Sec. 1. Basics
A TIME for Physics First seeks to develop eighty 9th grade science teachers to become teacher intellectual leaders for Freshman Physics. The bulk of the teachers were recruited for this five-year project during Fall 2009; a small number of openings are currently available for the Summer 2011 cohort (Cohort 2). Selected teachers are known as Physics First Fellows. Their districts are known as Core Partner districts. Core Partner districts commit to offering a yearlong 9th grade physics course using project curriculum, and transitioning to making it a required course.
Cohort 1 and Cohort 2 receive the same content and leadership courses and academic year support. Cohort 1 will started coursework in summer 2010, while Cohort 2 will start in 2011. Cohort 1 will receive support from Coaches who will visit their classrooms, while Cohort 2's Mentors will support them online.
Fellows receive more than 300 hours of extended in-person and online professional development (PD) annually over three summers and three academic years. Fellows earn tuition-free graduate credit and receive a stipend, room, board, travel support, and materials. The 80 Fellows are assigned to either Cohort 1 or Cohort 2. Cohort 1 began in summer 2010 and Cohort 2 in summer 2011.
The summer curriculum builds Fellows’ intellectual leadership by specifically developing leadership skills and by building physics content knowledge integrated with inquiry, modeling and technology. Summer academies are four weeks long in the first two summers, and two weeks in the third summer.
During the academic year Fellows receive extensive support as they implement the yearlong Physics First curriculum in their 9th grade classrooms. Support includes professional learning communities for small-group teamwork, follow-up sessions, support from trained coaches or mentors, online peer collaboration, an online science education leadership seminar, online access to content experts and a classroom kit lending program.
Evaluation of the project occurs throughout, starting with baseline data collection in Spring 2010.
The application and selection process, activities, requirements and benefits are described in other sections.