Student Teacher Effectiveness Reporting System (STERS)

PHY 310 - Readings for Teaching High School Physics
PHY 311 - Teaching High School Physics
PHY 312 - Physics Teaching from the Historical Perspective (Inquiry!)
STT 399.72 - Student Teaching in Physics

Physics Teacher Education Program
Illinois State University
Carl J. Wenning, Program Coordinator

(Last updated 5/12/2008)

According to the National Science Education Standards (NSES), "teachers of science plan and implement an active, coherent, and effective curriculum that is consistent with the goals and recommendations of the National Science Education Standards. They begin with the end in mind and effectively incorporate contemporary practices and resources into their planning and teaching." In an effort to help student teachers become effective evaluators of their own work as it relates to student learning, a Student Teaching Effectiveness Reporting System (STERS) has been developed. STERS will be implemented in four "steps" to allow for the development of a wide range of educational activities, and to create both alternative and authentic assessment instruments - seven different types of which will be required during student teaching.

One of the major goals of your physics teaching methods courses is to provide you the opportunity to integrate your knowledge of science, science education research, educational psychology, and pedagogy. Creating a Student Teaching Evaluation Plan (STEP) will give you the opportunity to think about and synthesize all you know about teaching, students, and physics. STEP will be, in part, a compilation of broad educational goals, specific objectives, subject matter, instructional activities and resources, and appropriate evaluation instruments, all of which are associated with a central theme, topic, or issue. This project will become an essential tool during your student teaching practicum.

A major advantage of starting STEP now is that planning and preparation will take place when you have the time and energy to construct realistic and balanced objectives, and to sort through a maze of resources to select, and include the most appropriate activities. STEPs 1, 2, 3, and 4 will be implemented as follows:

Even before you begin your student teaching, you must work with your cooperating teacher during PHY 311 and PHY 312 as necessary to identify a suitable topics for your STEP implementation. The subject matter should, perhaps, be the topics you will teach during your student teacher practicum.

STEP 1 - PHYSICS 310 - Readings for Teaching High School Physics

  1. Familiarize yourself with the STERS project by reading this entire document.
  2. Carefully read, discuss, and understand Chapter 3 of the NSES - Science Teaching Standards
  3. Carefully read, discuss, and understand Chapter 5 of the NSES - Assessments in Science Education
  4. Carefully read, discuss, and understand Chapter 6 of the NSES - Science Content Standards
  5. Carefully read, discuss, and understand the following components of the NSES 9-12 Content Standards:

STEP 2 - PHYSICS 311 - Teaching High School Physics

In researching and preparing your STEP 2 project, you should first review STEP 1 readings. Then, follow the guidelines below precisely for implementing STEP 2. The guidelines will serve you well as you prepare for student teaching. (Note: It is not likely that all assessments will fit into one course or one unit. You are encouraged to spread your assessments over a number of courses and topics.) Organize and title all sections of your evaluation plan exactly as shown in the outline below. In addition, follow the guidelines provided in the syllabus for submission and evaluation of written course work. Students should submit STEP 2 periodically for formative assessment and corrective feedback; they are invited and encouraged to meet with the course instructor to see how various teaching and assessment activities have been successfully implemented in the past.

Example 1 and Example 2 of previously successful STEP submissions are available, but do not pattern your work directly after these. Requirements for projects are periodically revised.

Caveat: You will need to consult with your cooperating teacher from the very start of Step 2 as you develop this student teaching effectiveness review plan. Be certain to consult early and often. Provide your cooperating teacher with the URL of this web page, as well as a printed copy of A Cooperating Teacher's Guide to STERS.

I. CONTENT (5 points)

Give a short summary describing the subject matter you will be teaching. State the course and topic/theme/issue to be studied, and the approach (conceptual, historical, thematic, etc.) you will use to teach it. Provide a listing of the major concepts (including principles, theories, laws, and relationships), unifying concepts of science, and personal/technological applications of the subject matter to be included in this assessment plan. Be certain to include process skills, and scientific dispositions that you expect your students to exhibit at the conclusion of this assessment plan. Give the name and author of the textbook you will use, if any.

