The Yale-New Haven Teachers Institute

The seminars were assisted by a contribution from the New Haven Public Schools. With major support from endowment revenues the Institute offered the following three seminars in the humanities:

The seminar on "Geography through Film and Literature." (Clockwise from bottom left: Fellows James P. Brochin, Giovanna M. Cucciniello, Nehemia Levin, Sandra K. Friday, seminar leader Dudley Andrew, and Fellows Waltrina D. Kirkland-Mullins and Angelo J. Pompano.)

In all cases the participants investigated how films build upon or alter traditions of art (especially theater, painting, the novel). The group read some literary works to gauge how different narrative forms treat geography. Titles ranged from Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart, Mariama Ba's So Long a Letter, and Sembene Ousmane's God's Bits of Wood from West Africa, to John Keane's play The Field and James Joyce's story "The Dead" from Ireland. Fellows considered the way that the larger world is implicitly mapped in films and literature.

Participants launched their own examination of various aspects of film as it relates to geography and history, building what the seminar leader called an "impressive set of teaching units." Some of these examined features of social life in a given region. Kristin Carolla used the movies mentioned above, among others, to help students understand Irish culture. David DeNaples conceived of the continent of Africa as a group of regions with distinct climates, economies, and social organizations while discussing colonialism and its aftermath. Sean Griffin developed an exploratory adventure for his students: a study of the places along the Trans-Siberian railway, with "stops" along the way allowing students to acquaint themselves with the history, literary classics and famous architecture of key cities. Crecia Cipriano's unit emphasizes the breadth of Francophone cultures from West Africa, to Madagascar, to the Caribbean to Quebec, and alludes to Southeast Asia as well. Waltrina Kirkland-Mullins, working with early grades, emphasized the narrative traditions in several distinct places: West Africa, France, Eastern Europe; branching out from the films of the stories, she prepared materials and planned activities to immerse students in the world and world view of children abroad who are at once very like them and yet whose daily lives are different.

Then they turned to questions of politics and society, broadly understood: the characteristically premodern, consensus approach to governance (so different from our own), the extent and use of voting rights, the role and responsibilities of leadership, the widespread acceptance of class-based hierarchies, the development nonetheless of social mobility, and the tensions confronting traditional community models when situated in a new context. This led directly to the next topic--the "moral economy" of premodern times, and attendant factors of labor scarcity, subsistence as well as cash-crop production, and the faint, first stirrings of capitalism. The seminar concluded the more "structural" part of its agenda by investigating the prevalent cultural system, including literacy and print communication, information networks, education, and the centrality of face-to-face encounters.

The seminar on "Everyday Life in Early America." (Left to right: Seminar leader John P. Demos and Fellows Thomas P. O'Connor, Sheila Wade, Malini Prabakar, and Barbara K. Smith.)

From the beginning, the Fellows were at work on their individual curriculum units. As the seminar proceeded, these were shared with the entire group. Topics ultimately addressed in these units were diverse. Stephen Broker's unit examines death and dying in Puritan New England through a focus on gravestones in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, where he has conducted substantial original research; this interdisciplinary unit is designed for high school courses in anatomy and physiology and Advanced Placement environmental science. Jameka Sayles, who teaches at an arts magnet middle school, explores early childhood in the New England colonies, including education, recreation, health and home life. Home skills in early America, including cooking, are the focus of Barbara Smith's unit that integrates social history and home economics. Native American women of the East Coast are the subject of Malini Prabakar's unit for fifth graders; she has objectives for students' language arts, social studies, and social development. A staff developer at an elementary school where 80 percent of the students are native speakers of Spanish, Erica Forti takes up the cultural practices of the Plains Indians of the West. Lorna Edwards, who is a colleague of Jameka Sayles, examines African Americans' experiences of slavery, with the aim of involving other teachers at their arts magnet school. And two units, by Thomas O'Connor and Sheila Wade, evoke the early history of New Haven. O'Connor aims to teach his high school students about local history in the 17th and 18th centuries, while Wade's unit is directed at a middle-school audience and focuses on England, the colonies, and New Haven in the 17th century.

Participants considered ways of reading and understanding poetry, as well as technical terms such as metaphor, alliteration, and personification. Still, Fellows' main concern from the beginning was the practical business of preparing material that would be suitable for their students and their state-mandated teaching objectives. From the time the first drafts were submitted, the seminar reserved substantial time for the presentation by each Fellow of his or her unit material. The seminar leader commented that "the degree of cooperation, mutual interest, and constructive suggestion among the Fellows was truly remarkable" during this component of their sessions.

The seminar on "Poems on Pictures, Places, and People." (Left to right: Fellows David N. Reynolds, Thomas D. Sullivan, seminar leader Paul H. Fry, and Fellows Dina K. Secchiaroli, Geraldine M. Martin, Jean E. Sutherland, and Zoila M. Brown.)

Other participants developed work for students ranging from third grade to high school. Christine Elmore's unit examines three women who write children's poetry--Karla Kuskin, Valerie Worth, and Patricia Hubbell--and teachers may find her references to the secondary literature on teaching the reading and writing of children's poetry especially helpful. Zoila Brown teaches fifth grade in an arts magnet school environment that emphasizes teaching across the curriculum, and accordingly her unit emphasizes potential connections among poetry and science, history, social studies, and performance. Amber Stolz, teaching in a small high school that emphasizes character development, calls students' attention to the work of Maya Angelou, a complex role model. Mindi Englart's unit on teaching rap music to grades 9-12 emphasizes positive, socially constructive lyrics, without overlooking the socially aggressive side of rap (giving advice on how to approach the raw language and violence), and connects this form with other traditions of dissonant poetry. Susan Santovasi's unit for grades 11-12 concerns poems of protest and political commentary, focusing especially on reactions to war, from the Revolutionary War to Vietnam and the Gulf Wars. Finally, Dina Secchiaroli--preparing her students for the Advanced Placement exams--developed a unit modeling how this might be done, offering a wide variety of poems and genres (traditional and recent), keeping in mind actual questions asked on recent exams, and giving examples of "close reading" techniques.

The seminar on "Physics in Everyday Life." (Clockwise from left: Seminar leader Daniel E. Prober and Fellows Gwendolyn Robinson, Mary E. Jones, Abie L. Benítez, Pedro Mendia-Landa, Kristen A. Borsari, Jennifer Drury, and Tina M. Diamantini.)

Fellows' curriculum units embrace assorted topics in physics. Abie Benítez developed lessons on light (luz) for students in the early grades at a dual-language school that introduces all children to both English and Spanish and which centers on science. Kristen Borsari's unit on flight, aimed at fourth graders, includes discussion not only of the Wright Brothers' first flight but of the experience of a Chinese immigrant kite-maker-appropriate for her school's international studies theme. Two colleagues at Bishop Woods Elementary School, Shannon Cohen and Tina Diamantini, developed companion units on sound and hearing that promise to complement each other well. Jennifer Drury will have students of English at her high school--a magnet with a focus on career preparation and business--study "how things work" and create marketing plans that cultivate both science and expository writing skills. Mary Jones will teach Newton's laws of motion to middle school students through a variety of demonstrations. Gwendolyn Robinson has a similar aim with her students, but her approach is to look at the broader variety of physical principles involved in an ordinary 24-hour period. Carolyn Kinder takes up the physics of cell phones for another middle school audience, students at a school with a science and technology focus. And Pedro Mendia-Landa, with his bilingual elementary students in mind, prepared a unit on simple machines using those found on the playground and in the classroom. He and Abie Benítez teach at the same school and together are enriching its science curriculum.

