9454335 Stoddart The LASERS project focuses on implementing systemic change in the teaching of elementary school science to bilingual students so that they have access to a challenging science curriculum that builds on their cultural and linguistic resources. In achieving this aim, the program will become a vehicle for integrating, restructuring, and enhancing the science curriculum and language development programs in seven school districts and for establishing links to the Latino families and rural agricultural communities from which students come. The locus of the project activities will be the school site. The staff development program will be tailored to address school and district priorities, and will support teachers in the implementation and planning of a comprehensive science curriculum that addresses content and language development goals. In addition, the evaluation of the project will include a research component designed to gather information that will help teachers forge links between learning science and doing science in an authentic context that relates to students' scientific conceptions, language and culture. ***