Proposal and Response to Standards

Single Subject Matter Preparation Program in Physics

San Francisco State University

College of Science and Engineering

April 28, 2010

Table of Contents

Introduction

Page 3

Preconditions

Page 6

Standard 1

Page 10

Standard 2

Page 24

Standard 3

Page 32

Standard 4

Page 41

Standard 5

Page 46

Standard 6

Page 55

Standard 7

Page 60

Standard 8

Page 67

Standard 9

Page 71

Standard 10

Page 76

Standard 11

Page 80

Standard 12

Page 85

Standard 13

Page 90

Standard 14

Page 96

Standard 15

Page 112

Standard 16

Page 120

Standard 17

Page 125

INTRODUCTION

The single subject matter preparation program (SSMPP) in physics at San Francisco State University (SFSU) reflects both the ethos and the excellence of the institution as a whole and the Department of Physics and Astronomy in particular.

SFSU serves a large metropolitan region known for its vibrant ethnic, artistic, culinary, technological, and scientific achievements. SFSUs commitment to ethnic diversity is apparent in its highly diverse staff, faculty, and student body. A commitment to civic engagement can be seen in the hundreds of SFSU courses and dozens of university programs that incorporate work-study and community involvement. The field experience course in science teaching within the San Francisco public schoolsa keystone in the SSMPP in physicsis just one example. SFSU began over 100 years ago as a teacher training school, and its strong tradition of excellence in teacher preparation, as well as its emphasis on innovative higher education, continues today in all departments [see Appendix I, pp. 1-4].

In accord with this, the SFSU Department of Physics and Astronomy makes teaching its top priority. Students receive an outstanding education from a diverse faculty with a wide range of cutting-edge research interests. Many find placement in doctoral programs or industry jobs. Our newly created Bachelor of Science in Physics, Concentration in Physics for Teaching, which incorporates all elements of the SSMPP in physics, is designed to attract---and provide excellent preparation for---prospective middle and high school teachers [see Appendix I, pp. 5-7].

The department works closely with a campus center dedicated to increasing the universitys production of science and math teachers for Californias growing need. The College of Science and Engineerings (COSEs) Center for Science and Math Education (CSME) has been helping to attract future teachers of physics and other sciences through advisement, scholarships, and many additional forms of support [Appendix I, p. 8]. CSME has also been instrumental, through close faculty involvement and decision making, in helping several science departments improve and promote their SSMP programs.

The single-subject-matter program we are submitting here is a revised version of a portion of the program we submitted in 2005. The 2005

submission combined programs in biology, chemistry, geosciences, and

physics. Based on CCTCs recommendation, we are now submitting a separate proposal for each subject area. This proposal describes the SSMPP in

physics, answering reviewer comments in detail and providing an updated explanation of the programs features.

Several important changes have occurred within the College of Science

and Engineering and within the Department of Physics and Astronomy in the years since we submitted the combined proposal in 2005. First, the Center was in the planning stages in 2005 but has now been in full operation for two years, carrying out its vigorous and well-received multidimensional program of recruitment, advisement, and support for prospective science and math teachers. [We describe its mission and programs in detail in Standards 2, 6, 8, 9, 10, and 11].

Second, the Department of Physics and Astronomy has undertaken to

create a new concentration within our physics major, the Concentration in Physics for Teaching---similar to the Concentration in Mathematics for Teaching that already exists in the Department of Mathematics [see Appendix I, pp. 9-10]. This new physics concentration was approved by the faculty of the Department of Physics and Astronomy this spring and will be submitted for approval by the University in fall 2009.

In addition, four new courses have been created that are part of our

new Concentration in Physics for Teaching. We propose to include these in our single-subject-matter program in physics, as well:

(1) Phys 695 (Culminating Experience in Physics)

(2) Sci 652 (SFSU Science Partners in K-12 Schools)

(3) Astr 405 (Astrobiology)

(4) Astr 490 (Seminar in Astronomy)

The revised SSMP program that we present in this document is closely aligned with the new Concentration in Physics for Teaching.This B.S. degree program combines the breadth and the depth courses needed for the SSMPP as well as a small number of additional requirements and electives. Appendix I pages 9-10 list the full curriculum for the B.S. degree. This new program relies on the same breadth and depth course work documented and approved in the SFSU SSMPP proposal submitted in 2005 as part of standards 14 and 15. It also includes five upper division courses [PHYS 490, 695, SCI 510 or ASTR 405, and SCI 652] intended to provide additional depth in physics, in research, writing, and presentation skills, in integrative sciences, and in physical science teaching field experiences.

We present the SSMPP curriculum itself in both the Preconditions and Standard 1 and explain its detailed features throughout this proposal. Both our new B.S. degree and the SSMPPwhich can be completed as part of that degree or within a different B.A. or B.S. degree programprepare future teachers of physical science extraordinarily well. As our responses to each of the CCTC standards will show, SFSU provides students with an outstanding background in general education; with a well-balanced and demanding science breadth curriculum; with a rigorous grounding in the fundamental concepts and modern applications of physics and astronomy; and with the organizational, pedagogical, communication, and presentation skills needed to effectively teach K-12 students.

Preconditions for the Approval of

Subject Matter Programs in Science

To be approved by the Commission, a Subject Matter Program in Science must comply with the following preconditions.

(1) Each Program of Subject Matter Preparation for the Single Subject Teaching Credential in Science shall include (a) a minimum of 24 semester units (or 36

quarter units) of core coursework in science subjects and related subjects that are commonly taught in departmentalized classes in California public schools,

and (b) a minimum of 18 semester units (or 27 quarter units) of coursework that provides extended study of the subject, and (c) 3 semester units (or 5 quarter units) in

the subject. These requirements are elaborated in Preconditions 2 and 3.

(2) The core of the program (Breadth of Study) shall include coursework in (or directly related to) biological sciences, chemistry, geosciences and physics as

commonly taught in departmentalized science classes in California public schools.

(3) Extended studies in the program (Depth of Study) shall include at least one concentration of the four science areas. Each concentration shall comprise at least

18 semester units or 27 quarter units. In addition the program shall include at least 3 semester units (5 quarter units) of additional extended study, either

designated as breadth or depth studies at the discretion of the institution.

In addition to describing how a program meets each standard of program quality in this handbook, the program document by an institution shall include the course titles, unit designations, catalog descriptions and syllabi of all courses in the program that are used to meet the standards. Program documents must include a matrix chart that identifies which courses meet which standards.

Institutions may determine whether the standards and required elements are addressed through one or more courses for each commonly taught subject or courses offering integrated study of these subjects. Institutions may also define the program in terms of required or elective coursework.

However, elective options must be equivalent in meeting the standards. Coursework offered by any appropriate department(s) of a regionally accredited institution may satisfy the preconditions and standards in this handbook. Programs may use general education courses in meeting the standards.

(1) Each Program of Subject Matter Preparation for the Single Subject Teaching Credential in Science shall include (a) a minimum of 24 semester units (or 36

quarter units) of core coursework in science subjects andrelated subjects that are commonly taught in departmentalized classes in California public schools,

and (b) a minimum of 18 semester units (or 27 quarter units) of coursework that provides extended study of the subject, and (c) 3 semester units (or 5 quarter units) in

the subject. These requirements are elaborated in Preconditions 2 and 3.

The SFSU SSMPP program in physics presented here requires 27-28 semester units of core (breadth) coursework in science commonly taught in California public schools, which exceeds the minimum requirement of 24 units. (see Table P-1, below). The program also requires 27 units of extended study (depth) in physics, which exceeds the minimum requirement of 18 units. Both the core (breadth) and extended (depth) portions of our program exceed the corresponding minimum requirements by 3 units or more, which exceeds the requirement of 3 additional units of either breadth or depth coursework.

The required courses and unit totals for the physics SSMPP are as follows:

Table P-1 SSMPP in Physics

Depth Program of Study

Course

Course Title

Semester Units

PHYS 2201, 222

General Physics with Calculus I,

General Physics with Calculus I Lab

4

PHYS 2302, 232

General Physics with Calculus II,

General Physics with Calculus II Lab

4

PHYS 2403, 242

General Physics with Calculus III,

General Physics with Calculus III Lab

4

PHYS 320, 321

Modern Physics I, Modern Physics Lab

5

PHYS 490 or ASTR 490

Physics Project Lab or

Seminar in Astronomy

2

PHYS 695

Culminating Experience in Physics

1

SCI 510 or

ASTR 405

Search for Solutions or

Astrobiology

3

SCI 652

SFSU Science Partners in K-12 Schools

4

TOTAL DEPTH UNITS

27

Breadth Program of Study

Course

Course Title

Semester Units

ASTR 115/1164 or ASTR 320/321

Introduction to Astronomy with Lab or Stars, Planets, and Milky Way plus Observational Astronomy Lab

4-5

GEOL 110

Physical Geology

4

GEOL/METR/OCN 405

Planetary Climate Change

4

BIOL 230

Introduction to Biology I (with lab)

5

BIOL 240

Introduction to Biology II (with lab)

5

CHEM 115

General Chemistry I (with lab)

5

TOTAL BREADTH UNITS

27-28

TOTAL DEPTH AND BREADTH PROGRAM UNITS:

____

54-55

Footnotes to Table P-1:

1. PHYS 220 has MATH 226 (Calculus I; 4 units) as a prerequisite.

2. PHYS 230 has MATH 227 (Calculus II; 4 units) as a prerequisite.

3. PHYS 240 has MATH 228 (Calculus III; 4 units) as a prerequisite.

4. Students pursuing the B.S. in Physics, Concentration in Physics for Teaching will substitute ASTR 320/321 for upper-division credit.

