Agenda

Objectives of Proposal

Progress Reports

Models of Professional Development

Critical Issues

Assignments/Timeline

Needs:

- No effective support system for science teachers in our state

- No model schools in our region that effectively models the national reform agenda

- Urgent need to develop school field sites (K-8) to teach and evaluate national curriculum materials.

- No effective systemic change model that will place materials and inquiry science teaching strategies in the rural school setting.

- Teachers must have professional training to utilize new technologies and incorporate standard based science materials in their classrooms.

- Teachers must be given support to change

- Teachers need up-to-date content/pedagogy training in science

- Science teachers need a long-term and self-sustaining support system of other teachers, scientists, and administrators.

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.

TASKS:

1. National curriculum materials need to be presented to the teachers in the schools and used during field testing before decisions can be made as to strands or units or programs to be used. Selection of national curriculum materials must be tied to textbook adoption process.

- Kits need to be developed or purchased hat will meet national standards and national curriculum goals

- Representative Kits should be ordered from FOSS, STC, BSCS, and INSIGHTS.

- Curriculum projects need to be contacted to see if they will loan us kits or come and make orientation presentations.

- Lead Teachers could begin some piloting

2. Increase Recruitment/Project presentations

Large schools (Wall, Hill City, Rapid City, Custer)

Small schools (Newell,

Community/Business Support ($)

Industry (e.g., BHP; Gold) Support ($)

Parents

3. Identify Co-PIs from the involved districts (need at least 2 Co-PIs)

4. Develop Center of Excellence Refurbishment plan

Model?

Who?

How much money?

How many personnel?

5. Develop Cost Share Plan: Some ideas below

BHSU contribution

$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

NSF contribution

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

Personnel Salaries

Program Management Team

Full time release for PIs

Graduate Assistants

On site lead teachers (1/4 - 1/2 time release)

1/2 time secretary

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. $500/kit) Each Kit contains teachers guides and materials for one classroom.

Amount will vary, BHSU will match schools contribution using the $25,000

Lead Teachers (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).

6. Select a leadership team -- Lead Teachers within each school) who can help identify quality science teaching materials (strands, units, kits) that will be incorporated at each grade level (1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8 age appropriate skills) which meet state, national, and local needs.

These teachers will pilot test national curriculum materials, conduct professional development training during the year, and generally will lead the district in the development and implementation of national science curriculum reform and serve as mentors to the other teachers. Some curriculum publishers may let us borrow the kits or buy them at a reduced rate.

7. Refine Professional Development Plan: Possible Plan Components

Target Groups:

Lead Teachers

Participant Teachers

Administrators

need to learn what "best" practices look like

need to support and encourage their teachers in reflective self improvement

Parent Community

Pre-service teachers

Numbers: 500 teachers; 50 administrators; 120 Lead teachers

Professional development Hours:

Lead Teachers 200+

Participant Teachers 100+ (over at least a 3 year period)

Administrators 30+

Parent Community 20+

Pre-service teachers 100+

Contextual Factors:

South Dakota has one of the lowest population densities in the nation with less that 5 residents/square mile.

Need to better serve the Native American populations

Rural (Frontier)

Model:

Joyce and Showers (1988) suggest that professional development training include theory, demonstration, practice, feedback on the practice in controlled situations (e.g., workshops), and additional practice with peer coaching and support (workplace).

- Balance pedagogy and content specific to national curr. materials.

- Hands-on inquiry approach

- Learning cycle science teaching strategy

- Alternative assessment (portfolios, dynamic assessment, observation, interview, essay tests)

Train the trainer

Peer coaching

Multiple entry points (allows for returning experts, new material training, and new staff members)

K-8 Strands (dictated in part by rural setting) 2 introduced/summer

Telecommunications

Module (Kit) Based Instruction:

- composed of national curriculum materials

- meet national standards

- contain embedded assessment

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

- link new information with prior learning experiences

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

Summer

First year: Lead teachers take 1-2 week workshops that focus on particular strands by grade level (1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8). At least one day needed per kit. Pilot program the first year, while working on a scope and sequence for the district. To implement science scope and sequence, the part. teachers must take summer training.

(e.g., curriculum, content, pedagogy, assessment, issues in science teaching, or work on particular kits).

During the academic year Lead Teachers deliver workshops, etc. Offer up to 30 hours of professional development, teachers must take up to 20 hours.

