IISME has conducted a variety of studies over the years to assess the impact of the Summer Fellowship Program on teachers. This page highlights four approaches:

Teacher & Mentor Evaluations	Fellowship Impact	Teacher Retention	National Board Certification

 2007 Teacher and  Mentor Evaluation

Teacher Feedback     

• 99% of IISME teachers said the program elevated their enthusiasm for teaching.                       
• 96% gained a greater understanding of the applications of science, math or technology in everyday life.                       
• 96% increased their knowledge of careers that utilize science, math or technology.                       
• 96% said their confidence in themselves as teachers increased.                       
• 93% reported their mentor was committed to providing opportunities to learn and gain expertise in new areas.

2007 Teacher Quotes

"IISME is the best professional development experience I've ever had, hands down! I have never felt more valued and respected as a teacher. I return to my classroom with renewed vigor to further science education. " 

"The summer flew by. It was a great reality check for me as a teacher to experience life in the corporate world. It confirmed my love of teaching."

"This was the best summer ever. I loved the projects I worked on and am amazed at what I, an educator, am capable of!"

"IISME provided me with one of the most meaningful professional development experiences of my career. This experience has changed the way I conceptualize my students’ career options after high school and/or college!" 

"I had an awesome mentor who cared about me, my professional development, and the applications that I could use in the classroom."

"My sponsor was awesome; my mentor was fantastic. My summer colleagues were very organized, flexible and understanding.  Everyone was very concerned that I learn something that I could take back to the classroom."

"I walked away with new tools that I will immediately use in my classroom.  Excellent experience!"

"My Fellowship brought home to me the importance of setting high standards and expectations for my students. Even more critical, it provided me with the tools and strategies to allow my students to achieve success."

Mentor Feedback 

• 95% agree the IISME Fellowship program was worthwhile for themselves as mentors and for their department or organization.                          
• 95% would participate as an IISME mentor again in the future.                       
• 96% would recommend their teacher for another Fellowship.   

2007 Mentor Quotes

"Our Fellow was self starting and worked very well with our employees with little supervision. In short, this has truly been a win-win situation and we look forward to working with IISME in the future." (Northrop Grumman)

"Eight weeks was not long enough to bring all of the teacher’s great ideas to fruition. We would love to have him back again to continue with other projects." (Google)

"Our teacher brought an excellent set of business skills and great attitude. She was a terrific fit with the team!" (Hewlett-Packard)

"She was helpful in optimizing our website and supporting our worldwide process support organization." (Applied Materials)

"Our teacher was keen to learn and worked well with all the scientists in the group. He had a great attitude!" (Applied Biosystems)

"Our Fellow was extremely enthusiastic, worked very hard and went above and beyond what we asked of her." (Hiller Aviation Museum)

"Our Fellow was a delight to work with. She was very engaged in her assigned activity and accomplished a great deal." (Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company)

"She learned new technologies quickly, contributed significantly and worked very independently."  (Cassatt Corporation)

"She performed her research with exquisite care and attention to detail. She produced very valuable results for our group within a very short time." (San Jose State University)

2006 Teachers’ Perceived Impacts One Year Following Their Participation: 

• 100% of the teachers said it stimulated them to think about ways to improve their teaching.                       
• 95% implemented their Education Transfer Plan with their students.                       
• 95% went back to school and experimented with new teaching strategies.                       
• 93% became empowered in new ways.                       
• 89% noted positive changes in their teaching.                        
• 88% implemented or applied new instructional practices.                       
• 86% reported that their Fellowship positively impacted student learning.                       
• 43% reported using their IISME contacts and experiences to obtain new resources for their classroom.  

IISME Teacher Retention and Program Impact 1985-2000

IISME released landmark teacher retention and long-term program impact study results on October 30, 2001. Among other positive outcomes, the study revealed that IISME teachers stay in teaching at a much higher rate than their peers. For the full report, click on Teacher Retention.

 National Board Certification

IISME alumni have achieved National Board Certification at more than three times the rate of their peers in California. This certification increasingly has come to define what it means to be a master teacher in the U.S.