SFSU Bulletin Descriptions for all courses in the SSMPP in physics appear in the Course List, Appendix PL. Syllabi for all courses appear in the Course Syllabi, Appendix PS.

Combining the core (breadth) and extended (depth) programs, the total unit requirements for the physics SSMPP program ranges from 54 to 55 units.

In addition, 12 units of math prerequisites (calculus) are required. These totals exceed the minimum requirement of 42 units of combined core (breadth) units and extended (depth) units (24 + 18), plus 3 units of either, for a total minimum of 45 units. The SSMPP in physics, as well as each of the other SFSU single subject programs in science, therefore meets Precondition 1.

(2) The core of the program (Breadth of Study) shall include coursework in (or directly related to) biological sciences, chemistry, geosciences and physics as

commonly taught in departmentalized science classes in California public schools.

The SFSU core (breadth) program in science includes two introductory biology courses for majors offered by SFSUs Department of Biology [BIOL 230/240]; one introductory course in chemistry for majors offered by SFSUs Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry [CHEM 115/116]; one introductory geology course for majors and one integrated meteorology/oceanography/ geology/planetology course for science majors, both offered by SFSUs Department of Geosciences [GEOL 110, GEOL/METR/OCN 405]; and one lecture and one laboratory course in astronomy. For the astronomy units, SSMPP candidates have the option of either ASTR 115/116 (two general education courses, for 4 units), or ASTR 320/321 (5 units), which are courses in the major and address much of the same material but at a higher level using more of the underlying physics. Students pursuing the B.S. in Physics, Concentration in Physics for Teaching will be required to take the ASTR 320/321 pair. [See course syllabi in Appendix PS.] These requirements meet Precondition 2.

(3) Extended studies in the program (Depth of Study) shall include at least one concentration of the four science areas. Each concentration shall comprise at least

18 semester units or 27 quarter units. In addition the program shall include at least 3 semester units (5 quarter units) of additional extended study, either

designated as breadth or depth studies at the discretion of the institution.

The 27 units of depth requirements for the SSMPP in physics easily exceeds the minimum of 18 units in the discipline plus 3 additional units of breadth or depth, thereby meeting Precondition 3. For more details, please refer to the course lists in Appendix PL and the course syllabi in Appendix PS.

Standards of Program Quality and Effectiveness

Category I: Standards Common to All Single Subject

Matter Preparation Programs

Standard 1: Program Philosophy and Purpose

The subject matter preparation program is based on an explicit statement of program philosophy that expresses its purpose, design, and desired outcomes in relation to the Standards of Quality and Effectiveness for Single Subject Teaching Credential Programs. The program provides the coursework and field experiences necessary to teach the specified subject to all of Californias diverse public school population. Subject matter preparation in the program for prospective teachers is academically rigorous and intellectually stimulating. The program curriculum reflects and builds on the State-adopted Academic Content Standards for K-12 Students and Curriculum Frameworks for California Public Schools. The program is designed to establish a strong foundation in and understanding of subject matter knowledge for prospective teachers that provides a basis for continued development during each teachers professional career. The sponsoring institution assigns high priority to and appropriately supports the program as an essential part of its mission.

Required Element 1.1 The program philosophy, design, and intended outcomes are consistent with the content of the State-adopted Academic Content Standards for K-12 students and Curriculum Frameworks for California public schools.

Program Philosophy:

SFSUs SSMP program in physics was founded to provide prospective high school teachers with the subject matter preparation needed to effectively teach general science through 9th grade, and physics through 12th grade. The program has a two-fold guiding philosophy:

(1) To insure that future K-12 teachers have a high degree of content understanding in physics and integrated sciences; a mastery of the process by which physicists and scientists in other disciplines work; a development of critical thinking and analytical skills; effective communication and presentation skills; and the effective teaching skills needed to educate future citizens and professionals in our state.

(2) To make the program both visible and accessible to SFSU students with the goal of increasing the number of well-prepared physics teachers in California. To this end, we have begun the process of creating a new Concentration in Physics for Teaching within our department (see Appendix I, pp. 9-10) whose requirements are closely aligned with those of the SSMP program in physics that we propose here.

By meeting objectives (1) and (2) [stated above], the program helps prepare effective physical science teachers while they work toward their undergraduate degree. Objective (2) makes the program consistent with SFSUs College of Science and Engineering (COSE) stated mission and vision. [For details, please see Appendix 1, pp. 1-2].

Program Design:

SSMPP faculty and advisors within the Department of Physics and Astronomy, in junction with CSME and faculty from other science departments, have carefully crafted a program of breadth and depth courses, designed to prepare California teachers of general science as well as teachers of high school physics. The courses are as follows:

Table 1-A SSMPP Physics: Breadth Program of Study

Course

Course Title

Semester Units

ASTR 115/116 or ASTR 320/3211

Introduction to Astronomy with Lab or Stars, Planets, and Milky Way plus Observational Astronomy Lab

4-5

GEOL 110

Physical Geology

4

GEOL/METR/OCN 405

Planetary Climate Change

4

BIOL 230

Introduction to Biology I (with lab)

5

BIOL 240

Introduction to Biology II (with lab)

5

CHEM 115

General Chemistry I (with lab)

5

Footnotes:

1. Students completing the B.S. in Physics, Concentration in Physics for Teaching, will substitute ASTR 320/321 for ASTR 115/116 to receive upper-division credit and more in-depth treatment of the physics underlying astronomy.

After fulfilling these breadth courses, physics program candidates are prepared to teach physics, astronomy, chemistry, geology, and biology concepts, methods, applications, and their various interrelationships at the K-9th grade levels.

The depth course requirements for the SSMPP in physics include 10 lower and upper level physics and/or astronomy courses; 12 units of math prerequisites; a teaching field experience course [SCI 652]; and an integrative science course, [SCI 510 or ASTR 405]. Together, these depth courses prepare program candidates to teach physical sciences concepts, methods, applications, and integrations with other science disciplines through the 12th grade level. The depth courses are as follows:

Table 1-B SSMPP in Physics: Depth Program of Study

Course

Course Title

Semester Units

PHYS 2201, 222

General Physics with Calculus I,

General Physics with Calculus I Lab

4

PHYS 2302, 232

General Physics with Calculus II,

General Physics with Calculus II Lab

4

PHYS 2403, 242

General Physics with Calculus III,

General Physics with Calculus III Lab

4

PHYS 320, 321

Modern Physics I, Modern Physics Lab

5

PHYS 490 or ASTR 490

Physics Project Lab or

Seminar in Astronomy

2

PHYS 695

Culminating Experience in Physics

1

SCI 510 or

ASTR 405

Search for Solutions or

Astrobiology

3

SCI 652

SFSU Science Partners in K-12 Schools

4

Footnotes

1. PHYS 220 has MATH 226 (Calculus I; 4 units) as a prerequisite.

2. PHYS 230 has MATH 227 (Calculus II; 4 units) as a prerequisite.

3. PHYS 240 has MATH 228 (Calculus III; 4 units) as a prerequisite.

Depth courses for the SSMPP in physics have been chosen to provide candidates with in-depth content knowledge within the discipline [PHYS 220, 230, 240, 320]; extensive laboratory experience [PHYS 222, 232, 242, 321, 490]; a culminating experience that requires extensive writing within the discipline [PHYS 695]; an integrative science course that requires students to apply and integrate their science knowledge [SCI 510 or ASTR 405]; and a field experience course that provides hands on teaching within the San Francisco public schools [SCI 652]. SFSU Bulletin Descriptions for all courses in the Physics SSMPP appear in the Course List, Appendix PL. Syllabi for all courses appear in the Course Syllabi, Appendix PS.

As explained in the Introduction to this proposal, students pursuing the B.S. degree in physics, Concentration in Physics for Teaching, follow a curriculum very similar to the SSMPP with a small number of additional upper-division electives in physics and/or astronomy.

