travel. The presence of GK-12 graduate fellows and undergraduate teaching assistants will help with the former limitation, thus increasing the value and effectiveness of field trips by increasing the teacher:student ratio. Transportation for local field trips will be arranged with Arts-In-Transit and Bi-State Development Agency and funds are requested within the budget of this proposal. We anticipate at least two new field trips for each participating high school annually that focus on participatory learning activities for each classroom.

Individualized student internships will be available on a competitive basis with university faculty and research associates. Ten high school students will be supported on product-oriented research internships each summer and internships and field trips will be coordinated by the ICTE.

Objective 4: Strengthen partnerships between higher education and secondary schools
Perpetuation of MO-STEP will require strong partnerships between higher education and high schools. MO-STEP is designed to build an effective, diverse and integrated team of educators that will break down traditional barriers between university and high school faculty. Team-building and orientation will be facilitated through (1) pre-school year workshops (described previously); (2) regular meetings throughout the school year for graduate fellows and participating high school and university faculty to provide opportunities for them to share experiences, successes and difficulties (described above); and (3) opportunities to facilitate the collaborative development of teaching materials.

We will build and strengthen partnerships by capitalizing on existing collaborations augmented by new resources, partners and administrative commitments. We emphasize the strength of existing partnerships between UM-St. Louis and institutions and high schools within the region. UM-St. Louis is a land-grant research institution committed to meeting the diverse needs in Missouri’s largest metropolitan community. It is an urban campus and, with a culturally diverse student population of around 15,000, it is the largest in St. Louis and the third largest in Missouri. UM-St. Louis is a recognized leader in partnerships and academic programs are enriched through close collaboration with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, St. Louis Science Center, St. Louis Art Museum, Opera Theatre of St. Louis, Saint Louis Zoo, Missouri Historical Society, Forest Park Forever, Missouri Botanical Garden, schools and school districts, agencies that serve children and youth, colleges and universities and the business community. Joint endowed professorial appointments relevant to this proposal exist between UM-St. Louis and the Missouri Botanical Garden, Saint Louis Zoo, St. Louis Science Center (2 positions) and Forest Park Forever. An offer has recently been made to an eminent research scholar for a new endowed professorship that links UM-St. Louis with the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center. This sharing of resources and knowledge enriches the education of students at UM-St. Louis.

The three groups on campus collaborating on this proposal are the Department of Biology, the International Center for Tropical Ecology and the College of Education. The Department of Biology provides undergraduate academic programs leading to the B.A. and B.S. in Biology. In cooperation with the College of Education, the department offers the B.S. in Secondary Education with a major in biology and the B.A. or B.S. in Biology with teacher certification. It also offers graduate work leading to the Master of Science and the Doctor of Philosophy degrees in Biology. The graduate program covers two broad areas of biology: (a) Cellular and Molecular Biology and (b) Ecology, Evolution and Systematics. 50 Ph.D. students and over 30 M.S. students are enrolled in the EES program. Graduate programs are based on intensive course work and research experiences that emphasize interpretive and analytical skills in several areas of biology, and feature a close working relationship between students and faculty. Study programs are personalized by advising and dissertation committees that closely follow each student's progress. Students develop strong backgrounds in their area of interest, establish outstanding research programs and are highly competitive in the marketplace following graduation. A major strength of Biology Department’s graduate program is in tropical ecology and conservation and this is fostered by the International Center for Tropical Ecology (ICTE).

The ICTE was established in 1990 as a collaboration between UM-St. Louis and the Missouri Botanical Garden. The Center provides a focal point for interdisciplinary research and education in aspects of the conservation of tropical ecosystems. Its primary goal is to identify, prepare and educate the tropical world's next environmental leaders. The Center has more than 50 faculty associates from the Departments of Biology, Political Science, Economics, Anthropology, Social Work and Sociology, and from the research staff at the Missouri Botanical Garden, Center for Plant Conservation and the Saint Louis Zoo. The ICTE administers, for the Department of Biology, the Graduate Certificate in Tropical Biology and Conservation and the Undergraduate Certificate in Conservation Biology. Both these Certificate programs are multidisciplinary and include an internship experience with conservation organizations. The Center has sent more than 80 graduate and undergraduate students on individualized product-oriented internships with more than 40 organizations around the world.

