AGENDA

Status of Grant

BLAHST Project site

Barriers to Effective Science Teaching

Objectives

Lead Teacher Roles

S-PDS Teams

(Lead Teacher, 3 full day orientations tist, graduate assistant, on-site administrator)

Scientist Roles

National Curriculum Kits -- Examples, Handouts - MSST, INSIGHTS, FOSS, STC, SEPUP

(selection, sugg. first year curriculum, purchasing, refurbishment, delivery, pick-up, storage)

Hands-On Science Study Results

Correlation to National Science Standards

National Curriculum Orientation Spring workshops for Lead Teachers and others (When, Who will come)

Summer Professional Development (When, Who will come)

Committees

Curriculum Advisory Committee (Co-PIs, parent, teachers, admin. meets twice a year )

Equity Advisory Committee (meets once a year)

Internet Network- BLAHST Homepage

Extended Mentorship Program (preservice)

Funding Sources

Evaluation

Timeline-Deadlines (Lead Teachers, S-PDS Teams, Spring Workshops, Summer Workshops)

Other

THE BLACK HILLS REGION

Lead-Deadwood District: (3 schools)

Deadwood Elementary School K-5

West Lead Elementary School K-3

Deadwood Middle School 6-8

Belle Fourche School District: (4 schools)

North Park Elementary K-1

South Park Elementary School 1-4

Belle Fourche Middle School 5-8

Spearfish School District: (4 schools)

Central Elementary School K

East Elementary School 1-5

West Elementary School K-3

Spearfish Middle School 6-8

Douglas School District: (4 schools)

Badger Clark/Carrousel Elementary School K-1

Francis Case Elementary School 2-3

Vandenberg Elementary School 4-5

Douglas Middle School 6-8

New Underwood School district: (4 schools)

Farmingdale Elementary K-8

Harmony Elementary K-8

New Underwood Elementary K-6

New Underwood Junior High 7-8

Wall School District: (5 schools)

Big White Elementary K-8

Deep Creek Elementary K-8

Scenic Elementary K-8

Wall Elementary K-5

Wall Middle School 6-8

Kadoka School District: (3 schools)

Interior Elementary K-8

Kadoka Elementary K-8

Longvalley Elementary K-8

A BLACK HILLS SCIENCE TEACHING PROJECT TO PREPARE

K-8 TEACHERS FOR NEW MILLENNIUM

Barriers To Be Overcome By the BLAHST Project

o Lack of high-quality teaching materials

o Lack of hands-on science materials and apparatus in classrooms

o Many teachers who are poorly prepared in science

o Insufficient opportunities for in-service education

o Inadequate time provided in the curriculum to teach science

o Lack of facilities for teaching science

o Inappropriate tests used to assess science learning

o Lack of local leadership and support for improved science teaching

Objectives

o Within each participating school, enhance all K-8 teacher's science content background, pedagogical skills, and assessment strategies.

o Train teachers to effective use nationally recognized science curricula that is hands-on inquiry, more focused on a select number of concepts, builds on previous learning, and is in accordance with state and local curriculum needs.

o Bring together key players (teachers, professors, administrators, school boards, parents and community leaders) in the reform process to achieve long-term support at all levels including individual classrooms, schools, districts, communities, and the state.

o Engage teachers as reflective practitioners who are empowered to make significant changes in their instructional practice.

o Develop professional development mentorships and partnerships that are reflective, long-term, and self-sustaining within the context of science teaching/learning activities.

o Develop, deliver, assess, and modify inservice science/science teaching workshops and other activities that will address specific needs unique to each school as well as local, state and national needs.

o Involve American Indians and American Indian rural schools in all phases of the project.

o Develop, implement, assess, and disseminate research-based findings associated with all phases of the project.

o Utilize technology to enhance all phases of the project.

Characteristics of National Science Curriculum

- composed of national curriculum materials (kits)

- meets national standards

- contains embedded assessment

- contains content that is greater in depth with emphasis on connections and themes rather than terminology and facts

- links new information with prior learning experiences

- applies science concepts within problem-based contexts that relate to the daily lives of students

LEAD TEACHER ROLES

Attend and participate in training sessions during five year grant duration to learn the most effective methods for becoming change agents and working with other teachers.

Attend grade-level collaboration meetings whenever possible

Arrange for or guide teachers to university scientists and graduate students partners when the teacher-participants raise content questions that cannot be answered by the mentor or project staff

Facilitate after school S-PDS team meetings (at least once a month)

Facilitate after school participant teacher sharing sessions (once a month)

Enhance the collaboration time between teachers at the same school

Provide opportunities for school-level group interactions.