Summers:

Year 1 30 Lead Teachers (Group A)

Year 2 15 group A + 30 new teachers (Group B)

Year 3 15 group B + 30 new teachers (Group C)

Year 4 15 group C + 30 new teachers (Group D)

Year 5 15 group D + 30 new teachers (Group E)

Year 1 30 Lead Teachers (Group A)

Year 2 Group A + 30 new teachers (Group B)

Year 3 Group B + 30 new teachers (Group C)

Year 4 Group C + 30 new teachers (Group D)

Year 5 Group D + 30 new teachers (Group E)

Second year Summer: Lead teachers train groups of teacher at particular grade levels. Rotate some out and some new lead teachers in.

Lead teachers train all teachers at a particular grade level within their own district.

Academic year

First Year: Lead teachers pilot kits (3 minimum, 6-9 weeks for each kit)

Second Year: Teachers could teach 2-4 kits or units per year per grade level with lead teachers, scientists, science educators, etc. serving as peer coaches and resources

Internet collaboration

Weekend workshops

Evening workshops

After school lead teacher meetings

After school participant teacher sharing sessions led by lead teachers

Lead teacher buddy

On-site coaching

Telecommunication workshops

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.

8. Plan expanded Science Education Preservice Plan

Extended mentorship program

Masters Degree program

Expanded course work

Adjunct Lead Teachers

Goals, content, course syllabi, topics, and nature and sequence of learning

activities).

9. Disseminate and Analyze the Needs Assessment

Survey needs to be distributed to all schools in our region (distributed to key people who will get them to the teachers).

Interviews need to be conducted with teachers and administrators (phone or in person)

Collate any previous data that might be used to make our case.

Collect surveys and analyze data.

10. Involve and develop a plan to involve scientists from BHSU and else where in various phases of the project. Some ideas include:

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

Scientists work side by side with teachers as they work though the experiments, etc. in the kits.

Scientists 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.

Scientist become part of leadership teams to assist with program and clarify roles.

Scientists are paired with lead teachers to present during the summer sessions or academic year workshops. (e.g., 3 days summer, 30 hours academic year)

Scientists buddy up with at least 5 teachers.

Scientists 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.

Scientists serve as resources on the Web site.

11. Improve evaluation plan to focus on teachers, students, administrators.

12. Site visit to Materials Resource Center (Mesa Arizona). AMSC

13. Obtain information from the NSRC and about attending their Leadership Institutes

14. Conference Call with Joyce Evans (update her and ask more questions)

Derrick, Larry, Dan, Dean

15. Meet with Jan Martin to discuss LSC and how it can build off of the NSF SSI (Dan will be in Pierre on April 15, 16.).

16. Sherry Farwell, Dean of Graduate Studies and Research at Tech has expressed an interest in participating in the LSC project. Larry will give him a call to see what the potential for their collaboration on theproject.

NSF Proposal Preparation Committee and Others Involved with the Project:

Alsup, John College of Education, Box 9108, Black Hills State University, Spearfish, SD 57799 605 642 6108 jaslup@mystic.bhsu.edu

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

Charging Eagle, Stephaie, Indian Studies, Box 9038, Black Hills State University, Spearfish, SD 57799 605 642 6578 email: dcharging@mystic.bhsu.edu

Decory, Jace; Indian Studies, Box 9054, Black Hills State University, Spearfish, SD 57799 605 642 6295 email: jdecory@mystic.bhsu.edu

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

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

Hartman, Jo; Curriculum Coordinator, Meade School District, 1230 Douglas St., Sturgis, SD 57785-1869 ; Ph: 347-6544 Fax: 347-6582 347 2523

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

Hines, Larry College of Education, Box 9074, Black Hills State University, Spearfish, SD 57799 605 642 6887 email: hines@mystic.bhsu.edu

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

Lavoie, Derrick; College of Education/Applied Science and Technology, Black Hills State University, USB9034; Spearfish, SD 57799; (605) 642-6235 Email: dlavoie@mystic.bhsu.edu

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

Norby, Renafaye College of Education, Box 9122, Black Hills State University, Spearfish, SD 57799 605 642 6859 rnorby@mystic.bhsu.edu

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

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

Waddell, Robert 3820 S.Morrow Dr.; Sioux Falls, South Dakota; 57106; 605 362 9719 email: waddellb@sf.k12.sd.us

Wessel, Doug Dean, Applied Science and Technology, Black Hills State University, Spearfish, SD