Title of Effective Practice: - California Postsecondary Education ...

Direct Connection to Policy Area 2 of The Illinois Commitment
Hands On Chemistry: Improving Secondary Chemistry Teacher Quality in Southwestern Illinois and the
Metro East St. Louis Region
Southern Illinois University - Edwardsville
What issue or need is addressed by the effective practice?
The objective of this project is to provide hands-on professional development for secondary chemistry teachers
with an emphasis on science subject matter related to the Illinois State Board of Education’s Illinois Learning
Standards (Science) and Illinois Professional Education Standards (Chemistry). We work with regional high
school teachers to help them improve their chemistry knowledge, gain insight into applications of chemistry,
and become aware of available high-quality chemistry educational resources. These tools and knowledge
should assist high school teachers in preparing their students to meet the standards expected in secondary
science courses. It is anticipated that these activities will eventually lead to students who are better prepared for
college science courses. Special effort has been made to encourage newly hired teachers, teachers who teach
outside of their field of study, teachers from high-need districts, and teachers from high schools with high
minority populations to participate in the program.
Description of the effective practice:
Each spring workshop consists of weekly evening classes with a focus on chemistry theory, applications, and
problem solving. Each summer workshop consists of seven days of classroom-format discussion (mornings) and
laboratory/demonstration sessions (afternoons) on topics in chemistry. Time is built into the schedule for
teachers to share their experiences and expertise. The plan is to include all educators in active learning in each
meeting, rather than having a traditional lecture. Chemistry workshops have been offered at SIUE for over 20
years, with recent IBHE support of $65,000 in 2004, $70,000 in 2005, and $73,000 in 2006. SIUE provided
additional support each year in the form of tuition waivers for participant teachers and partial summer salary for
the project director.
How does this practice achieve sustainability?
Working in collaboration with the educational partners in our region, we have devised a program with the
following specific programmatic objectives: (1) development of participants’ understanding of the basic
principles of chemistry; (2) development of participants’ laboratory skills; (3) sharing of resources, ideas, and
experience among the participant educators;
(4) establishment of an informal teacher network among participants; and (5) a considered, flexible response to
educators’ needs for future direction of the project. Several high school partners have been participants for
many years, and new partners are added each year.
What are the results/measurable outcomes?
Evaluations were performed in three phases and are available if desired. One strong indicator of the success of
this project in the professional development of teachers is its large and growing popularity among middle school
educators. One measurable outcome is that people “vote with their feet” when they choose to attend a
workshop. Another measurable outcome is the number of returning participants. During a time when some
other opportunities available to regional educators drew only a few participants, this program served 52 teachers
in 2004, 22 teachers in 2005, and 49 teachers in 2006. At the conclusion of each workshop, the participating
teachers evaluated the workshop. A review of the participants’ evaluations shows that the workshops were
successful in helping the teachers to improve their teaching and their curricula. Each year, participating teachers
also submit samples of student work as one measure of student learning outcomes.
Contact Information
Name: Sadegh Khazaeli and Eric J. Voss
Email: skhazae@siue.edu, evoss@siue.edu
Phone: (618) 650-3561
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