A Pilot LSC Designed to Expand Delaware's Science Education Reform Initiative into High School

Delaware State Dept Of Public Instruction, Dover DE

Investigators

Abstract

The Delaware Science Coalition is a systemic partnership consisting of higher education, businesses, the Delaware Department of Education (DOE) and local districts. With this proposal they are continuing their collaboration to expand their prior K-8 efforts into high schools. The pilot proposal will initially be limited to a focus on improving the science program in the 9th and 10th grades. Ten schools (45 teachers) representing the statewide range of geographic distribution, demographic characteristics and size of student body will be active participants in the process of developing models of successful classroom practice. These schools will be charged with the responsibility of designing an educational system that recognizes their particular characteristics and needs. Common features of models for the selection of instructional materials and teacher professional development are anticipated and lessons learned from this pilot will serve to scale up the project to inform the future development of a comprehensive statewide LSC.