Among the cases of water contamination that participants reviewed was one concerning the island of Vieques in Puerto Rico, where U.S. naval bombing occurred for 62 years and where the landscape has been severely affected. Bomb fragments and residues are washed by heavy seasonal rains toward the beaches, mangrove lagoons and reefs that surround the island. Marine crabs and fish carry higher than normal levels of some metals released to the environment. Many of the islanders are fishermen who regularly consume their catch. Given these factors, it is no surprise that preliminary tests of human tissue samples collected from the population demonstrate a similar matrix of metals as those contained in the bombs. Water is the vehicle that transports the metals across the landscape to the ocean. And water is the solvent that makes these persistent elements available to move up the marine food chain, to the Viequenses' dinner tables, and into their bodies.

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The seminar on "Water in the 21st Century." (Left to right: Seminar leader John P. Wargo and Fellows Laura F. Pringleton, Deborah A. James, Joanne R. Pompano, and Raymond W. Brooks.)

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School Representatives meeting. (Clockwise from front left: Representatives Stephen P. Broker, Raymond W. Brooks, Pedro Mendia-Landa, Kevin P. Inge, David DeNaples, Deborah A. James, Mary E. Jones, Joanne R. Pompano, Christine A. Elmore, Angelo J. Pompano, Jennifer Drury, Virginia Seely, Director James R. Vivian, Representatives Geraldine M. Martin, Jean E. Sutherland, Dina K. Secchiaroli, Sandra K. Friday, Sean Griffin, and Associate Director Josiah H. Brown.)

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There are four principal criteria for teachers to be eligible for consideration as Fellows:

• The applicant must be a current New Haven school teacher who will be teaching in New Haven also during the school year following Institute participation.
• The applicant must agree to participate fully in the program by attending and coming prepared to all scheduled meetings and by completing research and meeting due dates in the preparation of a curriculum unit.
• The teacher must demonstrate in the application that his or her specific interests are directly related to the seminar as it has been described by the seminar leader.
• The applicant must also show that the seminar and the curriculum unit that he or she proposes to write are directly related to school courses that he or she will teach in the coming school year.

During the planning process 91 teachers expressed definite interest in participating in one of the seminars to be offered. Of those teachers, 37 were from high schools, 27 from middle schools, 21 from elementary schools, and 6 from K-8 schools. By the application deadline, the Institute Representatives, assisted by the school Contacts, had obtained applications from 61 elementary, middle, K-8, and high school teachers in the humanities, social sciences, and sciences.

Application Review meeting. (Left to right: Seminar Coordinators Joanne R. Pompano, Yolanda G. Jones-Generette, Jean E. Sutherland, Sandra K. Friday, and Carolyn N. Kinder.)

At the same time, the applications were reviewed in the applicant's own school, in keeping with the decentralizing of administrative functions and decision-making in the school district. The Institute's Representative for each school contacted the school principal or the principal's designee, who is asked to review each teacher's application. The intention is to increase awareness within each school of the projects that teachers wish to pursue in Institute seminars, to afford an opportunity for the principal and other educational leaders to examine the relationship between teachers' applications and school plans, and to increase the likelihood that the teachers will have a course assignment in which they can use their curriculum unit. In this review, the following questions are posed:

• Is the applicant's proposal consistent with, and significant for, the curricula and academic plans for your school?
• List the courses and/or the grade levels where the proposed unit will be used; if there are none, state "none."
• Will the applicant be assigned next year one or more of these courses in which to teach the unit?
• Please indicate any special merits or problems you find with the application.

It is important that principals appreciate the nature and the significance of the curriculum units that teachers in their school will be designing, and we include here some excerpts from principals' comments on the Fellows' applications:

This will be a good addition to our curricula--especially because it is science.

This applicant must model for other teachers, and this unit will be very conducive to the purpose of modeling and demonstrating.

This teacher is extremely valuable in terms of curriculum development, and I know he will be an asset as well.

This proposal fits nicely into our school's global theme.

This proposal will give our ESL students an opportunity to share their culture.

This unit will familiarize students with the history of New Haven and the Native Americans. It will help the students differentiate between primary and secondary sources.

This will enhance the curriculum; students will get more than the usual.

This teacher leads by example and is consistently looking for enriching opportunities for her students.

This unit is aligned with our curriculum standards and will enhance the curriculum.

I am very excited about the proposed curriculum. It will speak to our students, and I expect they will learn the skills required of them in an exciting and captivating course.

Poetry is often a difficult curricular area in terms of capturing student interest. The teacher would benefit from exploration of this area.

As an arts and academic school with an interdisciplinary focus, her examination of both the visual and poetic dimensions of rap should fit well into our arts curriculum.

• To work with school Representatives at the conclusion of the application process, to serve on an admissions committee to consider proposals for curriculum development submitted by teachers applying to become Fellows, and to make recommendations to the Director about whom to accept as Fellows.
• To monitor the progress of a seminar through observation and conversation with participants, and to give progress reports at weekly seminar Coordinators' committee meetings.
• To report to the seminar members any organizational information which should be circulated, such as the schedule of any visitors and notice of Institute-wide activities.
• To act as a resource for members of the seminar, providing information about unit-writing deadlines, guidelines for writing curriculum units, computer assistance available to Fellows, copyright procedures, and University facilities Fellows may use.
• To be available to the seminar leader to provide information on Fellows' perceptions of the seminar and on Institute policies generally, and to offer assistance as may be needed.
• To assist with the smooth operation of the seminar by keeping track of Fellows' promptness and attendance and the timeliness of their written submissions, and by encouraging Fellows to make and keep appointments for individual meetings with the seminar leader.
• To attend and come prepared to weekly committee meetings with the Director/Associate Director and to take professional days as needed for the above purposes.

Joint meeting of seminar leaders and Coordinators. (Clockwise from center: Director James R. Vivian, Carolyn N. Kinder, Paul H. Fry, Dudley Andrew, Sandra K. Friday, John P. Wargo, Joanne R. Pompano, Daniel E. Prober, Jean E. Sutherland, Yolanda G. Jones-Generette, and Associate Director Josiah H. Brown.)

Consistent with the Institute's aim to serve the largest possible proportion of all New Haven teachers, 27 (or 49 percent) of the teachers accepted in 2003 were participating in the Institute for the first time. Of these first-time Fellows, 20 were in the humanities and seven were in the sciences. More than one quarter of all the Fellows accepted (14 of 55, or 26 percent) were Black, nearly two thirds (36 of 55, or 65 percent) were non-Hispanic White, 6 percent were Hispanic, and 4 percent were of South Asian descent. Eight individuals were in their first year of teaching in New Haven.

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Table 1
Ethnicity and Gender of Participants

The readings were very informative, and I found myself buying a number of the books on the syllabus so as to get each author's full point of view. The readings amounted to about 80 pages per week, a substantial investment in time but well worth it. My own collection of readings relating to my curriculum unit proved very interesting, as well.

Before the second seminar meeting all Fellows met individually with their seminar leader to discuss their projects. The Institute requires that Fellows schedule at least two such conferences as part of the unit writing process; many Fellows, however, meet more frequently with their seminar leader. At the end of the program, most Fellows (82 percent) said that they had ample opportunity to discuss their choice of readings with the seminar leader. According to one veteran Fellow, "My meeting with [the seminar leader] was very helpful and his written comments on my drafts gave me the direction I needed to develop what I consider to be one of my best units." Another wrote, "I had an idea about what I wanted to do, but when I first met with [the seminar leader], he suggested a structure I might use. It was exactly what I needed."

