The Development of a Masters Degree in Science Education Based on the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards

April Dean Adams, Northeastern State University

Monica J. Macklin, Northeastern State University

Pamela G. Christol, Northeastern State University

Abstract

This paper describes the rationale, structure and implementation of a Master of Education degree in Science Education that is based on the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS). This graduate program was developed from the Mathematics and Science Teacher Enhancement Project (MASTEP), a National Science Foundation funded program. Reform based science content courses were developed and field-tested through MASTEP and then were incorporated into the M.Ed. program. The degree was designed for practicing teachers and features both science content and science teaching pedagogy as appropriate for the individual graduate student. One of the program’s capstone projects is a NBPTS portfolio. The perceived benefits and challenges of this new program are also discussed.

The National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) requires science teacher education programs that are designed for the initial preparation of science to document their compliance with the National Science Teacher Association (NSTA) Standards for Teacher Preparation (NSTA, 2003). Some master degree programs are for the purpose of initial teacher preparation and would use those standards. However, Northeastern State University (NSU) recently designed a Master of Education in Science Education degree for certified teachers. This degree uses the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) for Early Adolescence Science (NBPTS, 2005a) and for Adolescence and Early Adult Science (NBPTS, 2003b) as the program standards for this degree. The purpose of this paper is to explore the perceived benefits and challenges of using the NBPTS to design and implement a Master of Education degree for certified teachers. The paper will discuss the context and rationale of the program, the perceived benefits and challenges in implementing a program based on these standards, and a discussion of the degree as a model for graduate programs that address the needs of certified teachers.

National Board for Professional Teaching Standards

History

The NBPTS was created in 1987. In their first policy report, “What Teachers Should Know and Be Able to Do,” (NBPTS, 1987) the board states,

The National Board Mission is to advance the quality of teaching and learning by:

· Maintaining high and rigorous standards for what accomplished teachers should know and be able to do;

· Providing a national voluntary system certifying teachers who meet these standards; and

· Advocating related education reforms to integrate National Board Certification in American education and to capitalize on the expertise of National Board Certified Teachers. (p. 1)

In addition, the report stated the Five Core Propositions on which the standards of each certification are based.

1. Teachers are committed to students and their learning.

2. Teachers know the subjects they teach and how to teach those subjects to students.

3. Teachers are responsible for managing and monitoring student learning.

4. Teachers think systematically about their practice and learn from experience.

5. Teachers are members of learning communities. (p. 3)

In order to be eligible for the certification process, teachers must have a baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution, three years of teaching experience, and hold a valid, permanent state teaching license. The certification assessment includes both a portfolio of classroom practice and a written assessment of content knowledge (NBPTS, 2005a).

Higher Education Frameworks

The NBPTS encourage higher education to further the mission of the board by the following means:

• Offering support for candidates;
• Aligning advanced degree and pre-service programs with the NBPTS;
• Requiring portfolios assessments for teacher candidates;
• Developing performance assessments that are aligned with NBPTS;
• Creating new courses for candidates;
• Including National Board Certified Teachers (NBCTs) in higher education positions;
• Designing professional development opportunities that are aligned with the NBPTS;
• Conducting research on the impact of NBPTS; and
• Supporting the National Board's commitment to diversity by partnering with institutions that serve minority populations.

Galluzzo (2005) reports that some institutions, including South Carolina State, Graceland University in Iowa, Illinois State University, and George Mason University, have aligned their undergraduate and, or graduate programs to the NBPTS. In addition, he reports that NBCTs are employed by some institutions to enhance teacher preparation programs. Isenberg (2003) reports the efforts of some institutions in detail. Most of the programs use the five propositions as their framework for initial certification and advanced program reform. The preface to this document is by B. Williams, Vice President of Institutional Relations for the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). He states that NCATE has been “working in collaboration with the National Board to help institutions modify advanced programs so that they are aligned with NBPTS propositions.” (p. 4) Most of the programs described in this document use the Five Core Propositions as their framework.

