Westfield State faculty collaborate with area school teachers in grant program

NEWS RELEASE/ADVISORY
October 7, 2008

Westfield State College faculty members Taryn Weiss, Frank Guiliano, and Tim Parshall will serve as primary instructors for a Massachusetts Mathematics and Science Partnership Program (MMSP) grant to provide training to teachers in the Gateway Regional School District, as well as in the Holyoke and Easthampton public schools.

The $186,609 “Core Partners in Science” grant from the Massachusetts Department of Secondary Education was one of eight such grants awarded in the state. It will enable professional development in science to middle school teachers through six full-day seminars and three after-school workshops developed by the participating faculty.

The grant was won by the Gateway Regional School District and the program will be offered through Westfield State’s Center for Teacher Education and Research (CENTER).

“We modeled this program after a very successful teacher training we’ve run for a number of years, and designed the schedule of professional development from the very positive feedback we’ve had from other teachers,” said Priscilla Miller, director of CENTER. “The intensive full-day seminars and afternoon workshops have been appreciated by full-time, working professionals.”

“Westfield State is proud to be able to form valuable partnerships with other area schools to help improve education at all levels,” said Evan S. Dobelle, college president. “There is an urgent need for investment in public education from kindergarten to graduate schools.”

Weiss and Guiliano from the Physical Science Department and Parshall from the a Biology Department will develop training for the program and will coordinate presentations by a number of locally and nationally known speakers in the science field.

Participating teachers will receive training in earth, life, and physical science concepts, and will develop and implement classroom lessons and share their results with their fellow participants. Teachers also will complete 20 hours of hands-on professional development activities in their schools or districts.

The teachers will receive an $800 honorarium and 67.5 professional development points, with the option of earning three graduate credits from Westfield State for $285. The Partnership grant is expected to continue for a total of three years with a budget of $600,261.