Business leaders in Kansas cannot find the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) talent they need to stay competitive. Students' lagging performance in K-12 is a critical reason why. The good news is that the nation's most effective STEM education programs can help turn the tide. Kansas students have made real progress in math…

GUIDELINES FOR USE BY TEACHERS AND ADMINISTRATORS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF A K-6 SCIENCE PROGRAM ARE PRESENTED. SECTIONS OF THE MANUAL INCLUDE INFORMATION RELATED TO--(1) RECENT CHANGES IN THE PHILOSOPHY AND TECHNIQUES OF SCIENCE TEACHING, (2) THE NATURE AND NEEDS OF THE LEARNER, (3) EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES, (4) THE INTEGRATION OF EXISTING SUBJECT…

The mission of science education in Kansas is to develop all students into lifelong learners who are reasoned decision makers, contributing to the international community. Included in this document are guidelines and standards for use by all those concerned to ensure that the aforementioned mission is realized throughout all schools in Kansas.…

Details a collaborative reform effort between a school district and a university that includes an elementary teacher preparation program with an emphasis on science, mathematics, and technology. Contains 48 references. (DDR)

This narrative description of a special program for third-grade students to raise funds for and to construct, launch, and fly their own rockets illustrates benefits of heightened confidence and self-perception among participants, hands-on experience in a highly technical area, and increased community support and involvement. (MM)

Summarizes the results from a questionnaire developed to reflect both local concerns and those of national studies in elementary science education in Kansas. The questionnaire included items concerning methods of science instruction, class time spent on science, teacher preparation, approach to metric system, science textual material, and…

This study investigated the extent of agreement between selected college-level elementary science educators (N=107) and selected fourth-,fifth-, and sixth-grade Kansas science teachers (N=256) regarding the science laboratory teaching competencies that should be possessed by these teachers. Each group was given a questionnaire which focused on…

Reports on student attitudes toward science-technology-society (STS) after visiting a science-technology museum and considers what variable factors of the visitation impacted these attitudes. Results indicated that significant differences in attitudes were present between visiting and nonvisiting students and between grade levels. (TW)

This guide is designed to provide a rationale and structure which can enable educational planners and decision makers in Kansas to develop and select science curricula. The content of the publication is intended to be used by administrators in charge of curriculum, departmental and district science chairpersons, and all teachers, citizens and…

The "Robot Roadshow Program" is designed to increase the interest of elementary school children in technical disciplines, specifically math and science. The program focuses on children from schools categorized as rural or underserved, which often have limited access to advanced technical resources. We developed the program using robots…

To meet the need for improved science instruction in rural schools, a project to identify, honor, and provide training for outstanding rural science teachers in grades 6-9 was designed cooperatively by the National Science Foundation, Kansas State University, Kansas Cosmosphere and Discovery Center, and rural school districts. In order to create a…