NASA Enriched Collaborative STEM K-12 teacher professional development institutes within the California State University system

The State of California must remain a leader in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics education to maintain its competitive edge and economic vitality. The California State University system recognizes the urgency to increase the STEM talent pool for California. A research review on teacher quality and student achievement from the Center for Public Education (November 2005) indicates that more than two decades of research findings are unequivocal about the connection between teacher quality and student learning. This paper presents and analyzes three NASA Enriched Collaborative STEM K-12 Teacher Professional Development Institutes held in 2007: California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo; California State, Fresno; and California State, Bakersfield. The three institutes implemented unique practices based on trial and error, past experiences, and institutional learning. This paper highlights the critical elements, extracts the best practices from the three institutes and proposes an implementation model as a framework for other campuses and institutes.