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Academic Areas & Divisions
Curriculum & Instruction
Puget Sound Science Teacher (PSST) Network:
Enhancing Regional Capacity for the Ongoing Improvement of Secondary Science Teaching and Learning
In 2008-09, Jessica Thompson and Melissa Braaten (Curriculum & Instruction, Science Education) undertook a professional development project to build capacity for secondary science education in the Puget Sound region. The project was funded by the National Education Association Foundation and The Dean's Fund for Innovation and Excellence in Education. Our aim was to develop a network of teachers interested in increasing student science achievement in high needs schools. We helped create several intellectual learning communities who systematically examined student work and videotapes of classroom discourse for the purpose of 1) making evidence-based changes to teaching practices and 2) bringing powerful pedagogies to a broad range of students in urban schools.
Network activities included:
- Monthly Video Club Meetings. Twelve teachers and district-level science coaches participated in monthly meetings in which they examined video excerpts from their classrooms in addition to examining samples of student work from the same lessons. They then worked together to design upcoming units of instruction based on strategies tried by colleagues. Jessica and Melissa worked with teachers to further refine lessons, provided in-class coaching, edited video to illustrate high-leverage teaching practices and assisted participants in systematically evaluating student work.
- Critical Friends Group Meetings for 2 South East Seattle high schools—Cleveland and Rainier Beach High Schools. Jessica supported two science departments and district level science coaches in developing localized teacher learning communities rooted in examining students’ science learning (activities were similar to Video Club). The schools were selected because they face low enrollment, 30% dropout rates, and only 36% of the students met state standards in science (low by comparison to other schools and other subjects). The schools are part of a district initiative mandating increased rigor. Support was also provided to the science coaches that work with these teachers through district level professional development.
Outcomes
Based on survey data, teachers and coaches involved in these groups reported most significant improvement in practice on:
- posing more “why-level” questions in the classroom and on assessments
- attending to students’ partial understandings for a range of students with varying achievement levels
- identifying a “big idea” worth explaining in science.
They reported that the dimensions that best supported these shifts in thinking and practice were
- having the opportunity to examine other teachers’ student work
- watching video from other teachers’ classrooms
- working with a supportive group.
Curriculum & Instruction