There are some concerns about the certification process on the part of higher education. Goldhaber, Perry & Anthony (2004) found in a survey of North Carolina applicants that African-American and male teachers are less likely to be certified and that teachers who score well on standardized tests are more likely to be certified. In addition, they found that there was an uneven distribution of NBCTs across school districts. The national certification process is relatively new and warrants further study. There is a great need for research that is more independent from the National Board and that focuses on the impact of National Board Certification on teachers, schools, student achievement, and teacher education. However, using the NBPTS to revitalize and develop programs is intriguing because they seem to align well with National Science Education Standards (NSES) (National Research Council, 1995) and NCATE standards.

Context and Rationale

NSU is a regional university in Oklahoma with approximately 9,000 students on three campuses. The original campus in Tahlequah primarily serves students from rural, northeastern Oklahoma. The campuses in Muskogee and Broken Arrow serve students from urban areas in northeastern Oklahoma. The College of Education is the largest college at NSU, and teacher preparation is an important mission of the university. However, the science education and mathematics education faculty are members of the College of Science and Health Professions. In 2002, NSU was awarded a three year National Science Foundation Teacher Enhancement Grant, entitled the Mathematics and Science Teacher Enhancement Project (MASTEP). The Principal Investigator (PI) and Co-Principal Investigators of the grant are members of the College of Science and Health Professions faculty. The first author is PI, and the second author is a Co-Principal Investigator of the grant. The College of Education faculty members were also involved, primarily as advisors. The purpose of the grant was to improve the content knowledge of middle school mathematics and science teachers, to enable them to teach mathematics and science using reform-based methods, and to field-test reform-based graduate science and mathematics content courses. One of the long-term goals of the project was to establish a Master of Education degree in Science Education and a Master of Education degree in Mathematics Education. In February of 2004, the programs were approved by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education. The graduate courses field-tested and refined in MASTEP were included in these graduate programs. This paper will focus on the development and implementation of the science education degree.

The science education graduate program has many innovative features:

• The College of Science and Health Professions administers the program.
• Some of the pedagogy courses are taught by College of Education faculty.
• The advanced science methods courses are taught by a science education faculty member who resides in the College of Science and Health Professions.
• The program attempts to provide both pedagogy and science content. The program is designed around the needs of the science teacher. Those teachers who need additional content (usually those with degrees in Elementary Education) take more content courses than pedagogy courses, and those teachers who need more pedagogy (usually those with degrees in Science Education or Science) take more courses in pedagogy and conduct science research projects under the mentorship of NSU science faculty.
• All graduate students take a common core of educational research, advanced psychology, curriculum development, inquiry-based science instruction, and trends and issues in science education.
• Instead of a traditional thesis, there is a capstone experience with three options:
• Conduct an action research project and write a research report on their findings.
• Design and document a curriculum project that is research based.
• Write a portfolio for National Board Certification.
• The program uses the Early Adolescence Science Certificate NBPTS (NBPTS, 2005a) and the Adolescence and Young Adulthood Science NBPTS (NBPTS, 2005b) for its program standards.

Early Adolescence Science Certificate NBPTS for Teachers of Students Ages 11-15

I. Understanding Students

Accomplished science teachers know how early adolescent learners grow and develop, actively come to know their students as individuals, and draw on this knowledge and their relationships with students to determine the students’ understanding of science as well as their individual learning backgrounds.

II. Knowledge of Science

Accomplished science teachers have a broad and current knowledge of science and science education, along with in-depth knowledge of one of the subfields of science, on which they draw to set appropriate learning goals with their students

III. Instructional Resources

Accomplished science teachers select and adapt instructional resources, including technology, laboratory, and community resources, and create their own resources to support active student explorations of science.

IV. Engagement

Accomplished science teachers stimulate interest in science and technology and elicit their students’ sustained participation in learning activities.

V. Learning Environment

Accomplished science teachers create safe and supportive learning environments that foster high expectations for the success of all students and in which students experience the values inherent in the practice of science.

VI. Equitable Participation

Accomplished science teachers take steps to ensure that all students, including those from groups that historically have not been encouraged to enter the world of science, participate in the study of science.

VII. Science Inquiry

Accomplished science teachers involve students in inquiries that challenge them and help them construct an understanding of nature and technology.

VIII. Fundamental Understandings

Accomplished science teachers use a variety of instructional strategies to expand students’ understanding of the major ideas of science.

IX. Contexts of Science

Accomplished science teachers create opportunities for students to examine a variety of contexts of science, including its history, reciprocal relationships with technology, ties to mathematics, and impact on society, so students make connections across disciplines of science and into other subjects.

