IERI/REC: Planning an Infrastructure to Support Ambitious Science for Urban School Children

Northwestern University, Evanston IL

Investigators

Abstract

This planning grant proposal will examine the professional development experiences that are most likely to help children in urban settings to be more successful learners of "ambitious" science. To do so, the PIs will create a data system that allows for detailed articulation of the ways that teachers' opportunities for growth translate into learning outcomes for children. The model for the work begins with actual classroom practices, then examines student growth (defined by achievement test scores) and the kinds of development experiences that result in successful student learning. Specifically, the planning grant with refine and develop new measures of student learning; develop a coding scheme for professional development experiences; refine and codify the PIs existing scheme for analyzing classroom practice; and use test cases to explore the feasibility of the methodology. Panel Summary: The panel was enthusiastic about the importance and scope of the study and viewed the ideas about enactment and the conceptualization of change in the proposal particularly favorably. The concerns raised by the panel included: the project is very ambitious given the eighteen-month timeframe; and the proposal is short on detail in both methodology and theory. However, panelists understood that some of the conceptualizations would necessarily be somewhat vague in a planning grant. An additional concern included the commitment of the PIs in other research projects. Analysis: The panelists felt that this was a planning grant with potential to yield important new measures and understandings regarding links between teacher professional development and student learning. The PIs are highly qualified. In spite of concerns about the ambition of the project and the vagueness of some aspects of the underlying theory and methodology, the Program Officer agrees with the panel that this planning grant holds great promise for producing information that will be helpful to schools and those interested in science reform. However, the PIs should take care to address the concerns raised in the review in the submission of a full proposal. Program Director Recommendation: Based on the ratings received in the panel review, the comments contained in the written reviews, the panel discussion, and the analysis described above, I recommend that this proposal be funded for 18 months as a standard grant at the level of $278,504.