Intended Outcomes:

The SSMPP in physics is designed to fulfill its program philosophy by bringing about five intended outcomes in each of its enrolled program candidates:

1) Content understanding: A high degree of facility with the concepts, methodologies, applications of physics and its integration with astronomy, chemistry, earth sciences, and biology, plus a good facility with the concepts, methodologies, and applications of those additional sciences.

2) Mastery of the process of science: A proven ability to understand how scientists in general and scientists within specific disciplines (biology, chemistry, earth sciences, physics, and astronomy) observe the natural world, form creative hypotheses about phenomena, set up experiments to test their hypotheses, record and interpret data, analyze results, and communicate their findings. A proven ability to apply the process of science by observing phenomena; designing experiments; and testing, recording, interpreting, analyzing, and communicating data in a manner consistent with the conventions of physics and other sciences.

3) Development of critical thinking and analytical skills: A proven ability in breadth and depth coursework to reflect upon, evaluate, analyze, and interpret information and draw logical conclusions about its accuracy, credibility, meaning, and significance.

4) Effective communication and presentation skills: The application in breadth and depth science coursework of writing, listening, reading, speaking, and presentation skills, including the appropriate use of technology.

5) Effective teaching skills: A proven ability to observe, assess, and instruct students in K-12 classroom settings in general science concepts, methodologies, and applications, and in physical science, those same modalities in greater depth.

For greater detail on each outcome, see our response to Required Element 1.2.

These intended outcomes coincide with all required elements of subject matter knowledge and competence and skills and abilities for all domains of science defined by CCTC. Since CCTCs standards are designed to prepare teachers to help K-12 students to meet Science Content Standards for California Public Schools: Kindergarten Through Grade Twelve (1997) consistent with Science Curriculum Frameworks for California Public Schools: Kindergarten Through Grade Twelve (1999), our program is consistent with those standards and that framework, as well [see Appendix 1, pp. 3-22].

While the SSMPP in physics implicitly prepares teachers that can help K-12 students meet California science content standards and curriculum frameworks, the program goes a step farther. The early fieldwork course SCI 652, SFSU Science Partners in SF K-12 Schools, explicitly introduces program candidates to the CCTC standards and curriculum framework itself. This is an important part of understanding and addressing the normal developmental sequence for science learning in future K-12 students. Such understanding, along with the rich and demanding sequence of breadth and depth courses, contributes to student achievement of the five intended outcomes of the SSMPP program.

Required Element 1.2 The statement of program philosophy shows a clear understanding of the preparation that prospective teachers need in order to be effective in delivering academic content to all students in California schools.

The breadth and depth requirements established for the SSMPP in physics reflect the program philosophy and intended outcomes. They prepare future teachers for thorough content understanding as well as providing them the pedagogical tools and techniques needed to convey this content to K-12 students in California classrooms.

Outcome 1: Future physics teachers need an in-depth knowledge of physics; less-intensive but still significant knowledge of astronomy, earth sciences, chemistry and biology; and an understanding of how these fields interrelate. As Tables 1A and 1B demonstrate, candidates in the SSMPP in physics take 20 units of introductory and upper division courses in physics (2 of these units optionally being physics in astronomical contexts in ASTR 490); 5 units in chemistry; 10 units in biology; 8 units in geosciences; and 4 to 5 units in astronomy. Together, the coursework provides a strong background in the various fields and their integration. One of the earth science courses, GEOL/METR/OCN 405, Planetary Climate Change, examines the integration of several disciplines in depth as they relate to one of the most important issues of our time. Likewise, SCI 510, Search for Solutions, is a capstone course designed to encourage integrative thinking and application of content knowledge from various sciences in current issues such as global warming. Alternatively, students may take ASTR 405, Astrobiology, which requires an equivalent integration. Such integrative knowledge and application is a critical component in designing curricula and study materials for K-12 classes.

SFSU is notable for its university-wide dedication to innovative teaching techniques that go far beyond the lecture and mass-exam approach (see details in Standards 5). Instructors for virtually all courses in the SSMPP in physics employ a wide range of techniques in their own classrooms that serve as models of effective teaching strategies for program candidates. SFSU professors typically use multimedia aids with their lectures; utilize software-based and on-line instruction; require some self-directed lab or field activities and/or experimental design; assign literacy-based oral and written presentations; and assign inquiry-based, case study based, and problem-based lessons that frequently involve hands-on in-class activities and collaborative group activities.

Outcome 2: Future teachers need mastery of the process of science. In order to teach physics or general science to secondary-school students, program candidates need their own very good understanding of how professionals in scientific fields generate new knowledge; how they observe, test, analyze, interpret, and report their results; and how new findings can modify or replace older conceptions. This mastery helps teachers to show their students how science differs from other disciplines and to convey the values and attitudes that underlie life science and other sciences. These values and attitudes include a reliance on evidence, a willingness to consider contradictory evidence, and the frequent necessity of replacing accepted facts and ideas. Future teachers must be able to teach the ethos of science and its professional application, as well as to demonstrate them directly through laboratory and fieldwork and classroom instruction and discussions. Every SFSU SSMPP candidate takes numerous laboratory and field courses (see Tables 1A and 1B). Through these and the assessment portions of lecture-based courses, they demonstrate their own understanding of the process of science and their ability to convey it to students.

Outcome 3: As science teachers in California secondary schools, program graduates will be encouraging and requiring students to develop critical thinking and analytical skills. They themselves mustand dodevelop a high degree of those same skills in the SSMPP. They need to be able to reflect upon, evaluate, analyze, and interpret information and draw logical conclusions about its accuracy, credibility, meaning, and significance. In addition, they need the pedagogical skills to teach these important ways of thinking and learning. As our responses to and evidence for Standard 12 shows clearly, the breadth and depth coursework in the SFSU SSMPP in physics demand the accurate expression of scientific ideas and concepts; the use of quantitative reasoning and analysis to solve scientific problems; the honing of scientific investigative skills; the critical analysis of scientific research and communication; and the application of conceptual and physical models in life science and other disciplines. Several program courses (for example, BIOL 230, 240; SCI 510 and 652; GEOL/METR/OCN 405; and CHEM 115) cover ethical issues that require a student to apply many of these critical and analytic skills, especially for the completion of term papers, projects, and presentations.

Outcome 4: Teachers need effective communication and presentation skills, both oral and written. These are crucial for effective instruction of science content. They are also important parts of the K-12 curriculum, encouraging and helping students own communication skills in science as well as in language, history, arts, and other subjects. Our response to and evidence for Standard 4 pinpoints the SSMPP program philosophy and coursework that requires students to learn and demonstrate mastery of academic and technical terminology and research conventions in physics and other sciences; and to read, write, listen, speak, reason, and communicate in these same disciplines. An important part of that literacy is familiarity with and demonstrated competence in communications technology. As our responses to and evidence for Standard 3 shows, candidates in the SSMPP in physics use computers, many types of software, on-line course management tools, on-line research tools, PowerPoint technology, clicker technology, and other forms of communication technology in many of their courses. PHYS 490; ASTR 490; BIOL 230, 240; SCI 510 and 652; and GEOL/METR/OCN 405, for example, all require extensive proof of literacy skills and technological competence (see course syllabi, Appendix PS).

Outcome 5: Future teachers must be aware of and able to effectively teach all elements of the states science framework, including a proven ability to observe, assess, and instruct students in K-12 classrooms. The SFSU SSMPP in physics has a strong curriculum in effective teaching skills. Candidates observe the excellent modeling of teaching strategies which SFSU instructors employ throughout their breadth and depth courses. The required integrative science course GEOL/METR/OCN 405, for example, deliberately applies and models all the major teaching strategies outlined in the CCTC standards (see our response to Standard 5, and course syllabus in Appendix PS). Moreover, the required early fieldwork experience course SCI 652, Science Education Partners in S.F. Schools, meets and exceeds all requirements for student classroom teaching experience (for details see Standard 6, and course syllabus in Appendix PS). In addition, the San Francisco Unified School District serves an extremely ethnically diverse population; candidates apply classroom practices and instructional materials in this richly varied setting (see Standard 2) and observe the effectiveness of pedagogical tools on all learning modalities.

Required Element 1.3 The program provides prospective teachers with the opportunity to learn and apply significant ideas, structures, methods and core concepts in the specified subject discipline(s) that underlies the 6-12 curriculum.

The CCTC designed its standards for science teacher subject matter preparation to ensure that science teachers can teach the core concepts and methods underlying the 6-12 science curriculum. The SFSU SSMPP in physics meets all of CCTCs standards. The courses in the program are the same as those designed for science majors and hence are designed to train students to understand how science is done and potentially to become scientists themselves. Hence, students completing our program should be well versed and practiced in the core concepts and methods underlying the 6-12 curriculum.

