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Our project spent the first two and a half years preparing approximately 30 lead teachers for their role-aligning their curriculum, setting up a materials system, becoming facilitators of the science professional development and getting their community involved in the science at the elementary schools. In each of the first three summers, lead teachers spent between one and two weeks immersed in their own learning. Their experiences included pedagogical workshops as well as content-rich scenario experiences in which the teachers became the scientists. Two of these experiences involved multiple-day field trips led by local scientists. Additionally, the lead teachers spent between three and five additional days each summer on committee work. The committees were formed around the following topics: curriculum, professional development, instruction, assessment, community relations and integration. The work by the committees continued throughout the year. During the year the lead teachers trial taught curriculum considered for adoption, met quarterly to give committee updates and continued to attend professional development workshops. In addition, they visited other school districts' elementary science programs and attended regional and national science teacher conferences.
Pam Kraus,
1/20/1999
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After one year of professional development and teaching the first level of the curriculum, teachers begin to participate in seminars focused on the more theoretical issues involved in teaching and learning using materials that might be encountered in graduate level mathematics education seminars. Concurrently, these teachers begin pairing with experienced staff developers to provide workshops and support for beginning participants. To develop the curriculum for leadership development, we refer to the processes that we ourselves have experienced as crucial to becoming effective staff developers. We are implementing a private foundation grant that was awarded exclusively for leadership development. In this design, teams of teachers are planning, publicizing, and implementing a series of workshops in regional offices of the district. They work with one experienced staff developer, but are free to design their own "introductory" workshops. The grant allows for reasonable pay for this work, and pays for materials and supplies. This project serves the dual purposes of teacher leadership development and recruitment of additional new teachers and schools in the district.
Anne Horn,
1/21/1999
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