The driving question for this brief is based on the most common question that teachers, principals, school leaders, coaches, and grant writers ask the Buck Institute for Education (BIE) about Project Based Learning (PBL): What evidence exists that shows the impact of Project Based Learning on student learning in core content areas? Research shows…

Despite the expressed need for high-quality science education, very little research has been conducted on what middle school science learning opportunities look like in practice. This study was conducted in support of "Strengthening Science Education in California", a research, policy, and communications initiative. Partners in this…

This report provides information about the performance of the 2010 graduating seniors who took the ACT as sophomores, juniors, or seniors; and self-reported at the time of testing that they were scheduled to graduate in 2010 and tested under standard time conditions. This report focuses on: (1) Performance: student test performance in the context…

Using data on upper-division students in the University of California system, we show that two distinct cultures of engagement exist on campus. The culture of engagement in the arts, humanities and social sciences focuses on interaction, participation, and interest in ideas. The culture of engagement in the natural sciences and engineering focuses…

California has embarked on a major new wave of curriculum reform with the adoption of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), the new English Language Development (ELD) standards, and the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). The adoption of the CCSS builds a legacy of standards-based education reform in California that began with the…

This guide was developed with the intention of helping teachers and school site administrators in California review the elementary science curriculum and compare it to an idealized model that is presented in the document. Part I of the guide provides a summary of a number of characteristics considered to be important to a strong elementary science…

This document augments and extends the 1978 "Science Framework for California Public Schools, Kindergarten and Grades One Through Twelve." It is designed to be used with the Framework in: (1) developing articulated kindergarten through twelfth grade science programs based on information in the Framework; (2) stimulating science teaching…

This document was developed with the intention of increasing California public school students' awareness of and participation in science-related enrichment activities. Some of the activities are intended for participation by individuals, while others are meant for teams of students. These annual events are listed in chronological order for a…

To assist school districts in selecting science instructional materials, the California State Department of Education has developed detailed descriptions of state-adopted elementary programs and texts. This guide includes an annotated index of all adopted materials and separate descriptions for each program or series. The index contains a listing…

Discusses problems reflecting the crisis in education, presenting general approaches for resolving the problems. Also discusses the California Earthquake Education Project (CALEEP), a program which provides education of current concern (including personal emergency preparedness) to the public. CALEEP activities are successful due to many social,…

Describes the implementation of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration SEEDS Project in a sixth-grade class in Turlock, California. Describes student activities and media coverage surrounding the project. (MDH)

This teacher's guide presents 12 hands-on laboratory activities for high school science classes that cover the environmental issue of water resources in California. The activities are separated into three sections. Five activities in the section on water quality address the topics of groundwater, water hardness, bottled water, water purity, and…

This course of study is aligned with the California State Science Framework and provides students the chemistry content needed to become scientifically literate and prepared for post-secondary science education. The course of study is divided into four sections. The first section provides an overview of the course and includes a course…

Describes the grassroots approach of the California Scope, Sequence and Coordination Project that was designed to achieve widespread and persistent change in public school science education. (PR)

Describes a high school pilot program to meet California's science curriculum guidelines to adopt a Scope, Sequence and Coordination (SS&C) approach. The SS&C curriculum offers four science subjects for each year of high school. Concrete, phenomenological, and descriptive topics are covered during the early years and theoretical and…