The New Jersey branch of the S.E.E.D. project is now in its second year of operation under the leadership of Emily Style. The purpose of the program is to change how teachers think about instruction in inner-city schools and provide them with the knowledge and skills necessary to teach effectively in urban settings among diverse student populations. The Academy includes a school site council and university-based council. Teachers and supervising teachers are observed and set goals for themselves at the beginning of the semester and are evaluated at the end of the semester. The ultimate goal of the program is to provide professional development to teachers and student teachers so students will prosper academically and socially.
Participants attend ten weekly, interactive seminars in a semester.
Students in the Houston Teaching Academy have achieved increasingly higher scores on achievement tests each year. Studies also indicate that student teachers demonstrate improved interactive instruction, organization, and behavior management skills. Some financial support for the program has been provided through Eisenhower funds and the National Science Foundation's Teacher Enhancement Program. Through collaborative, action research, university personnel and teachers have developed strategies for meeting the above goals and for increasing students' scientific knowledge and understanding, and providing them access to scientific careers. Although the program is relatively new, teachers have noticed greater student engagement, improved academic performance, better attitudes toward science, and fewer disciplinary problems.