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Washington Science Teachers Association JOURNAL June 2015 Vol.54 No.3
Washington Science Teachers Association
JOURNALJune 2015 Vol.54 No.3
C o n t e n tFrom the Desk of the WSTA President
WSTA 2015 Fall Conference Update
*Words of encouragement...*Starting science projects in your classroom
*Washington State Science Fair Participants*OSPI Update
WSTA 2015 Election Results
*Washington State Fellows Network*Washington MESA Update May 2015
*Adventures in NGSS/WSSLS*The NGSS Crosscutting Concepts Make Science Learning 3D!
WSTA Needs Assessment
Mill Creek freshman a big winner at international Intel science competition
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Dedication to advocating and promoting quality science education for all, at all levels of instruction.
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June 3, 2015
As I look back on the last two years of my presidency of WSTA, I have tremendous appreciation and gratitude for the dedication, work and commitment needed to move a non-profit organization forward. Equally important, I reflect back over this leadership position and value the professional relationships that I accrued during this time. Another valuable learning was the importance of collaboration with WSTA Board members and state science leaders to establish sustainable, long-term goals aimed at supporting the hard-working science educators in our state. One cannot do it alone; or rather, we cannot do it alone. I heard this at one of the NSTA-sponsored, National Congress on Science Education events and I was particularly drawn to this statement based on my experiences as a science leader in the state. Often, I heard other leaders speak of the challenges within their state to coordinate science networks and coherently align stakeholders collectively to move science education initiatives forward. Other states lamented the lack of informal science partners or business groups to help sustain STEM initiatives. Other state leaders discussed how the political climate in their state limited or prevented them from moving forward with adopting the new science standards.
In Washington State however, we do not have the same concerns. Many partnerships work collaboratively in a variety of capacities to improve the science education experience for every student in our state. WSTA continues to build these partnerships with OSPI and the Regional Science Coordinators, Washington State LASER, Washington STEM, Environmental Education Association of Washington (EEAW), and other organizations. Representatives from many of these organizations belong to our WSTA board of directors and provide tremendous value through their joint communication and involvement.
In addition to the collaborative partnerships, I am happy to report that we moved closer to meeting all our annual organizational strategic goals (see our WSTA website for goal specifics at www.wsta.net) set forth in 2013-2014 and 2014-2015. Among those, we knew we needed to rebuild our web presence and use a tool that would simplify the membership process, allow us to coordinate professional development and other events, and send out regular communication to our members. We have done just that! While we still have more work to do, we have increased membership and WSTA members repeatedly share their appreciation for our new website. Admittedly, we knew we needed to raise our level of technology use to reflect current practices in education, and this was certainly one way. Facebook and Twitter are two other ways we use technology to reach members through social media.
Financially, we are in good shape as we continue to draw revenue from our annual conference, professional
development offerings, clock hour receipts, and membership fees. This helps us fund and carry our message of “supporting science teachers in our state with ongoing professional learning experiences.”
One of these professional development opportunities is coming in the 2015-2016 school year! We are excited to begin planning for and training our regional representatives to deliver new trainings for science teachers around the Washington State Science Learning Standards. We are spending a week in June to plan these trainings and will finalize this work at our August Board retreat. Next year, our plan is to offer a deeply engaging look into the three dimensional nature of these standards and how components of the instructional frameworks integrate with effective teaching and assessment practices to support what many teachers are already expected to do in their classrooms. Offering this type of effective professional development at this scale is not easy, especially when we are volunteer-based. Additional information will be coming soon and teachers will be able to register for these trainings on our website.
Finally, I would like to thank the WSTA Board of Directors for their support in allowing me to lead. Our board works tirelessly to support this organization and our science teachers. If you have not yet had an opportunity to serve the larger state science community through WSTA, I encourage you to do so by volunteering for the upcoming conference, or running for one of the many elected positions available on an annual basis. I am pleased to continue serving in the capacity of past-president over the coming year and want to wish each of you the best as you prepare for your summer and re-engage next year.
Thank you,
John Parker
WSTA President; May 2013-May 2015
WSTA Members,
From the Desk of the WSTA Pres identJohn Parker
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WSTA 2015 Fa l l Conference UpdateLisa Chen, Conference Chair
Want to share your ideas with other science educators at the WSTA Conference in Shoreline? Call for proposals is now open! There are opportunities for 60 or 90 minute presentations on Saturday, October 24th and Sunday October 25th as well as half-day and full-day workshops on Saturday.
