Collaboration between research scientists and educators in implementation of a Masters program for training new Earth Science teachers in New York State

Educators and research scientists at the American Museum of Natural History are collaborating to implement a teacher education program with the goal of addressing a critical shortage of qualified Earth Science teachers in New York State (NYS), particularly in high-needs schools with diverse populations. This pilot program involves forging a one-of-a-kind partnership between a world-class research museum and high-needs schools in New York City. By placing teaching candidates in such schools, the project has potential to engage, motivate, and improve Earth Science achievement and interest in STEM careers of thousands of students from traditionally underrepresented populations including English language learners, special education students, and racial minority groups. The program, which is part of the state's Race to the Top initiative, is approved by the NYS Board of Regents and will prepare a total of 50 candidates in two cohorts to earn a Board of Regents-awarded Masters of Arts in Teaching (MAT) degree with a specialization in Earth Science for grades 7-12. The museum is in a unique position of being able to break traditional educational barriers as a result of a long history of interdisciplinary collaborations between educators and research scientists, as well as being the only stand-alone science graduate degree-granting museum in the United States. The intensive 15-month curriculum for MAT candidates comprises one summer of museum teaching residency, a full academic year of residency in high-needs public schools, one summer of science research residency, and concurrent graduate-level courses in Earth and space sciences, pedagogy, and adolescent psychology. We emphasize field-based geological studies and experiential learning, in contrast to many traditional teacher education programs. In an effort to ensure that MAT candidates have a robust knowledge base in Earth science, and per NYS Department of Education requirements, we selected candidates with strong backgrounds in fields including geology, meteorology, and environmental science and engineering. Program faculty includes curators and post-doctoral fellows specializing in geology, astrophysics, and paleontology, and doctoral-level Education faculty, who work side by side across disciplines to develop and co-teach courses. With the first cohort of teaching candidates having entered the program in June of 2012, the MAT program is still in the early stages. Current teacher candidates have a wide variety of scientific expertise, come from diverse geographic localities, range from recent bachelors graduates to career changers, and thus far have provided much positive feedback about their experiences with the MAT curriculum. Here we report on the first 6 months of the program.