High school biology teachers face many challenges as they teach evolution. State standards for evolution may provide support for sound evolution instruction. This study attempts to build upon previous work by investigating teachers' views of evolution standards and their evolution practices in a state where evolution standards have been…

Prior research suggests that students' understanding of scientific concepts is pre-determined by their reasoning ability. Other efforts suggest that American students' scientific literacy is in decline. One difficulty Bybee (2009) acknowledges is that there are two divergent philosophical models of scientific literacy. The first describes the…

The Math and Science Partnership (MSP) program at the National Science Foundation (NSF) is a major national research and development effort that supports innovative partnerships among institutions of higher education (IHEs), local K-12 school systems, and their supporting partners in order to improve K-12 student achievement in mathematics and…

Science courses with hands-on investigative labs are a typical part of the general education requirements at virtually all colleges and universities. In these courses, labs that satisfy a curricular requirement for "lab experience" are important because they provide the essence of the scientific experience--that is, they give students hands-on…

This article describes the efforts of a combinatorial approach of Schools Around the World (SAW) and Understanding by Design (UbD) to create a foundation for lesson study efforts based on the Japanese model. UbD provides a framework for study units rich in essential content, assessment practices and well-crafted activities. SAW and lesson study…

The author explores current efforts by educators and policy makers to harness the power of educational technology for both assessment "of learning" and assessment "for learning" in K-12 classrooms. (Contains 1 figure.)

Over the years, teachers and school leaders have engaged in some form of training beyond their formal preservice, university preparation programs. Whether referred to as in-service training, professional day, or staff or professional development, this activity normally had one purpose: to improve participant's knowledge or skills. With limited…

Issues facing schools abound from No Child Left Behind (NCLB) legislation. In science and mathematics teacher pre-service and in-service preparation, these issues are paramount for institutions of higher education, especially in terms of the definition of a "highly qualified" teacher. Within this paper, the authors discuss the science and…

Diminishing "standards" and "alignment" to overused buzzwords or superficial checklists masks the dire need for truly systematic and operational standards-based alignment in science education. In this article, the authors report the findings of an ongoing collaborative effort between cognitive researchers and urban science teachers to align…

Discusses challenges schools face with the increasing numbers of students from racial/ethnic minority groups and describes the "No Child Left Behind" (NCLB) act. Points out the impact of the myth that science and math are for white males only on females and minority students. Reports on a case study on the achievement gap of 3rd grade students in…

Describes the roles of science leaders in identifying and implementing meaningful solutions to systemic weaknesses. Discusses accountability's impact on science leadership and collaboration for enacting reform. (Contains 16 references.) (YDS)

Points out the importance of professional development of teachers to improve students' academic achievement in science and mathematics education. Describes professional development strategies and a framework to provide guidance to the professional development programs. (Contains 14 references.) (YDS)

Describes the purpose of the Master of Education (M. Ed.) Program in Integrated Mathematics, Science, and Technology Education (MSAT Program) at The Ohio State University and discusses preservice teachers' attitudes and perceptions toward integrated curriculum. (Contains 35 references.) (YDS)

Outlines what is known about the role of professional development in systemic reform and discusses what is still not understood about this relationship. Argues that the distance between professional development and students is great. Contains 31 references. (DDR)