Session proposals are sought for the following strands: Amplitude of Next Generation Science; Frequency of STEM; and Wavelengths of Literacy: Reading, Writing, Speaking, and Listening in Science. If you are an elementary, middle, or high school science teacher or a provider of K-12 science professional development or instructional materials, we would love to see a proposal from you. Proposals will be evaluated on how well they align with one or more conference strands and the NGSS and CCSS, involve participants through activities and/or discussions, and are based on current and available research and issues in science, technology, engineering and/or math. More detailed descriptions of each strand, as well as a link to submit your proposal can be found on this page of the WSTA website:
http://www.wsta.net/page-1863484
Saturday, October 24th will be full of activity as exhibitors will be showcasing their offerings all day in the 2-story light filled commons area of Shorecrest High School. Stick around for tasty refreshments and prizes in the early evening after a busy day of sessions! More information to register as an exhibitor, as well as sponsorship and advertising opportunities to reach an expected 300+ conference attendees can be found at:
http://www.wsta.net/event-1896129
Lodging information, conference registration, Friday field trip opportunities, and the Saturday evening awards celebration details will be coming soon. Please put October 23-25 on your calendar, bookmark www.wsta.net, and be on the lookout for more news about the 2015 WSTA Conference.
See you in October for The Next Waves of Science: NGSS, CCSS, and STEM!
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WSTA 2015 Election Results
Board elections were held on-line in March and April, and the results are in. The new and re-elected Board members started their terms of service with the May Board meeting.
President-elect: Andy BoydThe President-Elect prepares for and supports the office
of the President while holding elections and facilitating the association’s awards and scholarship programs. The term of the President-Elect is 2 years. The President-Elect then serves as President for 2 years, and finally serves as Past President for one additional year (a 5-year term).
Andy received his baccalaureate degree from Washington State University in 1998 and carried on there for his secondary teaching credential with an Earth science endorsement. While teaching in the Vancouver area, he completed his MEd at the University of Portland in Educational Leadership. For a few years, he worked as a TOSA for the OSPI Science Assessment Team. He has taught in Moses Lake and is currently teaching in the Almira/Coulee-Hartline district. In 2011, Andy completed his PhD at Washington State University in education psychology specializing in research, evaluation, and measurement. Dr. Boyd has served as the WSTA Region 3 Representative for 7 years delivering many professional learning opportunities for the region as well as the WSTA Moses Lake Conference.
Treasurer: re-elected Karen MadsenThe Treasurer assures the organization has the resources
for its awards, meetings, scholarships, and other professional activities for the membership while keeping the books and continuing its non-profit status.
Karen received her baccalaureate degree from Cornell in chemistry. She earned a masters in natural science degree from Worcester Polytechnic Institute then taught chemistry for 10 years. Karen served on the Everett School Board for 12 years and has worked with the OSPI Science Curriculum and Assessment Teams. Karen has provided invaluable service to WSTA as its Treasurer for many year.
The Regional Representatives are the chief communicators of WSTA information in their Regions. They provide professional learning opportunities, work closely with the other regional representatives, participate in the WSTA conferences, attend board meetings and provide science education leadership within their respective regions.
Region 1 (ESD 101): re-elected Mike AllenMike received his associate degree from Spokane
Community College, his baccalaureate degree from Eastern Washington University and his masters from Lesley University. He is teaching science and mathematics in the Freeman School District and has represented the Regional 1 teachers of science since 2006. In addition to the many professional learning opportunities he has provided, he co-chaired the WSTA Moses Lake conference.
Region 2 (ESD 123): re-elected Mary MooreMary received her baccalaureate degree from Eastern
Washington University and his masters from Heritage College. Mary was the state’s Presidential Award recipient in 1995. She has been a National Board Certified Teacher since 2003 and has been an active leader with LASER as well as with OSPI SALT. Mary teaches 3rd grade in the Richland School District and has represented the Region 2 teachers of science for many years. Mary continues to be an exemplary teacher and science educational leader.
Region 3 (ESD 171): Kate LindholmKate received her baccalaureate degree from the University
of Washington and her masters from California State University Dominguez Hills. Kate is the K-5 Elementary Science Coach for the Moises Lake School District and an active consultant for science educations in her region. She has been hooked on science since her first biology class in junior high and will bring this energy to the Board as she starts her 1st term representing the teachers of science in Region 3.
Roy Beven, President-elect
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Words of encouragement for those prepping for the s ta te tes tDon Pruett, Region 6 Representative
Starting science projects in your classroom.
Working a science fair as a volunteer judge is a great way to get educated about the world of science and engineering fairs. All five of the science fairs in our state rely heavily on volunteer judges. I encourage teachers who want to get involved in science fairs to start small and be a judge. Learning to evaluate science and engineering projects takes practice. I suggest volunteering as a judge to learn the ropes, and to meet educators and scientists in your area that can help you once you decide to do your own fair.