Table 1C shows the science content standards in the California Science Framework for Grades 6, 7, and 8, and maps onto them the SSMPP breadth courses that provide candidates with opportunities to learn and apply the content underlying each major subject area in the curricula for Grades 6-8:

Table 1C SSMPP Breadth Courses and Science Framework Grades 6-8

Breadth courses in SSMPP in Physics

ASTR 115/116 or 320/321

GEOL 110

GEOL/

METR/

OCN 405

BIOL 230

BIOL 240

PHYS 220/

222*

PHYS 230/

232*

CHEM 115

Contents Standards in Science Framework

Focus on Earth Science-Grade 6

-Plate tectonics

X

X

X

X

-Shaping Earths Structure

X

X

X

X

-Heat

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

-Energy in Earths System

X

X

X

X

X

X

-Ecology

X

X

X

X

-Resources

X

X

X

X

X

-Investigation/

Experimentation

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Focus on Life Science-Grade 7

-Cell Biology

X

X

X

-Genetics

X

X

-Evolution

X

X

X

-Earth and Life History

X

X

X

X

X

-Structure and Function in Living Systems

X

X

-Physical Principles in Living Systems

X

X

X

X

X

Investigation/Experimentation

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Focus on Physical Science-Grade 8

-Motion

X

X

X

-Forces

X

X

X

X

-Structure of Matter

X

X

X

X

X

X

-Earth and Solar System

X

X

X

X

-Chemical Reactions

X

X

X

X

X

X

-Chemistry of Living Systems

X

X

-Periodic Table

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

-Density and Buoyancy

X

X

X

X

X

X

Investigation/Experimentation

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

* Required depth courses PHYS 220/222, 230/232, 240/242, 320/321 substitute for the non-calculus breadth courses PHYS 111/112, 121/122 taken by candidates in other SSMPPs in science at SFSU.

Table 1D maps the SSMPP depth courses that provide candidates with opportunities to learn and apply the content underlying physics subject areas in the curricula for Grades 9-12:

Table 1D SSMPP Depth Courses and Science Framework Grades 9-12

Depth Courses in SSMPP in Physics

PHYS

220/

222

PHYS 230/

232

PHYS 240/

242

PHYS 320/

321

PHYS 490 or

ASTR 490

PHYS

695

SCI

652

SCI

510 or ASTR 405

Science Content Standards in Framework

Focus on Physical ScienceGrades 9-12

-Motion/

Forces

X

X

X

X

X

X

Conservation of Energy/

Momentum

X

X

X

X

X

X

Heat/

Thermodynamics

X

X

X

X

X

Waves

X

X

X

X

X

Electronic/

magnetic phenomena

X

X

X

X

X

Complete syllabi for each breadth and depth course appear in Appendix PS. Our responses to Standards 14 and 15 provide additional details and evidence for program courses and science domains.

Required Element 1.4 The program prepares prospective single-subject teachers to analyze complex discipline-based issues; synthesize information from multiple sources and perspectives; communicate skillfully in oral and written forms; and use appropriate technologies.

By the time students complete the SSMPP in physics, they will have been asked to tackle problems spanning a range of complexity from the introductory majors level to the level of upper division advanced majors lab and/or field courses, which typically require research projects.

Analyze complex discipline-based issues: Most physics courses require the kind of quantitative reasoning that allows students to analyze complex discipline-based problems and issues. The matrix below shows examples of a few key depth courses and their required analytic activities:

Depth Course

Examples of Analytic Activities

PHYS 220,222

Weekly problem sets; lab reports that record, analyze, and present results

PHYS 230, 232

Weekly problem sets; lab reports that record, analyze, and present results

PHYS 240, 242

Weekly problem sets; lab reports that record, analyze, and present results

PHYS 490

Weekly problem sets; lab reports that record, analyze, and present results; independent project of students own experimental design

Synthesize information from multiple sources: Many physics courses assign students to read scientific papers and other reference materials in addition to textbooks, hand-out sheets, and on-line materials. Many courses also require that students write critiques of journal articles, originate research proposals, and write research papers. The following matrix shows examples of key required depth courses and information synthesizing activities:

Depth Course

Examples of Information Synthesizing Activities

PHYS 222, 232, 242, 321

Write weekly lab reports, including data observations and analysis of lab activities

SCI 510

or

ASTR 405

Read scientific journals and write or discuss/debate analyses that assess the clarity of authors presentations. Thoroughly investigate all aspects of a scientific issue such as global warming or preconditions for the origin of life

PHYS 490 or

ASTR 490

Review scientific literature; design a research project and write and/or present a detailed report, including abstract, methods, results, and discussion sections plus literature citations

Skillful oral and written communication: Students in the SSMPP in physics have numerous opportunities to hone disciplinary literary skills. The following matrix lists a few key courses and examples of disciplinary literacy activities:

Depth Course

Examples Disciplinary Literacy Activities

PHYS 222, 232, 242, 321

Write weekly lab reports that record data, observations, and analysis of lab activities and address inquiry-based questions and activities

SCI 510

or

ASTR 405

Write in-depth reports and create and present before class members PowerPoint displays of data and interpretations from research projects.

PHYS 490

or

ASTR 490

Write in-depth reports and create and present before class members PowerPoint displays of data and interpretations from original lab experiments or research projects

SCI 652

Students participate in weekly seminary discussions of teaching and learning issues; students write reports and give oral and PowerPoint presentations on their own early fieldwork experiences and solutions to teaching and learning issues

Use of appropriate technologies: All students at SFSU use the on-line iLearn course management system to access specific course information such as syllabi, lecture notes, and hand-outs; to download written assignments; and to upload exercises, quizzes, and other materials. All students have Internet and email accounts through the Universitys Division of Information Technology. All have access to computing laboratories and extensive library-based electronic resources.

Candidates in the SSMPP in physics also learn to use numerous kinds of appropriate technologies for lab and field experiences that reflect up-to-date methods for data gathering, analysis, processing and presentation of scientific information. The following matrix shows examples of key depth courses and technological tools and techniques employed in each:

Course

Examples of Use of Appropriate Technology

BIOL 230, 240 (breadth)

Classroom computers; compound microscopes; spectrophotometers; paper chromatography; analytic software from Internet websites

CHEM 115, 215 (breadth)

Classroom computers; microprocessor-controlled spectrophotometers, Spartan software

GEOL/METR/OCN 405 (breadth)

World Watcher software; Java Script; STELLA, TASA software

PHYS 222

(depth)

Pasco cart, timer, instrumentation; projectile launcher; rotational dynamics apparatus; photogate; sonic ranger

PHYS 232

(depth)

Electroscope; cathode ray tube; power supply; circuit boards; potentiometer; oscilloscope

PHYS 242

(depth)

Photometer, Polaroid filters, Excel software, temperature sensors, calorimeter, thermocouple

PHYS 321

(depth)

Computers with Linux operating system, Geiger tubes, sources of alpha, beta, gamma radiation.

Required Element 1.5 Program outcomes are defined clearly and assessments of prospective teachers and program reviews are appropriately aligned.

As discussed in Required Element 1.1, five program outcomes have been established for the SSMPP in physics:

1) Content understanding

2) Knowledge and mastery of the process of science

3) Development of critical thinking and analytical skills

4) Effective communication and presentation skills

5) Effective teaching skills

These are defined in terms of CCTCs standards, the College of Science and Engineering (COSE)s mission and vision, and the Department of Physics and Astronomys mission and vision. Because program courses are closely aligned with the planned B.S. in Physics, Concentration in Physics for Teaching, some assessment of prospective teachers is done de facto, as part of regular student assessment in those courses. Some program assessment is accomplished as part of periodic departmental program reviews. In addition, COSEs Center for Science and Mathematics Education (CSME) is charged with monitoring of program candidates, on-going regular program reviews, and updating program outcomes as needed. Standard 9 explains in detail the role of CSME, established in 2007, in these assessment functions. The following matrix shows major forms of assessment of prospective teachers in light of all five outcomes:

Intended Program Outcomes

Content Knowledge

Process of Science

Critical Thinking and Analytical Skills

Effective Communication and Presentation Skills

Effective Teaching Skills

Individual Assessments

In breadth and depth courses: quizzes; mid-term and final exams; term papers; lab reports; problem sets. End-of-program summative assessment of subject matter competence and departmental survey

In breadth and depth courses: Lab notebooks, lab reports, experimental design, lab projects, critiques of scientific research

In breadth and depth courses: Critiques of scientific research, research reports, problem sets, design of experiments, design of research proposals

In breadth and depth courses: Written lab reports, written and oral presentation of lab projects; discussion seminars and presentations of early fieldwork experiences

In depth courses: Hands-on teaching of science lessons in S.F. public schools; seminar discussions of teaching issues; journaling, oral, and written reports on solutions to teaching issues

Program Reviews

CSME program reviews, evaluation, and program adjustments.