Model constructivism in the classroom.

Model hands-on inquiry science

Model classroom management skills

Model cooperative learning strategies

Interact with participants as they work with the kits and identify areas where science content is needed

Organize and demonstrate hands-on activities from selected exemplary kit based materials

Model effective processing activities and inquiry questioning strategies.

Coordinate with scientist partners to enhance the teacher's knowledge of relevant content areas.

Demonstrate how to integrate other subject areas into science.

Facilitate the development of a school site-based strategic national science curriculum plan.

Coordinate the use of kits within the school site.

Assist with the collection of project evaluation data and in providing performance-based assessment.

Coaching/Reflection

To refine teaching practices

To deepen collegiality

To increase professional dialogue

To help teachers think more deeply about their teaching

Criteria for Selection of Lead Teachers:

Motivation, ability to work with teachers in the field, experience with hands-on science, experience with national curriculum materials

SCIENTIST ROLES

o Provide content-based workshops and seminars during the year

o Demonstrate that inquiry processes which are inherent in national curriculum materials is prevalent in the "real" scientific world.

o Assist teachers with formulating open-ended science questions that will lead the teachers to construct science knowledge that has an intuitive interface with the real world.

o Act as mentors both on-line and face to face

o Assist with summer inservice activities

o Engage the teachers in "real" scientific research projects.

o Serve as advocates to local school boards and district groups concerning the improvement of science instruction, implementation of national reform, and the development of support for collaborative work.

SUGGESTED FIRST YEAR CURRICULUM

LSC NSF - BLAHST PROJECT

GRADE CURRICULUM Plan A CURRICULUM Plan B

K FOSS - Wood FOSS- Paper

1 FOSS- Pebbles Sand and Silt FOSS- Balance and Motion

2 FOSS- Solids and Liquids FOSS- Air and Weather

3 FOSS - Measurement FOSS - Measurement

4 STC- Motion and Design FOSS - Water

5 STC - Food Chemistry FOSS - Mixtures and Solutions

6 STC- Magnets and Motors MSST- Level A Patterns of Change

7 MSST - Level B: Patterns of Change MSST - Level B: Patterns of Change

8 MSST- Level C: Diversity and Limits MSST- Level C: Diversity and Limits

LSC NSF - LSC SCHOOL DISTRICTS

DISTRICT GRADES CURRICULUM LEAD TEACHER(S)

Lead-Deadwood:

Deadwood Elem. K-5

West Lead Elem K-3

Deadwood Middle 6-8

Belle Fourche:

 Jefferson Elem. K-1

South Park Elem. K-4

Gay Park Middle 5

Roosevelt Middle 6-8

Spearfish:

Central Elem. K

East Elem. 1-5

West Elem. K-3

Spearfish Middle 6-8

Douglas:

Badger Clark/Carr. Elem K-1

Francis Case Elem. 2-3

Vandenberg Elem. 4-5

Douglas Middle 6-8

New Underwood:

Farmingdale Elem. K-8

Harmony Elem. K-8

New Underwood Elem. K-6

New Underwood Jr. High 7-8

Wall:

Big White Elem. K-8

Deep Creek Elem. K-8

Pleasant Ridge Elem. K-8

Scenic Elem. K-8

Wall Elem. K-5

Wall Middle 6-8

Kadoka:

Interior Elem. K-8

Kadoka Elem. K-8

Longvalley Elem. K-8

FUNDING

BLAHST Project

BHSU Cost Share

$25,000/year for curriculum support and material purchase

Reduced credit costs and Master degrees

Extended Mentorship program

Resource/Refurbishment Center

1/2 time secretary

1/2 time refurbishment center coordinator

NSF contribution: 1.5 million dollars over 5 years

Up to $3000/teacher for professional development (over 5 years) Teachers must receive sustained support and over 100 hours of professional development.

Summer Stipends (5 days @ $45/day) + Lunch

Reduced Tuition for graduate credit

Academic year stipends (2 days @ $45/day)

Personnel Salaries

Graduate Assistants

Evaluation

School Contribution

Commitment to science teaching reform

In-kind salaries of Co-PIs on the project

Teacher/administrative support (time, professional development days, state science teaching conferences, Saturday workshops, evening workshops, networking, monthly after school sessions; Action research seminars, content workshops, assessment workshops, learning cycle workshops, standards workshops, equity workshops)

Curriculum material purchase (tied to textbook adoption process) Ave. cost in non-adoption years about $5/student, in textbook adoption years could be $35-40/student which is enough to purchase kits (Approx. $400/kit) Each Kit contains teachers guides and materials for one classroom for approx. 6-9 weeks of activity.

