9554614 Turchin This Local Systemic Change Through Teacher Enhancement initiative is a collaborative effort among Community School Districts 3 and 5 in New York City; The Workshop Center at City College; Education Development Center, Inc.; Science Institution Teacher Enhancement Collaborative; Colgate-Palmolive; the New York City Urban systemic Initiative; and teh New York State Systemic Initiative. Classrooms will be transformed into active learning centers characterized by involved children working together in cooperative groups. Teachers will be using the Sustained. Comprehensive professional development will encourage staff to take risks and assume new roles as they move from a didactic instructional methodology to one that promotes and rewards inquiry-based learning. The project will involve all 1,470 pre-K through grade 6 teachers in the 35 elementary schools of the two districts. These teachers wil be implementing a science program made up of Insights and Science and Technology for Children units that were piloted during the planning grant that preceded this award. The approach to mathematics will parallel the science teaching and will stress problem-solving, mathematical reasoning, real world applications, communication about mathematics, integration of mathematical topics, and the use of manipulatives and technology. The cost sharing for the project will be 263% of the NSF award.