II. RATIONALE (5 points)

Explain how the above content suits the needs, interests, and abilities of your students. Explain how your teaching will relate science to the daily lives and interests of your students and to a larger framework of human endeavor and understanding. Provide a rationale for the content knowledge, process skills, and scientific dispositions you have chosen to teach or promote. Specifically, explain the relevance/importance of the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to: (1) the student, (2) society, and (3) the scientific profession.

III. PRECONCEPTIONS (5 points)

Conduct a review of sources to identify the existence of any preconceptions.

Resources:

Provide a detailed listing of preconceptions for your subject matter. Be certain to include references. Keep in mind that you must (1) elicit, (2) identify, (3) confront, and (4) resolve such preconceptions, and that they are highly resilient to change. Give an example of how you will do this using one preconception from your listing.

IV. OBJECTIVES, ACTIVITIES, AND ASSESSMENTS (70 points)

The Student Teacher Effectiveness Review System (STERS) will be used to validate the positive impact of your education practice on your students learning during the student teaching practicum. The system requires you to gather student performance data from seven types of assessments aligned with NCATE/NSTA teacher preparation standards:

  1. The major concepts, principles, theories, and laws of science (See NSES 9-12 Content Standards B-D, pp. 176-190)
  2. The unifying concepts of science (See NSES K-12 Content Standard, pp. 104-105 and 115-119)
  3. Technological applications of science (See NSES 9-12 Content Standard E, pp. 190-193)
  4. The philosophical and historical nature of science (See NSES 9-12 Content Standard G, pp. 200-204)
  5. The practice of scientific inquiry (See NSES 9-12 Content Standard A, pp. 173-176)
  6. Issues related to science and technology (See NSES 9-12 Content Standard F, pp. 193-199)
  7. Science in the community (See NSES 9-12 Content Standard F, pp. 193-199)

The assessments you select in order to demonstrate the impact of your teaching must be directly linked to the objective(s) of the activity, and are intended to demonstrate success by showing that your objective(s) has/have been achieved. It is imperative for effective teaching that student performance objectives, classroom activities, and course assessments be well aligned and coordinated. (See NSES Assessment in Science Education, pp. 75-89) It is also imperative that you consult with your future student teaching cooperating teacher as you develop this section so that you can get your additional activities and assessments into the curriculum. Student teachers who have failed to do this in the past have had EXTREME DIFFICULTY completing expected activities. Many school districts have highly structured curricula and don't readily allow room for unanticipated "extras" (such more than one or two full class periods for pre-tests and post-tests).

In this section you will write pragmatic student performance objectives. Objectives dealing with content knowledge and process skills should be written in observable, measurable form. While authentic behavioral objectives require observable performances, conditions, and minimum acceptable standards of performance, you need not write them in this format. Visit the PHY 310 statement dealing with student performance objectives to see acceptable forms for this course.

Also in this section, you will align a variety of educational activities with each major objectives you will be teaching. If a subject is to be taught well, it is best taught a variety of ways. Check out Science Classroom Assessments and Performance Descriptors from the Illinois State Board of Education that align with the Illinois Learning Standards, and might prove to be very helpful in terms of generating ideas for activities.

Lastly in the section, you will design an assessment that aligns student performance objectives and classroom activities.

As you progress through this part of STEP 2, keep in mind the following common errors and oversights committed by students:

  1. Following instructions on this project really helps; do yourself and your instructor an favor and read and attempt to understand the project before you complete it.
  2. Generally avoid pre-tests for the content area assessment. Talk with you cooperating teacher about typical average scores and shoot for this standard.
  3. Remember that ISSUES are things the people disagree about.
  4. UNIFYING CONCEPTS must relate physics to other activities.
  5. SCIENCE IN THE COMMUNITY should in someway involve the students IN the community. Check the following list of out-the-classroom activities for ideas.
  6. Don't confuse or mix up activities and assessments; if you don't know the difference, ask.
  7. Some students forget to do the classroom atmosphere, metacognition, and safety areas. Do a review of all requirements before turning in your project.
  8. There must be clear alignment between objectives, activities, and assessments.
  9. Give 5-7 sample objectives for each of the seven assessment areas; be certain these are student performance objectives and not merely teacher goals.
  10. No need to reinvent the wheel; make use of the many student performance objectives hyperlinked by topic through the PHY 312 syllabus.
  11. While an activity may be used to address objectives from different areas, each of the following areas must have its own individualized assessment.
  12. Avoid narrowing Objectives, Activities, and Assessment 2 down to the point that it becomes only inquiry; inquiry is a separate assessment area.
  13. Avoid several smaller assessments for each of the areas; a single summative assessment is desired.
  14. Make use of established assessment instruments such as standardized tests (FCI, TUG-K2, MBLT, NOSLiT, ScInqLiT, etc.); contact your instructor for ideas.
  15. Make use of a wide variety of active learning strategies.
  16. Make use of a wide variety of alternative assessments such as PBL, case studies, critical thinking activities, reports, projects, labs, etc.
  17. Search hard to find student misconceptions for your topic area; they have an immense impact on student learning and so you must be prepared to elicit, identify, confront, and resolve them.
  18. If you use a pretest posttest format, be certain that the posttest includes similar (not identical) problems as in the pretest; the posttest will be longer than the pretest, and will include all pre-test questions in modified form.
  19. Pre- and post-tests should be based upon and include all major student misconceptions.
  20. When you are stating your expectations for student performance, state a benchmark and not a characterization; for instance, set a 90% class average as your benchmark of mastery. If you do not reach the benchmark with your students, you'll know that improvements need to be made.
  21. Avoid thinking that a single lesson or lab, case study or PBL, will result in comprehensive understanding of inquiry or the nature and history of science. These themes should be addressed throughout your 10-week student teaching practicum, and they should be assessed using established instruments (e.g., NOSLiT - Nature of Science Literacy Test (password protected PDF - contact your course instructor for the password) or ScInqLiT - Scientific Inquiry Literacy Test).
  22. Keep inquiry teaching strategies uppermost in you might as you plan STEP 2.
  23. Please note that one lesson can be used for multiple assessments. For example, if you are teaching genetics, you might choose to engage students in a project in which they must study a biotechnological application (such as the genetic modification of crops), prevalence and methods of modification, and arguments for and against genetic modification of crops. You might then ask students to systematically analyze the arguments and make and justify a position on the topic based on their values and a risk/benefit analysis. You could write lesson objectives accordingly, and plan activities with assessments that would address these objectives.
  24. In the above case, these objectives and assessments could practically be aligned with assignments three, six, and, possibly, seven above. Assessment three might consist of test or sub-test results covering the topic of genetic modification; while assessment six might consist of scores from a rubric assessing student understanding and analysis of the issues and a risk/benefit analysis related to crop modification.
  25. Keep in mind that all these assessments might be too much for any one course or class. If you are teaching physics, chemistry and physical science, for instance, you may conduct some of the activities and assessments with each of the groups.
  26. It is possible that not all activities will be successful. Any activity submitted for STERS should have a significant and measurable learning outcome. Homework activities, or individualized activities, may be used as well as in-class activities.

For each of the "Objective, Activities, and Assessment" areas below, provide the following information in the this order and with the following labels:

Objectives, Activities, and Assessment 1: The Major Concepts, Principles, Theories and Laws of Science

To meet this standard you must provide data from a unit or other block of instruction. A pretest-posttest strategy for a unit of instruction would work well if it is based on a concept inventory - but be careful. Too many pre-tests consume lots of time, and cooperating teachers might not permit an excessive number. Alternatively (and perhaps better), you could assume that the students know nothing about the subject matter and forego any pretest. You could target a major concept (such as energy, force, osmosis, chemical bonding) and use only a posttest assessment.

Using several different approaches to instruction helps to develop the concept and fix it firmly in the minds of students. For example, to develop the concept of mitosis, you might use an activity based on pictures, the construction of a physical model using thread, and computer generated models.