The College of Education provides undergraduate and graduate programs that prepare and sustain educational leaders. It is the largest teacher-training institution in Missouri. Its programs emphasize state-of-the-art technological applications to enhance teaching and learning as well as collaboration among university, school, agency and corporate partners. The College is fully accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) and the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, and also is a member of the Holmes Partnership. Master’s degree programs in School Counseling, Community Counseling, and Community Counseling with Career Counseling, are accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). The E. Desmond Lee Technology and Learning Center in the College of Education has an existing relationship with the Maplewood-Richmond Heights School District. This partnership shares a staff member and utilizes a two-way video connection to provide "virtual visits" by pre-service teachers taking undergraduate classes. Participating undergraduates observe a teacher's class and then discuss it with the teacher afterwards. MO-STEP will build on these existing partnerships through shared learning experiences and confidences. Each stakeholder is expected to receive significant benefits, benefits that will work to incorporate MO-STEP as a long-lasting collaboration between UM-St. Louis and its partners in secondary education, and it will serve as a model to increase participation by other science disciplines in the future.

GK-12 graduate fellows will benefit from this higher education-high school partnership because they will receive a quality graduate education in biology and gain first-hand experience working in close collaboration with a high school faculty member as their mentor. The experience will be one of full immersion with the GK-12 graduate fellows participating in all aspects of high school science teaching: curriculum development, lesson plan preparation, classroom teaching, staff meetings, grading, student discipline and evaluation, after-hours tutoring, extramural activities and interaction with parents. Graduate fellows will gain experience in both field and laboratory biology and will be aware of the educational opportunities that exist within local governmental and non-governmental organizations.

The benefits to high school students from this partnership will be both immediate and long-lasting. High school students in the United States have high educational aspirations. Eighty-eight percent of 8th graders expect to participate in some form of post-secondary education (Venezia et al., 2003). However, Venezia et al. (2003) showed that about half of first-year students at community colleges do not continue on for a second year and about 25% of first-year students at four-year colleges do not stay for their second year. One of the long-term aims of this proposal is to help students transition from high school to college and increase their chances of succeeding once in college. MO-STEP will help participants appreciate the impediments to success in college, the academic programs that should be followed by college bound high school students and the academic expectations they will find in colleges. Partnership participants will work closely with students planning to enter higher education and hopefully motivate those who have not considered college as a logical progression from high school. Internationally, performance by U.S. students relative to international counterparts becomes progressively weaker at higher-grade levels (National Science Board, 2002). This is one reason why MO-STEP is focused on high school students.

Teachers need time away from the classroom to review their progress, to interact with other teachers, to discuss course content and pedagogy with individuals outside the school. MO-STEP will provide high school faculty with greater opportunities for these activities. MO-STEP high school faculty will not only benefit from having GK-12 graduate fellow and undergraduate students as classroom assistants but will also be able to learn new techniques and have a conduit to the use of technology and other facilities available at UM-St. Louis and at partner institutions in St. Louis. MO-STEP will provide opportunities for in-service training in novel techniques and the support and networking opportunities that come from being a member of a working, long-term, collaborative team. High school faculty and graduate fellows will mutually benefit from observing each other’s teaching styles.

Participating schools will benefit from the additional classroom help provided by the GK-12 graduate and undergraduate fellows, an enhanced science curriculum and the opportunities that come from closer collaboration with the University. The additional classroom help will facilitate small group instruction and enhance the breadth of specialist knowledge within the expanded discipline of biology. School students visiting and working on the UM-St. Louis campus will more easily transition from high school to higher education. The percentage of school students at the participating schools entering 2- or 4-year colleges varies from 28-42% and 25-46% respectively. The opportunity to visit UM-St. Louis will help in facilitating the transfer from high school to college and MO-STEP seeks to increase the number of college entrants from these schools. Strengthening links between these high schools and UM-St. Louis will provide college counselors at each high school with access to participating faculty. Undergraduate and graduate students working within MO-STEP will provide role models to high-school students seeking college guidance.

