Action Groups

CATALyST Metropolitan Toledo STEMM Educational Excellence Action Groups
At the Metropolitan Toledo STEMM Education Summit in February, 2008, six Action Groups were formed to begin working on moving the region toward STEMM Educational Excellence. A description of each group and the corresponding issues is below. Beginning in May, each issue of the CATALyST e-Connection Newsletter will include a report of the progress of each group. If you are interested in joining a group, please send an email to catalyst@utoledo.edu and indicate the group you would like to join. We will provide you with background information and the date/time of the next group meeting. Please join us in making a difference for Northwest Ohio.

CATALyST Model of Urban Educational Excellence (Johnson & Jacobs, 2007)

actions group

Action Group #1 – Strengthening Partnerships and Relationships
In Metropolitan Toledo there are a wealth of stakeholders who have a vested interest in the success of our K-12 schools and institutions of higher education. The saying, “work smarter, not harder” is something that should be considered as this group identifies what needs to take place to bring together business, community, K-12 schools, teachers, universities, and faculty to collaboratively work together within, as well as across, these entities to improve the educational system. Specifically, this group will discuss strengthening partnerships and relationships:

Between business/community/K-12 schools/university
Between teachers in individual schools and across districts
With informal learning centers

Learn more about this group...

Action Group #2 – Placement of Teachers within School Districts and STEMM
Graduates within the Region It is critically important that all students are taught by highly qualified teachers who are placed in their licensure/content areas. However, operational demands of school districts and hard to fill positions sometimes make this impossible. Additionally, as important is the challenge to find positions in the region for our highly talented STEMM graduates from UT and other institutions of higher education. This action group will devise a plan to ensure that more classrooms are staffed with appropriate teachers and that the future talent pool does not leave the area.

Action Group #6 – Recruitment and Retention of a Talented STEMM and STEMM Education Pipeline
Incentives and support are needed to attract students to pursue STEMM career pathways and to place graduates in these fields. There is also a need to better prepare and place science and mathematics teachers in positions in our area. This action group will determine the strategies needed to support students in the pipeline (K-20) so students are successful in completing their program of study, as well as developing a plan to keep graduates here instead of being lured away to other areas. Specifically, this action group will target:

Getting more highly qualified teachers for metropolitan schools
Keeping more STEMM graduates in NW Ohio
Proving more support during K-20 programs of study for students to decrease dropout rate
Providing more programs such as scholarships and/or support available for students to pursue post-secondary study

Learn more about these groups (2 and 6 have been combined)...

Action Group #3 – Accountability for Learning
This action group will address the need for increased accountability for student learning of science and mathematics – beginning in elementary school and continuing through post-secondary work. Many students are not provided daily science instruction until the middle/junior high school in the metropolitan Toledo area. Therefore, students enter high school unprepared for the science and/or mathematics content they encounter. Over 70% of freshman at UT take remedial mathematics and/or science courses to be successful in college. This action group will strategize how to hold stakeholders in Metropolitan Toledo accountable for student learning. Specifically, this group will discuss accountability through: • Holding schools and teachers accountable for student learning • Holding parents accountable for supporting their children • University/K-12 schools held accountable for preparing teachers/students to be successful (alignment) • Business/community for taking ownership of the success of schools.

Learn more about this group...

Action Group #4 – Increasing the Impact of Instruction
Effective teaching is an art. Today, teachers in Ohio are required to have a Master’s degree within a few short years after beginning teaching. Teaching is truly a highly-skilled profession. Like any other profession – without a supportive working environment with resources, high expectations, and supportive and knowledgeable leaders, teachers are not as effective in their job performance. Times change; the need for further professional development and skills are warranted – just as a physician would learn new procedures or new research findings. This action group will develop a plan for increasing the effectiveness of science and mathematics instruction in schools through focusing specifically on:

Valuing teaching as a profession
Providing teachers with support (development) to transform instruction to more inquiry/problem solving so students experience better preparation in science and math
Infusing technology into schools
Helping schools/teachers to use assessments to individualize instruction
Helping teachers make classroom connections to the real-world
Providing teacher time for planning and collaboration

Learn more about this group...

Action Group #5 – Generating Awareness and Advocacy
As the economy of Metropolitan Toledo has gone through a transformation from industrial to knowledge-based (that continues to evolve), there has been a gap between the changing needs of the future workforce and the present status quo. There is a huge need to embark upon a public awareness strategy to bring the area up to speed to be competitive and ensure that the future talent pool is ready for the changes inherently on the way. This action group will delve into constructing an action plan for Metropolitan Toledo which will provide resources, generate awareness, and impact policy to ensure our area is ready and has the means necessary to continue to progress. Specifically, this group will focus on:

Student STEMM career programs starting in elementary school
Parent awareness classes to learn about skills needed for the future workforce
Community/regional campaigns emphasizing the importance of STEMM
Connecting resources available in the community to teachers, schools, parents, and students
Policy local and state for K-12, higher education, & community

Learn more about this group...