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Recent research on teacher professional development (PD) underscores the importance of the coherence of PD with standards, curriculum, and assessment. Teachers' judgments of the coherence of PD with larger system goals influence their decisions about what ideas and resources they appropriate from PD. Little research, however, has examined how teachers formulate these judgments and why teachers' judgments vary within the same system and for the same reform. In this article, we use organizational theory's concept of sensemaking to examine teachers' responses to PD related to the Next Generation Science Standards within two schools in the United States. Our study shows that teachers' perceptions of coherence emerge from interactions within PD, associated curriculum materials, and with colleagues and leaders in their schools. Some teachers, we found, were able to manage ambiguity, uncertainty, and perceived incoherence productively, while others foreclosed deep and sustained sensemaking. Our findings suggest the need for PD to engage teachers in sustained sensemaking activity around issues of perceived incoherence to bolster teachers' emergent understandings of standards and improve the likelihood of implementing instructional practices aligned to standards. Keywords education policy, professional development, standards, science education, Teachers' prior knowledge shapes what and how they learn from professional development (PD). Of particular importance is teachers' practical knowledge, that is, the knowledge they draw on daily to plan [...]

In the United States, the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) were developed by the National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers and endorsed by the American [...]

Scientists researching biological control should engage in education because translating research programs into classroom activities is a pathway to increase scientific literacy among students. Classroom activities focused on biological control target all levels of biological organization and can be cross-disciplinary by drawing from subject areas such as ecology, molecular biology, physiology, and chemistry. We evaluate published 'how-to' biological-control activities to determine whether they meet National Science Education Standards and use a constructivist pedagogical approach. We also provide an example classroom activity developed from our research that scientists can use as a template to develop their science-education activities. Key Words: Student-centered inquiry; applied ecology; National Science Education Standards; constructivist pedagogy; Bloom's taxonomy; Diaphorina citri., Biological control is a well-established field of applied ecology in which pest species are managed through the use of predators, parasites, pathogens, herbivores, or other natural mechanisms. Scientists who research [...]

With increased emphasis on state standards and assessments in science, one might question whether there is still a role for national science standards and benchmarks. This article makes a case for the importance of national guidelines and identifies key functions performed by the National Research Council's National Science Education Standards and the American Association for the Advancement of Science's Benchmarks for Science Literacy. We describe how national guidelines provide a vision of what science education could be and its value to all students; consider the implications of aligning curriculum, instruction, and assessment to these guidelines; discuss the quality of current state standards; and consider what the national reform efforts have to offer states and school districts seeking to improve teaching and learning in K-8 science.

Keywords: scientific intellectual movement, performance-driven reforms, comprehensive school reform Abstract The article begins with a brief review of prior school reform movements and how and why they are different from today. Unlike past reform movements, school reform efforts are now focused on two key ideas: performance and scientific evidence. Motivated in part by economic considerations, the underlying rationale for many school reform programs is to raise the performance of U.S. students by strengthening their knowledge base and skills. Similarly, the emphasis on scientific evidence can be viewed as an economic global response to rising costs of research and development in fields such as medicine, criminology, and social welfare. This focus on performance and scientific evidence is embodied in the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB), which expanded the federal role in education and substantially altered what the purpose of education should be, when and how it should be measured, and what type of evidence should be used for its improvement. The review concludes by examining how these performance-driven reforms and the push for evidential science to assess their effectiveness can be viewed as part of a changing scientific intellectual movement.

"Economic Time Bomb: U.S. Teens Are Among Worst at Math," blared the December 7, 2004, Wall Street Journal headline over a story about the disheartening results of the latest international […]

The problems involved in the reliable performance assessment of science attainment target 1 (Sc1) investigations by students are discussed.

