9555712 Rosebery TERC in collaboration with 13 school districts nationwide has created the Cheche Konnen Center for Science Education Reform, The mission is to spearhead a five-year national reform initiative in K-8 science education for students whose first language is not English. The Center will be built on a strong foundation of prior research and development: specifically, TERC's well-known work on inquiry-based approaches to teaching science to language minority students and teacher professional development, and their long record of innovation in science and mathematics education. Language minority students represent the fastest growing segment of the school age population and typically receive an impoverished education in science. Science teachers too often have little or no background in understanding issues of cultural and linguistic diversity in relation to science teaching. With these concerns in mind, the Center will focus on teacher professional development that integrates inquiry and reflection on science, teaching and learning, culture and language. The Center's work will emphasize technical support to school districts that seek to include language minority students in their ongoing reform efforts, a "national conversation" on issues of equity in science education reform, and development of products, practices and knowledge to support fulfillment of the Center's mission. The products will include articles, videos, and other professional development materials. The outcomes of the Center's work will be: long-term, inquiry-based professional development programs that are an ongoing, integral part of teachers' professional work; vastly improved opportunities for language minority children to learn science; an informed nation conversation on education policy on equity in science education; and human, material and conceptual resources to support districts nationwide that are engaged in reforming science education for language minority students.