Start small with your class participating in a class wide science and engineering fair or work with a teaching partner. Having students participate in a science and engineering project allows a teacher to research and connect the Science and Engineering Practice’s found in the Next Generation Science Standards to the student projects. I started out
with a small district science fair 14 years ago that has grown to a large Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math Fair. Please feel free to contact me about how to get started with a science fair. I also have update science and engineering fair rubrics, K-12 science packets, information on how to evaluate projects or if you have any science fair questions. I have updated my rubrics to align with the Science and Engineering Practices found in Next Generation Science Standards. Email me if you have any questions.
Don PruettSumner High School Science DepartmentWSTA Region Six RepresentativeSouth Sound Regional Science Board of [email protected]
Don Pruett, Region 6 Representative
It is that time of year when many science teachers realize how close we all are to the state science test and wonder, “How am I going to get through all the necessary content and practices my students need to be successful on the state test?” My Biology Team is in the same boat as we have been trying to go deeper into less topics, as that is the direction we feel the Next Generation Science Standards are leading us. There are some resources available at the OSPI Website:
http://www.k12.wa.us/Science/ScoringTraining.aspx http://www.k12.wa.us/Science/Assessments.aspx http://www.k12.wa.us/Science/TestItemSpec.aspx
I encourage you to check out the test item specs and run through a couple of scenarios with your students so they have a feel for the test. Years ago our department switched to all short answer and essay standard based tests. It has improved our student’s writing in science skills and we did see our state scores go up over time. I have been demonstrating and reminding my students how to incorporate the question in the answer on any work that we do. I am starting to see progress as we near the end of the year. As you go through a practice test, point out the bullets, and remind students to address each bullet. If they incorporate the question in the answer and address the bullets in the question, they will set themselves up for success. Don’t panic, have confidence and spend time reviewing the past year in science with the students.
Continuing Education and WorkshopsIf you want one stop shopping for continuing education
and science news in the South Sound contact Kat Laxton, the new Regional Science Coordinator for the Puget Sound ESD, she has a great newsletter that has articles, workshops, science news and information. Contact Kat at [email protected] to get onto her email list.
Winners of the 2015 South Sound Regional Science Fair
The students below will be part of Team Washington as they represent the South Sound Regional Science and Engineering Fair and the State of Washington at the INTEL International Science and Engineering Fair, May 10-15 in Pittsburgh, PA.
1st Place: Surabhi Mundada; Olympia HS; MyGlove: Assisting Hand Movements, Grip and Tremor Detection
2nd Place: Mehar Nallamalli; Capital HS; NapX-Safety Alert Mobile Application to Detect Drowsy Drivers
3rd Place: Anjali Vasisht; Olympia HS; Comparative Analysis of Bacteriophages, Natural Antibacterials and
Pharmaceutical Agents.
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Washington Sta te Sc ience Fa i r Representat ive Par t i c ipantsDon Pruett, Region 6 Representative
Washington State Science Fair participants representing the State of Washington:
WSSEF Gold Medallion ~ Naveena Bontha, Grade10, Developing Novel MOF Membranes for CO2 and H2 CaptureWSSEF Silver Medallion ~ Sriharshita Musunuri, Grade 9, Application of Tetrahedrite and Magnesium Silicide in a Novel Thermoelectric Unicouple to Generate Electricity from IndustrialWSSEF Bronze Medallion ~ Swetha Shutthanandan, Grade 11, Novel Design of Water Soluble Porphyrin Containing Supramolecular Complex Nanoparticles for Enhanced Photodynamic Cancer
WSSEF ~ ISEF FinalistsMahalaxmi Elango, Grade 11, Implementation of Machine Learning for Better Resistance Prediction in Acute Myeloid LeukemiaMeera Srinivasan, Grade 12, A novel phenotypically-anchored bioindicator for assessing the marine impacts of urban stormwater runoffRosemichelle Marzan, Hyrum Bock, Cameron Beardsley, team of three, all Grade 11, Parabolic Conflat Ion Reflector
OSPI UpdateEllen Ebert
The implementation of the Next Generation Science Standards remains a very high priority for OSPI’s Teaching and Learning Program. New materials are beginning to be shared nationally and science teachers may find some of them helpful for their own professional learning. This update will feature a few resources.
The Teaching Channel recently released several videos that focus on better understanding the intent, vision, and structure of the new standards. Links include: NGSS: A Vision for K-12 Science Education; NGSS: Crosscutting Concepts; NGSS: Science & Engineering Practices; and NGSS: Disciplinary Core Ideas.
