Texas A&M University PTRA Program for Rural Physics Teachers

Texas A&M University PTRA Program for Rural Physics Teachers
2003-2006
Sponsored by
The National Science Foundation
The American Association of Physics Teachers
Texas A&M University

Physics Teaching Resource Agents' Rural Program
Texas A&M University will serve as a host site for the Physics Teaching Resource Agents. (PTRA) rural initiative. The National Science Foundation (NSF) and industry sponsors provide funding for this program. It is administered by American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT). Selected applicants will participate in a three-year program (2003-2006) consisting of annual summer workshops and two-day follow-up sessions each spring. The follow-up sessions will be held each spring during the Texas Section of the American Association of Physics Teachers (TSAAPT) Meeting. Participants who complete the full program each year can receive two semester-hours of graduate credit in physics from Texas A&M University per year. NSF will provide the cost of travel and subsistence. Texas A&M University will waive all of the participant.s required tuition and academic fees for each year of the program.
Summer Workshops:
Each summer the participants will attend a one week summer workshop held on the campus of Texas A&M University at College Station. The dates of the summer workshops are as follows:
When:
2003- Monday, June 9- Friday, June 13
2004- Monday, June 7- Friday, June 11
2005- Monday, June 6- Friday, June 10
Monday through Thursday the workshop hours will be 8:30 a.m.-12:00 noon and 1:30p.m.-6:00p.m. On Friday, the workshop hours will be 8:30 am -12:30 p.m.
Where:
Heldenfels Hall, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas.
Spring Follow-up Sessions:
Each year of the program, participants will meet for a two-day (Friday and Saturday) follow-up session, which will be held during the annual Spring Meeting of the Texas Section of the American Association of Physics Teachers (TSAAPT). These meetings are usually held in March. For example, the 2004 TSAAPT Meeting will be held in March at Tarlton State University in Stephenville. The NSF grant will cover all of the travel and subsistence costs of the participants for each of these required follow-up sessions. During these annual follow-up sessions, the participants will attend two six-hour PTRA workshops each year. The participants. school districts will be expected to cover the cost of substitute teachers for the participants on the Fridays of the annual follow-up sessions. This will be the only expense the participants. districts will incur for this program.
Participant Criteria:
Applicants must teach either high school Physics and/or Integrated Physics and Chemistry (IPC) in a rural school district. Preference will be given those who teach Physics. A rural school district is defined as one with no high school(s) larger than 4A as classified by the Texas UIL. Applicants must commit to full participation in the three-year program including all summer workshops and follow-up sessions. Administrators of applicants must also agree to support the participant for the full three-year program including all summer workshops and spring follow-up sessions. This will require the school district to provide for the necessary substitute teacher for the Friday of the annual spring follow-up session each year. Administrators are also asked to commit to the assignment of the participant to teach high school Physics and/or IPC each year of the three-year program.
Workshop and Follow-up Session Topics:
The workshops and follow-up sessions will address physics topics which are included in the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) for the high school Physics and IPC courses. For example, the first year Summer Workshop will focus on topics from mechanics including kinematics, the laws of motion, energy and momentum. The workshops and follow-up sessions will focus on objectives 1 and 5 of the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS). The workshops will consider not only the scientific principles, but also the use of active learning techniques for successful physics instruction.
Project Evaluation:
Students of participants will be asked to take part in an optional project evaluation through a pre- and post-test evaluation. Since students will not be identified, their privacy will be protected. Administrative approval is required.
Academic Credit:
Participants can receive two semester hours of graduate-level credit in Physics from Texas A&M University for each year of the successful completion of the full program including the summer workshop and follow-up session.
Participant Travel Support, Subsistence, Stipends and Tuition and Fees:
The travel support for participants includes mileage at $.28/mile for one round trip from the participant.s home to College Station each summer and for one round trip from the participant.s home to the location of the Spring TSAAP Meeting for the follow-up session each year. Support will also be provided for room and meals at a campus dormitory for the five days of the annual summer workshop and for the hotel and meal expenses for the two days of the annual spring follow-up sessions. The NSF will pay a stipend to participants on the following basis: for the first 36 contact hours of the program, the stipend will be $50/day; for the next 36 contact hours, the stipend will be $60/day; and once the participant has exceeded 72 contact hours, the stipend will be $75/day. Texas A&M University will waive all of the participant.s required tuition and academic fees each year of the program.
Applications:
The deadline for applications is Tuesday, January 21, 2003. Applications must be postmarked by this date and must include:

A completed application form. (avail in either Adobe "pdf" format or Microsoft Word "doc")
A completed school administrator support form. (avail in either Adobe "pdf" format or Microsoft Word "doc").
Copies of transcripts from each college attended by the applicant. These need not be official, but may be photocopies of original transcripts from the applicants records or school files.

Further Information:
Dr. A. Lewis Ford, the Associate Head of the Texas A&M Department of Physics, is serving as the Texas A&M University Rural PTRA Coordinator with Beverly Guster as the program Assistant Coordinator. You may obtain further information by telephone or email through:
A. Lewis Ford
Department of Physics
Texas A&M University
College Station, TX 77843-4242
(979)845-7778
b-guster@physics.tamu.edu