The Alabama Math, Science, and Technology Initiative (AMSTI) was designed by a "Blue-Ribbon" Alabama Department of Education committee comprised of K-12 educators, higher education representatives, and business leaders. The committee pursued every step possible to design the most effective statewide initiative for improving math and science teaching. Steps included examining data from international and national studies and state assessment data, investigating national standards and their implications, reviewing initiatives in other states, examining programs already being implemented in Alabama, reviewing Alabama courses of study and certification requirements, examining needs of business and industry, performing an extensive review of the literature, and investigating the needs of Alabama teachers through a statewide survey. Every effort was taken to ensure that AMSTI was research-based and incorporated best teaching practices.
AMSTI calls for the establishment of 11 support sites across the state, called AMSTI sites, to implement the state's initiative within the 11 geographical Regional Inservice Center areas. Each AMSTI site, working under the direction of the Alabama Department of Education, selects schools to become AMSTI Schools through a competitive process. AMSTI Schools agree to send their entire math and science teaching staff and their administrators to a two-week long AMSTI Summer Institute for two consecutive summers. Training involves essentially the entire faculty in schools where classes are self contained.
Ten AMSTI sites are currently in operation with one more site to become operational by the summer of 2008. They are serving 365 official AMSTI Schools located in the inservice center regions of the University of Alabama in Huntsville, the University of North Alabama, the University of South Alabama, the University of Alabama, the University of Montevallo, Wallace Community College, Jacksonville State University, University of Alabama in Birmingham, Auburn University, and Troy University. AMSTI has trained approximately 6000 teachers through its Summer Institutes and is currently serving over 185,000 students state-wide.
At the Summer Institute, teachers are grouped by grade level and subject, receiving instruction that is highly specific to their own classrooms. The instruction is delivered by "master" teachers who have been certified as AMSTI trainers after successfully completing AMSTI trainer of the trainer workshops. In addition, local mathematicians and scientists and university professors of math and science are available at the institute to offer content support. Instruction focuses on inquiry-based, hands-on teaching, utilizing research-based curricula that were developed with support of the National Science Foundation. The curricula are highly aligned with both national and state standards.
The Alabama Department of Education involved over 400 individuals during a three year period in selecting the curricula and its associated resources, and in developing implementation guides for the Summer Institute trainers. This was done to ensure that all teachers are provided high-quality, standardized, professional development focused on state standards. Specifically, Summer Institute instruction addresses deepening of content, instructional methods and techniques, alternative assessment, and how to effectively use all the equipment and resources that teachers will receive from AMSTI. Teachers actually participate in the activities that they will use with their students.
AMSTI sites provide AMSTI School teachers with essentially all of the equipment, supplies, and resources they need to effectively engage their students with hands-on, inquiry-based learning on a daily basis. Examples of resources include labware, chemicals, global positioning devises, plants with growth containers, electronic minimum and maximum extended recording thermometers, electronic wiring platforms with switches, lights, diodes, and many others items.
Most of the equipment and resources arrive packaged in "kits" ready for immediate use by the teacher and students. Each kit is customized for the specific activities and curricula that will be taught. Once students complete the activities from a kit, it is returned to a materials center where it is refurbished to "like new" condition. Another kit targeting the next activities to be undertaken is delivered to the teacher and the newly refurbished kit is sent to another teacher. This requires each AMSTI site to operate a comprehensive materials distribution and refurbishment center.
AMSTI sites also provide extended, on-site support and mentoring to AMSTI Schools throughout the school year. Once teachers complete the Summer Institute, math and science specialists from the site regularly visit the schools where they serve as mentors to help teachers implement what was learned during the summer. Such support is vital for teachers to become comfortable and skilled at inquiry-based, hands-on learning.
AMSTI Schools designate one talented teacher in math and one in science to serve as site-based teacher leaders. These individuals receive additional training from the AMSTI site and provide daily support for others in their schools. Such leaders also serve as key contacts for the AMSTI math and science specialists visiting the schools.
Learning teams, sometimes referred to as study groups, are a key component of AMSTI. All AMSTI Schools provide these regularly scheduled sessions where teachers meet together at their school, with guidance from the site-based leaders and AMSTI site specialists, to address specific needs regarding implementing AMSTI at the school. AMSTI Schools also schedule two days of follow-up AMSTI professional development during the school year.
AMSTI has established strong working partnerships with a number of programs already in Alabama . For instance, Global Observations to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE), an outstanding international science research program, is included as part of the AMSTI training. Through GLOBE, students perform real research and enter their data in databases that are used by scientists around the world. In addition, students have access to the databases to conduct their own research.
The Alabama Science in Motion (ASIM) Program, a state funded program in existence before AMSTI, serves as the high school science component of AMSTI. It provides high school teachers with research grade equipment, inquiry-based discipline training, and classroom support needed to run effective science laboratory programs. ASIM equipment centers around research quality instrumentation and electronic data collection technologies (computers, programmable calculators, and hand held devices) used in laboratory activities which target state standards. ASIM is currently found in all eleven of the states Regional Inservice Center regions; however, 10 of the 11 regions have never received funding for one of the three major high school science disciplines: (biology, chemistry, and physics).
Reading strategies promoted by the nationally acclaimed Alabama Reading Initiative are incorporated in instruction received by AMSTI schools. Many kits include relevant reading materials such as books in math and science. Reading and writing are also addressed through AMSTI math and science notebook activities.
Each summer, AMSTI sites accept new schools to begin training as AMSTI Schools. Schools that entered the program the previous year also return for a second Summer Institute. Once a school is selected as an AMSTI school it continues to receive all of the equipment, supplies, and resources - including on-site support. In addition, the AMSTI site makes available to the school professional development throughout the year.
AMSTI is provided at no cost to AMSTI Schools. The costs for the operation of the AMSTI site, including its director, math and science specialists, refurbishment workers, equipment and resources, and Summer Institutes (which includes stipends for teachers), are all provided in the funding of the local AMSTI site.
Evaluation results, provided by the initiative's external evaluator, indicate that AMSTI is highly successful in improving student achievement. Students in AMSTI Schools scored dramatically higher on the Stanford Achievement Test in math, science, and reading as compared to schools with similar demographics that had not participated in AMSTI. Similarly, AMSTI Schools showed a major increase in students passing the Alabama High School Graduation Exam when compared with both nonAMSTI Schools and their own scores from the year before the AMSTI Schools participated in AMSTI. In addition, involvement in AMSTI reduced discipline referrals and increased student interest in math and science.
The Alabama Department of Education is currently requesting funding of $35.8M for Fiscal Year (FY) 2008. If approved, the funds will allow the ten existing AMSTI sites to bring new schools in their regions into the initiative while continuing to provide services to all of the schools that have previously received training. Such funding will also allow one new AMSTI site to begin serving schools in the remaining region of the state that are now without AMSTI services.
AMSTI has a proven track record for helping students develop the math and science skills and knowledge necessary for success in the workforce and postsecondary studies. The initiative provides equity and adequacy for all students in Alabama , regardless of their location or background. The goal is to have AMSTI available to all schools statewide. Currently, the growth of AMSTI is limited only by funding.
To find out more :
Email: questions@amsti.org
Phone: (800) 846-0948 |
