We recently asked Bruce Cannard, Edison School principal and former science teacher, to describe the current KSD science program for us. Here is his response.
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We currently have three STC (Science and Technology for Children) kits adopted per grade level in grades 2-5, two in kindergarten and first grade. The kits are refurbished three times during the year and sent to building on a rotating basis. Each kit provides sixteen lessons of approximately 45 minutes-an hour in length and the lessons build a particular concept, such as electrical circuits (a fourth grade kit) in increasing complexity from lesson to lesson. These kits were developed by the NSRC (National Science Resource Center in Wash. D.C.) using a constructivist approach.
Teachers are provided with eighteen hours of training on each of the kits, in the past being compensated for their time spent outside the school day. When the kits were first rolled out, about eleven years ago, we trained teachers on one kit a year until they had completed the three trainings.
Historically, ESS, SCIS, etc. were all good programs with a fatal flaw, equipment refurbishment. According to information from the NSRC (National Science Resource Center) unless there was a central refurbishment and replacement system in place, kit-based programs with lots of materials degraded quickly over time to the point where generally in three years very few programs were still viable. OSPI, under leadership from Jeff Estes with Battelle and Dennis Schatz with the Pacific Science Center partnered with the NSRC and the Smithsonian to bring high-quality, hands-on, inquiry-based science to students in our area. LASER (Leadership Assistance for Science Education Reform) came into being and for the next eight or so years school districts were invited to bring teams, including teachers, administrators, community rep(s), and the superintendent to attend week-long summer SPIs (Strategic Planning Institutes). At this time every school district has either been through an SPI, or has repeatedly denied the invitation to participate. I served at the state level for six years in the summers assisting school districts as a member of the state LASER team.
The goal of the SPI was to introduce key decision makers in the district to the need for high-quality science education. The expected outcome for each district was a five-year Strategic Plan that addressed Vision, Curriculum, Professional Development, Assessment, Materials Support, and Community Support. Kennewick was in the first cohort that attended an SPI, and the following year our strategic plan was being implemented under then curriculum coordinator Jim McLean, with assistance from a $250,000 grant from Batelle that helped established the BSRC (Batelle Science Resource Center). Nancy Sauer was the first manager of the science resource center, initially housed in the old Fruitland Building, later moved to the new district facility in the old Food Pavilion Store.
The BSRC is now a regional refurbishment facility, one of perhaps ten in the state, that prepares kits for elementary schools throughout ESD 123 on a cost per pupil basis. Ongoing kit training for new teachers is coordinated by Kathy Fisk, current science and math coordinator for the district.
Implementation at the classroom level is fairly consistent, with occasional situations where a kit is delivered to a classroom and not used, but that is the exception rather than the rule. The students love science taught this way and eagerly participate.
From my perspective the opportunity to teach science today is supported systemically to a much greater extent (training, materials in a ready-to use state) than I ever recall in the past. Current STEM (Science, Tech., Engineering, and Math) cross-disciplinary efforts at the state level will likely result in additional resources for expanded projects in elementary schools. How that will play out is yet to be seen.
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Thanks, Bruce. The report brought a few questions to mind which we will explore in the comment section to follow.
Your teachers are so lucky to have the kits replenished by the district. The cost of replenishing the supplies fall on the shoulders of the teachers in my district. And science is expensive when you have to purchase materials annually.
It sounds like everything is in place with lots of support, inservice, materials, etc.
Do you have any ideas why the district did so poorly on the State exams? I am really at a loss given all of the resources. I noted in Dave Bond’s recent comments to the Board that an average of 45 minutes per day is allotted to science/social studies. That works out to about 67.5 minutes per week for science. Do you think that is a fair estimate? Is it enough? Do all kids get the full amount or do those who struggle with reading/math get pulled away?
Reply from Bruce:
“Generally people do either science or social studies for the entire week, flipflopping generally by the week rather than day to day. When the science kits arrive science is the focus, and when they are picked up for refurbishment the focus switches to social studies.
One of the things the current curriculum adoption committee has identified are a number of content gaps between state expectations and those addressed in the science kits. The challenge is to provide opportunities for students to learn concepts not handled currently by the curriculum. Each grade level has noted the gaps and now resources will be sought to help plug the holes.
This is a problem that other districts are facing as well in light of poor student performance on state assessments.”
KSD Citizens:
” You answered all of my questions but one: Do all kids get the full science time,or are some pulled away for more time on reading/math? I hope you can help me with this.”
Bruce:
“It does depend on the grade level and time available to provide additional assistance. Ideally, we never want kids to miss other subjects. 4th and 5th grades have reading support in the afternoon, while science is taught in the morning, so they do not miss.
Primary grades have the majority of their reading support in the morning, and science in the afternoon. There are a few instances where kids miss some of their science lesson during a second shot of reading in the afternoon. When at all possible we schedule around it.”