Attracting Science and Mathematics Ph.D.s to Secondary School Education (2000) / Chapter Skim
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Executive Summary
Executive Summary
Pages 1-10
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The 1996 National Science Education Stanciarcis urged "changes in what students are taught, in how their performance is assessed; in how teachers are educated and keep pace, and in the relationship between schools and the rest of the communityincluding the nation's scientists and engineers." It also emphasized the importance of "a new way of.teaching and learning about science that reflects how science is done, emphasizing inquiry as a way of achieving knowledge and understanding about the world." The NRC has followed the publication of the Standards with additional studies and programs that further explore key aspects of their implementation. In early ~ 999 the NRC launched a three-phase project to explore the feasibility of attracting scientifically trained Ph.D.s to positions in secondary school education as a possible mechanism to help improve science and mathematics education.
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Phase two will use information gained from phase one and other information sources to help design state-based demonstration programs to attract science and mathematics Ph.D.s to positions in K-12 education. Phase three will implement demonstration programs to place Ph.D.s in classrooms and possibly other educational positions in several test states.
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In addition, the committee interviewed high school and magnet school principals, school district superintendents, state education policy makers, and graduate school deans to identify obstacles in the way of Ph.D.s taking secondary school positions as well as programmatic changes that could be used to attract Ph.D.s to secondary science and , 1 , ' 1 ~ · ~1 ·,, ~ ~ , ~ · .
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Challenges and Possibilities Given our survey results, a key question that a project designed to attract Ph.D.s to secondary school teaching must address is why, if up to 36 percent of science and mathematics Ph.D.s have considered secondary teaching careers, are less than ~ percent currently employed by K-12 educational institutions? We found that Ph.D.s have many negative perceptions about secondary school education that mitigate against their considering secondary school teaching positions.
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The potential availability of better resources for science education in the classroom and of better salaries were also of considerable interest to our survey respondents. Other incentives that would serve to attract Ph.D.s to teaching careers would be access to a regional- or university-based science teaching resource center that provided science kits, loaned laboratory equipment, and organized field opportunities for science experiments in which students could participate.
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The selection process should identify individuals who have strong knowledge of their subject matter, a demonstrated interest in secondary school science and mathematics education, and personal characteristics appropriate to the secondary school environment. Drawing from survey results, the committee suggests that state demonstration programs place and support Ph.D.s in a variety of secondary school education positions, including teaching positions in regular public secondary schools and science and technology magnet schools, as appropriate to the needs of the state.
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The evaluation plan should address the feasibility of placing science and mathematics Ph.D.s in secondary school teaching, accessing the process of implementing such a program, and conducting an outcome evaluation based on measurable goals. A cross-site evaluation of the state demonstration programs, including their means for recruiting, placing, and supporting Ph.D.s in secondary school teaching, would inform other states considering similar programs.
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Two-thirds of our survey respondents and almost 90 percent of respondents who had previously considered secondary school careers would consider taking a position as a secondary school teacher if they were awarded a fellowship that provided training, placement, and special opportunities for networking with peers, and covered living expenses during the training period. Given the potential such a fellowship might have for attracting Ph.D.s to secondary school teaching, the phase two committee shouicT consider ways in which a fellowship program might be established and administered by a prestigious national agency or organization.
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Connections with the Larger Scientific Community. in designing state demonstration programs the phase two committee should consider providing opportunities for interactions between Ph.D.
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To keep pace in global markets, the United States needs to have an equally capable citizenry. National Science Education Standards, 1996 10
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