X. Assessment

Accomplished science teachers assess student learning through a variety of means that align with stated learning goals.

XI. Family and Community Outreach

Accomplished science teachers proactively work with families and communities to serve the best interests of each student.

XII. Contributing to the Profession

Accomplished science teachers contribute to the quality of their colleagues’ practice, the instructional program of the school, and the work of the larger professional community.

XIII. Reflective Practice

Accomplished science teachers constantly analyze, evaluate, and strengthen their practice in order to improve the quality of their students’ learning experiences. (NBPTS, 2005a, p. 5-6)

Adolescence and Young Adulthood Science NBPTS for Teachers of Students Ages 14-18+

I. Understanding Students

Accomplished Adolescence and Young Adulthood/Science teachers know how students learn, know their students as individuals, and determine students’ understandings of science as well as their individual learning backgrounds.

II. Understanding Science

Accomplished Adolescence and Young Adulthood/Science teachers have a broad and current knowledge of science and science education, along with in-depth knowledge of one of the subfields of science, which they use to set important appropriate learning goals.

III. Understanding Science Teaching

Accomplished Adolescence and Young Adulthood/Science teachers employ a deliberately sequenced variety of research-driven instructional strategies and select, adapt, and create instructional resources to support active student learning.

IV. Engaging the Science Learner

Accomplished Adolescence and Young Adulthood/Science teachers spark student interest in science and promote active and sustained learning, so all students achieve meaningful and demonstrate growth toward learning goals.

V. Sustaining a Learning Environment

Accomplished Adolescence and Young Adulthood/Science teachers create safe, supportive, and stimulating learning environments that foster high expectations for each student’s successful science learning and in which students experience and incorporate the values inherent in the practice of science.

VI. Promoting Diversity, Equity, and Fairness

Accomplished Adolescence and Young Adulthood/Science teachers ensure that all students, including those from groups that have historically not been encouraged to enter the world of science and that experience ongoing barriers, succeed in the study of science and understand the importance and relevance of science.

VII. Fostering Science Inquiry

Accomplished Adolescence and Young Adulthood/Science teachers engage students in active exploration to develop the mental operations and habits of mind that are essential to advancing strong content knowledge and scientific literacy.

VIII. Making Connections in Science

Accomplished Adolescence and Young Adulthood/Science create opportunities for students to examine the human contexts of science, including its history, reciprocal relationship with technology, ties to mathematics, and impacts on society, so that students make connections across disciplines of science, among other subject areas and their lives.

IX. Assessing for Results

Accomplished Adolescence and Young Adulthood/Science teachers employ multiple, ongoing methods that are fair and accurate to analyze the progress of individual students in light of well-defined learning goals, and their students achieve meaningful and demonstrate gains in the learning of science. Teachers clearly communicate these gains to appropriate audiences.

X. Reflecting on Teaching and Learning

Accomplished Adolescence and Young Adulthood/Science teachers continually analyze, evaluate, and strengthen their practice to improve the quality of their students’ learning experiences.

XI. Developing Collegiality and Leadership

Accomplished Adolescence and Young Adulthood/Science teachers contribute to the quality of the practice of their colleagues, to the instructional program of the school, and to the work of the larger professional community.

XII. Connecting with Families and the Community

Accomplished Adolescence and Young Adulthood/Science teachers proactively work with families and communities to serve the best interests of each student. (NBPTS, 2003b, p. 7-8)

Capstone Experiences

When the options for the capstone experience were discussed, writing a portfolio for National Board Certification was included because we felt 1) that this process was rigorous and would demonstrate an acceptable level of teacher proficiency and 2) that the inclusion of this option would be attractive to teachers. Oklahoma has one of the lowest average teacher salaries in the nation, and rural teachers in Oklahoma have the lowest pay in the state. However, Oklahoma does have a strong financial incentive for National Board Certification. There is a scholarship program to pay for the cost of application for those who qualify, and those teachers who become nationally board certified earn an additional $5,000 per year for ten years. This additional pay is renewable if the teacher recertifies. This incentive seems to be effective in motivating Oklahoma teachers to pursue national certification. As of November 29, 2005, the NBPTS web site (NBPTS, 2005c) reports that Oklahoma ranks 9^th in the nation for number of NBPST certified teachers (1,289 teachers.) This is in spite of the fact that the state ranks 28^th in total population.

