PREPARING NEW EARTH SCIENCE TEACHERS IN THE AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY'S MAT PILOT PROGRAM USING THE FRAMEWORK FOR THE NEXT GENERATION SCIENCE STANDARDS

Authorized by New York State Education Department (NYSED) in 2011 and following a comprehensive planning process, the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) launched a pilot 15-month Master Arts in Teaching (MAT) residency program in June 2012 with a combined total of 40 teacher candidates in two cohorts, culminating in a Masters degree awarded by the NYS Board of Regents. This pilot program (funded in part by NYSED RTTT funds) tackles the shortage of Earth science teachers in NYS and requires teacher candidates to complete a summer working with youth and visitors at the Museum, 10 months of mentored classroom experience, a second summer in a science practicum in the Earth and Planetary, Astrophysics, and Paleontology divisions at AMNH, as well as a graduate course of study co-taught by science and education faculty at the Museum. Key program design features for the pilot include: 1) recruitment and selection of high-caliber Earth science majors; 2) research-based curriculum linking theory and practice, designed and co-taught by scientists and educators; and 3) placements in high-need urban schools that include experiences with English language learners and special needs students.

The publication that outlines the expectations for students in science and engineering in grades K-12 and serves as the backbone for the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), A Framework for K-12 Science Education, was released in 2012 and informed the development of several of the academic courses. One course in particular is EDU/SCI 660 Earth Science Literacy Journal Seminar, which specifically focuses on the field of Earth science, how scientific research is done, critical thinking skills and methodologies employed by scientists, and developing scientific literacy. Candidates analyze Earth science and education journal articles, making explicit connections to the practices of science, the crosscutting concepts and the disciplinary core ideas from the NGSS Framework. Ultimately candidates developed a deeper understanding of the nature of science and scientific inquiry and began to recognize the importance of scientific literacy for K-12 science education.