Periodic reviews by Department of Physics and Astronomy

CSME program reviews, evaluation, and program adjustments.

Periodic reviews by Department of Physics and Astronomy

CSME program reviews, evaluation, and program adjustments.

Periodic reviews by Department of Physics and Astronomy

CSME program reviews, evaluation, and program adjustments.

Periodic reviews by Department of Physics and Astronomy

CSME program reviews, evaluation, and program adjustments.

Periodic reviews by Department Physics and Astronomy

Note: In-depth evidence on content knowledge and process of science appears in Standard 12; on critical thinking and analysis in Standard 7; on communication and presentation in Standard 4; on teaching skills in Standard 6; and on program review in Standard 9.

Required Element 1.6 The institution conducts periodic review of the program philosophy, goals, design, and outcomes consistent with the following: campus program assessment timelines, procedures, and policies; ongoing research and thinking in the discipline; nationally accepted content standards and recommendations; and the changing needs of public schools in California.

COSEs Center for Science and Mathematics Education (CSME), the result of years of planning and effort, opened in 2007 and is charged with designing and conducting periodic reviews of all facets of the program. It serves faculty and students in SSMPP programs in the sciences as a conduit of current pedagogical research and of both state and national science education policy developments. It operates in collaboration and compliance with departmental, COSE, and university assessment efforts. Our responses to and evidence for Standard 9 gives a detailed explanation of CSMEs critical involvement in program review and assessments. In summary, the CSME director and staff, with help from SSMPP faculty advisors from the biology, chemistry, geosciences, and physics and astronomy departments, as well as respected education professors and evaluators, will collect annual data on all programs and conduct thorough reviews at 5-year intervals. These will include data from current students; from SFSU program alumni (especially those in teaching or teaching credential programs); and reviews of curricular materials and other program elements.

CSME will coordinate these reviews with information from formal five-year departmental program reviews with the goal of identifying and articulating SSMP program values, competencies, and learning outcomes; assessing learning objectives; monitoring revision in those objectives in response to changing needs and new knowledge; assessing achievement of program goals; and suggesting improvements.

Standard 2: Diversity and Equity

The subject matter program provides equitable opportunities to learn for all prospective teachers by utilizing instructional, advisement and curricular practices that insure equal access to program academic content and knowledge of career options. Included in the program are the essential understandings, knowledge and appreciation of the perspectives and contributions by and about diverse groups in the discipline.

Human diversity is evident and celebrated throughout all academic programs at San Francisco State University, including the teacher preparation program in physics. Forty-seven percent of the B.A. degrees awarded at SFSU in 2005-2006 went to minority groups underrepresented in higher education [See evidence, Appendix 2, pp.1-4]. Among students who attended informational meetings about the SFSU College of Educations Single Subject Credential Program during 2008, 59 percent were female and 38 percent were from minority groups [See documentation, Appendix 2, pp. 5-19]. Over half of SFSU undergraduates in the Department of Physics and Astronomy are women, ethnic minorities, or both [see Appendix 2, pp. 20-22].

University-wide, 52 percent of faculty members are female and 43 percent non-white. The physics and astronomy department faculty is typical: 53 percent of current members are either women or ethnic minorities. [See list of current faculty members, Appendix 2, pp. 23-26]. The physics and astronomy faculty is vitally interested in recruiting and advising a diverse group of students for the Single Subject Matter preparation program in physics, as well as in teaching the perspectives and contributions of diverse groups to the field. In its website, the department states a firm commitment to affirmative action [see Appendix 2, p. 27].

Required Element 2.1 In accordance with the Education Code Chapter 587, Statutes of 1999, (See Appendix A), human differences and similarities to be examined in the program include, but are not limited to those of sex, race, ethnicity, socio-economic status, religion, sexual orientation, and exceptionality. The program may also include study of other human similarities and differences.

The SFSU physics and astronomy departmental policies support and reflect those of the university as a whole: the intent to create and maintain an environment for learning that promotes respect for and appreciation of scholarship, freedom, human diversity, and the cultural mosaic of San Francisco and the surrounding Bay Area [see Appendix I, p. 4]. This involves attracting, retaining, and graduating a highly diverse student body, and providing curricula that reflect all dimensions of human diversity and that encourage cultural thinking and social and cultural awareness.

Reading materials and lecture content in several required courses in the SSMPP in physics, including PHYS 220, 230, and 240 (General Physics with Calculus I, II, and III), address contributions to the discipline from a diverse spectrum of researchers. A breadth requirement, BIOL 230 (Introductory Biology 1), addresses characteristics, functioning, diseases and disorders, and other aspects of people of different sexes, races, and ethnicity [see details in Element 2.3].

The university approaches this same dedication to examining human diversity through Segments II and III of its General Education requirements for all students completing undergraduate degree programs. Undergraduate must take 3 to 4 units that fulfill the American Ethnic/Racial Minorities requirement and a total of 9 credit hours in courses that address the more inclusive value and significance of human achievements; the experience and achievements of various cultural, ethnic, or social groups; the complexity of personal, cultural, and social problems and issues; the problems, issues, or solutions confronted by various social, ethnic, or cultural groups and how they may be experienced in different ways; the integration of their abilities, knowledge, and experience in making decisions; the prevalence of cultural, social, personal, and/or procedural biases; and the use of effective procedures for investigating problems and issues. [See Appendix 2, pp. 28-37 for Mission statement.]

Required Element 2.2 The institution recruits and provides information and advice to men and women prospective teachers from diverse backgrounds on requirements for admission to and completion of subject matter programs.

Each University program recruits and advises applicants from a wide range of backgrounds.

A committee of the University Academic Senate, the All-University Teacher Education Committee (AUTEC) makes recommendations to and advises each department in matters relating to the preparation of teachers. This includes the recruitment of racial and ethnic minorities students into teacher preparation programs [see Appendix 2, pp. 38-41].

The Department of Physics and Astronomy has mandatory advising for all students, including all students in the SSMP program in physics. Students meet with their advisor toward the end of each semester before registering for courses for the following semester. Students who express an interest in teaching are assigned to Dr. Adrienne Cool as their advisor. The department supplies worksheets and lists hours for drop-in advisement. The on-line University course catalog refers students interested in teaching physics to the departmental website. The departmental website also provides a link to information on tutoring servicesprimarily through the campus Learning Assistance Centerto help insure success for all potential students [see Appendix 2, pp. 42-45]. Finally, the website links readers to information on a variety of scholarship and fellowship opportunities for future K-12 physics teachers to help make teacher-career preparation affordable for more students. It also links to information on the Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation (LSAMP) Program, which is designed to increase the number of minority students who complete bachelors degrees in STEM fields [see Appendix 2, p. 46].

The departmental website links students to the active campus Physics and Astronomy Club, which, in turn, describes important information for all minority students. The PAC site describes the $2,000 Lotze Scholarship offered by the American Association of Physics Teachers to encourage students to become high school physics teachers [see Appendix 2, pp. 47-48]. The PAC website also links through the American Institute of Physics to the KSTF Teaching Fellowships [see Appendix 2, pp. 49-50], and to other sites that discuss and encourage minority participation in physics and astronomy. These include the Society of Physics Students Future Faces of Physics Programs and Awards pages, highlighting the Societys own future teacher scholarships, awarded annually to a student participating in a teacher education program to pursue a career in physics education [see Appendix 2, pp. 51-60].

The Mathematics and Science Teacher Education Program (MASTEP), a National Science Foundation-funded collaborative initiative, began on campus in 1996 with a five-year grant to increase recruitment of candidates from all backgrounds for science and math teaching at the Kindergarten through 12th grade levels. A second grant carried the program through to 2005. Among many activities, MASTEP began sponsoring Future Teacher Clubs, which met on the SFSU campus to promote teaching as an important option for math and science majors [see Appendix 2, pp. 61-64]. MASTEP helped create an environment of educational excellence that, in part, encouraged the hiring of math educator Dr. Eric Hsu and biology educator, Dr. Kimberly Tanner, both of whom teach early field experience courses for future science teachers at SFSU.

Another outgrowth of MASTEP is SFSUs Center for Science and Math Education (CSME). A primary mission of the Center is to recruit, retain, and develop teachers from amongst the diverse student populations on campus. In September 2007, CSME began a highly visible and active multi-pronged program of information, recruitment, and support for current and future science and math teachers. The Department of Physics and Astronomy was involved in the proposal to establish CSME and refers students to their advising services, community-building activities, financial support offerings, and field experience opportunities. CSME acts as a centralized office for encouraging and advising students on K-12 teaching careers in math and science [see Appendix 2, pp. 65-71].

