October 10, 2005
For Release
ECU Colleges and School Systems Partner Up for Project RIMS
Greenville, NC - Project RIMS (Rural Initiative in Mathematics and Science) is underway at ECU; it kicked off in August and will run through next summer. Project RIMS addresses the issue of teacher quality through a partnership between the College of Education, College of Arts and Sciences at East Carolina University and three school systems in the ECU service region: Bertie County Schools, Hertford County Schools, and Lenoir County Schools. RIMS teachers will attend statewide meetings to share ideas with a wider population of educators. The statewide meeting for RIMS math teachers is October 13th-14th in Greensboro, NC at the Koury Convention Center. RIMS science teachers will attend the statewide science meeting November 10th-11th also in Greensboro, NC at the Koury Convention Center.
Graduate courses and classroom support provide opportunities to lateral entry teachers seeking licensure while they are employed. The Project RIMS program gives teachers access to intensive instruction and on-site coaching. Project RIMS is funded by the US Department of Education through UNC’s Division of University-School Programs and the Center for School Leadership Development. Dr. Nancy Davis, Director of ECU’s Rural Education Institute and RIMS project leader, states, “Our school districts in the east face a great challenge in equipping new teachers to provide quality instruction for students in math and science—especially those teachers who have entered the profession without the benefit of a traditional teacher education program. We feel a responsibility to assist school systems with this work.”
The number of lateral entry teachers in the three school systems is approximately 235 with 84 of those teaching in the areas of high school and middle school mathematics and science. The project will serve 30 teachers directly, selected by their local school systems on the basis of need, interest, and potential. The courses and resources developed specifically for RIMS teachers will also be available to other teachers.
The design of the program reflects an understanding of the practical realities related to teachers and schools. (1) Driving to the university poses a difficulty for teachers in rural counties; therefore, most of the instruction is either on-site or presented through distance learning technologies. (2) The needs of teachers vary considerably; therefore, the project offers a variety of options within a framework that is realistic to manage. (3) Research supports the effectiveness of peer coaching within a classroom situation; therefore, master teachers and university staff will play a role in providing non-threatening observations and conversations as requested by the participants.
Dr. Brenda Tinkham, Director of Career-Technical Education for Hertford County Schools, says, that "RIMS addresses the practical realities of schools; it fits extremely well into the new mandate from the NC State Board of Education of Rigor, Relevance and Relationships. The Relevance part is what RIMS does exceptionally well. The program will help our teachers determine how to relate the Science and Mathematics Standard Courses of Study to be relevant to today's students—how the students can really apply these goals and objectives to real world learning.”
According to Bobbie Parker, Math and Science Coordinator for Bertie County Schools, “The ultimate goal of our professional development is improved student achievement and the RIMS Grant offers the opportunity for transformative learning experiences for our teachers.” Student achievement in mathematics has been tracked through a state testing program for many years; however, there has been no comparable testing program for science in grades K-8. Beginning in 2007, however, state science tests will be administered in those grades. Dr. Karen Dawkins, Director of the Center for Science, Mathematics, and Technology Education at ECU, states that “a particularly critical role for RIMS is re-establishing a focus on middle grades science in schools where it may have been neglected for many years. Partly because of the situation in grades K-8, high school test results have lagged behind; high school science scores should improve when science is afforded a place of importance beginning with kindergarten.”
In order to share ideas with a wider population of educators, RIMS teachers will be attending statewide math or science meetings this fall as they begin to assume professional roles both within and beyond their classrooms. Conversations with more experienced teachers and project staff will provide teaching ideas as well as encouragement for their work. Vicki Cauley, a 9th grade lateral entry science teacher at Kinston High School has communicated regularly with ECU science instructor, Patrick Enderle, who has established a schedule to meet with her at her school on a regular basis: “I am very excited about being a part of the RIMS project. I have received a lot of support and encouragement, which is essential to a first-year teacher's success.” stated Vicki Cauley.
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For more information, contact Jessica W. Davenport, Director of Communications for the College of Education at 252-328-2179.
