Ball State will receive approximately $350,000 over the next five years for a program that will be used as a model by other universities to increase the physics knowledge of middle and high school teachers.

"Our focus will be on secondary teachers who are planning to teach science, but have not majored in physics," said Ruth Howes, physics professor and the primary grant writer. "We want to help in those situations where a principal needs to call on a science teacher to teach a physics course."

Ball State is one of six universities that is part of a nationwide initiative, known as the Physics Teacher Coalition (PhysTEC), to improve science preparation of teachers and establish a mentor program for new teachers.

The grant was awarded to the American Physical Society (APS), in partnership with the American Association of Physics Teachers and the American Institute of Physics. APS is divvying the grant money among the six universities to create pilot programs that can then be used at other schools.

At Ball State, the Department of Physics and Astronomy and the Teachers College will be coordinating efforts to hire a science-teacher-in-residence and revise a year-long, algebra-based physics course for secondary education majors. The program will begin this spring.

Other universities receiving grants were Oregon State University, University of Arizona, University of Arkansas, Western Michigan University and Xavier University of Louisiana.

(NOTE TO EDITORS: For more information, contact Ruth Howes, the George and Francis Ball Distinguished Professor of Physics and Astronomy, by e-mail at rhowes@bsu.eduor by phone at (765) 285-8868. For more information about PhysTEC go to www.aip.org.)