Northside Independent School District - San Antonio, TX

Teaching American History Collaborative

Goal #1: Provide professional development and teacher education in American history.

Objectives to achieve Goal #1:

1. Improve the NISD history teachers' knowledge of American history, as measured by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) 12th grade student assessment, by the end of the year-long program.
2. Improve the leadership skills of NISD American history teachers, as measured by pre and post test attitudinal surveys, by the end of the year-long program.

A year-long history institute with Texas State University (TSU) will provide five day-long sessions for elementary and secondary teachers selected for the program throughout the academic year. They will serve up to 60 teachers (30 elementary and 30 secondary). In addition, 30 teachers will be provided the opportunity to attend a three-day summer institute at the Smithsonian Institute. The summer institute will provide teachers the tools to cater to different types of learners.

Goal #2: Improve the quality of instruction in American history in NISD

Objectives to achieve Goal #2:

1. Improve NISD's use of effective pedagogy and content in teaching American history after participation in the one-year program.

NISD will coordinate an elementary and a secondary Leader College to take place on two school days of each grant year. Also the grant facilitator will be able to provide observations of the classes of participants and to coach teachers on best teaching practices and effective ways to teach American history.

Goal #3: Improve NISD students' learning of American history

Objectives to achieve Goal #3

1. NISD students will:
   1. improve their ability to use critical thinking to analyze information,
   2. evelop an understanding of historical debate and controversy,
   3. learn to evaluate and use primary sources,
   4. improve their knowledge of issues and events in US history, including their knowledge of geographic and political influences on history.

The Desired Result...

Ultimately, all services that Northside Independent School District, the Smithsonian Center for Educational Studies, and Texas State University provide will work toward improving teaching and impacting students in a positive and scholarly way.