This three year program, a collaborative of public and private sector organizations and business in Dayton, Ohio, will address needs for the improvement of the K-12 science education program in the Dayton Public Schools. This will be accomplished through in-service training of teachers and through pilot testing and assessment of components of a revised science curriculum. The collaborative brings together the resources of 27 partners. The lead agency will be the University of Dayton. University faculty from science disciplines, science education, and teacher education will provide academic year and summer coursework to help teachers from five elementary and secondary Professional Development Schools in the City of Dayton Public Schools improve content knowledge and science teaching skills. A seminar series for secondary level teachers will be taught by scientists, engineers, and other personnel employed by private sector partners. The participating teachers will receive intensive training to prepare them for roles as trainers and on-site resource staff for personnel in other schools within the district. Training will emphasize the development of critical thinking skills and the use of interactive learner-centered science lessons. Content areas to be covered for elementary teachers includes environmental science and organismal biology. Biology, geology, chemistry, and physics will be offered to secondary teachers. Fifty elementary school and 30 secondary school personnel from the five Professional Development Schools will participate in the project. Workshops will take place both during the academic year and summer months. Summer workshops will be two weeks in duration. An amount equal to 151% of NSF costs has been provided as cost sharing.
