EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Approximately 50% of the current middle school mathematics and science teachers do not meet the new license requirements. Some teachers have prepared themselves to teach the new science and mathematics called for in the Standards of Learning, but many others are in a position where they are being asked to do something for which they are not adequately prepared and for which they will be publicly judged.  Nowhere near the sufficient number of future middle school mathematics and science teachers is in the pipeline. It is estimated that more than 300 new middle school mathematics and science teachers will be needed each year in Virginia, but that only 10 to 20 are being produced each year.  Preparation of secondary teachers certified for grades 6-12 will not be sufficient; larger numbers of teachers trained for grades 6-8 are needed.

The Coalition recommends that:

•  The State and Virginia school systems continue to increase the scope of professional development efforts and focus training support for those that are currently teaching out-of-field. These teachers should obtain the minimum 21 credit hours of content needed in their teaching field and possibly additional pedagogical content knowledge.

• The state pay tuition for teachers to take appropriate professional development courses at college and university science and mathematics departments, including those at community colleges, so that the number and availability of adequately trained teachers are sufficient. The cost should not be borne by the teachers.

• Many Virginia colleges and universities develop appropriate programs to prepare future middle school teachers in math and science.  The development of such programs requires collaboration among the various education schools and science and mathematics departments;

• New academic programs be developed that enable future teachers to gain 6-8 certification including endorsement in two areas of concentration; possibilities include an interdisciplinary degree in mathematics and science

• The State Council of Higher Education in Virginia enunciate that the provision of sufficient numbers of future middle school teachers, in all fields, is a high priority for its colleges and universities.  

PREPARING  MIDDLE SCHOOL
MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE TEACHERS:

 A  CHALLENGE FOR VIRGINIA

A Virginia Mathematics and Science Coalition White Paper

Virginia has developed a challenging and exciting set of Standards of Learning in Mathematics and Science. The learning expectations for all students have been significantly increased. This Virginia Mathematics and Science Coalition White Paper is focused on increasing the number of well prepared middle school teachers teaching math and science in the classroom. The science and mathematics learning called for in the Standards is indeed demanding and extensive. The following statements excerpted from the Standards¹  give an indication of the challenging nature of the science standards:

The life science standards emphasize a complex understanding of change, cycles, patterns and relationships in the living world. Students explore cellular organization and classification of organisms; the dynamical relationships among organisms, populations, communities and ecosystems; and change as a result of the transmission of genetic information from generation to generation. Inquiry skills include organization and mathematical analysis of data, manipulating variables in experimentation, and identifying sources of experimental error.

The physical science standards stress an in‑depth understanding of the nature and structure of matter, the characteristics of energy, and the technological application of physical science principles. Major areas include the periodic table; physical and chemical changes; nuclear reactions; temperature and heat; sound; light; electricity and magnetism; and work, force, and motion.

Each individual standard begins with the phrase, "the student will investigate and understand...."

The mathematical standards are equally demanding. Sample excerpts from the standards include:

Concepts include solving multi‑step equations, graphing linear equations, applying transformations to geometric figures, and using matrices to organize and interpret data. Students will be actively engaged using concrete materials and appropriate technologies such as fraction calculators, computers, and spreadsheets. Students are expected to have an understanding of quantitative concepts and relationships and a proficiency in computations.

Particular topics include exponents; volume and surface area of cones and pyramids; the Pythagorean Theorem; representation of relations using tables and graphs; theoretical and simulation probabilities; frequency distributions, line plots, stem‑and‑leaf plots, box‑and‑whisker plots, and scattergrams.

The student will make inferences and predictions based on the analysis of data collected by the students. Students will identify real‑life applications of the mathematical principles they are learning that can be applied to science and other disciplines.

The Virginia Mathematics and Science Coalition participated in the development of these standards. (Although the Coalition has concerns²  about the nature of the SOL testing, it is confident that the testing can be modified to more accurately reflect the Standards themselves.). The Coalition believes that Virginia students can be successful in learning mathematics and science. Achieving such success will require the use of effective curricular materials, a sustained effort beginning at the earliest elementary levels (we can not expect middle school students to master this science and mathematics if they have not mastered the science and mathematics called for in the elementary school standards), continued improvement in the testing process that ensures that students in the early grades begin to learn the investigatory approaches and quantitative reasoning required in the middle school standards, a supportive environment with a long‑term frame of reference that provides support and assistance to all who are engaged in the educational enterprise, and well prepared teachers.