Several longtime favorite websites are undergoing revitalization with respect to being more NGSS. Take a look at Concord Consortium and PhET for a spectrum of K-12 type lessons/units. Locally, Seattle University’s College of Nursing has developed and released a high school curriculum titled Teen Take Heart. The curriculum includes four modules: The Heart: What makes you tick (Structure and Function); The Hard Truth (Cardiovascular Disease); Moving Towards Health (Nutrition and Activity); and Can Humans Grow a New Heart? (Research and the Scientific Process).
The University of Washington’s Genome Science Education Outreach Program has released two contemporary curricula also for high school titled: What can we learn from worms? How the nematode C. elegans maintains balance in a
changing environment; and Type 2 Diabetes: A complex disease of gene and environment interactions. These instructional materials have been developed using the Next Generation Science Standards. They are freely available and the authors would appreciate any feedback.
In the autumn, Washington will be entering into Phase 3 of the Transition Plan. Teachers thinking about lesson planning during the summer may want to look at the Transition Plans and focus some of their lessons to include NGSS implementation suggestions. Teachers may also want to watch for Achieve’s Elementary and Middle School Evidence Statements which are expected to be released in June.
Science Fellows applications are being accepted this month. Science Fellows will join ELA and Mathematics Fellows in the 2015 – 2016 school year. Fellows are teacher leaders whose work supports district and school Washington State Learning Standards (CCSS and NGSS) implementation and instructional shifts. Each ESD region supports a cadre of leaders as a part of the statewide Fellows Network. The Fellows Network engages in common learning opportunities to provide leadership and support within schools and districts. Interested teachers can review the application and can contact their ESD Regional Science Coordinator to express interest and find out more about the Science Fellows’ work.
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Washington Sta te Fe l lows Network
The AESD Network and OSPI are in their third year of supporting the statewide network of Washington English Language Arts (ELA) Fellows and Mathematics Fellows. The Fellows Network will be expanded in 2015-2016 to include Science Fellows. The Washington English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science Fellows are teacher leaders who support district and school Washington State Learning Standards (CCSS and NGSS) implementation and instructional shifts for ELA, mathematics, and science. Each ESD region supports a cadre of leaders as a part of the statewide Fellows Network. The Fellows Network engages in
common learning opportunities to provide leadership and support within schools and districts.
source:
http://www.k12.wa.us/CurriculumInstruct/Fellows.aspx
Washington MESA Update May 2015 Phyllis G. Harvey-Buschel
The Annual Washington MESA Engineering Design and Computer Science Challenges 2015
Washington MESA provides enriching opportunities in mathematics, engineering, science, and technology (STEM) for underrepresented minority students in grades K-16. We accomplish this by offering exemplary materials, innovative curriculum, university preparedness, leadership development, and teacher professional development.
This year, MESA partners with the Technology Alliance to introduce the Youth Apps Challenge as a component of the Engineering Design Challenge. More than 150 students teams of MESA high school and middle school students and from Western Washington youth Apps challenge will participate in the event. The engineering design teams will give an oral presentations, prepare academic display boards and write a research papers. The Apps challenge students will demonstrate their Apps with a 1 minute pitch to the audience.
NEW: Washington MESA-OSPI Engineering Education Leadership Initiative
Washington MESA with its key partner - Office of Superintendent of public Instruction department of Teaching and Learning have establish the Engineering Leadership Initiative for K-12 Engineering Education. This initiative combines the knowledge, strengths and expertise of industry, informal and formal education partners across
the state of Washington in a single interdisciplinary group called the Engineering Education Leaders Initiative (EELI). The initiative will work to develop and implement effective strategies to support Washington’s teachers in implementing the Next Generation Engineering Standards (NGSS).
Nine different organizations stepped forward to collaborate on this initiative. In January 2014, the group convened through a leadership summit to brainstorm and create work groups to develop goals, objectives and actions to support K-12 engineering in schools. Each partner organization brings unique experiences and expertise from the field which will inform and develop specific actions to guide this initiative.
The goals of this initiative is to develop a common understanding of the opportunities and challenges that impact delivery of the K-12 Engineering Standards. More specifically to:
•Foster the implementation of new K-12 engineering standards
•Facilitate research-based practices in engineering learning experiences in the K-12 classrooms.
•Provide educational and field based experience for teachers and faculty.
