Through the seeds program, the latino college preparatory academy (LCPA) and the national hispanic university (NHU) located in SAN jose, california will undertake an in-service teacher training…

Through the seeds program, the latino college preparatory academy (LCPA) and the national hispanic university (NHU) located in SAN jose, california will undertake an in-service teacher training program and a student training program that will comprise a NASA content theme-based after-school program and a saturday science academy. Researchers identified four variables that most strongly influence hispanic educational attainment: teacher characteristics, parental involvement, learning opportunities, and academic english literacy. We attempt to address those variables through the teacher and student teaching programs. The program has the following objectives: 1) increase the science, mathematics, and english skills of low-income, english learner hispanic students through a teacher training program that uses NASA resources; 2) develop, promote, or utilize new, innovative, and replicable approaches to improving stem learning and instruction; 3) provide experiences and activities that are grounded in education research or use evidence-supported approaches, techniques, and tools; 4) build linkages and connections to and from secondary education and higher education; and 5) provide experiences and training that improve educators abilities to engage their students and enhance student learning. In the first year, the teacher training program will be offered to the teachers of the LCPA. In the second year, the training program will be offered to teachers in the east side union high school district with the aim of training at least one team of three teachers from each of the district S 21 schools. That would amount to 63 teachers who would, in turn, teach approximately 5,500 students over the course of an academic year. A website will be used to promote continued use of the training among trained teachers and to extend elements of the program to others who might wish to use IT. The program will be institutionalized through incorporation in the department of teacher education at national hispanic university. In the after-school program a select group of students from the LCPA will receive coursework tied to the NASA content themes in an approach that integrates mathematics and english literacy into science teaching. In the saturday science academy teachers, parents, and students will participate collectively in learning science through informal experiences and the parents will be trained on how to raise scientists. Significance: this project would address the three NASA education goals: 1) strengthen NASA and the nation S future workforce; 2) attract and retain students in stem disciplines; and 3) engage americans in NASA S mission.