This proposal is designed to provide training for 50 Kindergarten teachers and assistants over a period of three years and to maximize the implementation of the new Kindergarten Science curriculum which was recently developed in the Carroll County Public School System. This curriculum is based on a constructivist approach, and incorporates educational approaches which are suitable for young children. Teachers will be provided with the necessary content and process knowledge in science, and Kindergarten Instructional Assistants will be trained to ensure their role in successfully supporting science instruction in the classroom. A leadership team will be developed to provide support to colleague teachers and appropriate science inservice and peer coaching to new Kindergarten teachers coming into the school system. This project is appropriate for the Teacher Enhancement Program because of its plan to enhance in a substantive way the science teaching of all Kindergarten teachers in the Carroll County MD public school system, and because of its on- going plan to provide inservice to new Kindergarten teachers coming into the system. Non-NSF cost-sharing is approximately 66% of the amount requested from NSF.
