ELMSS: Enhancing Leadership for Middle School Science

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The intended two-year pilot Local Systemic Change project seeks to increase scientific understanding and literacy among middle school students in four diverse districts in Missouri. Professional development will be provided by science and science education faculty from the three of Missouri campuses (Columbia, Rolla and St. Louis). A total of 16 teachers, four from each participating district will be selected. Each participant will be offered 5 hours graduate credit each year, tuition waivers, an annual stipend, career ladder credit and STC/MS materials. One administrator from each district will also be involved. Summer institute sessions will be supplemented by a web site to enable continuous electronic interaction for teachers to discuss content and pedagogy concerns, compare experiences and engage in collective problem solving. The site will also be used to link participants to other web based information sources such as the Online Journal for Teacher Research (http://www.oise.utoronto.ca). Bi-weekly study sessions (teachers will keep journals to record the experience), site meetings and day-long project meetings will be held. The project will develop and test a sustainable structure of teacher professional development and support to facilitate the implementation of exemplary instructional materials and teaching practices. With the support of the University of Missouri science and science education faculty members, school administrators and middle school science teachers will collaborate to create an inquiry based classroom environment as a step towards broad comprehensive science education reform.