Teacher Innovator Institute: Fall 2020 Evaluation Highlights

This report presents highlights from a Fall 2020 evaluation conducted with 69 STEAM teachers from across the U.S., all of whom are part of the National Air and Space Museum's Teacher Innovator Institute (TII).  Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on classrooms and the museum's teacher PD program, the evaluation in Fall 2020 focused on understanding the conditions, adaptations, challenges, and success stories of this population of teachers from across the country.  The findings in this report provide insight into the variations in teaching conditions (depending on geography and urbanity of location), systemic challenges, instructional challenges, success stories of maintaining student-centered practices in virtual learning settings, and teachers' perspectives on the ways that they need support in the difficult 2020-21 school year.

About the Program: 

The Teacher Innovator Institute (TII) is an intensive teacher professional development program, established by the National Air and Space Museum (NASM) in 2018.  The program seeks to support middle school STEAM teachers across the country to deepen their understanding and ability to create authentic learning experiences in the classroom.  They do this by immersing teachers in the techniques, principles, and resources of museum and informal education, which teachers adapt and apply to enhance their practice.  In summer 2020, the program had to pivot its operations, as it was not possible to bring together the 90 teachers currently in the program.  NASM has provided flexible, ongoing, just-in-time, virtual PD and resources for the teachers.  Program evaluation activities also shifted to explore how the program is supporting and could better support teachers in the ever-changing conditions of the 2020-21 school year.