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The seminar on "Everyday Life in Early America." (Left to right: Fellows Sheila Wade and Malini Prabakar.)

These were usually done at points in the term where we needed to meet--to define a topic, to review work, or just to think through some ideas. Most of the teachers used these meetings very effectively, and one of the effective modes was to sit at the computer and review information on various Web sites that the teacher wished to draw upon.

Fellow Deborah A. James and her students at Betsy Ross Arts Magnet School.

Others commented:

The unit I prepared and the seminar in which I participated has allowed me to research and develop a depth of knowledge which I did not possess before. Preparing a unit in advance allows me to be more creative in my approach in teaching the required curriculum. Spending time researching and listening to seminars, while not in school, afforded me the opportunity to get involved in the subject matter while not having to teach it the next day. I truly feel a specialist in the unit I developed and look forward to sharing with my colleagues ideas for projects.

I have done background work that will enhance my teaching in the coming year. Having created this unit, I will be able to spend less time on planning and more time on assessing students' progress. The schedule I have established in the unit will help me to present matter in a timely manner. I already know what resources I need and where to find them.

The seminar on "Physics in Everyday Life." (Clockwise from left: Fellows Tina M. Diamantini, and Carolyn N. Kinder, seminar leader Daniel E. Prober, and Fellow Gwendolyn Robinson.)

Another Fellow called her seminar "wonderful," the seminar leader "an amazing source and guiding force for the seminar," and described it as "very intellectually stimulating." She said, "Most members were inspired to do additional research, and there was an atmosphere of sharing in that respect. I would LOVE to do it again!"

During the first two months of the program, which serve as a reading period, all Fellows also met together on Tuesday afternoons for a series of talks. These talks are designed to expose all Fellows to some of the work done in seminars other than their own, and in some cases to subjects and leaders of possible future seminars. Ordinarily, therefore, some current or prospective seminar leaders are included in this series. At the same time, some other faculty members are invited to speak on topics the school Representatives believe will be of particular interest to many Fellows, based on the interests expressed during the months of planning and canvassing the preceding fall.

• On March 11, Daniel E. Prober employed scientific demonstrations to illustrate "Physics in Everyday Life."
• On March 25, John P. Wargo discussed the science and public policy of "Water in the 21st Century."
• On April 1, John P. Demos evoked the rhythms and culture of "Everyday Life in Early America."
• On April 15, Alessandro Gomez spoke of "Burning the Flame: A Fossil-Fueled Civilization or Else," with live Web site connections to illustrate engines and combustion.
• On April 29, Alexander Nemerov used War News from Mexico as his point of departure, giving the audience "A Close Look at Richard Caton Woodville's 1848 Painting."

Attending all of the [lectures] on the different topics was a clear example of the etiquette, professionalism, and tremendous intellect all the professors have. In such a short period of time, I was able to learn so much about topics that have either never interested me before or topics I had no idea even existed. I feel that this part of the Institute was valuable in helping me to decide what seminar topic I would like to study next year or thereafter.

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Alessandro Gomez speaking on "Burning the Flame: A Fossil-Fueled Civilization or Else. . ."

Many Fellows reported that the talks prompted them, to a great or moderate extent, to read about their topics (60 percent, compared with 51 percent in 2001 and 70 percent in 2002), discuss the topics with their students (53 percent), and discuss the talks with other teachers (85 percent). In the latter two respects, these figures were similar to reactions expressed in the two prior years.

Workshop on Curriculum Unit Development. (Seminar Coordinators Jean E. Sutherland and Sandra K. Friday.)

The Coordinators spoke from their own experiences in researching and writing new curricula as Institute Fellows. Representing among them the elementary, middle and high school levels, the Coordinators spoke to all the Fellows on these topics: "Narrowing Your Topic and Considering Your Audience"; "Using the Institute's Reference Tools"; "Following the Institute Process for Unit Development"; "Using Technologies for Research and Writing"; "Aligning Your Unit with School Plans and District Goals"; and "Supporting New Teachers: The BEST Portfolio and Beyond." Then the Fellows were divided into seminar groups, where each Coordinator led a discussion of purposes and practices in writing Institute curriculum units. This afforded an opportunity for the first-time Fellows to learn about the guidelines and other aspects of curriculum unit writing from experienced Fellows. It also encouraged experienced Fellows to share that experience and allowed all to discuss how the completed volume of units might display a range of teaching strategies and contain a standard form of annotation. By leading these discussions, the Coordinators also identified themselves as being knowledgeable about the process of writing curriculum units, so that other Fellows might seek their advice.

The seminar sessions were run very punctually; no time was wasted. Sometimes, we could have gone beyond the time limit. All participants were expected to be prepared for the scheduled discussion topic but no one was ever pressured. There was a comfortable mix of academic responsibility and sociability. The topics were not so much the type which created lively interaction or debate but were more thought-provoking and contemplative. The topics were the kind that would be 'stuck in your head' on the drive home, which in turn would encourage you to seek more information. Although the seminar sessions have ended, the desire to understand more continues.

I had a great learning experience in the seminar this year. The instruction was compatible with my learning style. As a result, I felt relaxed, and although tired from a busy day at school, I was able to focus and maintain interest in the seminar. The seminar leader engaged the participants in both audio and visual presentations.

I thoroughly enjoyed the seminar. Right from the beginning we began sharing our plans for our curriculum units with the other participants. [The seminar leader] was very helpful in suggesting resources and helping us to narrow our topics. We also met individually with him and he always availed himself to us. The readings we did were given to us on disk so we could access them at home. Very early in the seminar [he] took us to a nearby computer lab where we had a presentation by a member of the Yale library staff. [The seminar leader] also shared some insights that were helpful about Web sites and ways to do searches on the Internet. We made a [field] trip. . . . As I look back now, I realize that we squeezed a lot into a short amount of time.

The rapport of the seminar topic to their unit appeared as things progressed. About five weeks in, everyone (as far as I could tell) had bought the group project and prepared assiduously for each Tuesday session. It seems they all feel they have acquired a new discipline, passion, and indeed 'mission.' I feel that even those whose projects seem oblique to the topic of the seminar will make use of what they learned in a systematic way.

We also exchanged our unit write-ups in small groups, so each teacher received input from two colleagues who read her unit closely. In this I tried to pair a teacher with Institute experience with one or two newer teachers; this worked well. We also then discussed the reactions of the small group with the whole group, and I think this improved the written work a great deal. The seminar group felt comfortable with such self-criticism, and we had overall a very easy way of interacting, with little feel of failure in [the seminar].

Fellows themselves especially relished the opportunity to talk and work with other teachers across the artificial boundaries that often separate grade levels, schools, and disciplines. One Fellow regarded this "camaraderie" as "really priceless. I love spending time with my colleagues discussing film, literature, and school. It was a really nice experience." Another was pleased "to share things about curriculum, schools, classes and students. I found it exhilarating working with peers. I was happy to share my thoughts and ideas with them. It was neat working with adults on the same theme. The group work that we did for class was refreshing. There were open minds and an appreciation of everyone's observations. It was nice to see educators learning together." Another wrote: "One of the most important experiences was that I was able to meet lots of people from the district. We had several conversations about our daily teaching careers. We were able to discuss ideas, share materials, and vent if needed! It was encouraging to know that others were experiencing similar struggles."