Byline: Leigh K. Smith (1), Julie Gess-Newsome (2) Abstract: Despite the apparent lack of universally accepted goals or objectives for elementary science methods courses, teacher educators nationally are autonomously designing these classes to prepare prospective teachers to teach science. It is unclear, however, whether science methods courses are preparing teachers to teach science effectively or to implement the National Science Education Standards (National Research Council, 1996). Using the 'Science Teaching Standards' as a framework for analysis, this research proceeded in two phases. During the first phase, the elementary science methods courses, perspectives, and practices of six science teacher educators were examined to determine similarities and differences in the course goals and objectives, overall emphases, and their efforts to prepare their students to implement the Science Teaching Standards. The second phase of the study investigated the elementary science methods courses of a national sample of science teacher educators as reflected in their course syllabi. It was found that universal inclusion of content related to the Science Teaching Standards does not exist, nor are there clear linkages between course goals, activities, and assignments. Author Affiliation: (1) Department of Teacher Education, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602-5099, U.S.A (2) Center for Science Teaching and Learning, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ 86011-5697, U.S.A Article History: Registration Date: 30/12/2004

Schools of United States fall short of providing high quality mathematics and science education to all the students. The factors distinguishing the most effective lessons from the least effective ones are stated.

Byline: Penny L. Hammrich (1) Author Affiliation: (1) College of Education, 337 Ritter Hall, Temple University, 1301 Cecil B. Moore Avenue, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19122, USA Article History: Registration Date: 30/09/2004

In December 1995, the National Research Council released the National Science Education Standards (1996). The development of standards for science education represented nearly five years of work and the involvement [...]

The release of the National Science Education Standards in Dec 1995, marked an improvement in earth science education. The Standards treat earth science as a distinct discipline and are the result of a four-year process of intensive development to provide a coherent vision of scientific literacy. They provide standards and goals for science education. The main changes are increased emphasis on inquiry, equity, and content of the curriculum. The Standards are the basis for increasing productivity in the US.

The role of science in American cultural life is in doubt with the education establishment challenging the legitimacy of science. The first draft of the National Science Education Standards released in 1992 was unacceptable to most science educators due to inherent contradictions. Despite having distinguished patronage for an enterprise with a national scope, the project has yet to come out with a final report that will be uniformly acceptable. The scientific community needs to play a stronger role in formulating science education curricula.

When revamping its graduate program hit the top of the agenda at Northwestern University's biochemistry department, based in Evanston, Illinois, in the early 1990s, it did several things that would [...]

IN 1983 THE NATIONAL COMMISSION ON Excellence in Education, responding to a request from the secretary of education, reported on the quality of education in America. The report was also [...]

The education system in England and Wales is going through a process of rapid change, with the advent of the National Curriculum in the 1980s being cited by many professionals as the catalyst. However, it must be noted that educational change has been taking place within primary and secondary education since the 1960s, although its early implementation was not widespread. With specific regard to primary science teaching, the implementation of the National Curriculum has been successful and any dilution of its requirements would result in the loss of some vital aspects, particularly Attainment Target 1.

The Teaching Elementary Physical Science (TEPS) model tested in Hawaii has improved the quality of physical science teaching in elementary schools and has helped revise teaching methods in secondary schools. Insufficient knowledge of science in elementary school teachers, shortage of time and science lab materials and low priority for science in elementary schools often prevent students from obtaining the basic knowledge of science in elementary schools. The TEPS model gives all elementary schools access to a qualified secondary school science teacher and three 'Lead Teachers.'

The low quality of mathematics and science education in the US as reflected in the National Assessment of Educational Progress report prompted American mathematics teachers to raise the standards of mathematics education. The new standards are listed in the 'Curriculum and Evaluation Standards for School Mathematics' published by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. A parallel three-stage development program for science education is underway. The accomplishment of its first stage is reflected in the report, 'Science for All Americans,' by F. James Rutherford and Andrew Ahlgren.

This article summarizes the educational standards proposed by the American Association for the Advancement of Science through Project 2061. The impact of these benchmarks for astronomy teachers is discussed.

First came Science For All Americans. Benchmarks are on the way. Blocks, Models, and Blueprints are in production. Project 2061's approach may help other curriculum areas involved in systemic change. [...]

Progression-of-understanding maps were one important tool in coordinating the research and information needed for creating K-12 science standards. Project 2061 has been constructing goals for science, mathematics, and technology education [...]