CSME sponsors a financial support program for pre-service teachers called the Math and Science Teaching Initiative (MSTI) that helps recruit candidates from diverse backgrounds. MSTI fellowships provide stipends of $2,000 per semester; extra advising and mentoring for pathways into science and math teaching; community-building activities with other fellows and advisors; and access to teaching opportunities [see Appendix 2, p. 72]. More than 60 percent of all MSTI fellows are females; at present, half of the MSTI fellows in physics are female and/or minority members. MSTI support can extend to accommodations for students with special needs, for example, financial support for a fellow who undergoes kidney dialysis.

The SFSU Student Resource Center for Students in Science and Engineering has an informational website that helps students with career planning and identifies advisors within each science department who can assist in program planning. It also links students directly to the Center for Science and Math Education [see Appendix 2, pp. 73-78], with the array of encouragements we described above.

The College of Education sponsors a Credential Services Teacher Preparation Center on campus. This well-advertised center draws many potential candidates to career fairs, provides career counseling, sponsors teacher recruitment events, and refers interested students to physics and astronomy department advisors [see Appendix 2, pp. 79-80].

Required Element 2.3 The curriculum in the Subject Matter Program reflects the perspectives and contributions of diverse groups from a variety of cultures to the disciplines of study.

Students in the SSMPP in physics are exposed to the perspectives and contributions of diverse cultural groups as they study their depth and breadth coursework. The programs foundation physical science courses, PHYS 220, 230, and 240 (General Physics with Calculus I, II, and III), assign a comprehensive reading of Physics: The Nature of Things, by Susan M. Lea and John Robert Burke, both professors in the SFSU Department of Physics and Astronomy. Being part of diverse faculty that serves a diverse student body, the authors are sensitive to the importance of reflecting a range of cultural influences, and have included many references throughout the book, all of which students will encounter as they fulfill their PHYS 220/230/240 requirements. Examples include:

--Investigations of musical instrument strings and harmonic waves by Alma Zook of Pomona College, described in an essay on page 512 [see Appendix 2, p. 81]

--An essay on how the human eye detects light, contributed by optical researcher Suzanne McKee of the Smith Kettlewell Eye Research Institute of San Francisco [see Appendix 2, p. 82]

--A discussion of light refraction and curved optics that centers on astronaut Shannon Lucid, including a photo showing the distorted image of her head as she works in a neutral buoyancy simulator [see Appendix 2, p. 83]

--An essay on parity or mirror symmetry that describes the work of T.D. Lee, C.N. Yang, and C.S. Wu [see Appendix 2, p. 84]

--A photo and description of Dr. Margaret Burbridge, as astronomer at Lick Observatory near San Jose, California [see Appendix 2, p. 85]

--An essay on the scanning tunneling microscope by Shirley Chiang, a physicist at U.C. Davis [see Appendix 2, p. 86]

--A photo and discussion of Hideki Yukawa, who won the Nobel Prize in 1949 for correctly predicting the existence of mesons [see Appendix 2, p. 87]

--A discussion about Satyenda Nath Bose, who discovered bosons [see Appendix 2, p. 88]

--A discussion of the electroweak theory which describes the contribution of Abdus Salaam in the 1960s [see Appendix 2, p. 89]

Students also become aware of the diverse contributions to physics and astronomy through a very large illustrated poster series prominently displayed in Thornton Hall on campusa building that houses the Department of Physics and Astronomy and the classrooms where many program courses meet. The poster series, called A Century of Physics, prepared by the American Physical Society, describes and illustrates every major discovery in physics and astronomy since the late 1800s. Among the diverse contributors and their accomplishments, pictured and described are as follows [see Appendix 2, pp. 90-113]:

--French physicist Marie Curie; identified polonium and helped isolate radium (1898)

--Italian inventor Guglielmo Marconi; generated the first radio waves (1900)

--Russian physicist Konstantin Tsiolkovsky; conceptualized the multistage rocket (1903)

--Spanish neurologist Santiago Ramon y Cajal; discovered neural networks (1904)

--American astronomer Henrietta Leavitt; identified a class of variable stars and laid a foundation for Edwin Hubbles determination of the size of the universe (1908)

--Norwegian Jacob Bjerknes; studied the role of warm and cold fronts in generating weather patterns (1919)

--Indian physicist Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman; studied light scattering, later called Raman scattering and employed in lasers (1928)

--American astrophysicist Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar; first studied white dwarf stars (1932)

--French physicist Irene Joliot Curie; helped generate the radioactive isotope phosphorus 30 (1934)

--Danish researcher Inge Lehmann; differentiated the inner and outer core of our planet (1936)

--Soviet physicist Pyotr Kapitsa; investigated liquid helium (1938)

--Austrian physicist Lise Meitner; studied nuclear fission (1938)

--American researcher Salvador Luria; used the electron microscope to study virus particles (1942)

--American physicist Maria Goeppert Mayer; helped characterize the atomic nucleus (1949)

--British X-ray crystallographer Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkins; discovers the structure of penicillin

--British physicist Rosalind Franklin; uses X-ray diffraction to study the structure of DNA )(1952)

--Indian engineer Narinder Kapany; coins the term fiber optics (1956)

--American physicist Rosalyn Yalow; uses radioactive tracers to study drugs and organisms (1956)

--Chinese American physicists Tsung-Dao Lee, Chen Yang, and Chien-Shiung Wu; study parity in elementary particles (1956)

--Japanese physicist Leo Esaki; applies quantum tunneling (1958)

--Israeli student Yakir Aharonov; co-identifies the Aharonov-Bohm effect in quantum mechanics (1959)

--English student Jocelyn Bell; detects pulsars (1967)

--American astronomer Vera Rubin and colleagues; discover dark matter (1975)

--Chinese American Daniel Tsui; investigates the quantum hall effect (1982)

--American astronomer Margaret Geller; studies the structure of the universe, including the Great Wall (1985)

Examples such as these, in addition to the obvious diversity of the SFSU faculty and student body, confirm that diverse group from many cultures contribute to physics and astronomy. Additional examples come from breadth courses in the SSMPP in physics. All science candidates take

BIOL 230 and BIOL 240 (Introductory Biology I and II) and encounter the contributions of biologists such as Mary Claire King, Barbara McClintock, and Rachael Carson, as well as the subjects of in-person interviews scattered throughout the core textbook BIOLOGY 8e.

Students are exposed to reading material and lectures on the diverse contributors to other scientific disciplines in breadth courses in Chemistry, Physics, and Geosciences, as well.

Required Element 2.4 In the subject matter program, classroom practices and instructional materials are designed to provide equitable access to the academic content of the program to prospective teachers from all backgrounds.

The SFSU Department of Physics and Astronomy promotes equitable access to prospective teachers in many ways, in conjunction with initiatives and resources of the university and the CSU system.

The syllabus for every physics and astronomy course must include a Disability Access Statement, offering accommodations to all students with disabilities and special needs. Accommodations can be made for captioning, disability access, exacerbated symptoms, note taking, and test taking [see Appendix 2, pp. 114-117]. This is part of the CSU Accessible Technology Initiative, which covers instructional materials, university procurement practices, and web accessibility [see Appendix 2, pp. 118-122].

CSUs Accessible Technology Initiative, along with SFSUs local efforts, insure full and equal access to electronic and information technology to individuals with disabilities [see Appendix 2, pp. 123-124].

SFSU professor Frank Bayliss helped initiate the Student Enrichment Opportunities program (SEO) to improve the success rate of underrepresented minorities in science [see Appendix 2, pp. 125-127]. SEO, in conjunction with CSME, sponsors a Science and Math Supplemental Instruction Program that provides limited-enrollment workshop sections in a number of SSMPP required breadth courses and prerequisites to supplement instruction and help insure students success. The course list includes MATH 226, CHEM 115, and BIOL 230 and 240. SFSU professors Frank Bayliss and Nan Carnal were co-authors of a recent journal article documenting the increased success rate of underrepresented minority students who attend SI classes in addition to regular lectures and labs in required courses [see Appendix 2, pp. 128-133].

The SFSU Center for Teaching and Faculty Development (CFTD) promotes a number of programs that help insure equal and complete access to all classrooms and to academic course content for all students. In addition, the campus Learning Assistance Center provides tutoring sessions in physics, astronomy, chemistry, math, biology, and other technical classes [see Appendix 2, pp. 42-45].

The Disability Programs and Resources Center publishes instructional strategies for students with visual impairments, hearing impairments, mobility impairments, systemic disabilities (i.e. epilepsy, HIV, or MS), and learning disabilities [see Appendix 2, pp. 134-155].

The Universal Design for Learning (UDL) program encourages faculty to make course concepts accessible and skills attainable regardless of student learning styles, physical, or sensory abilities. UDL provides an on-line training module for all SFSU faculty [see Appendix 2, p. 118].

