9454425 Barnhart This project implements a 5-year, multi-phase Teacher Enhancement program consistent with the West Virginia Science Curriculum Framework (WVSCF). As a statewide project it will reach all 7-10th grade science teachers. It is a leadership project congruent with the national science standards, Project 2061's tenets and the tenets of SS&C. The project develops a Cadre of change agents and teams of Science Mentor Teachers(SMT), at least one team for each of West Virginia's 55 counties, and empowers them to provide high quality professional development in science education to their peers in West Virginia. Workshops and institutes will immerse: 35 master teachers in 30 days of classroom/laboratory/field experiences; 150 leader teachers in 25-days of such experiences; and 1000 s/m/t educators in 12-days of such experiences and teleconferencing. Content specific courses will be delivered by satellite to meet content enhancement needs of the teachers. There are 55 implementation outreach workshops which will reach teachers who have not participated in NSF/TE workshops previously. Administrators and guidance counselors will also participate in the training. Participants may earn graduate or continuing education credit. Indeed, one component of the project is a Master of Arts Degree in Coordinated and Thematic Science offered jointly by the graduate institutions of the state.
