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PISA2: Partnership to Improve Student Achievement in Physical Sciences
This project, led by Stevens Institute of Technology, in partnership with St. Peter's College, Columbia University and 12 geographically, socio-economically and academically diverse school districts throughout New Jersey, aims to improve student achievement in physical sciences in grades 3-8 and increase the quantity, quality and diversity of teachers who are prepared to teach physical science. In addition, the partnership focuses on developing students' 21st century skills, in particular problem-solving, innovation and creativity, by embedding problem-based learning approaches into five new courses in the teacher certification programs.

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Project Contributions

Are You Dressed for a Spacewalk? Harnessing Student Interest in Space Exploration to Engage Them in Energy and Engineering
"Drawing connections between what excites students and what they do in the classroom can inspire them to pursue those interests later in life. Teachers and researchers have long posited that…
Are You Dressed for a Spacewalk? Harnessing Student Interest in Space Exploration to Engage Them in Energy and Engineering
"Drawing connections between what excites students and what they do in the classroom can inspire them to pursue those interests later in life. Teachers and researchers have long posited that…
Partnership to Improve Student Achievement in Physical Science: Integrating STEM Approaches (PISA2) Evidence of Changes in Elementary Science Classrooms
Watch Video >> PISA2, a multi-year professional development program for grade 3-8 teachers, was funded through the Math Science Partnership program in 2010. The goal was to improve students' achievement…
Partnership to Improve Student Achievement in Physical Science: Integrating STEM Approaches (PISA2) Evidence of Changes in Elementary Science Classrooms
Watch Video >> PISA2, a multi-year professional development program for grade 3-8 teachers, was funded through the Math Science Partnership program in 2010. The goal was to improve students' achievement…
Partnership to Improve Student Achievement in Physical Science: Integrating STEM Approaches
Posted by: Augusto Macalalag, Jr. . Science and engineering education are seen as promising vehicles to promote 21st century skills in K-12 classrooms because they are not only a body of accepted knowledge, but also involve…
Teacher Professional Development Programs in Grades 3-8: Promoting Teachers' and Students' Content Knowledge in Science and Engineering
This presentation will examine the components and research findings from the USED NJ MSP project's PD program, which promoted teachers' content knowledge and teaching practices as well as students' content…
Jersey City Students Learn Rocket Science
Posted by: Barbara Mammen . A PISA2 partner district was featured in this two-minute segment on Channel 7 Eyewitness News in November. The segment reports on how Jersey City students are becoming more engaged in their science classes through hands-on learning.
Teacher Professional Development Programs in Grades 3-8: Promoting Teachers' and Students' Content Knowledge in Science and Engineering
Posted by: Barbara Mammen . The NSF MSP Partnership to Improve Student Achievement in Physical Science: Integrating STEM Approaches (PISA2) is based on findings from a USED NJ MSP Project. This paper and presentation focuses…
Saddle Brook teachers to get extra training in science new focus on science
Posted by: Barbara Mammen . "In a sunny school cafeteria in Saddle Brook on a recent morning, a noisy bunch of third-graders raced to build the best roller coaster - and unwittingly joined a multimillion-dollar statewide push to improve science education.…"
Congressman Sires Celebrates Grant To Improve Sciences for Hudson County Teachers
Posted by: Barbara Mammen . Some teachers in Hoboken and 11 other New Jersey school districts are getting a chance to be students again through an $11.5 million grant aimed at improving 21st century students' grasp of science, math and technology.…