At least One Lead Teacher per Building (greater support; release time; could be released from all duties other than teaching)

NSF expects the districts to use State Eisenhower money (but it may or may not count as cost sharing).

YEAR

SUMMER ACTIVITIES ACADEMIC YEAR

ACTIVITIES TOTAL TEACHERS

1 40 hrs. -- 100 Tchrs. (Coh. A) 16 hrs. -- Coh. A 100

2

40 hrs. -- 125 Tchrs. (Coh. A)

40 hrs. -- 125 Tchrs. (Coh. B) + 20 Tcrs. (Coh. A) 16 hrs. -- Coh. A

16 hrs. -- Coh. B 225

3

40 hrs. -- 125 Tchrs. (Coh. B)

40 hrs. -- 125 Tchrs. (Coh. C) + 20 Tcrs. (Coh. B) 16 hrs.-- Coh. A

16 hrs. -- Coh. B

16 hrs. -- Coh. C 350

4

40 hrs. -- 125 Tchrs. (Coh. C)

40 hrs. -- 150 Tchrs. (Coh. D) + 20 Tcrs. (Coh. C) 16 hrs. -- Coh. A

16 hrs. -- Coh. B

16 hrs. -- Coh. C

16 hrs. -- Coh. D 500

5

40 hrs. -- 150 Tchrs. (Coh. D) 16 hrs. -- Coh. A

16 hrs. -- Coh. B

16 hrs. -- Coh. C

16 hrs.-- Coh. D 500

Professional development sequence showing number of teachers and hours of professional development to be provided during the summer and the academic year.

Summer (one week workshops by grade-level blocks K-2, 3-5-6-8)

Academic year (at least 2 days of professional development)

o Exploration of selected national curriculum kits

o Modeling/peer teaching kits

o Strategic planning for the academic year

o Integrating methods and mapping your curricula.

o Coordinating with the national and state science standards

o Science content

o Inquiry teaching strategies

o Assessing inquiry-based instruction

o developing and sustaining the supporting network

o reflection/constructivism

o Questioning strategies.

o Constructivism philosophy.

o Changing theory and activities.

o Action research.

o Strategies for being a leader in the change process.

o Inquiry science and other presentation methods.

o Cooperative learning in science.

o Mentor and peer coaching strategies.

o Becoming a learner facilitator rather than a lecturer.

o Operation of a science and technology center facility.

o Science misconceptions.

o Overcoming barriers to the teaching of science.

o Scientists as partners.

o Involving administrators in the change process.

o Internet collaboration

o Effective uses of technology

Academic Year Activities

- Week day workshops; Weekend workshops; Evening workshops; Internet

- After school S-PDS team meetings (at least once a month)

- After school participant teacher sharing sessions led by lead teachers (once a month)

- Action Research Teacher Exchanges -- 15 hours during the school year, one every month, teachers get 1 graduate credit. Taught by lead teachers acting as adjunct professors.

- Attendance at professional conferences (state and national meetings)

- Curriculum committee (twice a year), Equity Committee (once a year)

PROJECT EVALUATION

Evaluation is viewed as an ongoing process that will evolve as the needs of the project evolve. Evaluation will serve to monitor changes, document outcomes, and facilitate the design and modification of the project's activities to better achieve its mission. A standard NSF core evaluation will be conducted during each year of the project (the instruments and data analysis will be provided by Horizon Research). Furthermore, based on Guidelines provided in the NSF Handbook for Evaluation, this project will utilize:

o Core Evaluation - to provide baseline data on students and teachers attitudes, concepts, etc.

o Planning Evaluation - to assess understanding of the project's goals, objectives, strategies, and timelines.

o Formative Evaluation - to assess ongoing project activities.

-- Implementation Evaluation - to assess whether the project is being conducted as planned

-- Progress Evaluation - to assess progress in meeting project objectives.

o Summative evaluation - to assess the extent to which the completed project has met its objectives.