I really valued the candor of [the other Fellows]. I also appreciated the hard work that they did in the Institute and in their classrooms. My fellow [participants] were very helpful and it was a very pleasant experience going to classes, learning, and making friends. There was a variety of people in the [seminar], about half female and half male. The grades we taught were elementary through high school. As teachers we shared many similar tasks and objectives as well as obstacles and strengths. Another strength of the Institute was the small to moderate-sized group made it easier for communicating and sharing ideas. It was also to our advantage that we were working on the same theme.

The seminar on "Teaching Poetry in the Primary and Secondary Schools." (Left to right: Fellows David N. Reynolds and Thomas D. Sullivan, seminar leader Paul H. Fry, and Fellow Dina K. Secchiaroli.)

The seminar on "Water in the 21st Century." (Fellow Sharron Solomon-McCarthy and seminar leader John P. Wargo.)

Praise for seminar leaders was common among Fellows. According to one, the seminar leader "was very helpful. His knowledge and expertise were enlightening." Another "really enjoyed and appreciated" the seminar leader's "enthusiasm about the subject matter but also about our individual units." She credited him "for boosting my confidence as a teacher (and student) of science."

One Fellow explained the context in which she created her unit as a tool for student learning:

The New Haven Public Schools' fifth-grade curriculum focuses on developing the students' ability to use active reading strategies to form an initial understanding of a literary work. 'Initial understanding' is a term that encompasses the ability to identify themes, character motivations and development, setting, main ideas, and the practice of before, during, and after reading strategies. The student must convey ideas both orally and through the written response. In addition, students should be exposed to experiences, vocabulary, and cultures that are unfamiliar with them.

The curriculum unit and my participation in the Institute will help me teach the students curriculum at a concise, timely pace. I have integrated many of the subjects that I teach. A few standards will be covered at the same time: social studies and science, math and science, and social studies and language arts were integrated. The Institute has also given me the time to look at my curriculum and see where I needed to make improvements. I have taken my weakest subject areas and placed them in this unit so that I would be able to teach them with more ease and success. I have also combined my strong subjects with the areas [where] I need reinforcement and I hope to be able to cover all the standards in my curriculum with more success this coming year.

This unit covers many performance standards in the Language Arts Curriculum Framework, from reading and writing skills to listening and speaking skills. I have come to appreciate the role that poetry study can play in enhancing writing and plan to develop activities joining the two types of writings and noting their similarities and the ways they complement each other. Clearly, this unit will enhance the school curricula.

Fellow Lorna Edwards and her student at Betsy Ross Arts Magnet School.

After the units were completed in July, they were compiled in a volume for each seminar. In October the volumes were deposited in the libraries of all elementary, middle, K-8 and high schools, so that New Haven teachers, whether or not they have been Fellows, might use them in their own teaching. As in the past, the Institute prepared a Guide to the new units, based on authors' synopses and recommendations of the grade levels and school courses to which their units apply.

Many Fellows described the Institute experience--including the research and writing of curriculum units--as having increased their professional confidence and morale, while nourishing their curiosity. They spoke of this confidence both generally and in terms of greater mastery of a particular subject. One Fellow wrote of being "confident that I can put together interdisciplinary units much more readily after taking this seminar." According to another, "Teaching this unit is going to allow me to try some new teaching strategies and content. Physics is a challenging subject for me and implementing my unit will allow me to feel more confident about teaching science in a K-4 environment." Another observed, "Writing a [Teachers Institute] unit has given me a boost in confidence that will help me to feel more clear and confident in my teaching. I have also gained experience in research and crafting a curriculum, which I can use throughout my future in teaching." She added, "I'm proud of my unit and excited to bring it into my classes."

Fellow Abie L. Benítez teaching her Institute curriculum unit to students at Columbus Family Academy.

Others said:

I feel that my curriculum unit will equip me in being a more effective teacher. In the past, my students have been very inquisitive. They often want to know more than the textbook provides. I feel that my research will allow me to fill in some of the areas that the book does not explain. I also feel that the unit will save time in the future. Before I teach a lesson, I often have to research the topic on my own to get a more complete picture of the events. I will be prepared in that search when the time comes to teach this unit. I will be more confident as I stand before my students knowing that my information is accurate.

I am very excited about teaching my curriculum unit on poetry to my class in the fall. Through my research I have learned a great deal more about teaching the reading and writing of poetry to children, combining it with more creative movement and music. I have a new confidence in teaching free verse poetry and look forward to introducing it to my children. I have, for years, taught haikus, cinquains, limericks and the like and now I can add another type of poetry to my list.

Fellows spoke, too, of the access to Yale facilities they had gained from participation. From the Institute's inception, all Fellows have been full members of the University community, listed in the directory of faculty and staff, and granted use of facilities and services across the campus. For most Fellows (80 percent) access to Yale's academic facilities such as the library was an incentive for their participation, and 73 percent reported that membership in the Yale community had been greatly or moderately useful to them.

• April 2, Sterling Memorial Library
• May 1, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library
• May 15, Yale University Art Gallery
• June 5, Yale Center for British Art

Fellows visiting the Yale University Art Gallery.

On July 8, near the conclusion of the year's seminars, the Institute held a reception for Fellows and seminar leaders in the courtyard of Yale's Hall of Graduate Studies. Several Fellows commented about this event. One said, "I attended the reception and appreciated the opportunity to gather with friends over good food and drink." Another "especially liked the addition of the reception at the end of the program. It was nice to get back together as a group and remember we're all in this together."

Reception celebrating the end of the 2003 program held in the courtyard of the Hall of Graduate Studies.

As in the past, Fellows discussed the more extended influence the Institute has had, and will have, for themselves and their schools. One "believe[s] participation in the Institute has made me a better teacher. I feel I have new tools now to bring into the classroom." This Fellow "hope[s] my colleagues will join me in the implementation of the unit. This will make my principal happy as well, so the Institute will be touching people that have never even been members!" He concluded, "This seminar has also opened my eyes to other cultures"; it "was a wonderful and insightful seminar that makes me a wiser, more mature and a better teacher." Another said, "This year, in addition to classroom use, I intend to incorporate my unit into an after-school program. It is my hope that student enthusiasm will serve as a springboard for other colleagues to get on board in implementing the unit!"

Fellow Waltrina Kirkland-Mullins with her students at Davis Street School on the occasion of her being recognized as the New Haven Public Schools' 2003-2004 teacher of the year.

One Fellow "plan[s] on sharing my unit with the other first and second grade teachers in my school," while another said her unit "combines the science themes of my school," which "will greatly affect my students" and could "allow for my school to look at interdisciplinary instruction in a new way." Another "believe[s] [her] curriculum unit can assist other teachers with their subject matter"; this unit "has many facets that all teachers can take a portion of and expand on." She "believe[s] it is important to share my curriculum with my colleagues because not only can they learn from me but I can learn from them."

I know that I will approach this topic with more confidence than in previous years because of the knowledge that I gained from the seminar leader, other colleagues, and by my conducting research. The teachers on staff who work with my students are aware of my plans and became involved while the curriculum unit was being developed. As a matter of fact, we have already tried out some of the subject matter and strategies in the classroom and are very anxious to refine the unit. Teaching interdisciplinary units encourages communication among staff as they work together for the good of their students. In preparing the unit, I also became conscious of the existence of other units created by Fellows of the Institute. . . [units] which will definitely be used in future lessons.