•Develop online directory portal of for knowledge dissemination and sharing of best practices to teachers in K-12 engineering education
•Share Best-practices and outreach to schools and teachers
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Carmen Kardokus, Region 7 Representative
As my journey through the NGSS/WSSLS continues I find myself struck by the artistry required of science educators to teach the depth of these new standards. To weave together the three dimensions (DCI, SEP, CCC) in a logical and engaging lesson is striking. I am at once intrigued and flummoxed at how to go about developing lessons for my units that are 3D. I often find myself asking for and wishing for more models of NGSS teaching in action. I would like many more concrete examples from teachers in the field. Do we not learn best from each other? As I embark
on my search for examples in an effort to improve upon my own instructional practice I hope to impart my discoveries to our readership. The following is an article I have found written by an educator in California. I chose this piece because of its focus on the Cross Cutting Concepts (CCC). This is one area of the NGSS/WSSLS where I struggle to be explicit in its teaching and end up just hoping the kids are catching on (probably not a great strategy). I enjoyed the concrete examples for the classroom and I hope you may gain something useful. Happy reading.
Adventures in NGSS/WSSLS
On April 24th EELI partners convened for Summit III, where Initiative leaders had an opportunity to revise their previously developed action plans and propose a work stream of activities for the coming year. EELI plan to reach out to principals of schools across the state to build awareness and capacity of teachers and administrators to implement the NGSS Engineering Standards.
As part of our ongoing efforts, EELI Partners- University of Washington, Seattle University and Leadership Alliance
for Science Education reform (LASER) will deliver an “Engineering Practices in Education summit for teachers on Saturday June 6th. The goal of the day is to increase K-12 educators’ awareness of the engineering profession and the engineering design process. In this workshop, participants will work with the NGSS while working in groups to develop a solution to a problem using the engineering design process. For more information about the workshop please visit:
www.pce.uw/education/professionaldevelopment.html
The NGSS Crosscut t ing Concepts Make Sc ience Learn ing 3D!Peter A’Hearn
The idea that structure relates to function is pretty abstract for 1st graders. To get them thinking about structure and function in living things we started by having them draw a picture of what they thought a fish looks like. I have found that people have preconceived, cartoon versions of what things look like in their heads that can interfere with their ability to make objective observations of the real thing; it is helpful to give them a chance to draw that cartoon before having them observe the real thing and compare it to their drawing. (See How People Learn [1] for more about prior knowledge and also more about fish).
Kids asked, “Can I draw a shark?!” Of course!In their drawings, most of the fish looked like big round
pancakes with tails, smiles, and bubbles.Then, each group was given a goldfish and asked to
compare the real fish to their drawing. They were asked to identify what was the same and what was different between the two?
“There is only one gill! They have lines in their fin. There is
a fin on top and lots of fins on the bottom. Fish don’t smile!”The students were then asked to make a second drawing.
These were much more detailed, and some were excellent. Some were Picasso fish that showed all of the parts very clearly but at impossible angles.
Photos by Laura Otteson
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Time to introduce structure and function.
Teacher: “Structure is a part, function is a job that it does. You have a part called a nose, what is the function?”
Students: “Smelling and breathing!”Teacher: “Now how about the fish, what are the eyes for?”Students: “So they don’t bump into things!” “For finding
food.” “To keep away from sharks!”At this point, now the students were ready to fill out their
own charts of structure and function. As they did, they were encouraged to continue observing their goldfish; careful observers even noticed that the top fin was used to turn and two little fins in front were used to keep in place.
This was a first introduction to the crosscutting concept of
structure and function, one of seven that are called out in the NGSS as the big ideas that connect the sciences. Hopefully these students will take this idea and apply it throughout their science learning to ideas across the science disciplines and to engineering.
The Next Generation Science Standards are asking for students to engage in 3D science- science learning that combines disciplinary core ideas (DCIs), science and engineering practices (SEPs), and crosscutting concepts (CCCs). I have come to think of these three dimensions as What Scientists Know (DCIs), What Scientists Do (SEPs), and How Scientists Think (CCCs). Learning science this way
holds great promise for helping students learn science in a way that leads to long-term understanding and appreciation. Most science teachers are familiar with most of the core ideas and the practices, but the crosscutting concepts may be a new thing.
I first wrote about the crosscutting concepts a year and a half ago. I also created a set of symbols (structure and function above) to help teachers to connect them to their student’s learning. The symbols, printable classroom posters, and lots of resources are at: http://crosscutsymbols.weebly.com/.
Crosscutting symbols in Debbie Gordon’s 2nd grade classroom.
I have opportunities to have many conversations with teachers who are using the crosscutting concepts and the symbols in their classrooms and are excited to share their experiences. These conversations have helped me to see the crosscutting concepts in different ways and given me new insights about how to teach science through the crosscutting concepts.
At a cross-disciplinary training with Dr. Maria Simani a participant suggested that the crosscutting concepts were the “glasses you put on” to see the world like a scientist. It also became apparent that the crosscutting concepts are central to the questions that scientists ask of the natural world. Take any system you are studying (in this case we were playing with Rattlebacks- http://www.4physics.com:8080/phy_demo/rattleback.htm) and ask questions through the lens of the crosscutting concepts: you will tap into some productive scientific questions. For example, “Why does the same amount of energy produce such different motion when the Rattleback spins in different directions? How does the structure determine its function?” How would this change at
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different scales? Much bigger? Smaller?”
