For example, the Kennewick School District in southeastern Washington is well known for its attention to reading. This turned out to be an impediment to promoting science education, because district officials feared that an emphasis on science would detract from the focus on reading. However, the LASER Program helped district and school leaders think about how science might be an ideal partner for raising scores in reading.
Key individuals in leadership roles have proven to be critical in implement- ing this theory of action.
These individuals have come not just from the education community but from the business community, higher educa- tion, and government. The program strives to ensure that initiatives are based on current research, that they are visible and well understood in the state, that they are supported by a healthy mix of funding, and that leadership comes from multiple sectors.
The program creates challenging goals for schools. We keep nurturing. We keep trying to help schools progress and translate those goals into day-to-day practices that make a difference for kids. It also involves a diverse set of partners from business, education, the nonprofit sector, and local communities. A major focus is the provision of products and services that amplify the effect of investments in science education. In addition, the program is involved in such areas as curriculum and assessment development, professional development, and community support.
As one way to assess the effectiveness of these efforts, the LASER Program has sought to understand how the amount and quality of professional development has improved student learning.
Using both end-of-unit assessments and statewide comprehensive assessments, the program has sought to relate results at the fifth and eighth grade levels to teacher professional development. The results of these assessments in turn have affected the design of the program. Changes in the program are linked with its sustainability. With the program in its second decade, its leaders are trying to figure out how the program can evolve to keep pace with changes occurring in the state. A par- ticular tension has been between science literacy for all and the need to fill the innovation needs of the state in the short term by producing university graduates in STEM fields.
State standards have been revised and new assessments instituted. The state has a new superinten-. Difficult economic circumstances are affect- ing the mix of public and private resources. Involving business in public-private partnerships has been important, because it offers to business a way of demonstrating the returns on investments. In addition, five elements of the program provide tangible outcomes that people can understand: 1.
Continuing investment and dialogue among partners, even as the roster of partners changes. Building on previous efforts that stakeholders recognize as successful.
Developing strategies to deal with the inevitable transitions of key personnel. The question of who leads the organization is especially important, Dorph noted, because LASER traditionally has been seen as outside the tradi- tional power structure and as a neutral convener of stakeholders. To ensure that professional development is ongoing and progressive, it is important to get a commitment from districts, especially those with resource constraints.
It also is important to find people in the state who are highly qualified to offer professional development and to train new people to offer professional development over time.
Finally, any such program will face difficulties. Since Arthur Levine became president of the founda- tion in , it also has emphasized the preparation of mathematics and science teachers. In return, they make a three- year commitment to teach in a high-needs school. They receive intensive mentoring to encourage them to remain in teaching.
The foundation also has been working with universities to transform preservice teacher educa- tion in science and mathematics so that teachers are better prepared when they enter schools.
The foundation chose to work with Indiana, which is the 19th largest state in the country. The program produces 80 mathematics and science teachers per year. In addition, small states offer economies of scale in terms of recruitment, placement, and assessment. If the chief state school officer left, or the state higher education executive officer left, we still have the same coalition. We just have new players in it. Programs can persist if you build the right coalition.
High-level representation on the coalition also provided a means of exerting pressure on parts of the science education system that need to change. For example, the governor could press for changes in the state university system through both formal and informal channels. Funding from the foundation provided another incentive for change, with requirements for matching funds ensuring commitment on the part of educational institutions.
Reforming science education in elementary and middle schools will require many changes, Levine said. Universities must prepare more sci- ence teachers. Salary bonuses may be needed to recruit quality teachers to all schools. Professional development for practicing teachers needs to increase in quantity and quality. More facilities and equipment are needed. Instead of saying that the curriculum must improve, say that a new fourth grade curriculum in the physical sciences is needed.
Many groups are focusing on better teacher education, including universities, school districts, not-for-profit organizations, such as Teach for America, state governments, the federal government, and for-profit organizations like the American College of Education. The Wilson Foun- dation has chosen to work largely with universities on teacher education, because universities still prepare the large majority of teachers.
Universi- ties also can sustain programs once those programs are established. And universities are the centers of scientific disciplines, and association with these disciplines can provide solid content for science teachers. The foundation also has told universities that it wants to focus on outcomes, for both teachers and students.
In addition, programs need to combine the arts and sciences and education, drawing strengths from different departments. The foundation wants third-party assessments of university programs and their outcomes. This clarity of expectations helps the universities and the foundation know what is important, in return for funding the fellowships and separate funding to reform university curricula. The existence of the coalition also encourages change, in that. The task is often difficult for universities, Levine said.
For example, Ball State University, the largest producer of teachers in Indiana, broke its teacher education program into modules that it embedded in field expe- riences for future teachers. It created residencies for teachers to work on program design and residencies for professors in schools so they could spend time teaching in the schools in which they were preparing teachers to work. The whole world of math has changed. What we expect of schools is very different than we used to expect from them.
We need a new coterie of science teachers and math teachers. Funding for curriculum reform then hinges on meeting those dates and deliverables. Recruitment, prepara- tion, placement, retention, and professional development were tied into a single program instead of being reformed one by one.
But achieving this goal requires moving with alacrity, establishing explicit roles for each stakeholder in the system, and insti- tuting coalitions of the key actors in each state. K-8 science education in California as in many other parts of the country is in a state of crisis. K-8 students in California spend too little time studying science, many of their teachers are not well prepared in the subject, and the support system for science instruction has deteriorated.
A proliferation of overly detailed standards and poorly conceived assessments has trivialized science education. And all these problems are likely to intensify: an ongoing fiscal crisis in the state threatens further cutbacks, teacher and administrator layoffs, and less money for professional development.
A convocation held on April , , sought to confront the crisis in California science education, particularly at the kindergarten through eighth grade level. The convocation, summarized in this volume, brought together key stakeholders in the science education system to enable and facilitate an exploration of ways to more effectively, efficiently, and collectively support, sustain, and communicate across the state concerning promising research and practices in K-8 science education and how such programs can be nurtured by communities of stakeholders.
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Visit NAP. Looking for other ways to read this? No thanks. Suggested Citation: "4 Exemplary Programs. Page 36 Share Cite. Page 37 Share Cite. Page 38 Share Cite. Page 39 Share Cite.
Page 40 Share Cite. Page 41 Share Cite. Page 42 Share Cite. Page 43 Share Cite. Page 44 Share Cite. Page 45 Share Cite. Page 46 Share Cite. This literature review was divided into three areas that form the foundation of the child's development during kindergarten--play and problem solving, language and literacy, and social-emotional development through interaction with peers and teachers. Issues of special importance to exemplary practice in French-language schools were also reviewed, highlighting the importance of placing the kindergarten program in its social context.
The role of the teacher, another critical feature of exemplary programs, was also reviewed. The final part of the study consisted of collecting the views of teachers, principals, consultants, and parents on what defines exemplary kindergarten practice.
The study indicated agreement across practitioner groups with the play-based child-centered philosophy articulated by the Ontario Ministry of Education. Parents were also supportive of these developmentally appropriate goals and methods.
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