Teaching science to children as early as preschool through hands-on, inquiry-based activities in the classroom, at home and throughout the community is proving to be a highly effective way to raise the bar on STEM achievement.
The University of Toledo’s NURTURES program is showing significant success in improving student learning in the areas of science and mathematics for participating schools in Georgia, Washington and Ohio after expanding nationally two years ago with the support of a $3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Defense.
Dr. Charlene Czerniak, professor emeritus of science education and a research professor in the UToledo College of Engineering, is leading the NURTURES program.
“Children are natural born scientists. Our NURTURES team is excited to be able to offer the program nationally and help more teachers and families make the most of valuable early learning years,” said Dr. Charlene Czerniak, professor emeritus of science education and a research professor in the UToledo College of Engineering, who is leading the project.
“Our research continues to suggest that students across the nation who have had a NURTURES-trained teacher outperform their peers on standardized tests in science, mathematics and literacy.”
The NURTURES program benefits 135 teachers, 2,700 underserved and underrepresented pre-K-through-third-grade students, and 10,800 military-connected family members throughout the United States.
New research about the effectiveness of the innovative early childhood STEM education program led by UToledo reveals that students in grades 1-3 whose teachers participated in the NURTURES program exhibited dramatic gains in mathematics and science scores and outperformed the national cohorts on these assessments.
Having a NURTURES program teacher added on average 26 points to a student’s mathematics test score and 14 points to a student’s science score compared to original assessments.
The assessments align with Common Core State Standards and Next Generation Science Standards.
The program had the same impact in northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan after it was first implemented 12 years ago at the regional level.
The program improves pre-K-through-third-grade STEM education, which includes science, technology, engineering and math, through teacher professional development, family engagement and community outreach.
Teachers are provided with the option of a two-week summer institute or 10-week fall institute, both consisting of the same amount of contact with facilitators, to strengthen their science content knowledge and instruction skills. During the school year they participate in monthly Professional Learning Communities and receive coaching.
“The institute was very impactful on my overall understanding and provided me with more tools and explanations on how to incorporate more science in my everyday lessons,” said Candice Evans, a preschool teacher at Kings Bay Naval Base Child Development Center in St. Marys, Georgia.
The program also features take-home kits called Family Packs that explain how to dive into a child’s curiosity through specific science experiments. Providing the materials needed to complete the activity, take-home bags contain engaging activities designed to encourage family science inquiry and discourse using household items.
After NURTURES showed success in and around Toledo, the federal military funding in 2020 allowed program leaders to offer NURTURES in an online format, train facilitators to deliver the program and position the family components to scale nationally for military-connected families.
UToledo’s NURTURES program is showing significant success in improving student learning in the areas of science and mathematics for participating schools in Georgia, Washington and Ohio after expanding nationally two years ago with the support of a $3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Defense.
“All of the hands-on activities made me more excited to participate,” said Debbie Tennyson, a 3rd-grade teacher at St. Marys Elementary School in St. Marys, Georgia. “The group work helped me. Everything we learned I can actually use and apply with the kids I teach. I loved having all of the materials provided.”
In previous research, data from standardized testing in Toledo Public Schools show an increase in reading, early literacy and math scores in students of teachers who have participated in NURTURES, with gains being sustained through 5th grade.
“Our program is different because it teaches parents and community members how to engage young children in inquiry, high-level discourse and thinking skills,” Czerniak said. “These components help families learn how to learn — skills that will last the child’s lifetime.”
In 2020 the U.S. Department of Defense awarded UToledo a three-year, $3 million grant to scale up the program to military-connected families across the country with partners including Georgia State University and Washington School Research Associates.
In the first year, professional development for early childhood teachers was delivered on-site to Purple Star schools in Ohio and schools linked to Georgia military-connected schools and Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington.
The NURTURES program was originally a five-year, $10 million program funded in 2011 by the National Science Foundation to engage teachers and parents in supporting a young child’s natural curiosity through interactive science lessons. The National Science Foundation awarded an additional $2.3 million dollars to NURTURES six years ago.
In 2017 the American Association of State Colleges and Universities honored UToledo with its Christa McAuliffe Award for Excellence in recognition of NURTURE’s success in improving student achievement.
“We are exploring further expansion opportunities and entrepreneurial endeavors to commercialize the program and its components,” Czerniak said.
