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Middle School Science Systemic Change Partnership

About the Program

The Middle School Science Systemic Change Partnership is helping the Seattle area school districts of Bellevue, Highline, Northshore, Seattle and Shoreline develop their grades 6-8 science education programs. Working in partnership with the University of Washington and Institute for Systems Biology, Partnership leaders collaborate with school district staff to:

  • Build on K-5 inquiry science experiences

  • Adopt standards-based, science materials

  • Provide long-term professional development for teachers

  • Implement tools to assess student learning and inform instruction

  • Form alliances that build on and sustain complete K-12 science programs

Our Approach

The Systemic Change Partnership is incorporating inquiry-based teaching into every middle school throughout the five regional partner districts. By participating in 130 or more hours of professional development training over five years, all 300 middle school science teachers in the partner districts will:
  • Enhance their science content knowledge through authentic inquiry and, from this experience, better help students to: (a) design and develop their own scientific investigations, (b) critically analyze the data they gather, and (c) engage in thoughtful scientific discourse around the data and their interpretation.

  • Explore a variety of available and emerging standards-based curricula and implement those most effective in helping their students meet state and national standards.

Program Highlights

As the only partnership of its kind in place in the Pacific Northwest, the goals are to:
  • Build on the inquiry-based elementary science programs already in place rather than working to build completely new programs

  • Leverage university and other partner resources, nurturing long-lasting partnerships among scientists and teachers

  • Foster collaborations across grade levels and among partner school districts through study groups and other shared learning experiences

  • Institutionalize school-based professional development in partner districts through building learning communities within and among schools over five years

To date, more than 225 teachers have participated in the Middle School Science Systemic Change Partnerships improving science learning for more than 43,000 students in all five partner districts. Exemplary, research-validated, science curricula have been adopted for all science programs in grades 6-8. This new collaboration between scientists and teachers will continue to strengthen teachers' science backgrounds and student knowledge, and has been proven to effectively engage students of all levels in pursuing higher levels of science achievement.