School-Based Curricular Frameworks: Supporting Local Science Education Reform (original) (raw)
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An innovative model for collaborative reform in Elementary School Science Teaching
Journal of Science Teacher Education, 1996
Educators often find themselves ensnared in a social system that is ravaging our children and youth, a political system that regulates more than it facilitates learning, and an educational system that is often centralized, bureaucratic and inflexible .... If schools and universities do not demonstrate aggressive leadership in addressing the needs of students, teachers and administrators, it is highly probable that society will continue to lose confidence in both sets of institutions. Worse than the loss of trust in these institutions is the tragedy of losing thousands of children andyouth to ways of life that are unproductive or destructive. (p. 2) Complex problems invariably require complex solutions (Fuhrman & Massell, 1992). According to Acting Assistant Secretary of the Office of Educational Research and Improvement (OERI), "this means that the educational system, as we know it, mustundergo a significant transformation" (McKinney, 1993, p. vi). Models of pervasive and systemic reform must be formulated, implemented, evaluated, and disseminated. Public schools cannot be expected to face these challenges alone. Educators from preschool through university, parents, the citizens of our communities, and students, themselves, are participants and stake holders in decisions affecting the quality of education in America. School systems, institutions of higher education, and communities must join forces and consolidate a commitment to education as the cornerstone of democracy and the key to the preservation and enhancement of our civilization. Genuine partnerships must be created where we can all learn, improve, and grow together as a community of learners. During Fall semester, 1990, this vision of collaborative reform provided the incentive for a partnership among Kansas State University (KSU)
1995
During the first and second years of the national evaluation of the Statewide Systemic Initiatives (SSI) program, a sample of 11 case study states was drawn from the universe of awards the National Science Foundation made to 25 states and Puerto Rico. This document reports on three case studies for Connecticut, Delaware, and Montana. The cases provide a level of detail about the SSI program greater than can be captured in analyses cutting across all the SST's. Each one situates systemic reform activities in its specific and unique state context. The case studies include good practice in mathematics and science education, implementation of the SSI, preliminary impacts of the SSI, and reflections on the SSI. Significant accomplishments are: creation of a new nonprofit institution in Connecticut which is taking its place as a leader in education reform in the state and is supported by many professionals in the mathematics, science, and engineering communities; contribution of the Delaware SSI to the development of draft state curriculum frameworks in both mathematics and science; and the writing of more than 1,000 pages of a new integrated high school mathematics curriculum in Montana. (JRH)
1995
During the first and second years of the national evaluation of the Statewide Systemic Initiatives (SSI) program, a sample of 11 case study states was drawn from the universe of awards the National Science Foundation made to 25 states and Puerto Rico. This document reports on three case studies for Connecticut, Delaware, and Montana. The cases provide a level of detail about the SSI program greater than can be captured in analyses cutting across all the SST's. Each one situates systemic reform activities in its specific and unique state context. The case studies include good practice in mathematics and science education, implementation of the SSI, preliminary impacts of the SSI, and reflections on the SSI. Significant accomplishments are: creation of a new nonprofit institution in Connecticut which is taking its place as a leader in education reform in the state and is supported by many professionals in the mathematics, science, and engineering communities; contribution of the Delaware SSI to the development of draft state curriculum frameworks in both mathematics and science; and the writing of more than 1,000 pages of a new integrated high school mathematics curriculum in Montana. (JRH)
A Model for Science Curriculum Implementation: Iowa-ASSIST
1976
A project is described wherein the major activity is assistance to schools for implementing or revising science curriculum programs in Iowa schools. Programs emphasized include all grade levels. Assistance is provided in the areas of mathematics and social studies as well as science..A K-12 Environmental Studies Program was developed by the project personnel.as well. The teams for each program are described in relation to what members are included, what activities are pursued, and what follovup programs were expected. The rationale of the project is presented as well as an outline of the major concepts and service possibilities. The model consists of five levels: (1) the Coordinating Staff; (2) the Consulting-Advisory Groups; (3) Research and Development; (41) Programs --Teacher Education, Student, Community Related; and (5) Regional Centers. Flow Charts, workshops offered, national curriculum program used, and type and number of education programs offered for teachers are presented. (EB)
Building A Collaborative K12 Partnership
2010
TechSTEP, Cyber Discovery, and NASA-Threads are partnerships between K12 schools and Louisiana Tech University that lead to an improvement of high school student achievement in mathematics and science. These partnerships result in better prepared students entering science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) programs at the university level. Teachers from regional high schools and university faculty from STEM disciplines work together through multiple collaborative projects. Collaborators (including the authors) come from a broad range of disciplines: engineering, education, mathematics, and the liberal arts, as well as K12 teachers and administrators. The collaborative partnerships developed between area high schools and Louisiana Tech University ensure that the curriculum and education programs are challenging but appropriately targeted for high school students. These projects reach schools which have differing economic and social demographics. Thus the partnerships provide for the development of a robust program that can be implemented in schools regardless of size, location, or economic status of the community. The latest partnership, NASA-Threads, builds upon the u-Discovery model by providing professional development in the context of curricular design in physics and engineering. Teaching fellows, along with faculty from the university, spent the summer completing the initial development of this new curriculum. Following this intensive curriculum development phase, the three core partner schools implemented the pilot curriculum. By establishing a truly collaborative partnership, the curriculum is appropriately revised throughout the pilot year. In the next academic year, the program will expand to include 30 teachers from 15 schools. This paper presents a model for collaborative partnership between K12 schools systems and universities.