Rural Alliance for Improving Science Education - Track 1, GK-12

标题：农村改善科学教育联盟(RAISE)机构：俄克拉荷马州立大学PI/Co-PI：Thomas A.Wikle(PI)，Joel W.Helmer和John E.Steinbrink(Co-PI)伙伴/年份：10(研究生)学校合作伙伴：Perkins/Tryon，Morison和Hennessey公立学校目标：6年级至12年级背景：尽管最近实施了全州范围的科学教育标准，但来自俄克拉荷马州农村社区的学生在数学和科学能力方面落后于全国。使问题更加复杂的是数学和科学教师的短缺，这使得教师有必要在他们的初级科学教学区之外开设课程。拟议活动的智力价值：农村改善科学教育联盟(RAISE)将优秀的研究生(研究员)安排在6-12年级教室，与三个农村学区的公立学校教师一对一合作。在俄克拉荷马州立大学(OSU)科学教师和教职员工委员会的监督下，RAISE建立在俄克拉何马州立大学(OSU)教职员工和K-12教师之间通过北极星(Polaris)建立的现有关系基础上，北极星是教育部赞助的一个改善初中和初中科学教学的项目。地理信息科学(GISCI)的跨学科领域是开发创新科学课程的重点，其目标是：1)加强生态学、生物学、地球科学和环境科学之间的课程联系；2)在国家规定的科学考试中显著提高学生的表现。拟议活动的更广泛影响：提高拥有大量美国原住民学生和高贫困率的农村学区的目标。来自植物学、动物学、微生物学、地理学、地质学和环境科学系的研究员正在完成他们的OSU学位，他们具有更强的沟通能力，对科学教育学的理解更好，对教师和不同学习者的需求都有更好的理解。由同事/教师小组编写的教案和其他材料将通过暑期学校在区域内传播，并在全国范围内通过一个通过科学教育期刊和教师会议宣传的项目网站传播。项目成功的主要基准是：1)学生在州规定的俄克拉荷马州核心课程考试的科学部分的进步，2)全州和全国范围内将提高材料纳入6-10年级科学教学的教师/学校的数量。

Title: Rural Alliance for Improving Science Education (RAISE) Institution: Oklahoma State University PI/Co-PIs: Thomas A. Wikle (PI), Joel W. Helmer and John E. Steinbrink (Co-PIs) Fellow/Year: 10 (graduate) School Partners: Perkins/Tryon, Morrison, and Hennessey Public Schools Target: 6 through 12th grades Setting: rural Disciplines: interdisciplinary (Earth sciences, life sciences, general sciences) Background: Despite recent implementation of statewide science education standards, students from rural Oklahoma communities lag behind the nation in math and science ability. Compounding the problem is a shortage of math and science teachers making it necessary for teachers to offer subjects outside of their primary science teaching area. Intellectual Merit of the Proposed Activity: The Rural Alliance for Improving Science Education (RAISE) places outstanding graduate students (fellows) in 6-12 grade classrooms to work one-on-one with public school teachers in three rural school districts. Supervised by a committee of science teachers and faculty from Oklahoma State University (OSU), RAISE builds on existing relationships among OSU faculty and K-12 teachers established through POLARIS, a Department of Education sponsored project for improving middle and junior high science instruction. The interdisciplinary area of Geographic Information Science (GISci) serves as the focus for the development of innovative science curricula with the goals of: 1) strengthening curricular ties among ecology, biology, Earth science and environmental science, and 2) providing measurable improvement in student performance on state-mandated science tests. Broader Impacts of the Proposed Activity: RAISE targets rural school districts with significant numbers of Native American students and high poverty rates. Fellows from the Departments of Botany, Zoology, Microbiology, Geography, Geology, and Environmental Science are completing their OSU degree with stronger communication skills, an improved understanding of science pedagogy, and a greater appreciation for the needs of both teachers and diverse learners. Lesson plans and other materials developed by fellow/teacher teams will be disseminated regionally through summer institutes and nationally through a project web site promoted via science education journals and teacher conferences. The principal benchmarks for project success are: 1) student improvement on science sections of the state-mandated Oklahoma Core Curriculum Test and, 2) the number of teachers/schools throughout the state and nation that integrate RAISE materials into 6-10th grade science instruction.