U-FUTuRES--University of Florida Unites Teachers to Reform Education in Science

佛罗里达大学联合教师改革科学教育（U-FUTURES）在6 - 8年级水平是佛罗里达大学的P.K.扬格发展研究学校教育学院、文科学院和大学前教育和培训中心;利维县学区;东北佛罗里达教育联盟和相关学区;以及密歇根大学。该合作伙伴关系正在合作实施一个连贯的、学习目标和探究驱动的、基于问题的和与标准一致的科学课程（通过科学技术调查和质疑我们的世界），并正在发展可持续的学区能力，通过以下方式领导这一改革：（1）一个36学分，工作嵌入科学教师领导研究生学位课程共同促进教育和UF STEM合作伙伴在文科和理科学院的UF学院;（2）继续支持科学教师领导者（STL），因为他们在各自的学区培训和指导6 - 8年级的科学教师;（3）与STL合作，因为他们组织地区领导，以支持中学以改革为导向的科学教学，提高成绩和参与人数不足的学生群体;和（4）UF跨部门的合作伙伴关系，致力于支持在6日-8日年级的科学成就的改善，同时刺激在介绍UF STEM课程探究为基础的方法。担任地区STL的40名中学科学教师平均在其家乡地区指导10名中学科学教师，影响了佛罗里达20个学区的58，500名中学生，主要是高度贫困的农村和城市地区。一个迭代的过程正在被用于设计，开发和评估的有效性的U-FUTURES科学教师领导研究所，与相关的研究问题，重点是STL促进专业学习社区和教学支持策略的影响：（1）什么是STL对中学科学教师的做法的影响？(2)STL方法对专业学习社区的差异是否会影响科学教师的实践和学生的科学成就？(3)传统上代表性不足的学生在科学方面的成就和学术参与是否存在差异，这些差异因专业学习社区的方法而异？正在确定具体的基于证据的STL战略，以促进中学生的科学内容知识，课堂参与和学术能力的公平增长，以告知我们国家在STEM管道中增加多样性和能力的努力。 U-FUTURES利用过去UF/K-12合作伙伴关系的成功，直接涉及新的教师培训或新的基于探究的教学STEM教师设计基于探究的科学内容课程，作为一个全面的，学习目标驱动的方法，为STL负责领导中学科学改革在他们的地区。努力包括（1）为有兴趣观察，研究和实施探究式科学的学校团队提供行动研究日，（2）参与科学教育的学生参与指导性的实地经验，（3）制作简短的视频记录，为改变中学科学教学提供基于网络的支持，以及（4）教师调查系列，以支持教师与教师的合作，致力于通过标准驱动的，基于调查的科学，在中学科学学术成就，参与和能力的公平。所有教师培训模块，案例研究，并验证协议领先的中学科学专业学习社区免费提供给感兴趣的学区谁不直接参与伙伴关系。还向感兴趣的地区/学校领导团队提供了一个U-FUTURES科学改革领导研究所。

University of Florida Unites Teachers to Reform Education in Science (U-FUTuRES) at the 6th-8th grade level is an Institute Partnership between the University of Florida's P.K. Yonge Developmental Research School College of Education, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, and Center for Precollegiate Education and Training; the Levy County School District; the Northeast Florida Educational Consortium and associated school districts; and the University of Michigan. The partnership is engaging in collaborative implementation of a coherent, learning goals- and inquiry-driven, problem-based, and standards-aligned science curriculum (Investigating and Questioning our World through Science and Technology), and is developing sustainable school district capacity for leading this reform through: (1) a 36-credit, job-embedded Science Teacher Leadership graduate degree program co-facilitated by UF College of Education and UF STEM partners in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences; (2) ongoing support for the Science Teacher Leaders (STLs) as they train and coach 6th-8th grade science teachers in their school districts; (3) partnering with STLs as they organize district leadership to support reform oriented science instruction in middle schools that increases achievement and engagement among underrepresented student populations; and (4) UF cross-departmental partnerships dedicated to supporting improvements in 6th-8th grades science achievement while simultaneously stimulating an inquiry-based approach in introductory UF STEM courses. The 40 middle school science teachers serving as District STLs coach an average of 10 middle school science teachers in their home districts, impacting 58,500 middle school students in 20 Florida school districts in primarily high poverty rural and urban areas. An iterative process is being used for design, development, and evaluation of the effectiveness of the U-FUTuRES Science Teacher Leadership Institute, with associated research questions that focus on the impact of STL-facilitated professional learning communities and instructional support strategies:(1) What is the effect of STLs on middle school science teachers' practices? (2) Do differences in STL approaches to professional learning communities influence science teacher practices and students' science achievement outcomes? (3) Are there differences in achievement and academic engagement of traditionally underrepresented students in science that vary by approach to professional learning communities? Specific evidence-based STL strategies for facilitating equitable growth in middle school students' science content knowledge, classroom engagement, and academic competence are being identified to inform our nation's efforts to increase diversity and capacity in the STEM pipeline. U-FUTuRES leverages the success of past UF/K-12 partnerships to directly involve new-to-teacher-training or new-to-inquiry-based-teaching STEM faculty in designing inquiry-based, science content courses as a comprehensive, learning goals-driven approach for STLs responsible for leading middle school science reform in their districts. Efforts include (1) Research in Action days for school teams interested in observing, studying, and implementing inquiry-based science, (2) participation of preservice science education students in guided field-based experiences, (3) production of short video recordings that provide web-based support for transforming middle school science teaching, and (4) a Teacher Inquiry Series to support teacher-to-teacher collaboration dedicated to equity in middle school science academic achievement, engagement, and competence through standards-driven, inquiry-based science. All teacher training modules, case studies, and validated protocols for leading middle school science professional learning communities are freely available to interested school districts who are not directly engaged in the partnership. A U-FUTuRES Science Reform Leadership Institute is also offered to interested district/school leadership teams.