—Project Manager: Eilene Cross (CCST) —Principle Investigator: Susan Elrod (Cal Poly)

1. A Qualitative Examination of the Preparation of Elementary School Teachers to Teach Science in California • Funded by the S.D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation • Executed by the California Council on Science and Technology (CCST) —Project Manager: Eilene Cross (CCST) —Principle Investigator: Susan Elrod (Cal Poly) —Researcher: Michael Masterson (CCST/Cal Poly)

2. Teaching Credentials in California • Little attention has been paid to the preparation of elementary school teachers to teach science in California.—CCST, “Critical Path Analysis of California’s Science and Mathematics Teacher Preparation System,” 2007. • Virtually all elementary teachers hold a multiple subject (m.s.) credential, certifying them to teach all subject areas, including science, regardless of their college preparation. • High school teachers are required to have a single subject (s.s.) credential for the discipline in which they teach. Middle school teachers can hold either m.s. or s.s. credentials (sometimes with special subject matter emphasis).

3. Goals and Outcomes • Where are the gaps between what elementary teachers are supposed to teach according to science education standards and their science preparation in accredited teacher preparation programs? • Audience: state policymakers (legislators, members of the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing, and the State Board of Education) and IHEs that prepare future teachers. • Outcome: a clear articulation of the extent to which there is appropriate preparation of elementary teachers compared to science education standards. • This work will also inform and support the California STEM Innovation Network (CSIN), co-funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation—a project that seeks to develop a strategy for sustaining California’s global pre-eminence in science, engineering, and technology.

4. Advisory and Working Groups • The “Advisory Group,” comprised of CCST Council members and leaders in Education, Business, and Industry, provides overall guidance and review of research goals and strategy. • The “Working Group,” comprised of outstanding teachers, administrators, and science education practitioners, gives specific advice and guidance in the methods of the project. • Both groups will review the findings and analysis that will lead to recommendations for action or change. 

5. Research Plan: How many teachers graduate with significant inquiry-based science content? • Overview of all California IHEs • Numbers of m.s. credentials by institution • Liberal Studies majors vs. others • Science content survey • Case studies of specific teacher programs, proportionately representative of all programs • Focus groups of expert practitioners to evaluate programs and recommend practical improvements to teacher prep and effective professional development for current teachers

6. Review of Findings • Review of findings and preliminary conclusions to Advisory Group and Working Group. • Advisory and Working Groups review findings and craft recommendations for stakeholders and policymakers in the state. • CCST will also present preliminary findings on April 29-30 at the National Academies convocation:Building a Village: Learning from and Sustaining Successful Programs in Elementary Science Education: A Convocation of Key Stakeholders in California.