Objectives, Activities, and Assessment 2: The Unifying Concepts of Science

To meet this standard, you must create an activity that successfully teaches or engages students in the thoughtful analysis and applications of one or more of the principles identified below. You need not teach subject matter outside your subject matter area. Remember, you are teaching a principle, not content per se. The principles are:

For instance, in earth & space science you might want students analyze evidence for and against models of the solar system (Ptolemaic, Copernican, Tychonic, and Keplerian) or catastrophism versus gradualism. In physics, you might have students analyze evidence for and against the models of light (particle versus wave). In chemistry, you might want to have students analyze evidence for and against models of heat (particle motion versus caloric versus phlogiston). In biology, you might want to have students analyze evidence for and against change over time (gradual versus punctuated evolution or evolution versus creationism).

Objectives, Activities, and Assessment 3: Technological Applications in Science

To meet this standard, you must successfully complete at least one activity that is directed toward student understanding of a technological application of science, i.e., the use of science to achieve a practical end as might be typically found in such fields as medicine, agriculture, or engineering. Activities or studies that overtly demonstrate the interactions of science and technology for mutual benefit may also be used to meet this assignment.

For instance, if you are teaching a unit on light or optics, you might want to have students disassemble cheap disposable cameras that you have obtained free of charge from a photo finisher. Studies can be completed dealing with the optical, mechanical, and electrical systems within the camera.

To find other ideas, think about the fundamental abilities of technological design that underlie this standard. For instance, you might develop and implement an idea that includes the following activities: (a) identify a problem or design an opportunity, (b) propose multiple designs and select the best alternative solution, (c) implement a proposed solution, (d) evaluate the solution and its consequences, and (e) communicate the problem, process, and solution.

You can assess student understanding about the relationship between science and technology. This might be done with some sort of research involving reading (strongly encouraged) and the production of a paper or presentation.

Objectives, Activities, and Assessment 4: The Philosophical and Historical Nature of Science

To meet this standard, you must successfully engage students in at least one activity designed to further their understanding of the history, nature, and tenets of science as a philosophy, activity, and profession.  Do not confuse this assignment with Inquiry.

The focus of this standard is on teaching students ABOUT science as a way of thinking and knowing. You might engage students in study of the way a theory has changed and evolved; case study of a controversy in science and its resolution; differentiation of law and theory; or differentiation of scientific view of the world from other world views, for example. You might also want to conduct a pretest/posttest dealing with the nature of science in a very general way. (See A Framework for Teaching the Nature of Science and the associated Nature of Science Literacy Test (NOSLiT) for an example of what and how this can be done.) Students can learn much about the nature of science if the teacher takes the time to include this information even indirectly in instruction. For instance, the teacher might wish to use an number of short case studies (fillers) dealing with issues, the discussions of which reveal the assumptions, values, and history of science.

Note: A subset of questions from both NOSLiT and ScInqLiT (see below) might be assembled into a single pretest/posttest with, say, the first 20 questions dealing with the nature of science and the next 20 questions dealing with scientific inquiry. Score sections separately.

implementing_NOS

Objectives, Activities, and Assessment 5: The Practice of Scientific Inquiry

To meet this standard, you must successfully engage students in multiple lessons and lab activities incorporating the learning cycle, in which students observe a phenomenon without knowing its significance or meaning beforehand, ask questions, design a controlled experiment, collect data, and construct meaning using the data collected. Activities must require active engagement of the students with materials in the classroom or lab.

As noted above, all or a portion of the Scientific Inquiry Literacy Test (ScInqLiT) can be used as a pretest/posttest to assess student learning in the practice of scientific inquiry. (See Assessing inquiry skills as a component of scientific literacy.) Alternatively, a posttest only design can be implemented using actual performance assessments associated with a capstone research project and the Rutgers University scientific inquiry scoring rubrics. See the capstone project in the PHY 302 syllabus for details.

Objectives, Activities, and Assessment 6: Issues Related to Science and Technology

To meet this standard, you must successfully engage students in at least one activity requiring them to consider the their own values and needs, social values and needs, and how they relate to an issue in science or technology. For example, you might consider the impact of a particular scientific finding or technological application on society and weight the costs and benefits of the knowledge or application. Keep in mind that the term “issue” implies something about which rational people legitimately disagree.