There was an organized agenda and many useful resources extended to us. At the beginning of the Institute we were able to partake in an array of all the seminars [through the lecture series]. I liked this because I could gather some information for future research and mingle with other colleagues within our district. Next, we attended our own seminar where we specialized in the area of our own interest. . . . Each week was a building block upon the week before. I really enjoyed the small group setting because everyone was able to share and not feel overshadowed. [The seminar leader] really listened to all of our ideas and he made us go to the next level of thinking. [He] was down to earth and an expert in his field. Not only did he lecture but we saw videos and went on field trips. . . . I loved this seminar. I would be honored to recommend the Yale Institute to any of my co-workers.

My experience in the Institute was very positive. Being my first year in the seminar I didn't know what to expect. The group of people I have met, including my seminar leader, were wonderful. Everyone was willing to help in any way possible. I was also able to discuss different aspects of teaching with a diverse group of people, which I would usually not get the opportunity to do. I would recommend the Institute to others in the future. My experience in my Institute seminar was very positive this year. I have gained knowledge of several basic physics topics. I also will be taking many demonstrations and experiments back to my classroom in addition to the unit that I produced. Interactions with my leader and other Fellows was also beneficial to my continuing growth as a teacher.

I had a wonderful experience of the Yale Teachers Institute. My [seminar leader] is a very knowledgeable professor and an exceedingly kind person. I loved getting together each week with other teachers who are interested in continually learning and challenging themselves. I enjoyed our group of teachers. . . . [and] I learned some important classroom management skills from the way in which [the leader] kept the class moving along while addressing [one individual's] concerns. I actually learned a lot about classroom management from watching their exchanges. . . . [The seminar leader] is a careful reader and an expert editor. He helped me to craft and refine my unit in ways I feel good about. I wish he could look over all my writing! I did use Sterling Library and the Yale film library quite a bit. I really appreciated having these resources available.

Another said, "This attempt to utilize the resources at Yale for the benefit of the New Haven teachers is laudable. It is evident that a lot of groundwork and planning is involved," and "this curriculum unit has disciplined me regarding the use of time, readings and research on the Web. The existing curriculum units do give leads as to how units are created." She added a comment on the Institute's role in the recruitment and retention of district teachers: "The Institute is certainly a bait to hook new teachers to work for the City of New Haven. It offers professional development and an incentive at the end. It is also influential in retaining existing teachers who enjoy an unrivaled opportunity!"

I am a first-year teacher and feel privileged to have had this opportunity to participate in the Yale Teachers Institute. I am starting this career feeling inspired about teaching. The [Institute's] staff and professors do an incredible job of making public school teachers feel proud of the work they do. I feel [the Institute] helps to legitimize the work of a teacher as the creative and academic job that it is. It felt very good to me to sit in a Yale classroom with a Yale professor each week. It also builds my confidence to know that I have now had my unit published through the University--my thoughts and my work are important. One of the best aspects of [the Institute] is that teachers are absolutely encouraged to develop a unique curriculum. This affords teachers a freedom of academic exploration they don't always enjoy at their jobs. Time spent at [the Institute] benefits the teacher, their students, the school they teach at, and the New Haven community at large. In how many towns do public school teachers study at one of the best universities in the world and then bring what they learned directly into their classrooms? I can't say enough about what a positive and beneficial program [the Institute] is.

I feel that the YNHTI providing support for new teachers is a good thing. For teachers who are part of the BEST program, more support in a positive and consistent manner should be provided. Teachers are interested in getting together and sharing their good and bad times and [in talking] both formally and informally about their work. The seminar setting and unit writing is an excellent way to produce a good product. The hands-on approach symbolizes the experiences and work needed to understand the making of a product that teachers can creative for their [State-required] portfolios and serve as a springboard for good classroom teaching. The bottom line is that the more teachers feel respected and supported in their work, they feel secure and confident about their knowledge, skills, talents and other resources they provide to students.

Fellow Stephen P. Broker and his students at Wilbur Cross High School.

For returning Fellows, the rewards of participation do not diminish over time, because the experience becomes cumulative, rather than repetitive or redundant. Many teachers report that the rewards increase as one has more experience as a Fellow. As with newer Fellows, many consider the nature of the Institute as a learning community to be a distinct benefit, too. One returning Fellow wrote that "The Institute continues to serve as an empowering resource for New Haven instructors" and likes "the way we revisit ourselves to pump it up a notch each year. I am particularly pleased with this year's expansion of seminar topics; it was difficult to select one because each topic was so enticing!" Another commented, "This year, as in previous years, my professor has been very supportive in helping me to produce a unit that is ready for publication. I appreciate all of the time and effort that has gone into making my unit of professional quality."

According to a teacher at the high school level, "Being a part of the Institute fires me back up to go back to the trenches at the end of the summer. Can anything be more important?" She observed:

My students respond well to active learning. Every time I create a unit, I try to create a balance between various kinds of learning. I think I have succeeded in this unit with: a field trip, each student putting together a book, students gathering data on graphic organizers, students writing a formula five-paragraph essay and students learning visual literacy through viewing films that are set in very different geographical locations. I also have tried to create a balance between teaching content and skills--both are critical and should complement each other. The Institute has once again created an environment where I am encouraged to expand my passion for creating the kind of unit I described above, one that the at-risk students in my school will enjoy and learn from. It is physically and mentally challenging to work with urban students who do not have the skills and confidence to succeed in school. Teachers who work with these students need opportunities to explore and create strategies for working with them. The Institute gives us these opportunities.

Participation in the Yale Institute and in this seminar is going to give me a new avenue to explore with my students. This will help me to expand the social studies curriculum which centers on the community to include study of our water supply and where it comes from. I think that a discussion like this can really help students get the idea of what a community is and how important it is to take care of its resources. As always, when I get to try out something new in my class, it increases my enthusiasm and I find the feeling usually rubs off onto my students. This topic is an important one for all of us, and the unit will hopefully begin to let students see that they must be involved in what happens in their neighborhoods. I hope that by teaching the unit I can offer some ideas to other teachers on my grade level and share some of the activities with them. This unit also stresses science and our students love doing projects and experiments. We will also use ideas from the unit to do a class project for the science fair.

I became acutely sensitive to pedagogical issues and tactics. I expect I'll now think much more deeply about ways to present material in my Yale classes. Most Yale students scarcely need such aids to study, but the classes at Yale can become an 'adventure' (as so many Fellows characterized their teaching). I also learned a great deal about organizing my own syllabi and writing projects. The fastidious program of steps and stages that the Fellows put themselves through could be of value to me. Naturally I have my own form of self-discipline, but I learned some tricks and some motivation from these dedicated teachers. Their concern with moral issues was not lost on me either. At all grade levels, the purpose of knowledge and education should be more than inculcation of information.

The seminar on "Geography through Film and Literature." (Seminar leader Dudley Andrew.)

Excerpts from the plans of several Fellows illustrate the wide range of unit use in the schools. One teacher "intend[s] to use my unit in all five classes I have been assigned for 2003-4, including two honors advanced anatomy and physiology classes, two human physiology classes, and AP Environmental Science. I will have my students conduct original research." Another's unit "will allow my students to gain a better understanding of history by making a connection to the past on a local level. It has been my experience that students often feel disassociated from American history. They have, at times, no real connection to the past. With this unit of study, it is my intention to provide information that gives the students a better feel for our history."

Fellow Ralph E. Russo and his students at Wilbur Cross High School.

