Absolutely yes! Rest assured, you are not alone. Our goal is to help ALL teachers and ALL students understand science concepts and scientific ways of thinking.

For summer 2024 we are planning two, 3-week programs. Teachers may apply for both but only participate in one.

SESSION 1: Skyline 3rd grade Environments and Survival
June 17 – July 11 (Juneteenth and the week of July 1 off)

SESSION 2: Skyline 3rd grade Balancing Forces
July 15 – Aug 1

Sessions run Monday-Thursday, 9 am – 4 pm, except for the first week of Session 1 (runs Mon, Tues, Thur, Fri in observance of Juneteenth, on Wed, 6/19)

SPRING (April/May)
A member of our evaluation team will visit your classroom to observe one of your science lessons (~1 hr)

SUMMER 
Week 1:
Monday-Thursday: 9am-4pm at Northwestern University’s Evanston Campus (7 hrs/day)

Week 2:
Monday-Wednesday: 1/2 day at the Boys & Girls Club: prep, practicum, and debrief (4 hrs/day)
Thursday: 9am-4pm at Northwestern University’s Evanston Campus (7 hrs/day)

Week 3:
Monday-Wednesday: 1/2 day at the Boys & Girls Club: prep, practicum, and debrief (4 hrs/day)
Thursday: Wrap-up: 9am-4pm at community site (7 hrs)

ACADEMIC YEAR 

A member of our teaching staff will visit your school for up to two sessions of your choosing to help with implementation (~1 hr each)

Professional learning communities, comprised of your fellow CPS teachers, and SiS Master Teaching/scientist staff members, will meet approximately twice for pre- and post-implementation discussion, feedback and workshopping over dinner (1.5 hrs each, 3 hrs total).

All together that’s more than 80 hours of hands-on professional development!

The study addresses the broad need for improved teacher professional development around Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). It will determine to what degree a practicum-based teacher professional development program changes elementary school teachers’ understanding of NGSS, their attitudes towards science teaching, and science instruction in their classrooms.

View the consent form here.

Your commitment to participating in this study includes:

* Attending three-weeks of professional development during the summer at the Northwestern University campus and at a Boys & Girls Club site in Chicago. Training sessions run from 9a-4p on Monday through Thursday.

* A commitment to implement one module from the CPS science curriculum in your classroom during the 2023-2024 academic year.

* Participation in approximately two PLC meetings during the school year. Meetings will last 60-90 minutes and will take place outside of school hours.

* Participating in interviews and surveys two times during the year, once at the beginning of the program and again at the end. The interviews can be done at the Boys & Girls Clubs or Northwestern University. Surveys can be done online at a time convenient for your schedule. Each evaluation activity will take approximately 30 minutes.

* Participating in self-reflection and journaling activities every week throughout the summer training sessions and for the PLC meetings.

* Being audio and/or video recorded during the interviews and PLC meetings to help document your responses.

* The possibility that you may be contacted for follow-up interviews and/or surveys after completion of the training program.

Teachers must apply online.

Priority will be given to teachers who meet the following selection criteria:

• Teachers who are currently teaching 3rd grade or who expect to be teaching 3rd-grade science in a CPS neighborhood school for AY 2019-20. At this time we are not accepting applications from teachers in other school districts.
• Teachers at schools in Networks 1, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, and 12. We especially want to support teachers who are not already supported by PD efforts from other universities (DePaul, UIC, Loyola, etc.). Teachers in networks already receiving university-level PD trainings (2, 3, 7, 9, 11, and 13) are welcome to apply, though.

Preference will be given to teachers who meet the above criteria and apply in pairs from the same school (developing new skills is a great time to employ the buddy system!).

Yes. All teachers who complete the training program will receive a total stipend of $2,000. This will be paid in two installments:  $1,500 upon completion of the summer program and an additional $500 at the completion of the professional learning community sessions during the academic year.

Yes! Teachers completing the program will complete at least 40 hours of CPDU credits, with an additional CPDUs available for academic professional learning community meetings once the team meeting schedules are defined.

All teachers are responsible for registering and logging their hours according to their own school’s protocol.

Yes! We work with the CPS STEM Department to ensure you have Skyline curricula and supplies. Rest assured, you will have the supplies you need, when you need them.