This proposal is designed to achieve a comprehensive, system-wide transformation of the Montgomery County Public Schools, Maryland (MCPS) system's elementary (pre K-5) science curriculum. The new curriculum stresses student inquiry leading to science process skills as well as science content and positive attitudes toward exploration and cooperative learning. The transformation will be spearheaded by a group of 40 experienced "lead teachers" who will each receive a minimum of 6 weeks of training and will then train "liaison teachers." There will be one liaison teacher per grade level per school (approximately 860 liaison teachers in all) who will then act as mentor/ coaches to other classroom teachers. Some of the liaison teachers will also work with the lead teachers to train the more than 1500 classroom teachers; classroom teachers will each receive a minimum of four days of training that will introduce them to the philosophy and pedagogy of hands-on teaching and learning, and instruct them in the use of the units adopted for their grade level. This project is appropriate for the Teacher Enhancement Program because of its systemic plan to enhance the science teaching of all teachers of elementary science in the district. Non-NSF cost-sharing is approximately 152% of the amount requested from NSF.