For students with language barriers or other access issues, the Learning Assistance Center (LAC) offers tutoring on physics, chemistry, and biology, through individual and small group sessions at their own center [see Appendix 2, pp. 42-45]. Students can gain additional assistance through the Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) [see Appendix 2, p. 156].

The Community Access and Retention Program (CARP), is a student-run evening tutoring program that serves many first-generation college students and members of traditionally underrepresented groups on campus. CARP offers tutoring in many of the required courses for the SSMPP in physics, including MATH 226; CHEM 115 and 215; PHYS 220, 230, and 240; and Biology 230 and 240 [see Appendix 2, pp. 157-161].

Required Element 2.5 The subject matter program incorporates a wide variety of pedagogical and instructional approaches to academic learning suitable to a diverse population of prospective teachers. Instructional practices and materials used in the program support equitable access for all prospective teachers and take into account current knowledge of cognition and human learning theory.

Based on contemporary learning theory, Department of Physics and Astronomy faculty present--and students in the SSMPP in physics benefit from--a large range of learning opportunities. These include:

Lectures with rich audiovisual presentations and question/answer sessions.

Group learning for discussions, data collection and analysis, and project preparation and presentation; peer instruction is common during group sessions.

Procedural learning based on detailed lab instructions.

Problem-based learning through hands on experimentation, hypothesis formation, experimental design, and recording and assessment of results.

Computer-based modeling and problem-solving.

Active learning through field experiences, including practice instruction of K-12 students.

We present detailed evidence of varied teaching styles and learning opportunities in Standard 5, Required Elements 5.1-5.5.

The SFSU Center for Teaching and Faculty Development (CTFD) is instrumental in helping Department of Physics and Astronomy faculty members expand their repertoire of teaching approaches [see Appendix 2, pp. 162-164]. Each semester, CTFD sponsors workshops in student learning, faculty teaching styles, and innovative use of technology in classrooms.

MASTEP grants from 1996-2005 (referred to in Element 2.2) provided funds for workshops on effective teaching and learning approaches in the sciences and mathematics at SFSU; these helped establish on-going faculty interest and experience. Among presenters at MASTEP workshops were Dr. Roger Johnson, an expert in collaborative learning; Dr. Deborah Allen, teaching techniques for problem-based learning; and Dr. Lillian McDermott who introduced ways to probe students in-depth understanding and to design curricular interventions to confront misconceptions.

One outcome of COSEs long-standing enthusiasm for varied teaching styles was a national search and successful hiring of Dr. Kimberly Tanner, whose research and teaching focuses on science education. In conjunction with Dr. Mary Leech in the Department of Geosciences, Dr. Tanner teaches SCI 652, SFSU Science Partners in K-12 Schools--a required course for the SSMPP in physics that emphasizes multiple teaching/learning styles.

Standard 3: Technology

The study and application of current and emerging technologies, with a focus on those used in K-12 schools, for gathering, analyzing, managing, processing, and

presenting information is an integral component of each prospective teachers program study. Prospective teachers are introduced to legal, ethical, and social issues related to technology. The program prepares prospective teachers to meet the current technology requirements for admission to an approved California professional teacher preparation

program.

All educational programs at SFSU, including the Single Subject Matter Preparation program in physics, employ a wide variety of technological tools to promote teaching and learning. San Francisco State University is located in a region that is internationally renowned for its computer and high technology development; its leadership and innovation in biotechnology; and its central role in computer graphics, animation, and entertainment. All SFSU students achieve technological competence through the required use of computers in most courses; through the use of a university-wide learning management system called iLearn; through on-line registration; through course-related research using the extensive electronic resources of the main library; and so on.

Students who prepare to teach physics and other science subjects gain a much greater-than-average facility with technology in their breadth and depth courses. In their breadth courses in biology, for example (the introductory sequence BIOL 230 and 240) physics students encounter presentation graphics and software during lectures; on-line syllabi, assignments, quizzes, and grading; and many forms of hardware, software, and instrumentation in the laboratory including microscopes, spectrophotometers, and chromatography. In the breadth course in chemistry (CHEM 115), candidates in the SSMPP in physics use a range of microprocessor-controlled spectrophotometers and Spartan software for exploring molecular geometry. In their breadth courses in geosciences, especially the integrative course on planetary climate changes (GEOL/METRO/OCN 405), students learn to use WorldWatcher software, the Java Script animation tool, STELLA model-building software, and TASA software for studying plate tectonics [see course syllabi, Appendix PS].

Depth courses in physics require a thorough understanding and application of sophisticated instrumentation for collecting and analyzing data [see detailed evidence in Required Elements 3,1, 3,2, and 3.3].

The facility that program candidates gain with standard and emerging technologies is important and necessary because (1) in all contemporary fields of science, data gathering, analysis, and communication is highly technological; and (2) because as K-12 teachers, they will be instructing their students in the use of many such technological tools for gathering and understanding scientific knowledge and applying it in laboratory and field settings.

Depending on the resources of their school districts, physics students in California high schools use a range of tools, instruments, and supplies for doing library and lab research; for analyzing and solving problems; and for communicating their findings and understandings to others. K-12 instructors must not only know how to use and teach these technologies, but must know additional ones, such as how to use presentation software such as PowerPoint. A partial list of such technologies includes classroom and home computers; pendulums, thermometers, magnets, prisms, polarization filters, binoculars, astrolabes, momentum carts, circuits, spectrometers, temperature probes, voltage probes, colorimeters, accelerometers, force sensors, and photogates; microscopes (light, stereoscopic, dissecting); volumeters; gel electrophoresis equipment; incubators; spirometers; balance scales; Celsius thermometers; micropipettes; spectrophotometers; and pH meters [see school lesson plan reference with links to equipment lists in Appendix 3, pp. 1-4].

As the responses in Required Elements 3.1, 3.2, and 3.3 show, students in the SSMPP in physics use these tools and many more sophisticated ones in their required and elective lab courses, thereby gaining the competence needed to instruct others.

Prospective teachers of physics must also be prepared to field questions and lead discussions on certain legal, ethical, and social issues surrounding science and technology. All SFSU students fulfilling requirements in the SSMPP in physics use the textbook PHYSICS: The Nature of Things by Susan M. Lea and John Robert Burke, in several core courses. Over many semesters, they encounter readings on relevant topics including electric safety, medical imaging, radioactivity, space exploration, hydroelectric and nuclear power, to name just a few examples. Professors also address these topics in lectures and labs [see course syllabi for PHYS 220, 230, and 240 in Appendix PS].

In their breadth courses, teacher candidates in the physical sciences also encounter numerous topics of legal, ethical, and social relevance. BIOL 230, for example, covers medical, forensic, environmental, and agricultural applications of DNA technology, as well as safety and ethical issues [see course syllabus in Appendix PS]. The breadth course GEOL/METR/OCN 405 is devoted entirely to the scientific and societal issues surrounding planetary climate change [see course syllabus in Appendix PS].

Required Element 3.1 The institution provides prospective teachers in the subject matter program access to a wide array of current technology resources. The program faculty selects these technologies on the basis of their effective and appropriate uses in the disciplines of the subject matter program

All SSMPP candidates in physics, as well as all other SFSU students, achieve technological competence through the required use of computers in most courses and on-line interfacing with instructors, the library, and university administration.

The Universitys Academic Technology Unit supports on-line teaching and learning through several avenues, including the following:

--A learning management system called iLearn, based on open-source Moodle software [see Appendix 3, pp. 5-6]. Each semester, virtually every SFSU course updates and presents its own specific iLearn webpage for distributing syllabi, lecture notes, hand-outs, and other instructions. The site allows instructors to send email to all class members and allows those students to interact in formal discussions, chat rooms, and collaborative assignments. Finally, students download assignments, upload papers and exercises, take quizzes, and track the grades and assessments instructors maintain on the site.

--CourseStream, an on-line environment that allows video streamed courses with live web-casts, synchronized Power Point slides, video-recorded lectures, and the capability of keyword reviews of all recorded lectures for the semester [see Appendix 3, pp. 7-8].

--ePortfolios or sites for students to store and present evidence of their collected academic work, including grades, reports, projects, and other career-oriented materials [see Appendix 3, pp. 9-11].

--Electronically enhanced Learning Spaces, including over 100 wired classrooms, six enhanced meeting rooms, and two enhanced theaters [see Appendix 3, p. 12-13].

--Creative Services that assist faculty, staff, and students with graphics, posters, photos, video-copying, and teleconferencing [see Appendix 3, p. 12].

--Media Distribution and Support service, which provides faculty with formatted media and technical equipment, including over 20,000 videotapes, DVDs, laser discs, CD-ROMs, films, and other resources [see Appendix 3, p.14].

. The Universitys Division of Information Technology provides more general technological support for all campus activities. This includes Internet and email accounts for students and faculty; 24-hour computing labs in various campus locations with over 1,500 PCs and Macintoshes; licensed software and databases; on-line class schedules, registration, grades, and other campus information [see Appendix 3, p. 13].

