PI: R. Blank DUE 96-24744 Inst: Council of Chief State School Officers $73,706 Title: Conference on State Strategies for Improving Teacher Preparation and Certification Consistent with Science Education Standards A national conference is being held to focus attention of state education leaders on the implications of the recently released National Research Council (NRC) Science Education Standards and other national and state standards for K-12 science content for the preparation of science teachers. Three important factors inform the preparation of science teachers: 1) state policies; 2) teacher preparation programs designed by schools of education; and 3) undergraduate science curricula. Leaders from each of these areas will be speakers and/or panelists in several plenary sessions. Conference participants will be state education and science leaders who will attend as teams to facilitate: 1) discussion of the need for improving science teacher preparation in light of the new standards; 2) consideration of various models and approaches toward improvement; and 3) initiation of intra-state strategies for co-ordinated reform of policies and programs of science teacher education.
