9618990 DiRanna This project sponsored by WestEd - formerly the Far West Laboratory will carry out a four-year project which will prepare Middle School Teachers to implement exemplary science materials in the Middle School classroom. Altogether, 100 schools will participate in the program and will select two teachers who will be prepared by the project to become lead teachers. In the first year, these lead teachers will receive instruction to provide them with the content knowledge and teaching skills so that they will be able to use exemplary materials in their classrooms. Their duties upon returning to the classroom will be to use the new materials, network with other participants, work with colleagues to implement the materials school wide and to work with student parents and school administrators to make them aware of the reform goals. In the second year the lead teachers continue with their summer institute and in the school year through 50 hours of on-site professional development, work with their colleagues to continue the process of implementing the same two units. In the two ensuing years the same activities take place so that by the end of the project, the 200 lead teachers will have had 800 hours of in- service and have introduced eight new science modules into the classroom. In addition, 2-4 more teachers from each of the schools will have had 308 hours of in-service and will eventually introduce the same modules into their classrooms. All other teachers in these schools who teach science will have had 168 hours of in- service to prepare them also to teach the modules. The lead teachers will disseminate the activities to other schools in the state. Activities for parents and administrators will take place all four years. Over the life of the project, 1276 teachers and 120 administrators will have been served by the program.