Objective 5: Documentation of project outcomes
Evaluation will focus on: (a) formative feedback on the process and progress of the implementation of MO-STEP; (b) ongoing, formative oversight of data collection that addresses MO-STEP objectives: and (c) summative data collection addressing the outcomes based on the program objectives.

Formative feedback
Evaluators will examine the ongoing implementation of the project. Based on the model developed by Medina et al. (2000) (Figure 1), content and process will be traced from the instructor of the professional development institutes and trainings through each transfer to student acquisition of knowledge. In addition, continuous oversight on project implementation as detailed in the proposal will assure the integrity of the implemented project.

Formative oversight of program objectives
Twice annual updates of program outcomes will be provided to the Steering Committee and will contribute to the yearly reports to NSF. Feedback will focus on data collected around increased content and pedagogy knowledge of the GK-12 graduate fellows and high school faculty, increases in content knowledge of students, building and strengthening of the university/school district partnerships, the ongoing process toward institutionalization of MO-STEP into the biology programs at UM-St. Louis and efficacy of this project as a model program.

1. Prior to program implementation and following identification of GK-12 graduate fellows and high school faculty, baseline data will be collected on knowledge of inquiry pedagogy (fellows and high school faculty), content knowledge (fellows and high school faculty), attitude toward teaching as a career (fellows), and demographic data including amount of professional development and degree level (fellows and high school faculty).
2. Mid-year reports will focus on the implementation of the project elements and recommendations for alterations or adjustments in the process.
3. At the end of Year 1 and subsequent years, data focusing on each piece of the Medina model will be documented.
4. Year 2-3 reports will include the progress toward institutionalization of the program and building the school district/university collaboration.

Figure 1: Medina model of professional development effectiveness (Medina et al., 2000).

Instructor teaches content; models inquiry pedagogy

Teacher learns content and pedagogy

Teacher teaches content using inquiry

Student experiences content and inquiry pedagogy

Student tests document student knowledge

Summative feedback
Focusing on project operation and impact, the summative report will connect the outcomes aligned with MO-STEP goals. Additional emphasis will be placed on the success of this project as a model for (1) enhancing the content knowledge of inservice teachers, (2) increasing content knowledge of high school students, (3) building school district/university collaborations that run beyond project funding, and (4) effectiveness of the institutionalization process.

1. High school faculty will be evaluated as to the types and extent of participation in professional development opportunities as provided by the project and their subsequent increase in content and pedagogy knowledge and skills.
2. GK-12 graduate fellows will be evaluated as to (a) attitude change as part of the project, (b) knowledge of and skills in implementing inquiry pedagogy, (c) ability to communicate and work effectively with high school students.
3. High school students of the participating faculty will be assessed on the increase of content knowledge in the areas of biology.
4. UM-St. Louis project staff will be evaluated as to the efficacy of implementation of the project as outlined in the project including (1) providing institutes, personal support, specialist program development, web site development and support services for high school faculty and GK-12 Fellows, (2) success in building strong collaborations with participating school districts, and (3) success in institutionalization of the GK-12 graduate fellows program at UM-St. Louis.