Importance of Well Prepared Teachers

Indeed, successful implementation of the new and demanding standards requires teachers who are well prepared in the subject matter that they teach, and who understand how students can best learn these scientific and mathematical ideas. If teachers do not have strong backgrounds and deep understanding of the ideas, concepts, and approaches called for in the standards, there is a real danger that they will teach the students how to answer test questions about science instead of teaching science. The Virginia science SOL continually stresses that "students will plan and conduct investigations" and emphasize "data analysis and experimentation". Likewise the mathematics SOL stress that "while learning mathematics students will be actively engaged" and that the "development of problem‑solving skills is a major goal of the mathematics program."

A talented teacher with a strong disciplinary background as well as pedagogical content knowledge can indeed fully engage children of middle school age in activities and investigations that excite and educate the students. Teachers without a strong background (achieved through formal course work, attendance at workshops, or mentoring by lead teachers or other peers), are frequently  forced to resort to having students memorize definitions and procedures in an attempt to have them  perform adequately on tests.

Preparation of Current Middle School Teachers

Virginia is fortunate to have many talented and well prepared middle school science and mathematics teachers.  Unfortunately, however, large numbers of individuals who are currently teaching middle school science and mathematics in Virginia are generalists who prepared to teach in self contained classrooms at the elementary school level; others prepared to teach middle school or high school in other fields.  Many of these other individuals were requested by their principals or their school systems to teach science and mathematics at the middle school level because the systems had difficulty finding individuals who were prepared to teach these fields at this level. It is unreasonable to think that these teachers, without massive individual effort, can appropriately teach the mathematics and science called for in the Standards.

State policy, which is currently in the process of changing, sanctioned the aforementioned practice. Under the previous state license policy that is currently being phased out, teachers were issued a general middle school teaching certificate earned by completing the equivalent of a minor in two of the four core areas: social science, language arts, science, and mathematics. Then they were fully certified to teach in all four fields even if they had completed very little college level work in the other fields. Because of this policy, an individual who had completed only one college level science course could be assigned to teach seventh grade science full‑time, and school division and state records would show that the teacher was fully and unconditionally certified to perform these teaching duties.  Published figures showing Virginia's teachers are 99.9% certified to teach in their classroom subject do not take into account this lack of actual math and science training.  In actual fact, those teachers are certified to teach middle school math and science , because they are certified to teach all core subjects in middle school.

These certification requirements, the needs of school systems to staff their classrooms, the small number of grades 6‑8 mathematics and science teachers prepared by Virginia's colleges and universities, and the willingness of teachers to be supportive of their school systems have all contributed to the current situation. In order to better understand this situation, the Coalition commissioned the Metropolitan Educational Research Consortium to conduct a survey³ of Middle School teachers across the state (382 randomly selected mathematics teachers and 324 randomly selected science teachers completed the survey instrument). Most of the current teachers participating in the survey reported that they neither majored nor minored in the area that they are teaching. The following information concerns the initial preparation of current middle school teachers:

Table I   Initial Preparation of Current Middle School Teachers

Ongoing Preparation

Many of the teachers have completed additional inservice course work and have participated in continuing education workshops after they were assigned by their systems to teach out of their field. Approximately seventy‑five percent of the mathematics and science teachers reported that they had attended at least one workshop in their discipline, and 44% reported that they had attended four or more such workshops.  It should be noted that these workshops could be of one hour or one week duration.

In addition, 55% of the mathematics teachers reported that they had completed at least one college/university course in mathematics after theirinitial certification. Similarly, 61% of the science teachers reported that they had completed at least one college/university course in science after their initial certification. It should be noted that in many of these cases the teachers had to personally pay tuition to retrain themselves for their new assignments. In very few cases were the teachers compensated for the time they committed to this effort.

The survey determined that completion of the additional course work after original certification resulted in a modest increase in the number of teachers who are teaching in their field, but approximately one half of the individuals currently teaching middle school are still teaching out‑of‑field:

Table II   Current Status of Middle School Teachers of Math and Science

Role of Colleges and Universities

Virginia's colleges and universities have contributed to this unfortunate situation. Most Virginia colleges and universities do not offer certification programs specifically for grades 6 ‑ 8.  Others do not actively recruit students into existing programs.  It is to be noted that current certification procedures allow students who major in mathematics or science at the secondary level to be certified to teach in middle school. Therefore all colleges and universities with secondary school teacher preparation programs can claim to offer a middle school teacher preparation program and to fulfill their obligation to produce middle school teachers by doing so. However, the overwhelming majority of such students intend to teach at the high school level. Because there is a growing shortage of high school mathematics and science teachers, secondary school preservice teachers are quite successful at finding employment in high schools.  This only exacerbates the problems at the middle school level.