Activities related to this standard situate science within a larger social context, examining its impacts, both positive and negative.  Students may be engaged in a study or a debate and asked to make decisions on issues of contemporary importance based on what they perceive as the risks and benefits. Topics might include cloning, global warming, nuclear energy, location of a low-level nuclear waste dump, creation versus evolution, population control, eugenics, pollution, the industrial military complex, etc. Due to the potentially controversial nature of the subject matter, Problem-Based Learning (PBL) activities would be especially appropriate means of addressing this subject matter.

Objectives, Activities, and Assessment 7: Science in the Community

To meet this standard, candidates must use a community resource in instruction that furthers the learning of science, or must relate science directly to a significant application in the local community, including in their own lives. This might be accomplished by having students look for examples of a concept in the everyday world they live in and presenting them in class. Students might also be involved in projects that have immediate relevance in the community. Or they may use community resources to study or understand an idea. Field trips are possible if the student teacher is especially energetic and inventive.

A community resource is anything in the local community (but outside of the school and classroom) that may be used to further student understanding of science. If you assign students to study the leaves on the trees as a homework assignment, that is using a community resource. Having them use newspapers, collect background materials, use the public library, listen to a guest speaker, talk to their parents, study the physics employed in a local hospital, investigate how chemicals are kept and used in the community qualifies – these are all community resources. Note: the Internet is not considered a community resource.

Carefully consider available human and material resources of the community in which you student teach. What assistance can you obtain from fire fighters, policemen, crime scene investigators, hospital technicians, or science-related industrialists? What science concerns are there at the local power plan? What science is incorporated at the local hospital or cancer center? What science is involved in the local crime lab? On what basis does “green” technology work?

V. METACOGNITIVE PRACTICES (5 points)

Explain how you will integrate metacognition and student self-regulation into your teaching. Give and explain five examples associated with formative assessment. Further, explain how you will use the results of summative assessments to help students analyze their learning, and engage them in reflective self-analysis of their own work.

Resource:

VI. CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT (5 points)

Explain how you will work to implement the student-centered, assessment-centered, knowledge-centered, and community-centered environments called for the in the National Science Education Standards and described more fully in How People Learn (see book chapter 6, pages 131-154). Further, explain the role of climate setting and what practices you will use in relation to overcoming resistance to inquiry that might be shown by your students. See the following resources for ideas:

Resources:

VII. SAFETY CONCERNS (5 points)

Prepare a brief summary dealing with the safety concerns surrounding your subject matter. Note potential sources of danger, and explain how you would reduce or eliminate such dangers in order to protect students.

Note: STEP 2 will be assessed using a specialized STEP 2 Scoring Rubric.

STEP 3 - PHYSICS 312 - Physics Teaching from the Historical Perspective (Inquiry)

During STEP 3 you will increase the amount of detail presented with respect to planned activities and assessments. It is critical that you work closely with your course instructor as you develop your STEP 3. KEEP IN MIND that all seven assessment might be too much for any one class or course. You may split the activities and assessments among several classes or courses. Expand section IV of STEP 2, and add section VIII outlined below to create STEP 3; retain all other sections from STEP 2 in your STEP 3 assignment. Example 1 and Example 2 of previously successful STEP 3 submissions are available, but do not pattern your work directly after these. Requirements for projects are periodically revised.

IV. OBJECTIVES, ACTIVITIES, AND ASSESSMENTS (80 points)

This is the heart of STEP 3. In this section you must expand your listing of student performance objectives and planned activities from a descriptive narrative to an executable plan. You must develop or compile the actual assessment instruments you will employ during STEP 4 which takes place during student teaching. Before beginning this section, review the common errors and oversights committed by students section above.

As a final product, prepare a 3-ring binder with 10 dividers. Insert in section 1 your listing of Preconceptions, in section 2 your Objectives, Activities, and Assessments summary, and in section 3 the Classroom Environment section below. Then, use each of the following seven sections as appendices for the seven assessments. You may add other items from STEP 2 in the appropriate order. Be certain to include additional dividers.