Teachers can use the crosscutting concepts when they are designing the questions that drive their instruction. The lesson with the fish illustrates the idea that the crosscutting concepts need to be explicitly taught and in a concrete context. Abstract ideas need to be anchored to the real world to be meaningful. For example, Dr. Vickie Harri explicitly teaches the crosscutting concepts to her 8th grade students through a series of activities to highlight each one and uses kid friendly definitions. Some of her work is at: http://crosscutsymbols.weebly.com/links–ngss-and-other.html.
Gregg Borselli, also an 8th grade teacher, uses them to differentiate instruction in a end of lesson reflection. Most students chose the crosscutting concepts as they write which one best fits the lesson, but advanced students are challenged
to come up with connections to the concepts that don’t have an obvious fit.
Christina Miramontes, a 5th grade teacher, asked her students to connect the crosscutting concepts, the GATE icons, and the Math Practices. Here is a snapshot of what they came up with:
At the end of a lesson, her students decide which crosscutting concept best fit what they learned- “Ball and Bat! Systems! Patterns!”
The crosscutting concepts ask us to look at science learning in new ways and to think about science in new ways. I’m excited about the learning and those who are working hard to help students see the world through these powerful concepts.
Additional resources:[1] Bransford, J. D., Brown, A. L., & Cocking, R. R. (Eds.)
(1999). How People Learn: Brain, Mind, Experience, and School. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.
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Needs Assessment : Wash ington Sc ience Teachers Assoc ia t ion profess iona l learn ing long range p lann ing
Abstract
Science teaching and learning is in a transition. The teachers in Washington state are becoming familiar with the Next Generation Science Standards. As a professional organization, Washington Science Teachers Association survey teachers and non-teachers across the state of Washington to gain a glimpse of how the organization could help in the transition to the NGSS. Observations are discussed from data gathered from a needs assessment given in 2015.
IntroductionWashington Science Teachers Association (WSTA) is dedicated to promoting professional knowledge and growth and providing ongoing professional development for its membership. A priority of WSTA is to provide training to Washington state teachers so they have the opportunity to development the necessary tools and skills to present effective, rigorous instruction. One of the top priorities of WSTA is to provide training to our state’s teachers so they have the opportunity to develop the necessary tools and skills to deliver effective science and engineering instruction to their students. During each summer, the executive board of WSTA meets and plans for the upcoming school year and does some minor long range planning. This process addresses the goals for the association. This paper will discuss some results from a needs assessment around professional development given during the winter of 2015.
MethodsThis past winter, a cadre of WSTA board members designed and administered an on-line survey to stakeholders across Washington state. In each of the 10 regions, established by the WSTAs executive committee, responses were collected from 83 participants throughout December 2014 and January 2015. These participants identify themselves as building principals and school administration, parents,
school board members, teachers, media specialists, science literacy coaches, and school counselors. These surveys were sent out via invitation in an email with a link to our survey on the SurveyMonkey site. Appendix A has the items for the needs assessments for teachers and non-teachers.The Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) school report card website has each of the school district performance on the state level science assessment. For this research, these data are not a good representation of student understand of the NGSS. The district and building level data represents student performance and understanding of older science standards. It may also be invalid to generalize even a possible trend of student performance because of the difference in testing format and item specification between current state level test and the future NGSS state level test. However, from the recent survey administered by the cadre, every stakeholder mentioned a need to build their understanding of the identified NGSS Discipline Core Idea (DCI). Some even were unaware of their district’s plan to address the implementation of the NGSS. Appendix B and C shows the responses to each of the surveys for teachers and non-teachers.
ResultsThe percentage of people who responded for each item is presented and will be discussed. Both teachers and non-teachers responded to this needs assessment. This results section will cover a general description of the trends within the data for both of the surveys. The professional development topics are listed in appendix A, question 4. For the teachers specific needs assessment, formative assessment, summative assessment, collecting student growth, and differentiation of instruction ranged from 41% - 54% responded as needing professional development. On the sections dealing with the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), similar responses were noticed ranging 45% - 57% wanting more professional
Dr. Andrew C. Boyd, Region 3 Representative
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development. When asked if the participants attended a WSTA professional learning opportunities during the 2013-14 school year, 21 of 69 teachers responded, listing events such as the WSTA convention, Biology Collection of Evidence, and Biology End of Course workshops. The teachers that responded also indicated (58.8%) that they would prefer to participate in a professional learning event that was scheduled on a release-time basis, with coverage provided. When asked what type of delivery of professional development the teachers preferred, 52.2% identified traditional face-to-face trainings. The needs assessment targeted ETS1 Engineering Design and PS4 Waves of the NGSS. When participants were asked their understanding and implications of these DCIs, 76.8% responded that they described themselves as a novice/beginner for ETS1 Engineering Design and 71.0% identified themselves as a novice/beginner for PS4 Waves. Only 13 non-teachers responded to the needs assessment. Responses were similar to the teacher’s need assessment and can be found in Appendix C.
