As schools across the state implement the Next Generation Science Standards, this EdSource primer provides an easy-to-read guide for parents and other community members to understand the rationale for the standards and their potential to affect science instruction in California schools. California adopted the Next Generation Science Standards, or…

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a huge impact on education. Science teaching, in particular, has faced specific challenges given the field's emphasis on high-quality instruction that has students "do" science collaboratively rather than just read about it or hear about it in a lecture. This brief provides: (1) a summary of data collected…

Empirical Education Inc. is the independent evaluator of SRI International's 2014 Investing in Innovation (i3) Development grant called Redesigning Secondary Courses to Improve Academic Outcomes for Adolescents with Disabilities and Other Underperforming Adolescents. The goal of the grant is to develop "Enhanced Units" that combine…

In response to the need to develop leaders to guide the implementation of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), the Carnegie Corporation of New York provided funding to WestEd to develop a framework that defines the leadership knowledge and actions needed to effectively implement the NGSS. The development of the framework entailed…

The confluence of "Common Core State Standards" ("CCSS"), "Next Generation Science Standards" ("NGSS"), and 21st century skills provides an unparalleled opportunity to improve science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education for all students, particularly English learners. "CCSS,"…

If there's one quality that WICHE's home region, the West, is famous for, it's endurance in the face of crisis. And if there's another, it's the ability to find--and make--opportunities even in tough times. Over the last fiscal year, WICHE has done just that. The organization has been highly successful in terms of developing new projects and…

SYSTEMS ANALYSIS AND COMPUTER SIMULATION TECHNIQUES WERE APPLIED IN DESCRIBING THE BIOLOGY COURSE AT THE THEODORE HIGH SCHOOL, THEODORE, ALABAMA, WHICH WAS SELECTED AS THE UNIT OF STUDY BECAUSE OF ITS ORGANIZATION OF COURSES FOR INDIVIDUAL PROGRESS. A DESCRIPTIVE ANALYSIS OF THE BIOLOGY COURSE WAS PRESENTED IN TERMS OF THE (1) INSTRUCTIONAL MEDIA,…

SYSTEMS ANALYSIS AND COMPUTER SIMULATION TECHNIQUES WERE APPLIED IN A STUDY OF THE ORGANIZATION OF A BIOLOGY COURSE FOR INDIVIDUAL PROGRESS. THEODORE HIGH SCHOOL AT THEODORE, ALABAMA, WAS SELECTED FOR STUDY BECAUSE OF ITS APPROACH TO THE ORGANIZATION OF ITS RESOURCES FOR STUDENTS TO LEARN ON AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS. DESCRIBED IN THIS INTRODUCTORY…

Magnet schools have developed strong national and local constituencies among parents and educators, who see them as vehicles for bringing equity and academic excellence to all students. Typically, these schools offer innovative programs through a specialized focus or theme. They may emphasize subjects like science or the arts, or they may adopt…

This paper is a review of the literature concerning the history and current state of blended science instruction. The goals of blended science instruction are to provide learners with a liberal science education and to develop scientifically literate citizens. The term "blended science instruction" refers to various means of reconnecting…

Presents the results of an ongoing evaluation in a project designed to recruit, educate, retain, and accredit ethnic minority science teachers in the larger central valley of California. Contains 23 references. (DDR)

In matrix teaching, teachers utilize elements of cooperative learning and project-based learning, but all students are held responsible for their own final products. A hypothetical story illustrates a worst-case scenario for cooperative learning, then the story is analyzed for its difficulties. Offers strategies for avoiding ineffectual group work…