June 28 , 2007
Contact:
Ken Ma
NSU Office of Public Affairs
W: 954-262-5354 or C: 954-830-4177
kennma@nova.edu
Shelley Green, Ed.D
Dean of Human Development and Family Services
NSU’s Fischler School of Education and Human Services
C: 954-647-7814
Rochelle@nova.edu
Nova Southeastern University Helps Train Florida Science Teachers to Boost FCAT Scores
TALLAHASSEE, FL – Nova Southeastern University joined the Manatee County School District in a statewide effort to train 2,500 science teachers in low-performing schools to help students improve FCAT scores.
The school district received a $2 million grant Monday from the U.S. Department of Education for the training. It’s partnering with Nova Southeastern University, which has a main campus in Ft. Lauderdale and student educational centers throughout Florida. The district is also partnering with another university and the Florida Independent College Fund for the science training.
About two-thirds of the 5th, 8th and 11th graders who took the 2006 FCAT Statewide Science Test received the equivalent of D and F grades, according to the ScienceMaster grant application.
“I think when you get teachers excited about content knowledge, they will ultimately translate that knowledge to their students. And that translates into higher FCAT scores,” said Shelley Green, Ed.D, Dean of Human Development and Family Services at NSU’s Fischler School of Education and Human Services.
Green said the partnership will fundamentally change the delivery of science in all of the counties benefiting from this grant.
“When we work together, we are better,” Green said.
NSU, the school district, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and the college fund will work with the Florida Learning Alliance to provide the ScienceMaster program to Manatee County teachers, 25 rural counties and the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind.
The 25 rural districts that will participate in the program are: Franklin, Glades, Gulf, Holmes, Jackson, Jefferson, Liberty, Madison, Taylor, DeSoto, Glades, Hardee, Hendry, Highlands, Okeechobee, Baker, Bradford, Columbia, Dixie, Hamilton, Lafayette, Levy, Putnam, Suwannee, and Union.
The grant was announced on Monday by Florida Education Commissioner Jeanine Blomberg.
“Through the Mathematics and Science Partnership grants, Florida has been given an opportunity to strengthen our focus on these subjects and create new and exciting teacher development initiatives,” Blomberg said.
The ScienceMaster program will develop five online tools for science teachers that will be tested in the 71 Manatee schools, with a secondary demonstration in the rural districts and the School for the Deaf and Blind. The elements of the online program being created at NSU and Embry-Riddle include:
- Science Teacher, a website and eLibrary resource for 2,500 teachers
- Science Lift-Off, a survey to determine the best professional development trajectory
- Science First Course, 10 “Get Started courses” for 240 teachers
- Science Master’s Degrees, master’s degrees in space and science education for 60 teachers
- CoachScience, science coaching and training for 300 teachers
The ScienceMaster program is one of eight that the DOE announced will receive $10.9 million in grants as part of the U.S. Department of Education’s Mathematics and Science Partnership.
About Nova Southeastern University: Nova Southeastern University in Ft. Lauderdale is the largest independent institution of higher education in the Southeast, and it is the 6th largest independent institution nationally. NSU awards associate’s, bachelor's, master's, educational specialist, doctoral, and first-professional degrees in a wide range of fields. The university is comprised of undergraduate, graduate and professional schools of osteopathic medicine, pharmacy, optometry, allied health and nursing, medical sciences, dental medicine, law, marine biology and oceanography, business and entrepreneurship, computer and information sciences, humanities, conflict resolution, family therapy, interdisciplinary studies, education, psychology and counseling, and family programs. The university also has student educational centers in Miami-Kendall, West Palm Beach, Naples, Orlando, Jacksonville, Tampa, Las Vegas, The Bahamas and Jamaica.
www.nova.edu