DiscussionTeachers and administrators across Washington state are needing the assistance in transitioning to the NGSS as well as continuing the best practices of formative assessments, summative assessments, differentiation of instruction, and collection of student growth data.
Over 50% of the teachers surveyed stated that they would benefit from additional staff development in the NGSS and assessment topics. When asked about the understanding of the specific DCIs as identified in the survey, 76.8% identified themselves as a novice/beginner around the ETS1 Engineering Design, 71.0% as a novice/beginner around PS4 Waves, and 47.1% as average skill level in integrating formative assessment in the classroom. These same trends occurred when the non-teacher stakeholders would ask to describe the teachers’ in their districts understanding of aforementioned topics. School districts, regional educational service districts, and professional organizations like WSTA could use results from this study to plan, improve, and implement teacher professional development around the Next Generation Science Standards and classroom assessment. Also, results from this survey give a perspective on the where to direct resources to help improve instruction within science departments at Washington state schools.This survey focused on a small sample of science teachers. While the small sample yielded useful information, the informative and positive results of this survey could be improved through increasing the sample of science teachers. Increasing the diversity of the sample would help enhance the understanding of certain aspects of the items and attributes of the survey.
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APPENDIX A: Needs Assessment Survey
WSTA Professional Learning Needs Assessment – TeachersProfessional Learning Needs Assessment
The Washington Science Teachers Association is in the process of identifying professional learning experiences for the 2015-2017 Mathematics and Science Partnership (MSP) project. The results of this needs assessment will be used in the developmental process of the MSP proposal. The survey should take about 5 minutes to complete. Thank you for your time and help with this project.
Please answer the following questions. Your responses are completely confidential and will only be used to help WSTA in developing our professional learning events.
1. Is your school a Title I school (at least 40% free and reduced lunch)?YES NO
2. Which of the following best describes the level at which you are currently employed to teach?(select only one)Pre-KindergartenPrimary Grades (K-2)Intermediate Level (3-5)Middle Level (6-8)Secondary Level (9-12)Other
3. Which of the following best describes the school district at which you are employed? Rural Suburban Urban
4. I can benefit from additional staff development opportunities addressing science education in the following areas: Please select all that apply.Formative AssessmentSummative AssessmentCollection Student Growth DataDifferentiation of InstructionNGSS: Engineering, Technology, and Application of ScienceNGSS: Physical ScienceNGSS: Life SciencesNGSS: Earth and Space ScienceOther, please specify
5. List any WSTA professional learning opportunities you participated during 2013-2014.
6. I prefer to participate in professional learning that is (select only one):
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Scheduled on a release-time basis, with coverage providedScheduled after regular work hours and/or on week-nightsScheduled during times when school is not in session (e.g. summer institute)Delivered online
7. I prefer professional learning:Online formatsInformal study groups or learning communitiesTraditional face-to-face traingsBlended (a combination of face-to-face and online)Other
8. I would describe my skill level in integrating formative assessments in the classroom as:
Novice/beginnerAverageProficient/SkillfulExpert
9. I would describe my understanding and implication of PS4 Waves as:
Novice/beginnerAverageProficient/SkillfulExpert
10. I would describe my understanding and implication of ETS1 Engineering Design as:
Novice/beginnerAverageProficient/SkillfulExpert
17
Appendix B: Teacher needs assessment data by question
1) Is your school a Title I school (at least
40% free and reduced lunch)?
Answer Options Response Percent
Response Count
Yes 33.3% 22No 66.7% 44
answered question 66skipped question 3
3) Which of the following best describes
the school district at which you are
employed?Answer Op-tions
Response Percent
Response Count
Rural 7.2% 5Suburban 76.8% 53Urban 15.9% 11
answered question 69skipped question 0
2) Which of the following best describes the level at
which you are currently employed to teach (select
only one)?
Answer Options Response Percent
Response Count
Pre-Kindergarten 0.0% 0Primary Grades (K-2) 17.4% 12Intermediate Level (3-5) 15.9% 11Middle Level (6-8) 15.9% 11Secondary Level (9-12) 50.7% 35Other (please specify) 1
answered question 69skipped question 0
Number Response DateOther (please specify)
Categories
1 College
18
4) I can benefit from additional staff development
opportunities addressing science education in the
following areas: Please select all that apply.
