Project Inquiry: Building a Presence for Science in the Lowcountry
Science SC Elementary Middle School

Reflections from the end:

The Project Inquiry team is making a difference in science education in the Lowcountry. The team collaborates well with each other and works consistently to get its message to teachers, principals, and key administrators.

Strand I: Science Kit Training and Science Notebooks

  • As a result of the professional development, more teachers are using the science kits, teaching more of the lessons, and teaching the lessons in greater depth.

  • District support of science kit training, reduces teachers' resistance and increases principal support. Also, reaching induction teachers at the beginning of the year or in their preservice program brings them on board with kit-based science.

  • Testing all students in science, grades 3-8 impacts teacher participation in professional development activities. Special education and gifted and talented teachers have jumped on board to teach science with the impending PACT Science test (spring, 2003).

  • Schools are showing more interest in using science notebooks and formative as well as summative assessment related to the science kits. Workshops on South Carolina Science Curriculum Standards help teachers recognize the need to engage students in more inquiry.

  • A cadre of master teachers for science kit training ensures quality and consistency among trainers and a shared vision. It also makes it easier to schedule training. The list of trainers will be made available to schools that need to contract with a qualified trainer. We still need to address the request for on-site grade level trainers.

  • The focus on language arts and math challenges us to find ways to integrate the science kits these two disciplines (e.g. science notebooks, integrating science literature into the Cunningham reading model, math connections).

Strand II: Ongoing Professional Development

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  • professional development becomes a valued way to implement reforms and improve student achievement at the state and federal level, more dollars are available to the districts. However, it also provides more competition for teachers' time among all of the disciplines.

  • The Science Standards Institutes, The Inquiry Institute, and The Assessment Institute are helping to build the expertise of teachers in content, inquiry, and assessment as it relates to the science kits.

  • SC introduced a proviso requiring teachers to learn how to integrate technology in the classroom. As a result, Project Inquiry introduced a Science and Technology Institute to have a role in continuing teachers' growth in science education as well as integrating technology into the science curriculum.

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Strand III: Teacher Leadership

  • Teacher and principal turnover presents a challenge to keep everyone informed of Project Inquiry goals and activities. It requires districts to support and keep in place a systematic way to train new teachers, build leadership skills of lead science teachers, and inform new principals about the science reforms. The continuing need for training seems to be related to teacher turnover caused by teachers moving into and out of high poverty schools, looping, multiage, self-contained 6th grade classes and changing teaching assignments as ways to stabilize schools and improve student achievement.

  • The teacher turnover in schools also results in a turnover of Lead Science Teachers and presents a challenge for Project Inquiry to keep us with their professional growth.

  • The SRT's are critical for ongoing professional development, on-site coaching and classroom support, monitoring school's implementation of the science kits, observing classes for the outcome study, and building community awareness.

  • As the SRT's participate in professional development activities, it heightens their enthusiasm to even greater levels than anticipated and they gain a deeper understanding of ways to design, present, and evaluate professional development.

Strand IV. Professional Development for Administrators

  • Project Inquiry has caused us to look more closely at how information is communicated to principals, associate superintendents, and district administrators. Professional development for administrators has been provided to enhance and promote understanding and quality instruction of science.

  • Helping principals understand the role of the science lead teacher facilitates their work in the schools.

  • Administrators need more professional development and seem to be interested in lesson study, Standards in Practice, and other embedded activities.

Strand V: Building Community Support

  • With a strong focus on teachers' professional development, there isn't much staff time available to recruit and sustain scientist involvement (e.g. kit trainings, partnering with a master teacher, judging science fairs, and presenting at the Science Standards Institute).

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