A Fellow in the "Geography through Film and Literature" seminar said:

This seminar will have a wonderful impact on my teaching and my students. At my school, we teach in a 90-minute block. While simply 'showing a movie' is not the solution to block-teaching, insightfully analyzing another culture through the films indigenous to that region or nation can be an excellent way to capture and maintain students' attention for such long periods. Diversification in a teacher's approach is essential for success in a 90-minute block period. This seminar will help me next year as we go to a full block schedule.

My unit and participation in the Institute has made me realize the importance of focusing more time on science. My unit will provide my students with a hands-on approach for gaining knowledge in the area of physics.

The unit I wrote fills a hole in my curriculum. My teaching is more informed and purposeful, so my students will comprehensively learn how to analyze poetry in a more effective way than I had been doing. My unit aligns with district goals and strengthens our department.

I really am looking forward to teaching my unit next year. I have tried out some of my ideas on this year's class and have found the response to be very positive. Not only do I hope to increase my students' appreciation of poetry, but also I hope to further their general writing skills, especially narrative and poetic. I will be teaching my unit in a third-grade classroom with their teacher who is looking forward with the same positive anticipation. Since my unit is part of a team, some of my material will be shared with at least one other room. There are possibilities that the sharing could go further, but this will have to wait until the team resumes their planning in the fall. There will also be a culminating activity, which will involve other students and parents. Generally I feel that my unit, and the team as a whole, will have a very positive effect on much of the school.

My participation with the Institute will impact my teaching and my students because I plan on teaching the unit in the upcoming school year. The unit is a new teaching style for me to try as it is more events-based/inquiry-based and though I have taught single lessons in this style, I have never taught an entire unit in this style. My students will be challenged to think independently to solve problems. My school curricula will be enriched with a stronger knowledge in environmental science.

Fellow Deborah A. James and her student at Betsy Ross Arts Magnet School.

This curriculum unit will greatly assist my students in understanding environmental issues in their community. Long Island Sound is important to New Haven, and its health and well-being need to be understood by the students living along its shore. This curriculum will help students relate to this environmental treasure.

(Chart 6 available in print form)

As in past years Fellows were optimistic about the responses they anticipate receiving from their students to the material they had studied and developed in the Institute. Nearly all (93 percent) of the Fellows responding agreed that, as a result of Institute participation, they have a higher expectation of their students' ability to learn about the seminar subject. We have already quoted some Fellows who spoke about how their own enthusiasm for a subject would motivate students, and how they planned to involve students more actively in classroom learning. Another "feel[s] empowered to teach what I have longed to expose my students to for quite some time." This Fellow "know[s] that [the unit] supports the educational standards put forth by the New Haven Public School system" and "hope[s] other teachers will see the value of these units and utilize them in their curricula, too." She is "excited to know that I will be able to take field trips with my students in order for them to gain personal experience with water quality and see what affects their water and for them to realize that they will be able to aid in preventing water pollution." A colleague observed, "Based on previous experience I find that if I choose a topic that the students can relate to on a personal level, they gain an awareness that is invaluable. It is at this point they are not only students but teachers to their peers and their parents."

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Fellow Zoila M. Brown and her students at Betsy Ross Arts Magnet School.

I have created several YNHTI curriculum units over the years, each of which has been implemented and well received by students and staff at my school. The use of Institute resources and implementation of related units have been included in our Comprehensive School Plan. Students are excited and engaged in learning as a result of the implementation of the units. Colleagues are showing an interest in or have bought into participating in the Institute program. Over the years, YNHTI has stood tried and true, and I am simply blessed to be part of this collaborative initiative! In the past, my students have received my units enthusiastically. I believe that this is because they were receiving the required skills in a creative way. In these days of short attention spans due to video games and television, the teachers must constantly look for fresh ideas to present the material. The units provide us with the opportunity to do this. My units in the past have always tied in nicely with the curriculum and I always involve teachers from other subject areas. This results in closer ties between the teachers at the school. It also allows the students to see how their studies tie in with one another.

In past years I have taught my curriculum units with great success in my classroom. I was highly motivated to teach the units, as they were the ones I had totally designed and my enthusiasm quickly spread to my students. I also had the opportunity to introduce subjects to my students that I might not have otherwise attempted, like Islamic art and architecture and Egyptian mythology. As a result of all the work involved and research done in preparing my unit, I came away with a stronger confidence in teaching it. . . . The curriculum is also enhanced because you are able to address many subjects at one time when your unit is designed in an interdisciplinary way. . . all in one unit that you know the ins and outs of. Another plus, which is actually available to all teachers [whether or not they are Fellows], is access to other teachers' units either online or on the shelves of your school library which you can take from when designing lessons at school. There is a wealth of information available in those curriculum units.

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Fellow David DeNaples and his student at Wilbur Cross High School.

Two extremely positive experiences resulted this past academic year in my history classes as a result of my participation in the Institute. First, in studying conflict resolution through the United Nations, I was able to facilitate seven of my students' participation in the Yale Model United Nations. . . . We were one of 152 delegations from high schools in New England, across the United States, and abroad. Individually or in pairs [my students] participated in a number of committees that drafted resolutions to problems such as bio-terrorism, drinking-water quality, the African Union, and the World Bank. . . . Our delegation [was] invited to a Board of Education meeting and [students] spoke about their experiences at the conference. Another result of their positive experience has been the creation of a United Nations Club that will work in conjunction with a newly created elective class in international relations.

(Chart 1 available in print form)

We asked seminar leaders to provide their overall conclusions about the strengths and weaknesses of the Institute. One of them wrote:

The program is admirable, truly well run; it commands the respect of the teachers whom it lures to participate. Although they feel they are being very closely monitored, they understand that the schedules they are required to adhere to make sense. They know that many others have gone through this system successfully before and so they are confident that the results will be worthwhile. I am very pleased to have worked this summer on this project and with everyone concerned, Fellows and administrators.

We also asked Fellows to provide their overall conclusions about the strengths and weaknesses of the Institute. Some individuals answered very directly and specifically, while others responded more philosophically. One Fellow "believe(s) that my students have appreciated the attention that I have given to [the subjects of his curriculum units] and I know that I have been a more effective and a happier teacher in the process. Various other goals of the Institute, to improve teacher morale, enhance teacher leadership, and assist in teacher retention in New Haven, have also been met, according to my own assessment." Another "feel[s] that the YNHTI experiences have added to my knowledge, skills and talents in a number of subjects and in a number of ways. For example, I have been able to integrate subject content of various disciplines, because of the background knowledge I have received in the science and social studies curriculums. In addition, writing curriculum units has helped me to improve my writing. Moreover, networking with teachers in my school and other teachers across the district has added to the strategies and resources I use with teachers and students in my school." This Fellow concluded, "My leadership style has been influenced by the collaborative approach used by Fellows, seminar leaders, Coordinators, Representatives, and the Steering Committee. The working relationship with others is based on tolerance, trust and understanding."

The seminar on "Everyday Life in Early America." (Left to right: Fellows Thomas P. O'Connor, Sheila Wade, Malini Prabakar, Barbara K. Smith, and Jameka K. Sayles.)

Another Fellow wrote, "The strength of the Institute seems to lie in its organization and clear directions," while "frequent communication via Coordinators, seminar leaders, and e-mail informed or reminded participants of important dates and events. The lecture series was lively, interactive, and informative." A different Fellow, in speaking of the Institute's "many strengths," cited its being "extremely well run" and noted that "many teachers take great pride in having their units published. I know I do. After working with young children all day I find it refreshing and intellectually stimulating to be among peers taking an academic 'course' together. In each experience I have had over the years I have especially enjoyed the camaraderie that develops among the people in my seminar."

