|
Program Overview
Background
In October 2002 the National Science Foundation (NSF) awarded a five-year grant to the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA), the New Teacher Center (NTC) at the University of California Santa Cruz, and Montana State University’s Science/Math Resource Center (MSU) to develop the innovative e-Mentoring for Student Success (eMSS) for content-based mentoring for secondary science teachers.
For three years the project piloted a model for e-mentoring beginning secondary science teachers in school districts in California and Montana. In 2005, six states joined eMSS. In 2006-07, six additional states plus two large school districts joined the online network for a total of 16 Affiliates throughout the United States. Currently there are 513 beginning science teachers and 365 science teacher mentors participating in eMSS.
Starting in 2007-08, the New Teacher Center at the University of California at Santa Cruz is pleased to offer eMSS-Math—online content-based mentoring for secondary teachers in their first three years of teaching math. Funded by a one-year grant from Goldman-Sachs Foundation, eMSS will build on the learnings and success from eMSS-Science.
Program Overview
eMSS-Math supports and extends mentoring for beginning math teachers, anytime, anywhere through flexible and accessible technology that is easy to learn and use.
eMSS is built on a scalable, online technology platform, the Collaborative Learning Environment (CLE), that is easy to use and ensures state-of-the art security and confidentiality. The CLE was developed by the New Teacher Center at UCSC to support teacher induction and mentoring.
The eMSS network is designed to promote professional development through dialogue. The network includes:
-
Online mentoring for beginning math teachers by trained mentors who teach the same subject
-
Facilitated online curriculum that focuses on math content and pedagogy that directly applies to the teacher’s classroom
-
Access to mathematicians to deepen content understanding
-
Leadership training for mentors and facilitators
Features and Benefits of eMSS
|
Features
|
Benefits
|
|
eMSS is built on a scalable, online technology platform
|
-
eMSS is built on a scalable, online technology platform
-
“Virtual” extension of teaching staff and support at individual schools
-
Allows departments of education and school districts to be on the cutting edge
of professional development and training
|
|
eMSS is a complete teacher mentoring program
inclusive of the technology, content-focused mentoring curriculum, training,
stipends, program facilitation and administration
|
- Funding for 2007-08 is fully provided by the Goldman-Sachs Foundation
|
|
eMSS provides content-focused online support for the classroom
|
-
Enhances beginning teacher’s ability to teach math
-
Provides just-in-time support to the new teacher
|
|
Beginning math teachers are matched with veteran math teacher mentors from their state and subject area |
-
Content specific support and mentoring for new teachers
-
Math teachers receive one-on-one, continuous support and immediate feedback by an experienced professional
-
Increases teacher satisfaction
|
|
eMSS provides access for beginning teachers to other new teachers, mentors and mathematicians
nationwide
|
-
New teachers are immediately part of a math education community that is passionate about teaching
-
One-on-one mentoring nested in a larger community
-
Access to other new teachers with common challenges
|
|
Veteran math teachers attend three week “Online Summer Institute” for mentors and ongoing professional development throughout the year |
-
Increases professional development opportunities for veteran teachers
-
Develop effective coaching skills as online mentors
-
Build trusting relationships online
-
Explore math concepts online with content specialists
|
|
eMSS has an established national reputation with a demonstrated record of achievement |
-
Professional networking with a nation-wide community of science and math educators
-
Tried and true – eMSS is a trusted mentoring solution with verifiable results
|
Research and Evaluation
Researchers at the New Teacher Center, MSU faculty and doctoral students associated with the NSF Center for Learning and Teaching in the West, and the evaluation staff at Horizon Research, Inc. (HRI) are working together to investigate the processes and outcomes associated with the eMSS-Science model. The team of researchers will examine:
-
Interaction patterns among scientist-facilitated study groups, mentor facilitated study groups, and face-to-face sessions at state locations.
-
The impact on new teacher practice and lesson design over time.
-
The retention rates among new teachers participating in the program, compared to rates in their state and regional context.
-
Scalability of the program using a comparative design to study the costs/benefits of mentoring across a range of regions and urban/rural settings using varying mentor/mentee ratios.
For more information on recent research findings, go to Horizon Research Findings.
Important Dates
The general timeline and application deadlines for eMSS 2007-08 are:
-
Statewide, Regional and District Affiliates: February 5, 2007 – March 8, 2007
-
eMSS Math Mentors: May 4, 2007 –June 8, 2007
-
New and returning eMSS Math Mentees: May 15, 2007 – September 30, 2007 (applications accepted on a first come, first served basis.)
|