Observing Evidence of Learning
Observing Evidence of Learning (OEL) is four-year research study funded by the National Science Foundation. The project stems from the outcomes of the Middle School Science Systemic Change Partnership, a regional Local Systemic Change Initiative completed in 2005 and funded by the National Science Foundation.
In partnership with RMC Research Corporation, the Center for Inquiry Science is working with twenty middle schools from four regional school districts, Bellevue, Highline, Seattle and Shoreline to study a new professional development model for science teachers. Teachers from each school form teams and work together to follow a protocol for studying students' learning of new and challenging science concepts. To understand and utilize the protocols as well as refine their own pedagogical science content knowledge, teachers engage in professional development experiences with trained facilitators and scientists. The research study addresses the primary research question: "To what extend does participation in the OEL professional development result in improved student science achievement at grades 6, 7 and 8?"
North Sound LASER Alliance
The North Sound LASER Alliance (NSLA) is one of 10 of Washington State´s regional LASER Alliances. Washington State LASER (Leadership and Assistance for Science Education Reform) is a partnership program that started in 1999 based on a model established by the National Science Resources Center. With funding from the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, the NSLA is able to help support Puget Sound region school districts that have completed a WA LASER Strategic Planning Institute in their implementation of initial use professional development. In addition, the NSLA works to host networking events for a variety of science education stakeholders including Science TOSAs (Teachers on Special Assignment), science materials center staff, and school district administrators.
The Center for Inquiry Science serves as the fiscal agent for the NSLA, as well, Center for Inquiry Science staff provides administrative leadership and professional development coordination for the Alliance.
Science Educators´ Network for Professional Growth
The Science Educators´ Network for Professional Growth (SEN) was initiated in response to the growing need for regional science education professional development opportunities. SEN, a program funded by The Boeing Company and the National Institutes for Health (P50 GM076547-01), offers experienced classroom science teachers opportunity to engage in an intensive training experience towards becoming professional development facilitators. Alumni of this experience are supported through a regional, collegial network and continued professional growth opportunities. The Center for Inquiry Science relies on this network of professional development facilitators to assist in providing Puget Sound region schools and districts with professional development related to inquiry-based science instructional materials.
Professional Development for Professional Development Providers
With funding from Washington LASER, the Center for Inquiry Science has developed and facilitates the Professional Development for Professional Development Providers (PD4PD) series. PD4PD offers experience professional development facilitators in Washington State opportunity to enhance their practice. Specifically, the PD4PD experience has been designed to assist professional development facilitators in infusing instructional strategies related to conceptual change strategies and pedagogical content knowledge into initial use professional development.
Systems Education Approach to Science (SEA-Science)
The SEA-Science project, a Precollege Science Education Program funded by Howard Hughes Medical Institute, supports a partnership between the Renton School District and the Institute for Systems Biology (ISB). The project is piloting a school-based professional development model the school district´s 13 elementary schools. Towards better infusion of the school district´s adopted science curriculum, teacher leaders from each elementary school work with scientists from ISB and the community to receiving training and support as related to systems education, including:
- Exploration of systems in science such as
- Conceptual growth of science content through grades K-5
- Integration of physical, earth and life science content
- Exploration of systems of science including
- The nature and process of the discipline of science
- Integration of science into the school system particularly
- Connecting science to other disciplines such as literacy and mathematics
Celebrating Science: A guide for expanding inquiry-based science education into the community
For seven years, the Center for Inquiry Science hosted the Family Science program, funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF grant 0224574). The lessons learned from this project are now compiled in both hard copy and web format in a publication entitled Celebrating Science: A guide for expanding inquiry-based science education into the community. This guide overviews Learning in the 21st Century, including a comparison of contemporary science education and inquiry-centered science education; Establishing a Family Science Program, including the stages of a school district´s science education reform efforts as juxtaposed to the phases of a communities participation; Sustaining Family Science Programs, including suggested step-by-step guidelines for planning, facilitating and evaluating Family Science programs; and, Creating Inquiry-based Activities, including an overview of an inquiry-centered learning cycle and related primer for creating activities as related to the learning cycle.
For hard copy versions of the guide, please contact ; the web version includes access to PDF files of all the pages include in the hard copy version.
High School Systems Biology Course
The Center for Inquiry Science is please to be supporting the K-12 education efforts of ISB faculty member Nitin Baliga. The Halobacterium research grant, funded by the National Science Foundation, includes an educational component that supports the development of supplemental curriculum modules to teach systems biology within high school science courses. The Baliga Lab has partnered with Bellevue School District to help develop and field test their modules. Currently, two modules have been released – An Introduction to Ecological Networks and Genetic Control of Networks: Response to the Environment. To learn more about this work, please visit Understanding Biological Complexity Using a Systems Approach on the Baliga Lab´s website.
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