SSMPP candidates in physics have access to a dozen PC, Linux, and Unix computers in the physics departments computer laboratory in Thornton Hall, Room 123. In total, over 70 computers are dedicated to students and faculty in the Department of Physics and Astronomy [see Appendix 3, pp. 15-27], and students use many of these in upper division program courses and independent study projects. Through their breadth courses in biology, chemistry, and geosciences, SSMPP candidates in physics can use numerous additional computers with on-line access in laboratory classrooms and in the 24-station SEGA Multimedia Laboratory for Science and Mathematics in Science Building room 249.

The SFSU Department of Physics and Astronomy maintains many up-to-date technological facilities to which students also have access in their program courses. These include the Charles F. Hagar Planetarium, used in the breadth courses ASTR 116 and 321 (all physics SSMPP candidates are required to take one or the other) [see Appendix 3, pp. 28-30]. Students in upper division physics courses may also use research facilities such as the thin film laboratory, the Cryogenic Device Test Facility, the Exoplanet Lab, and the Optics Research Lab [see Appendix 3, pp. 31-37].

The J. Paul Leonard Library, in its effort to empower the University community with lifelong learning skills in promotion of scholarship, knowledge, and understanding, takes a leadership role in exploring and incorporating changing information technologies and formats. The librarys extensive collection of electronic resources, microforms, audio-visual media, and computer software includes over 200 databases providing access to over 24,000 electronic journals. These electronic resources are available in the library, in various campus centers, and to students at home through campus Internet accounts. Each SFSU student must display competence with computer and on-line library skills by taking a tutorial called Online Advancement of Student Information Skills (OASIS). Most students spend 6 to 8 hours reading the chapters and taking the five quizzes that are part of OASIS. A grade of 80 or above on each quiz is required for graduation in any field [see Appendix 3, pp. 38-41].

Many courses employ personal student response systems (or clicker technologies) based on computers and radio frequencies or infrared signals [see Appendix 3, pp. 42-43]. These allow instructors to pose questions to classes of any size and to tabulate and display the results immediately. Three breadth courses for all science teaching programs at SFSU--BIOL 230 and 240, and CHEM 115were using clicker technology as of Fall, 2008.

Students in the SSMPP in physics have extensive access to all of the above-listed contemporary technological resources through their required and elective courses. Physics and astronomy faculty members choose technologies for lab and field experiences that reflect up-to-date techniques for data gathering, analysis, processing, and presentation of information in various sub-disciplines of physics. The following list provides examples of required depth and breadth courses and the technological tools and techniques students learn to use in each:

Depth courses

--PHYS 222 (General Physics with Calculus Laboratory I)

Pasco cart

Pasco timer and instrumentation

Photogate

Sonic ranger

Pasco signal interface

Centripetal force apparatus

Pasco projectile launch

Pasco rotational dynamics apparatus

--PHYS 232 (General Physics with Calculus Laboratory II)

Electroscope

Electrophorus

Plotting board

Dual Display digital multimeter

Cathode ray tube

Hickcock Power Supply

Circuit board

Wheatstone bridge circuit

Resistance box and slide potentiometer

Pasco magnetic field sensor plus interface

Large diameter magnetic field coil

Tektronix power supply

Oscilloscope

--PHYS 242 (General Physics with Calculus Laboratory III)

Spectrometer

Magnifier

Photometer

Polaroid filters

Excel spread sheet software

Gas tank and Pasco pressure sensor

Temperature sensor

Electronic pressure read-out unit

Winsco vacuum

Calorimeter

Steam generator

Digital thermometer

Thermocouple

Thermal expansion apparatus

Stefan-Boltzman lamp

Thermal radiation sensor

--PHYS 321 (Modern Physics Laboratory)

Computers with Linux operating system

KDE/XWin32 Graphical User Interface

MATLAB Mathematical analysis program

Daedalon EN-01 Geiger tube

Daedalon EN-15 counter/ power unit

Co-60 gamma source

Sr-90 beta source

Po-210 alpha source

Beck interferometer

Sodium lamp, tensor lamp

--PHYS 490 (Physics Project Laboratory)

Pasco Geiger-Muller counter

Gamma ray detector

Co-60 gamma source

Am-241 alpha source

Tl-204 beta source

Chlorine-37 source

Fastie high resolution optical spectrometer

TracerLab NaI scintillation counter

LynxOO CCD Digital Imaging System

Teltron X-ray Diffractometer

MINSQ non-linear least squares fitting software

NAND gate (SN74LS00)

Interactive data language program

LF 411 chip

Global Specialties Protoboard with function generator and power supply

LabView software

Jarrell-Ash Spectrometer

Breadth courses

-- BIOL 230/240 [Introductory Biology I and II]

Numerous dedicated classroom computers

Audio-visual projectors

Pipettes [Mohr, serological, volumetric]

Zeiss compound microscope

B+L Spectronic 20 Spectrophotometer

pH meter

paper chromatography

--CHEM 115 [General Chemistry I]

Ocean Optics USB 2000 Diode Array Spectrophotometer

Ocean Optics Base32 Software

SPARTAN software

--GEOL/METR/OCN 405

WorldWatcher software

Java Script animation tool

NOAA online data base

STELLA model building software

American and Canadian government agency website data bases

TASA software

EdGCM software, running the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Sciences data and the Global Climate Model II

Students learn to use the above-listed technology in these and other courses and will be extremely well-prepared to teach the instruments and methods available to most secondary students in California.

Required Element 3.2 Prospective teachers demonstrate information processing competency, including but not limited to the use of appropriate technologies and tools for research, problem solving, data acquisition and analysis, communications, and presentation.

Students enrolled in the SSMPP in physics use and develop competency with various forms of information processing technology throughout their coursework. The following examples show specific technologies for research, problem solving, data acquisition and analysis, communication, and presentation in representative courses.

Research Students in the SSMPP in physics carry out research in both breadth and depth courses. For example, students in the required introductory courses BIOL 230/240 access numerous websites to research information on mitosis, human chromosome maps, chromosome abnormalities, and genetic diseases. [See Lab manual for BIOL 230, Laboratory Exercise 9 in Appendix 3, pp. 44-45]. In the required breadth course GEOL/METR/OCN 405, students research various topics on government agency websites including NOAA data on ocean temperatures and salinity for lab activity 10 [see Appendix 3, pp. 46-49]; information on North American glaciation from a Natural Resources Canada website for lab activity 14; and information on global earthquake and volcano patterns via dedicated course websites [see Appendix 3, pp. 50-53].

SSMPP candidates take either PHYS 490 or ASTR 490. In PHYS 490 (Physics Project Lab), most of the experiments require extensive research before beginning the necessary data collection and analysis. For example, before beginning Lab D4: The Mossbauer Effect, students research and study background information on gamma ray absorption; alpha, beta, and gamma decay; data on cobalt-60 and other isotopes; and instructional manuals for operating various instruments [see Appendix 3, pp. 54-56]. Before beginning a project on the Chaotic Pendulum, students research specifications for several digital electronic devices; on-line directions for a Stepper-Motor translator device; and a former students lab notebook on the experiment [see Appendix 3, p. 57]. In ASTR 490, students are required to extensively research key topics in the current astrophysical literature [see ASTR 490 syllabus in Appendix PS].

Problem Solving Problem solving is central to every depth course in the physics SSMPP at SFSU. The required course PHYS 222 (General Physics with Calculus I Laboratory) is a good example. Students must complete homework problem sets each week and turn them in for 25 percent of the course grade. Each lab exercise in the sequence of 13 is set up as a series of questions that the student must solve and record in a lab notebook. Appendix 3, pages 58 to 67, includes laboratory exercises 3 and 5 on force and acceleration, and shows the problem-based structure of each unit and the questions students must answer through calculation, laboratory activity, and observation.

Data Acquisition and Analysis As with problem solving, data acquisition and subsequent analysis are central to every course in the physics SSMPP. The manual for the required laboratory course PHYS 222, for example, includes a list of items to be included in every laboratory write-up. As Appendix 3, pages 68 to 81 shows, that list includes five types of Data and six types of Analysis. Laboratory directions often include details for data collection. For example, in Laboratory 6, Acceleration Due to Gravity, students follow a detailed procedure for collecting data. Lab instructors then require student to analyze the data they have collected. In Laboratory Exercise 8 on Friction, Work, and Energy on an Inclined Plane, the student collects several kinds of data then is instructed in its analysis in several places [see Appendix 3, pp. 82-87]. In yet another example, the introduction to the required course PHYS 242 (General Physics with Calculus III Laboratory] explains that the elements of each students lab report for each lab session must include a section on data collection and a section on data analysis in which the student uses the data to calculate or establish som