Objective 6: Incorporation into institution's graduate programs
MO-STEP will require special recruitment strategies, modification of the Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics program to improve teaching skills of graduate students within the Department of Biology, and the establishment of new research and professional development opportunities for students and teachers from high schools. MO-STEP will impact a broad audience that goes beyond the project’s participants. GK-12 graduate fellows will be recruited through widely disseminated electronic advertisements to faculty colleagues and listserves, including colleagues at colleges that serve under-represented groups. A MO-STEP web site will provide recruitment procedures and access to application forms. Recruitment of MO-STEP graduate fellows will follow current procedures used for graduate programs in the Department of Biology. Short-listed applicants will visit the campus, meet with University faculty, tour MO-STEP schools and meet with high school science faculty, before being selected for admission. Extensive personal involvement and direct contact with potential graduate fellows will ensure a gender and minority balance in applicants. Historically, the UM-St. Louis graduate program in Biology has had a diverse population with approximately 50% females, 50% males and 55% minority/international. The admission process is very competitive with at least 8 or more qualified graduate applicants for every graduate student admitted with financial support. Among the current group of EES Biology graduate students we have identified at least 9 students that would make excellent and enthusiastic GK-12 fellows and would be eligible for these positions; 7 are women, 2 are minorities (1 African-American, 1 Hispanic). The recruitment and commitment of participating schools and high school faculty has been a substantial component in drafting this MO-STEP proposal. Participating school districts have been identified and have endorsed the proposal, specifying schools and, in some cases, identifying specific teachers.

As part of this MO-STEP proposal, a Graduate Certificate in Biological Education will be established. In addition to completing a graduate degree, GK-12 graduate fellows and high school faculty will have the opportunity to enroll in this specialized certificate program that recognizes the importance of an interdisciplinary education and integrates scientific expertise with teaching methods and experience. The goal of the certificate program is to improve the teaching skills of biology graduate students and the biological content knowledge of education graduate students or high school faculty. The Graduate Certificate in Biological Education would require completion of 18 credit hours with at least 6 credit hours in Biology and at least 6 credit hours in Education. The two-week MO-STEP summer workshop may be taken for credit (2 credit hours) and used as part of the requirements for the certificate. All certificate students are required to enroll in a research or teaching internship experience.

Organization and Management

Management team
The PI, Patricia Parker, will have overall responsibility for the direction and administration of MO-STEP. Program policies will be developed by a Steering Committee (Chaired by the PI). The Steering Committee, in addition to the PI and co-PIs, will include one representative from the Department of Biology, the ICTE, the College of Education and each participating school district. The ICTE will undertake the day-to-day management of MO-STEP and has allocated staff time (Loiselle and Osborne) and secretarial support for this effort. This day-to-day management includes coordinating recruitment efforts, providing a focal contact point for all participants, assisting graduate fellows, facilitating university faculty participation, arranging internships, working with Science Education professionals in transferring technology and making it available on a MO-STEP web page and budget management. Granger will oversee coordination between the university and participating school districts and provide leadership in the coordination of MO-STEP workshops and seminars. Loiselle will coordinate University faculty participation and Polman will assist with transfer of education technology tools to graduate fellows and faculty and recruitment of undergraduate teaching assistants from Science Education. Ownership of the project will remain with the participants who will be members of a Professional Development Group. Project implementation will be achieved through significant collaboration across schools and university departments. The Professional Development Group will provide the mechanism for team building, developing mutual respect and recognition.

Allocation and integration of GK-12 Fellows to participating high schools
MO-STEP will recruit ten graduate fellows. Two fellows will work with each of the following schools and school districts: McCluer High School (Ferguson-Florissant School District), Maplewood-Richmond Heights High School (Maplewood-Richmond Heights School District), Normandy Senior High School (Normandy School District), Pattonville Senior High School (Pattonville School District) and Eskridge High School (Wellston School District).

NSF funds awarded to MO-STEP will not supplant extant financial resources that have been assigned to science and math teaching but will be used to enhance and enrich current programs.

Relevant history of UM-St. Louis in K-12 activities
The Department of Biology, UM-St. Louis has a long history of involvement in pre-collegiate science education programs. It has been a sponsor of the Missouri Junior Science, Engineering and Humanities Symposium for 30 years, hosting more than 10,000 secondary students and 1,800 science and math teachers for the annual three-day program. Students do original research, present their work, visit scientific laboratories in academia and the private sector and hear presentations from Nobel Laureates. For more than fifteen years the University has sponsored, in partnership with NSF and more than a dozen private sector corporations and foundations, the George Engelmann Mathematics and Science Institute, Young Scholars Program, and now the Students and Teachers As Research Scientists programs (STARS). This set of evolving programs has involved more than 600 high school students and 80 teachers in direct, hands-on experience in the laboratories of prominent scientists at St. Louis University, Washington University and UM-St. Louis. Many other teacher professional development activities have been sponsored by the Department of Biology and some of these can be seen on the Science Education Programs website .