Others said:

As far as my students are concerned, they have had access to content areas that otherwise they would not have. We have been able to cover in depth other topics that are already part of the district's curricula. Thus, I have been able to broaden the curriculum I cover and integrate it with what we must cover. For the school, my participation in the seminars has allowed me to make suggestions to other teachers of curriculum units written which relate to topics they are covering in their classroom.

The Institute allows Fellows an invaluable opportunity to write a unit geared to the needs of their students. It also provides the opportunity to work with Yale professors who willingly share their expertise for the benefit of our students. The use of Yale facilities is also a major benefit in conducting our research and developing interest in related issues. I have been in the Institute for the past eight years and feel each Institute provided useful and interesting topics. I feel this year there was a wide selection of topics that will be very useful in many classrooms.

In their evaluations, almost all the Fellows said they intended to participate (72 percent) or might participate (22 percent) in the Institute in one or more future years. These proportions are very similar to those in prior years. Only two Fellows said they did not intend to participate in the future. Said one: "I am considering retiring in the near future." The other expected to be moving away from the New Haven region.

Beyond such workshops, and beyond the mandatory assistance provided through the checking of all of the disks on which curriculum units would be submitted, a number of the Fellows sought additional assistance. In 2003 Fellows received help on a variety of topics, which included getting started with computing, setting up an e-mail account, getting started on the Internet, using the Internet in research and teaching, and using Institute resources on-line. In tandem with staff from the University Library, the Institute computer assistant conducted a workshop for Fellows in the Electronic Classroom on the Yale campus on April 9. This session featured an overview of Internet search engines; exploration of the curricular resources available online through the Institute's Web site; and guidance on how to use online research tools of the Yale libraries, including databases and online journals.

The information and assistance provided allowed me to solve the computer problems I was having with my Internet access. The staff was courteous and provided constructive tips and information. I feel that it is very important to have computer assistance available for teachers--especially for those who have limited knowledge of computers and the Internet. In addition, the notes provided on my disk were helpful. These suggestions allowed me to fix the problems before I turned in my final draft.

(Chart 8 available in print form)

These Centers are not permanent installations but must be regularly renewed. A Center may remain in a school so long as the school has a need and a desire for it, but it can then be moved to another school. Moving Centers from school to school increases the citywide exposure to the Institute. The Steering Committee, which makes these decisions, has developed criteria for targeting sites. A suitable site must be of sufficient size, with a critical mass of participants and a sufficient leadership. It must be able to rely upon a favorably disposed school administration and an appropriate school plan, and be consistent with the aim of allowing most New Haven teachers to have a Center at their school or nearby.

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Institute Center for Curriculum and Professional Development in Davis Street School. (Left to right: Center leaders David DeNaples, Jean E. Sutherland, and Waltrina D. Kirkland-Mullins.)

Most Centers contain at least one computer with a high-speed modem so that the teachers have easy access to the Institute's Web site. As noted in the Annual Report for 2001, the Institute has upgraded the computer operating systems at the older Centers to Windows NT. The computers delivered to the newer Centers have this system pre-installed. The Institute also inventoried Institute resources in several of the Centers--curriculum units, center manuals, books, videos, etc.--and replenished them where possible. In 2001 all of the high school Centers received new and more powerful computers.

The Institute seeks not only to institutionalize the Centers' work in New Haven but also to integrate the Center concept in its work with the new Teachers Institutes in other cities. The New Haven teachers on the Implementation Team for the National Demonstration Project were either Steering Committee members or Coordinators for the Center in their own school. Encouraged by the example of their New Haven colleagues, teachers in the Houston Teachers Institute have been particularly interested in implementing the concept of Centers in high schools in order to extend the influence of the Institute Fellows and their curriculum units across that school district, the fourth largest in the United States.

School Representatives meeting. (Left to right: Representatives David DeNaples, Sharron Solomon-McCarthy, Joanna M. Ali, and Judith Goodrich.)

Teacher leadership in the Institute is proportionate to the number of schools at each level. During 2002-2003, 24 (36 percent) of the Representatives and Contacts were from elementary schools, 11 (17 percent) represented K-8 schools, 10 (15 percent) represented middle schools, four (6 percent) represented transitional schools, and 17 (26 percent) represented high schools. Similarly, in 2003-2004, 25 (34 percent) of these teacher leaders represent elementary schools, 13 (18 percent) represent K-8 schools, 12 (16 percent) represent middle schools, four (6 percent) represent transitional schools, and 19 (26 percent) represent high schools.

School Representatives meeting. (Clockwise from bottom left: Representatives David N. Reynolds, Sandra K. Friday, Jason Todd, Mary Donahue, Justin Boucher, Raymond W. Brooks, Director James R. Vivian, Representatives Joanne R. Pompano, Angelo J. Pompano, David DeNaples, Sharron Solomon-McCarthy, Joanna Ali, Judith E. Goodrich, Elizabeth Scheffler, Jean E. Sutherland, Kristin Carolla, Pedro Mendia-Landa, Abie L. Benítez, and Associate Director Josiah H. Brown.)

The first meeting of the Representatives for the new school year was held September 9, 2003. On September 23, the Institute's reception for Representatives and Contacts attracted a cross-section of teachers, including several who were new to their responsibilities after having been recruited by experienced Fellows. The Representatives met twice monthly with the Associate Director and, on most occasions, the Director. Between meetings, the Representatives communicate by phone and through school visits with the Contacts for whom they serve as liaison to the Representatives' committee. In these ways, their meetings compile information from, and distribute information to, teachers throughout the New Haven elementary, middle, and high schools.

By the end of December the Representatives had approved the following five seminars for 2004: "The Supreme Court in American Political History" (Robert A. Burt, Alexander M. Bickel Professor of Law); "Children's Literature, from Infancy to Adolescence" (Paul H. Fry, William Lampson Professor of English); "Representations of American Culture, 1760-1960: Art and Literature" (Alexander Nemerov, Professor of History of Art and American Studies); "Energy, Engines, and the Environment" (Alessandro Gomez, Professor of Mechanical Engineering"); and "Keeping the Meaning in Mathematics: The Craft of Word Problems" (Roger E. Howe, William R. Kenan Jr. Professor of Mathematics).

Steering Committee meeting. (Left to right: Steering Committee members Pedro Mendia-Landa and Carolyn N. Kinder, Associate Director Josiah H. Brown, Steering Committee member Jean E. Sutherland, and Director James R. Vivian.)

The group gave particular attention to the continuing effort to recruit and support new teachers participating as Fellows. Working with the larger team of Representatives, the Steering Committee (three of whom are currently also Representatives and all of whom have been in the past) considered the participation of additional teachers at various other stages of their professional development, as well. The Steering Committee helped to encourage the emergence of new Center teams at a number of schools, which required Committee members to advise and communicate with their teachers. The Committee played a similar liaison function with respect to the Representatives who were serving in that capacity for the first time. Ten of the 21 Representatives for 2003-04 were new to that role as the fall began; and five of those ten had yet to be Fellows. So the guidance and lessons learned from the Steering Committee were especially valuable in preparing the beginning Representatives for the responsibilities that they encountered both at their own schools and at others.