In conjunction with the statewide March 1999  Conference on the Preparation of K‑8 Math and Science, Professor Julius Sigler (Lynchburg College, Chairman of Lynchburg City School Board) conducted an informal telephone poll⁴  of schools and departments of education in Virginia. He determined that the information he obtained "leads to a conservative (on the high side) estimate that the current statewide production of math‑science middle school teachers is between ten and twenty total".  This refers to the grades 6‑8 production, not the secondary level.

In terms of majors and production of teachers, each college and university operates as an independent entity.  There is little effort by the State Council of Higher Education or other state agencies to collect data concerning the preparation of teachers nor to encourage colleges and universities to collectively meet the needs of the state. Of course, the fact that school systems could previously hire fully licensed middle school teachers whom did not have a disciplinary background in their area of teaching contributed to this neglect.

New Licensure Requirements:

The Virginia Board of Education has, as a part of the overall SOL program, dramatically increased the requirements for new middle school mathematics and science teachers. The Coalition strongly advocated the changes. The School Board has correctly noted that the science and mathematics called for in the new standards cannot be taught by teachers without adequate preparation, and the Coalition has publicly praised the Board for these actions.

Under the new policy, individuals may be certified to teach middle school by obtaining a grades 6 ‑ 12 license that requires a major in the area to be taught or by obtaining a grades 6 ‑ 8 license.  Individuals seeking the 6‑8 license must complete at least two areas of concentration in core areas of mathematics, science, English and social studies (suggestion of 21 credit hours in each of two areas). The areas of concentration will be noted on the license and teachers will be restricted to teaching in their areas of concentration. The alternative route requires 21 semester hours in each area of concentration, and institutions of higher education preparing teachers to teach middle school must incorporate in their approved programs the competencies set forth in the licensure regulations. Content in mathematics must include algebra, geometry, probability and statistics, and applications of mathematics. Science preparation must include biology, chemistry, physics, and earth and space science.

The Opportunity and Challenge

 In summary, the Coalition agrees with the State School Board that the new middle school SOL in mathematics and science are appropriate and attainable. It also agrees that teachers must be adequately prepared if students are indeed to be successful. This is a major opportunity and challenge for Virginia.

However, changes in policy alone are not sufficient. As documented previously, approximately 50% of those individuals currently teaching Virginia's middle school students do not meet the new licensure requirements. In addition, Virginia's colleges and universities do not have in place programs that are preparing anywhere near the needed number of new teachers who will meet the new requirements.

If sufficient numbers of new teachers are not available, school systems will provide teachers in the classrooms, either by finding loopholes in the regulations, reassigning additional numbers of teachers who are currently teaching language arts or social studies and remain certified under the old requirements, or by hiring teachers on an emergency basis who are not certified. The school systems have no choice ‑‑ they cannot send the students home.

The Coalition is committed to doing its share to meet this challenge. We are in a position to do so. We have strong influence within Virginia's mathematics and science departments and formal affiliate relationships with the Virginia Education Association and with the various scientific and mathematics professional organizations of K ‑ 12 teachers.

The Coalition makes the following recommendations and pledges to support their implementation within our various constituencies.

Preparation of Current Teachers

Approximately 50% of the current middle school mathematics and science teachers do not meet the new license requirements. Some teachers have prepared themselves to teach the new science and mathematics called for in the Standards of Learning, but many others are in a position where they are being asked to do something for which they are not adequately prepared and for which they will be publicly judged.

The Coalition recommends that: 

• The State and Virginia school systems should continue to increase the scope of professional development efforts and focus training support for those that are currently teaching‑out‑of‑field. These teachers should obtain the minimum 21 credit hours of content needed in their teaching field, and additional pedagogical content knowledge.

•  The state should pay tuition for teachers to take appropriate professional development courses at college and university science and mathematics departments, including those at community colleges, so that the number and availability of adequately trained teachers are sufficient. The cost should not be borne by the teachers.

Preparation of Future Teachers

Nowhere near the sufficient number of future middle school mathematics and science teachers are in the pipeline. It is estimated that more than 300 new middle school mathematics and science teachers will be needed each year in Virginia, but that only 10 to 20 are being produced each year.

The Coalition recommends that:

• Many Virginia colleges and universities should develop appropriate programs to prepare future middle school teachers in math and science.  The development of such programs requires collaboration among the various education schools and science and mathematics departments;
• New academic programs should be developed that enable future teachers to gain 6 ‑ 8 certification including endorsement in two areas of concentration; possibilities include an interdisciplinary degree in mathematics and science
• The State Council of Higher Education in Virginia should enunciate that the provision of sufficient numbers of future middle school teachers, in all fields, is a high priority for its colleges and universities.
• Scholarships and forgivable loans should be established and focused on future middle school science and mathematics teachers.