PROJECT IMPACT: All K-8 Teachers will:

o Learn science content and process in greater depth

o Learn to teach science through effective inquiry hands-on methods

o Learn to select, adapt, and manage national science curriculum materials

o Learn to continuously assess student progress using a variety of mechanisms

o Learn to work cooperatively on many levels to share ideas and solve problems

o Learn to apply equity strategies which respond to individual student needs

o Learn to apply technology appropriately for science teaching and learning

TENTATIVE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT DATES

Spring Orientation Workshops: One day workshops for Lead Teachers - 8:30am - 4:00 pm

(25 Lead Teachers/each) -- we need to supplement with other teachers to attain 25 teachers for the orientation workshops.

FOSS (Delta Education)

- Will provide 2 full day orientations for lower elem. and upper elem.

- Will provide kits to lead teachers for piloting, free of charge, this Sprng (the kits will need to be returned after use.

STC (Carolina)

- Will provide 2 full day orientations for lower elem. and upper elem.

- Will provide kits to lead teachers for piloting, free of charge, this Sprng (the kits will need to be returned after use with consumables replaced.

INSIGHTS, TRACS, MSST

- Will provide 3 full day orientations for each of the curriculum.

- Will provide kits to lead teachers for piloting, free of charge, this Sprng.

Tentative Workshop Dates

March 15

March 16

March 17

March 18

March 19

March 22

March 23

March 24

Summer Workshops: Week-Long Professional Development Workshops for K-8 teachers

8:30am- 4:30 pm Monday - Friday

Lunch is provided

Stipends: $45/day (I intend to raise this to $60/day)

June 7-11 50 K-8 teachers

August 16-20 50 K-8 teacherrs

Principal Investigator: Derrick R. Lavoie, Assoc. Prof. of Science Education, College of Education/Arts and Sciences, Black Hills State University, USB 9034, Spearfish, SD 57799 Phone: (605) 642-6235, Fax: (605) 642-6032, Email: dlavoie@mystic.bhsu.edu

CO- Principal Investigator Contact Information:

Chapel, Mitch, Ed.D., TIE Office, 1925 Plaza Blvd., Rapid City, SD 57702, ph: 605-394-1876

Creal, Tim Superintendent Box 128, New Underwood, SD 57761 ph. 605 754 6485

Gaspar, Sandra, Curriculum Director, Spearfish Middle School, 525 East Illinois, Spearfish, SD 57783-2495 (605)-642-1215 email: sgaspr@bo.spearfish.sd.us

Hartman, Josephine; Principal, Kadoka School District, PO Box 99, Kodaka, SD 57543-0099 Ph: 605 837 2175 Fax: 605 837 2176

Hillberry, Joseph, Coordinating Director For Curriculum And Instruction, Douglas School District 51-1, Ellesworth Air Force Base, 400 Patriot Drive, Box Elder, SD 57719, (605)-923-1431, Fax 605-923-6387

Hulce, Doug Principal/Superintendent, Wall School District P.O. 414 Wall, SD 57790 Ph 605 279 2156

Lamb, Charles, Assistant Professor, Applied Science and Technology, Box 9095, Black Hills State University, Spearfish, SD 57799 605 642 6026 clamb@mystic.bhsu.edu

Roggenthen, William, Professor, Dept. of Geology and Geological Engineering, S. D. School of Mines and Technology 501 E. St. Joseph St., Rapid City, SD 57701Office: 394 2460 Home 666-4699

Swanson, John, Curriculum Director, Belle Fourche School District, 1113 National Street, Belle Fourche, SD 57717-1900, (605)-892-3355 jswanson@iw.net

Other Contact Information:

Downing, Holly Dean, College of Arts and Sciences, Black Hills State University, Spearfish, SD 57799

Farrington, Dan Grants and Special Projects, Box 9504, Black Hills State University, Spearfish, SD 57799 605 642 6627 email: dfarring@mystic.bhsu.edu

Myers, Dean Dean, College of Education, Black Hills State University, Spearfish, SD 57799 605 642 6627 email: dmyers@mystic.bhsu.edu

Senne, Ron 320 South University Vermillion, SD 57069 605 624 8103 emai: rsenne@tie.net

Bill Roggenthen Fax: 605 394 6703

Joe Hillberry Fax: 605 923-6387

John Swanson Fax: 605 892 4536

Doug Hulce Fax: 605 279 2613

Tim Creal Fax: 605 754 6492

Jo Hartman Fax: 605 837 2176

Sandi Gaspar Fax: 605 642 1200

Mitch Chapel Fax: 605 394-5315 Attn. Monica Schnieder

Ron Senne Fax 605 624 8105

Dan Farrington Fax 605 642 6031