9552588 Sprague This project is a follow up to the conference entitled First Step. The current proposal seeks funds for a second conference, the Next Step Institute '95. Seventy teams of 4 members each, will be accepted for a three and one half day institute. Teams will be selected from across the nation, and will all be members of The Association of Science Materials Centers (ASMC). The Institute will have two major components the first for districts and consortia, already involved in systemic support for science education, who need to upgrade their skills and keep current with the latest reform efforts. Participants in this component will attend two keynote presentations, four specialized strands which will allow different team members to participate more fully in a focused topic such as; Sharing the Vision, Nuts and Bolts, Assessment and Standards, Professional Growth and Team Building. In addition time will be set aside for cross strand highlights during which participants will be able to share information in order to learn about presentations they have not attended and time for team planning. The second component of the Institute will be to produce a long term plan and a proposal based on a needs assessment from data gathered from both the First and Next Step conferences. The request is for $84,568 with cost share estimated as $105,250.