During 2003 the Executive Committee met in March, April, and October. At the March meeting the Executive Committee formally approved the Institute's seminars for 2003. It also discussed the status of our national plans and Executive Committee membership. The April meeting planned the agenda for the Council meeting that would be held in June. The October meeting dealt with the New Haven program conducted in 2003, the University Advisory Council meeting held in June, membership of the Council and its Executive Committee, the Yale National Initiative to strengthen teaching in public schools and a new national Web site, fundraising, and progress that has been made in internal and external evaluations. Co-chair Mary Miller also described a very positive informational meeting that she and Jim Vivian had during the summer with the new Yale Provost, Susan Hockfield.

University Advisory Council meeting, June 2003. (Clockwise from left: Bruce M. Russett, Kent C. Bloomer, Leon B. Plantinga, Murray J. Biggs, John Rogers, Roberto González Echevarría, Richard C. Levin, Robert J. Wyman, Peter Salovey, Werner P. Wolf, Sabatino Sofia, Jules D. Prown, Amy Meyers, Daniel E. Prober, C. Megan Urry, Cynthia E. Russett, Thomas R. Whitaker, James R. Vivian, Mary E. Miller, Dudley Andrew, John P. Wargo, and Josiah H. Brown.)

In summarizing the local work of the Institute, Vivian said that special emphasis was being placed on recruiting and assisting persons who are in their first year of teaching in New Haven. We hope in this way to reinforce the role we have played in retaining teachers in New Haven. This role is increasingly important because of the growing proportion of first- and second-year teachers in the district, and the disturbing number of them who do not remain here.

Turning to the National Initiative, Vivian reviewed the decisions, following the advice of the Council in May 2000, that led to an ambitious proposal for establishing as many as 45 new Teachers Institutes across the nation by 2013. Because in 2001 the Council had recommended that the work with other cities be closely identified with the University, we have termed this work the Yale National Initiative. In 2002 the Council also advised us on what should be its non-negotiable principles.

Thomas R. Whitaker then reported on progress in research and planning for the Yale National Initiative. With the assistance of Rogers Smith and his associates at the University of Pennsylvania, we have been collating and analyzing the surveys of Institute Fellows at all four demonstration sites concerning their motives for participation and their responses to seminars. We have also been collating and analyzing the surveys of Institute Fellows and a sampling of non-Fellows at all four sites concerning their evaluation of curriculum units, student responses to curriculum units, and the use of units by non-authors and non-Fellows.

Whitaker then described how the Pittsburgh and Houston Institutes have proceeded with their own research and planning. Pittsburgh, with the assistance of Cornerstone Evaluation Associates, has conducted surveys to reflect upon the process followed in the initiation of the Institute and to solicit suggestions for its improvement. It has also held focus groups on the implementation of the Institute model and the best ways to disseminate curriculum units. It has continued efforts to have a systemic effect in Pittsburgh by developing (through partial funding by the U. S. Department of Education) seminars in subjects deemed most desirable by the district.

In this effort, as Whitaker reported, we may also look forward to an expansion of the role played by our Web site, which is linked with the Web sites of the other Teachers Institutes. Teachers and administrators across the country--and indeed throughout the world--have praised the usefulness of the curriculum units they have found there.

In the coming months, Whitaker said in conclusion, we will be preparing a Brochure for the Yale National Initiative, and a Request for Proposals. We intend to hold meetings with advisory groups, with teams from New Haven, Pittsburgh, and Houston, and with some representatives from Albuquerque and Santa Ana, as we revise and refine the processes by which we will introduce new sites to the Teachers Institute approach, and work with new Institutes.

Mary E. Miller then opened the general discussion by saying that, while continuing to pursue major sources of national support for the Yale National Initiative, we will intensify our search for regional funding to provide support for these national plans. In doing so, we need to consider the following possibilities and questions.

• Working with funders who wish to give directly to some local institution of higher education, or to a local partnership, to help establish a Teachers Institute that would contract with the Yale National Initiative to receive guidance, assistance, and other services?
• Working through other organizations that might help with the raising and administration of such funding?
• Expanding our offering of National Seminars (like those offered during the July Intensive Sessions of the National Demonstration Project), which could be opened to teachers from new Institutes established through such local funding and to others from sites that express interest in establishing new Institutes?
• Expanding our dissemination of information, and enlarging our use of technology through a Web site, videoconferencing, and streaming videos?

Another member suggested that it would be useful to have a list of the foundations that had been approached but had declined. In response, Mary Miller said that it would be yet more useful for members to send to James Vivian their suggestions of foundations that might well be approached. Other members proposed the pursuit of federal education funding, subject-based funding, and the possibility of special funding for national seminars at Yale.

University Advisory Council meeting, June 2003. (Left to right: John Rogers, Roberto González Echevarría, Richard C. Levin, Robert J. Wyman, Peter Salovey, Werner P. Wolf, Sabatino Sofia, and Jules D. Prown.)

President Levin asked whether the Web site currently allows comments. He thought it might be desirable (and not too expensive) to arrange a system for posting comments by those who use the Web site. The President said that he was intrigued by the way the discussion was moving. "While we continue to move ahead with the national strategy," he said, "there are other strategies we might try: improving the Web site, developing contacts with yet other sites, and getting them interested in gathering local funds." In effect, he said, this calls for a continuing emphasis on "marketing."

University Advisory Council meeting, June 2003. (Left to right: Mary E. Miller, Margot Fassler, and Dudley Andrew.)

Also on the recommendation of the Executive Committee he appointed eighteen of the current Council members to new terms of three, four, or five years: Murray J. Biggs, Associate Professor (Adjunct) of English and of Theater Studies (3); Kent C. Bloomer, Professor (Adjunct) of Architecture (4); Jon H. Butler, William Robertson Coe Professor of American Studies and of History and Religious Studies (4); Edward S. Cooke, Jr., Charles F. Montgomery Professor of American Decorative Arts and Chairman of the History of Art Department, (3); Margot Fassler, Robert S. Tangeman Professor of Music History (5); Gary L. Haller, Becton Professor of Engineering and of Applied Science (5); Traugott Lawler, Professor of English (4); J. Michael McBride, Richard M. Colgate Professor of Chemistry (4); Michael H. Merson, Anna M. R. Lauder Professor and Dean of the School of Public Health (3); Leon B. Plantinga, Henry L. and Lucy G. Moses Professor of Music (3); Jules D. Prown, Paul Mellon Professor Emeritus of History of Art (4); Margretta R. Seashore, Professor and Director of Medical Studies and Genetics, Professor of Pediatrics and Genetics (4); Deborah G. Thomas, Associate Secretary of the University and Lecturer of African American and American Studies (3); Thomas R. Whitaker, Fredrick W. Hilles Professor Emeritus of English and of Theater Studies (3); Werner P. Wolf, Raymond J. Wean Professor Emeritus of Engineering and Applied Science and of Physics (4); Robert J. Wyman, Professor of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology (5); Michael E. Zeller, Henry Ford II Professor of Physics (5); and Kurt W. Zilm, Professor of Chemistry (5). Each of these individuals accepted appointment or reappointment to the Council.

*Includes all other subjects, for example non-graded arts, special education teachers, librarians and curriculum coordinators. K-5 teachers in K-8 schools are included in the appropriate categories here, and the total also includes K-8 librarians, special education teachers, curriculum coordinators and those K-8 art teachers who teach grades K-5.

*Grade 5 teachers are included here for middle schools only; grade 5 teachers in elementary schools and K-8 schools are reported in Table 2.
**All K-8 school teachers of the subjects listed here count as Middle School teachers. K-5 teachers in K-8 schools count in Table 2.
***Includes teachers of interdisciplinary and other subjects. Art teachers from K-8 schools are placed based on the grades which they teach most often.
n/a = not applicable