List of Participants
Dr. Patricia G. Parker (PI), Chairperson, Biology, E. Desmond Lee Professor (Joint appointment with Saint Louis Zoo), UM-St. Louis, Dr. Charles Granger (Co-PI), University of Missouri Distinguished Teaching Professor of Biology and Education, UM-St. Louis, Dr. Bette Loiselle (Co-PI), Associate Professor, Biology, Director, ICTE, UM-St. Louis, Dr. Patrick Osborne (Co-PI), Adjunct Associate Professor, Biology, Executive Director, ICTE, UM-St. Louis, Dr. Cheryl Asa, Director of Research, St. Louis Zoo; Sandra Bahr, Pattonville High School, Dr. John Blake, Associate Professor, Biology, UM-St. Louis, Dr. Godfrey Bourne, Associate Professor, Biology, UM-St. Louis, Ms. Diane Grubbs, Ferguson-Florissant School District, Ms. Martha Henry, M.A. Henry Consulting, Dr. James Hunt, Professor, Biology, UM-St. Louis, Ms. Jo Ellen Leeke, Pattonville School District, Dr. Elizabeth Kellogg, E. Desmond Lee and Family Professor of Botanical Studies, Biology, UM-St. Louis (Joint appointment with Missouri Botanical Garden), Dr. Paul Markovits, Pattonville School District, Dr. Robert Marquis, Professor, Biology, UM-St. Louis, Mr. Charles McWilliams, Maplewood-Richmond Heights High School, Dr. Eric Miller, Director of Animal Health and Conservation, Saint Louis Zoo, Mr. Hal Orange, Science Consultant, Normandy School District, Dr. Joseph Polman, Assistant Professor, Science Education, UM-St. Louis, Dr. P. Mick Richardson, Manager, Graduate Studies, Missouri Botanical Garden, Adjunct Associate Professor, UM-St. Louis, Dr. Beauton Roberts, Wellston School District, Dr. Leonard Sonnenschein, President, St. Louis Aquacenter, Dr. Peter Stevens, Professor, Biology, UM-St. Louis, Dr. Zuleyma Tang-Martinez, Professor, Biology, UM-St. Louis, Dr. James Wilson, E. Desmond Lee Professor, Continuing Education and Outreach, UM-St. Louis (joint appointment with Forest Park Forever).

School District Involvement
Five school districts were recruited and have joined MO-STEP. These school districts were selected primarily because of the special challenges many of the districts face and their proximity to UM-St. Louis. Brief descriptions of the districts are provided below; additional information can be found in supporting letters included as supplementary documents.

Ferguson-Florissant School District
The Ferguson-Florissant School District is located in North County, St. Louis. The District has 12,000 students and 850 teachers. Diversity is: White 32.0%, African-American 65.9%, Hispanic 2.3%, Asian 0.8%. 51.8% of students receive free or reduced cost lunches. The District is accredited under the Missouri School Improvement Process and maintains a nature area where biology students gain field experience in land-use management, habitat evaluation, soil testing, water-quality testing, erosion control and forestry. The District has a partnership with the Saint Louis Science Center through the Challenger Learning Center. McCleur High School (enrollment 1760) has 68% minority students with 42% eligible for a free or reduced lunch.

Maplewood-Richmond Heights School District
Maplewood-Richmond Heights School District, established in 1840, is the oldest school district in St. Louis County. The District (2 square miles) lies adjacent to the city of St. Louis and is fully accredited by the State of Missouri. The Senior High School (enrollment 306, 40% minority, 51% of students are eligible for a reduced of free lunch) is fully accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools.