You will normally work closely with the course instructor using electronic file attachments and e-mail in developing the final product. The final product is for scoring. You will then share the scored folder (showing instructor comments) with your cooperating teacher.

VIII. ALIGNMENT WITH ILLINOIS LEARNING STARNDARDS (20 points)

Explain how the seven sets of objectives, activities, and assessments align with the Illinois Learning Standards. State specifically which standards are addressed by each of the seven sets of objectives, activities, and assessments.

Note: STEP 3 will be assessed using a specialized Step 3 Scoring Rubric (under development).

STEP 4 - STT 399.72 - Student Teaching in Physics

During your student teaching practicum you must implement and report on STEP 3 activities and assessments. This report constitutes STEP 4 of the Student Teacher Effectiveness Reporting System (STERS). STERS consists of seven assignments that cumulatively validate the positive impact of your teaching on your students during the student teaching practicum. The system requires you to use student performance data from assessments from activities and assignments of your choosing, subject to approval by your cooperating teacher. The seven assignments, and their alignment with 2004 NSTA Teacher Preparation Standards are as follows:

Success in STERS is generally defined as the achievement of an intended objective to a degree that is reasonable and acceptable given the characteristics of the students and other constraints that might affect attainment of the goal.

There are several ways to measure success.

Information Provided for Each Assignment:

Assignments will be submitted separately by e-mail to your University Supervisor. Assignments must be accompanied by a self-assessment of the work using a specialized STEP 4 Scoring Rubric. Your supervisor will acknowledge each assignment and assessment when received. If the supervisor does not acknowledge these items within a few days, inquire. To complete each assessment, provide the following information in no more that two single-spaced pages, (not counting evidence which is unlimited). Label each section as indicated below and leave an open line between sections.

Warning: Do NOT skip or combine any of the following required elements.

Name. Provide your name.

Date. Give the date the assessment was completed.

Assignment. Use the assignment name and number from the list of seven above (e.g., 1a, 2c, 7b)

Overview. Give a concise by comprehensive explanation of what this assignment is about. Do not assume that the reviewer knows about this project.

Goal. State the goal or goals that are attempting to achieve. Don't confuse these goals with the student performance objectives.

Activity. State the activity (or activities) that your students encountered to help them achieve the stated objectives.

Assessment. Clearly describe the mode and substance of the assessment, and justify its use based on the nature of the objectives and activity.

Justification. Explain how the assessment is aligned with the stated objectives.

Context. Provide a summary overview of the characteristics of the classes who participated in the activity and from whom data were collected.

Expectation. State specific PRIOR expectations (benchmarks such as 90%, mastery learning) for the performance of the classes on the assessment.

Data Summary. Provide a student data summary including numerical data from all students in the classes you are assessing. Never include individual student identifiers. Be certain to include the mean and distribution of data for the classes.

Narrative Summary. Summarize and interpret data coming from the assessment activity. Caution: do not combine or confuse with the reflection below.

Reflection. Reflect upon the success of the activity in relation to the objectives, by referring to the data summary and your prior expectations (benchmarks).

Evidence. Provide lesson plan(s), labs guidelines, assignments, assessment instrument, and anything else that you feel will help show your effort associated with this task BUT ONLY IF THESE DIFFER SUBSTANTIALLY FROM STEP 3.

Your cooperating teacher should be able to affirm the validity of the information you present if asked to do so by the university supervisor. If he or she cannot, the results might not be accepted.

Assessing Student Teacher Effectiveness:

Each STERS submission must include a completed self-assessment using the STEP 4 Scoring Rubric.

The university supervisor will then score the submission using the same scoring rubric. Results from the combined university supervisor's rubrics will be used to determine one half of the student teaching grade.

Planning and Pacing Your STEP 4 Work:

It is important that you complete STERS assignments regularly as you go through your student teaching experience, rather than at the end of the practicum. You MUST successfully complete all sections of this document by the time you complete your student teaching. Failure to do so will result in a failing grade.