There were several advantages in choosing the NBPTS as the program standards. First, choosing these standards meant that the program would help prepare teachers for the portfolio for National Board Certification option of the capstone experience. We felt that it would also enable more teachers to be successful in the certification process. Secondly, we hoped that the graduate students would perceive the program as more beneficial to them personally. Finally, the standards seem to be in alignment with NSTA standards and therefore would also promote the goals of the NSES.

Benefits of the Program

Many graduate students are choosing the portfolio for National Board Certification option as the capstone experience and most say that they were initially attracted to the program because of that option. Of the nine students who will be doing their capstone experience in the next two years, five of them have chosen the national board certification option and four of them have chosen an action research project.

Although the program is too young to completely evaluate the effects of using the NBPTS as the standards of the program, the standards do seem to have the following benefits:

• The program requirements that are designed to assess student progress toward program standards seem appropriate for the degree. These assignments include
• Writing a unit plan of study that documents an understanding of students, an understanding of science content, active engagement, inquiry, multiple means of assessment, the use of multiple instructional resources, a quality learning environment, teaching science in multiple contexts, and promoting equity, diversity and fairness;
• Leading a discussion that examines an equity issue;
• Leading a discussion that examines the research base for a particular instructional strategy;
• Writing a position paper on an issue in science education;
• Writing a paper that documents research on a particular aspect of inquiry-based instruction;
• Presenting a demonstration inquiry lesson;
• Writing multiple reflective essays on various aspects of teaching, including inquiry-based teaching;
• Writing an action research proposal;
• Writing a paper that discusses their Philosophy of Teaching (Capstone experience for all three options);
• Analyzing a video of their teaching (Capstone requirement for all three options); and
• Successfully completing one of the Capstone experience options: conduct an action research project and write a research report on their findings; design a curriculum project that is research based; or write a portfolio for National Board Certification.
• The students seem to see course content and assignments as relevant and important because there is a focus on practice.
• The NBPTS seem more appropriate than the NSTA Standards for Teacher Preparation for those who are already science teachers because they focus on leadership skills in an appropriate manner for experienced teachers.
• The students seem to be gaining confidence in their roles as leaders.

Challenges

Some of the challenges include the following:

• Meeting the expectations of students as they begin the National Board Certification process may be difficult because faculty have not been through the process. There will definitely be a steep learning curve.
• Although the NBPTS and NSES appear aligned, it may be several years before we know for sure that there are no omissions or contradictions that arise in practice.
• It remains to be seen if the graduate students feel prepared for the National Board Certification process.
• Maintaining contact with graduate students in this part-time program will be challenging.

The issues discussed in this paper are important to science teacher educators because the program provides a model for master degree programs in science education that are designed for certified teachers. However, as the program progresses, there will most certainly be a need for further refinement.

 This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under grant number ESI-0138680. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in these materials are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

References

Galluzzo, G. R. (2005). Performance assessment and renewing teacher education: The possibilities of the NBPTS standards. Clearing House 78(4), 142-145. (WN: 0506003859002)

Golghaber, D., Perry, D. and Anthony, E. (2004). The national board for professional teaching standards (NBPTS) process: Who applies and what factors are associated with NBPTS certification? Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 26(4), 259-280.

Isenberg, J. P. (2003). Using national board standards to redesign master’s degrees for teachers: A guide for institutions of higher education. National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. Arlington, VA (Eric Document Reproduction Service No. ED 475 774).

National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (1987). What teachers should know and be able to do. Retrieved June 1, 2005, from http://www.nbpts.org

National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (2003a). Early adolescence/science standards (2^nd ed.). Retrieved June 1, 2005, from http://www.nbpts.org

National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (2003b). Adolescence and young adult/science standards (2^nd ed.). Retrieved June 1, 2005, from http://www.nbpts.org

National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (2003c). National board certified teachers by state. Retrieved June 1, 2005, from http://www.nbpts.org

National Research Council (1995). National Science Education Standards. National Academy Press. Washington, D. C.

National Science Teacher Association (2003). Standards for science teacher preparation. Retrieved June 15, 2005, from http://www.nsta.org