The purpose of this project is to develop a Center for Reform in Science Education based on the NSTA model for Scope, Sequence, and Coordination, and to implement the model in grades 6-8 in seven schools spanning six counties in North Carolina. Anticipated outcomes of this project, which focuses on the spacing of science instruction and the teaching of ideas from concrete to abstract, will include higher student performance on standardized science tests, improvement of student and teacher attitudes toward science, and greater parent involvement in the science program. The University of North Carolina at Wilmington and East Carolina University , in cooperation with six Centers of the North Carolina Mathematics and Science Education Network, will work with lead teachers, university scientists, and science educators to pilot test the revised middle school science curriculum. Cost sharing in the amount of $215,143 is 15% of the NSF contribution.