Normandy School District
The Normandy School District was founded in 1894. It is located in St. Louis County, northwest of St. Louis City and serves nearly 6000 students (98% African-American, 1% Caucasian, 1% Hispanic and Asian). Normandy High School is adjacent to the UM-St. Louis campus and has an enrollment of 1200 students (98% minority, 52% eligible for a free or reduced price lunch). Normandy School District is provisionally accredited by the State of Missouri.

Wellston School District
Eskridge Memorial High School is part of the Wellston School District, located just west of the city limits of St. Louis. Approximately 47% of the population within the School District lives below the poverty line. Eskridge High School (enrollment 135) is 100% African-American and 39% of students are eligible for a free or reduced price lunch. Wellston School District is provisionally accredited by the State of Missouri.

Pattonville School District
Pattonville School District is located in northwest St. Louis County. There are approximately 6200 students in the district with two middle schools (grades 6-8) and one high school (grades 9-12, enrollment 2000 students). The district is on the edge of the St. Louis urban ring with a mixed socio-economic make-up. Diversity is: White 73%, African-American 23%, Hispanic 2%, Asian 2% and Native American <1%. Pattonville is accredited by the State of Missouri. Pattonville was a 2001 recipient of Missouri's Distinction in Performance Award for having met 13 out of 13 standards related to academic performance as shown on the district's Annual Performance Report. Pattonville High School was named a Gold Star School by the State of Missouri in 1993 and is recognized for excellence at the national level as a Blue Ribbon School. Grants were received to assist in the development of the NatureScape, a native prairie outdoor study area.

Significance
Recent years have seen greater emphasis on the creation of distributed learning communities with researchers, teachers and students interacting in person and through Internet technologies (Pea & Gomez, 1992; Pea, 1993; Schlager et al., 2002). MO-STEP will build on the insights of other such efforts to support the professional growth, learning and development of participating GK-12 graduate fellows, researchers, high school faculty and students (Rogoff, 1993; Pea & Gomez, 1992). One strength of the MO-STEP partnership between higher education and area school districts is the breadth and quality of its participating faculty and institutions. UM-St. Louis, through its endowed professorship program, has established excellent working partnerships between the University and St. Louis’ scientific and cultural institutions. The Biology and Science Education Departments have particularly benefited from these relationships and have attracted eminent scientific scholars that have resulted in extremely close working relationships with the Saint Louis Zoo, Missouri Botanical Garden, Forest Park Forever, St. Louis Science Center, and in the near future, the Danforth Plant Science Center. The research strengths of the faculty within the Biology Department have resulted in the attraction of high-quality graduate students from around the world, producing a high-energy, intellectually stimulating and cultural diverse graduate group. The academic excellence of the graduate students is a second great strength of MO-STEP and this interactive program will foster and nurture the professional development of graduate fellows whose career plans include science education. As a third strength, MO-STEP has targeted school districts that are challenged by income levels and that include many students from under-represented groups in the sciences. Minority students do not attain access to or success in college education at levels that match white, non-Latino students (Venezia et al., 2003) and minority students take fewer mathematics and science courses than their white counterparts (National Science Board 2002). The schools participating in this proposal have percentage minority students ranging from 25-100%. Two UM-St. Louis participating faculty (Bourne, Tang-Martinez) are from minority groups and will serve as strong role models for high school faculty and students at all levels. Further, UM-St. Louis has effectively recruited minorities at both graduate and undergraduate levels and thus, we fully expect minority participation at both these levels in MO-STEP. The proximity of UM-St. Louis to participating schools will facilitate in bringing participants together. Through enrichment of the biological sciences curriculum taught in neighborhood schools, opportunities for high school students and faculty to participate in both basic and applied research, together with development of an innovative, graduate-level curriculum and mentored classroom experience for GK-12 graduate fellows, MO-STEP will result in the formation of a diverse, mutually supportive, collegial team of graduate fellows, undergraduate students, high school and higher education faculty. This team will provide long-term opportunities for the exchange of ideas, the analysis of innovative teaching methods, and significant advances in scientific literacy and academic performance of area high school students.