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$2 Million Grant Allows for more Individualized Instruction in Local High Schools

With a generous three-year $2 million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF), Auburn and Tuskegee universities have partnered with Lee and Macon County School Systems to place thirteen graduate students (GK-12 Fellows) in 9–12th grade science and mathematics classrooms to serve as resource persons and assist teachers with instruction. Under the supervision of GK-12 Teachers, the Fellows will assist in laboratories, develop curriculum modules, design research activities and demonstrations, bring their scientific research experience to the schools, work one-on-one with students explaining concepts, participate in after school enrichment activities, serve as mentors and role models, and assist with the Saturday Academy.

“Many times teachers have heavy teaching loads and cannot provide as much individualized attention to each student as they would like during a problem-solving session,” said Overtoun Jenda, AU Associate Provost for Diversity and Multicultural Affairs and the GK-12 project director.  “The GK-12 Program will give teachers a rare opportunity to provide individualized attention to each student and the ability for students in general to receive high-quality, one-on-one instruction. Moreover, teachers will now have much needed help in utilizing more challenging science and mathematics instructional strategies.”

The GK-12 Fellows in Science and Mathematics for Schools in East Alabama Program will focus on three schools in Lee County (Beauregard, Beulah and Loachapoka) and two schools in Macon County (Booker T. Washington and Notasulga).  “The Fellows will gain real-life teaching experience that will complement their research, making them more competitive in the job market. The teachers will have better knowledge of the subject matter through their participation in workshops and working with the Fellows,” Jenda said. “Benefits to the students will include better knowledge of subject matter and hence better academic performance on ACT, SAT and high school graduation exams in sciences and mathematics.”

In a letter to the College of Sciences and Mathematics, Lee County Schools Superintendent John Painter and Macon County Schools Superintendent Willie Thomas, expressed their support for the program.

“We are excited at the opportunities represented by our involvement in the GK-12 Program. We look forward to witnessing the benefits that our instructional staff will reap and, more importantly, the benefits that our students will receive. We are proud to be involved in this rare opportunity to provide individualized in-class and after-school enrichment attention to more at-risk students in the areas of science and mathematics.”

Another key activity will be involvement of Alabama Science-in-Motion chemistry and physics specialists and vans in conjunction with GK-12 Fellows to enhance instruction and demonstrations in the classroom.

“This visionary GK-12 funded program represents a model example where the sciences and mathematics skills of the Auburn and Tuskegee faculty and graduate students will be taken into the classrooms of three Lee County and two Macon County schools,” said COSAM Dean Stewart Schneller. “The symbiotic arrangement between these school systems and the two collaborating universities to improve the science and mathematics educational experience for the affected students is truly exceptional.”

GK-12 Fellows will be chosen in April and will take a course in pedagogy offered by AU Department of Curriculum and Teaching the summer prior to entering the classroom.  GK-12 Teachers will attend a two-week professional development workshop over the summer.  In particular, GK-12 Mathematics Teachers will attend the TEAM-Math Summer Institute.  Fifteen GK-12 Faculty from Auburn and Tuskegee universities serve as senior personnel on the project and will participate in the summer professional development activities (Summer Institutes), and assist GK-12 Fellows on their research presentations to ensure a reasonable level of comprehension by GK-12 Students. 

Drs Jack Feminella and Anotida Madzvamuse at Auburn University and Drs Mohammed Qazi and Roberta Troy at Tuskegee University are co-principal investigators on the project.

The National Science Foundation has a leading role in fostering and supporting programs that contribute toward the improvement of sciences, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education. NSF recognizes that graduate students in STEM disciplines can contribute to the national effort to advance science education in K-12 schools through partnerships with K-12 teachers.