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Annual Overview
Project Description
The WV-Handle On Science Project is a collaboration of local school
systems, informal science centers, colleges, and business and industry.
This project offers a comprehensive, systemic five year science
education reform initiative for 48 schools in the five West Virginia
Northern Panhandle counties (Brooke, Hancock, Marshall, Ohio, and
Wetzel). Funding for the project is through a $1.86 million NSF award
along with various grants from business and industry including $100,000
from Bayer Corporation and $25,000 from PPG Industries. County school
systems, local colleges, and informal science centers also contribute to
the approximately $2.4 million in cost share. All of the approximately
625 K-6 teachers will receive 128 hours of professional development
focusing on inquiry-based teaching strategies, content fortification,
and alternative assessment. Exemplary curriculum materials including
STC, FOSS, and INSIGHTS modules will be utilized and refurbished at
West Liberty State College's SMART-Center where the Materials Resource
Center is housed.
The long-term goal of the project is to raise the level of
scientific literacy of elementary school children. To achieve this
goal, the major project objectives are:
- To provide K-6 elementary teachers with sustained professional
development opportunities in content, pedagogy, and assessment so that
science is taught in an inquiry-based, hands-on approach and integrated
with mathematics and other subjects;
- To create a Materials Resource Center at the West Liberty
State College SMART-Center serving as a permanent hub of professional
development opportunities for teachers and as a science-kit
refurbishment center; and,
- To implement in the Northern Panhandle of West Virginia a new
K-6 inquiry-based and hands-on science program, consistent with state
and national standards.
In order to address the objectives, the following professional
development components are:
- Summer Science Institutes;
- Follow-up sessions;
- Round table discussion groups; and
- Access to scientists during summer institutes and during the
year.
The WV-Handle On Science Project will serve as a pilot program for K-6
science education reform for the entire state of West Virginia.
Some of the major activities of the WV-Handle On Science Project
for the project year 1998- 1999 include the following:
- Follow-up sessions for all five counties participating teachers in Fall
1998 reached over 170 participants
- Updates were given to four of the five counties' principals
- 50+ students from West Liberty State College were given information
about the project and participated in sample Microworlds kit
activities. Students were invited to participate in the WV-Handle On
Science Summer Institutes.
- WV-Handle On Science Resource Teacher assists various teachers
throughout the Northern Panhandle of West Virginia in a range of
science activities
- Several PTA presentations are made to area schools
- Visit to ASSET, Inc. assists Materials Manager and other staff in
design of new Materials Resource Center
- Materials Resource Center functioning to refurbish all five counties'
science kits
- Roundtable discussion group sessions begin in January 1999 and serve 55
teachers
- West Liberty State College SpeakEasy gives opportunity to share about
the project to 40+ persons
- Project CATS/AEL advisory board meeting brings update on project
statewide
- West Virginia Higher Education Symposium allows further opportunity to
showcase project and its accomplishments
- 94 additional science kits are sent from Materials Resource Center to
county schools during 1998- 1999 school year in addition to the 112
sent in September 1998
- Faculty Senate presentations are made during Spring 1999 to schools
with low levels of participation in project
- Monthly administrative committee meetings for WV-Handle On Science
Project allow regular discussion regarding project direction and goals
- Presentation at NSTA convention shares project design for content
enhancement for teachers in the summer workshops with over 70
participants
- RESA-6 board presentation to county superintendents and board of
education members updates them on project accomplishments
- PTA Open House at WLSC SMART-Center is attended by area school PTA
representatives and hosted by project teachers
- Seventeen teachers participate in piloting "new" WV-Handle On Science
Project kit titles prior to the Project Mentor training
- Ohio County Language Arts Share Fair showcases project to fifty
teachers
- Project CATS spring meeting provides consultation and cross-project
opportunities
- Scientist workshop at Bayer Corporation led by Dr. Ted Spickler
- Pilot teacher feedback meeting provides information for Project Mentor
training and for summer institutes
- Project Mentor training involves thirty teachers to lead summer science
institutes grade level sessions
- Scientist training works with five new content monitors
- Seven different summer sessions involve over three hundred and fifty
educators
- 177 science kits are utilized first rotation in Fall 1999
- 35 Bethany College students participate in a five-week WV-Handle On
Science evening mini-course utilizing Solids and Liquids and Microworlds
kits
- 60+ teachers attend the September 1999 roundtable discussions
- 41 elementary principals attend the Administrators Academy for Science
Excellence on September 23, 1999
Related Projects/Activities:
- Two Eisenhower Professional Development Higher Education Grants,
SCALE (Science Content Area Learning for Educators) and READ SCIENCE
(Reading Education Applications Developing Science Content Integration
Enhancing National Curriculum Excellence) involved ninety-two project
teachers.
- Headstart teacher workshops were held in spring 1999 to acquaint
teachers with science activities appropriate for pre-school age
children.
- STARLAB inflatable planetarium leased to ten schools.
- Science Minutes project awarded funds through West Virginia Space
Grant Consortium for the production of six sixty second spots
highlighting at home science activities on West Virginia Public
Television (extension of first through sixth grade kits utilized in the
WV-Handle On Science Project).
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