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4 CHEMICAL EDUCATION A - W S *
A.A.A.S. COOPERATIVE COMMITTEE ON TEACHING OF SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS THECoonerative Committee. as it is usuallv referred to. was originated i u I!lII by rrpwwrtntivrs oi five profwrionnl sorirtirs m work on rrlwtrionnl problen~e,rhc aol~rrionof which a n bcsc I w d h n r . d I q c m y w l i w w t i o ~ ~'l'hrec . ycms I:,trr i t W : I ~ reorganized as a. committee of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. An invitation t o the associations to he represented on the Committee is approved by the Cooperative Committee and issued by the Executive Committee of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. In general, for a given science, there has been a representative of the teaching association of that science and a representative of a professional society. The present membership includes: Academy Conference of the A.A.A.S., American Association of Physics Teachers, American Astronomical Society, American Chemical Society, American Institute of Physics, American Nature Study Society, American Society for Engineering Education, American Society of Zoologists, Association of Geology Teaohers, Botanical Society of America, Central Association of Science and Mathematics Teachers, Division of Chemical Education of American Chemical Society, Board of Directors of the A.A.A.S., American Geological Institute, Engineers Joint Council, Mathemstied Association of America, National Association of Biology Teachers, National Association for Research in Science Teaohing, National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, National Science Teachers Association. Section Q (Education) of the A.A.A.S. The American Chemical Society was representctted on the original Committee by the late B. 5. Hopkins of the University of Illinois, and Martin V. McGill, then of the Lorain High School, Lorain, Ohio. Professor C. H. Sorum of the University of Wisconsin succeeded Dr. Hopkins, and the Society is presently represented by Dr. C. L. Agre of St. Olaf's College. Dr. L. L. Quill represented the Division of Chemical Education for a period of 12 years and was vice-chairman during his last year of service on the Committee. He was succeeded by F. B. Dntton. Except for occasional grants for special projects, the Committee has operated without funds of its own, and a condition to memhership on the Committee includes a t least a moral obligation on the part of the organization being represented to cover tho expenses of its representative to a t least one meeting per year. The Committee normally meets twice a year for a two day period. Early on the agenda of each meeting is a survey of the activities of interest to those concerned with education in science snd mathematics undertaken by all agencies known to the members of the Committee. This has been a most valuable exchange of information and has frequently resulted in cooperative efforts which have became much mare signifieent than they x.ould have been had they been supported by a single agency. The Committee selects its own chairman and secretary. The first chairman was Robert J. Havighurst. He was succeeded by Professor K. Lark-Horovitz whose interest and energies did much t o shape the program of the Committee, and his influence continues to be felt although he no longer meets with the Committee. Dr. Morris Meister, of the High School of Science in New York, and Dr. John R. Mayor complete the list of past chairmen. Dr. J. W. Buehta, Associate Dean st the University of Minnesota and representative of the American Institute of Physics, is the current chairman. Perhaps the most significant contributions of this Committee have been in the realm of intangibles. I t has had much success in encouraging and coordinating many of the activities of the organizations represented by its membership. One of the first contributions from the Committee was publication of a. preliminary report on "Preparation of High School Science Teachers." This was fallowed in February, 1946, with
' Avsilshle from the Director a t the American Association for the Advancement of Science, 1515 Massschusetts Avenue, Washington 5, D. C 362
the publication in School Seience and Mathemalics of Report No. 4 entitled the "Preparation of High School Science and Mathematics Teachers." This document contains specific recommendations for consideration of those who are concerned with writing requirements for state teacher certification. These reeo m m n d a t i u ~ :,re . ~ rorn.nrly lwing rrvized I,? n subwmmitrw u d v r 11w rluirmanrhil, Dr .4. I3 C.metr, long aetiw iu nnd n inst rlmirnmn oi tlw Diririm < ('hcmic:tl ,i l~:durntion,who is currently representing the Board of Directors of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Your Division rrpwzmrxriw and I ) r \Vn,vra. Tnylur. d w H Divisim uf (.'lwmiml Ehr.,rion mrmlwr who rc1,rc.renr.i tlw .\m*rivan :\i.~wi.u~rm lor thr .\dv;~nwmmtolScienre . \ c d r m y C'rmfcrmre, nrc vrving with this Committee. On two occasions the Committee has responded to requests from national government agencies which have resulted in reports of considerable magnitude. One of these is Volume 4 of the srrcalled Steelman Report, and the second was a document for UNESCO which was desimed to assist devastated countries in tllr reronrtnxtiw c,i t h w tcarhing i.wilirira. On numwouoccn,iow rltr Conm~irrrelm lald m v 01 11s srminnnunl meetings in ronj~lrwtionwith the i:uitcd Stigrcr Olliw of Edurution. Thtr Committee has been asked t o serve in a, consultative capacity on numerous occasions by cooperating with such organizations as the Ford Foundation's School and College Study of Admission with Advanced Standing. The largest activity undertaken by the Cooperative Committee was the formulation and execution of the Science Teaching Improvement Program (STIP) which was made possible by a grant of three hundred thousand dollsrs over a three-year period by the Carnegie Foundation of New York. A unique aspect of this effort was an experimental program on the use of science counselors operating from four centers located s t The Pennsylvania State University, The Univeraity of Nebraska, The University of Texas, and The University of Oregon. Each Center was provided with funds for the employment of two counselors who worked intensively with a selected series of high schools within their general geographic location, The Director of STIP and his staff have taken leadership in (1) enoouraging colleges and universities to develop more realistic programs in teacher education in which academic staff members are involved, (2) developing more active relstianship between colleaes and universities and the secondary schools, and (3) viaorouily representing the contributions of hesdemia departments in discussions of teacher certification. Members of the instructional staffs of the academic departments of colleges and universities have been invited to meetings on certification as the result of suggestions made by the Director of STIP. The results of the program have been published in a series of reports on the Science Teaching Improvement Program.' The Committee has regularly sponsored a program in conneetion with the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the most recent being a round table discussion on the genersl topic "Teacher Certification, Content versus Method, Marriage or Divorce" a t the Indianapolis meee ing in December, 1957. The Division's representative served as chairman for this session and the Division was further represented by one of the panelists, Dr. E . C. Fuller, Chairman of the Division's Committee on the Teaching of Chemistry, who presented the ease for "content," The Division can take pride in the fact that i t has supported and contributed to the work of the Coooerative Committee which has recognized many of the problems df science and mathematics education and whieh began searching for solutions sixteen years before the earth satellite focused the attention of the general public on its schools. FREDERICB. DUTTON LAURENCE L. QOILL M r c x l c * ~STAT* U N I V E R ~ I ~ ~
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JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL EDUCATION
