Community School District 6 in New York has a total enrollment of 23,000 students in grades kindergarten through 8th grade. This district extends across Manhattan from 135th St. to 220th St., and has an 85% Hispanic student population, of which 40% have limited English abilities. Almost 95% of the students qualify for the free lunch program. Mr. Robert Werner, Science Coordinator of the district, has proposed a comprehensive five-year plan for training the district's teachers in a recently adopted hands on inquiry-based science curriculum for the elementary grades. One lead teacher per grade per school has already received some training by district science coordinators. This project would greatly accelerate and expand the training effort, and would establish a leadership team in each school composed of three lead teachers, the Principal, and the Science Assistant Principal. The Workshop Center of CCNY and EDC would provide training for the lead teachers, principals, and assistant principals. The lead teachers would be released from their classrooms for three periods per week, in order to provide training to the other teachers in their school. The proposed teacher enhancement project will have significant impact on a school district with enormous need. A total of 180 teachers will receive training directly in workshop settings, and the remaining 600 will have frequent in-class coaching and mentoring by their lead teacher colleagues. The plan to provide training to school administrators will assure a long-term change in the attitudes of school officials toward science instruction. The school district has demonstrated its commitment to exemplary science education in the past, and has made firm commitments for future contributions. Cost sharing by the school district represents 124% of the NSF contribution.