Answer Options Response Percent Response CountFormative Assessments 48.5% 33
Summative Assessments 41.2% 28
Collecting Student Growth Data 54.4% 37
Differentiation of Instruction 54.4% 37
NGSS: Engineering, Technology, and Ap-plication of Science 57.4% 39
NGSS: Physical Science 50.0% 34
NGSS: Life Sciences 45.6% 31
NGSS: Earth and Space Science 45.6% 31
Other (please specify) 2
answered question 68
skipped question 1
Number Response Date Other (please specify) Categories
1 Need TIME to process all the new stuff that has already been given to us.
2 The application of math to understand scientific ideas
19
Appendix B: Teacher needs assessment data by question (continued)5) List any WSTA professional learning opportunities you participated during 2013-2014.Answer Options Response Count 69
answered question 69skipped question 0
Number Response Date Response Text
1 NGSS training
2 none
3 NONE
4 none
5 none
6 none
7 None.
8bio COE WSTA Conference
9 none
10 None
11 Biology COE workshop.
12 None
13 none
14 Collection of Evidence Training NGSS workshop for all staff WSTA Conference - Spokane
15 none
16 None
17 none
18 Conference in Spokane
19 0
20 Biology EOC and Biology COE
21 None
22 none
23 none
24 none
25 None
26 none
20
27 n/a
28 COE
29 WSTA share session with Wash. DC staff
30 None
31 None
32 none
33 none
34 none
35 none
36 zero
37 none
38 none
39 NSTA conference in Portland, OR
40 na
41 none
42 WABS-STEM
43 none
44 0
45 None
46 Saturday workshop on Biology COE
47 None
48 0
49 xxx
50 District provided training with the curriculum provided for my teaching assignment.
51 None
52 n/a
53 none
54 none
55 none
56 None
57 none
58 In service days provided by district
59 COE Training
60 none that I’m aware of
21
61 none
62 none
63 K-5 NGSS
64 none
65 Inservice about NGSS
66 District trainings for split level teachers.
67 District lead training for the space science curriculum
68 GEMS Science Training--Seasons
69 COE workshops Elementary NGSS workshop
22
Appendix B: Teacher needs assessment data by question (continued)
6) I prefer to participate in professional learning that is (select only one):Answer Options Response Percent Response Count
Scheduled on a release-time basis, with coverage provided 58.8% 40
Scheduled after regular work hours and/or on week-nights 14.7% 10
Scheduled during times when school is not in session (e.g. summer institute)
17.6% 12
Delivered online 8.8% 6
Other (please specify) 5
answered question 68
skipped question 1
Number Response Date Other (please specify) Categories
1 District work days
2 after school paid at a per diem rate or early release afternoons for vertical gatherings
3 online also works, at times
4
I would like to be paid time and a half for all the work I do outside of my contract day. I am tired of being given a pittance for working far beyond my eight hour work day and being poorly compen-sated.
5 or online
7) I prefer professional learning delivered
through:
Answer Options Response Percent
Response Count
Online formats 5.8% 4
Informal study groups or learn-ing communities 15.9% 11
Traditional face-to-face train-ings 52.2% 36
Blended delivery (combination of face-to-face and online) 26.1% 18
Other (please specify) 0
answered question 69
skipped question 0
8) I would describe my skill level in
integrating formative assessments
in the classroom as:
Answer Options Response Percent
Response Count
Novice/beginner 2.9% 2
Average 47.1% 32
Proficient/Skillful 47.1% 32
Expert 2.9% 2
answered question 68
skipped question 1
23
9) I would describe my understanding and
implication of ETS1 Engineering Design as:
Answer Options Response Percent
Response Count
Novice/beginner 76.8% 53
Average 18.8% 13
Proficient/Skillful 4.3% 3
Expert 0.0% 0
answered question 69
skipped question 0
10) I would describe my understanding and
implication of PS4 Waves as:
Answer Options Response Percent
Response Count
Novice/beginner 71.0% 49
Average 24.6% 17
Proficient/Skillful 2.9% 2
Expert 1.4% 1
answered question 69
skipped question 0
Appendix C: Non-teacher needs assessment data by question
1) Is your school district a Title I school (at least 40% free and reduced lunch)?
Answer Options Response Percent
Response Count
YES 35.7% 5NO 35.7% 5Not sure 28.6% 4
answered question 14skipped question 0
2) Which of the following best describes your involvement in the educational system? (select only one)
Answer Options Response Percent
Response Count
Administrator 35.7% 5Science Coach 7.1% 1School Board Member 21.4% 3Counselor 0.0% 0Media Specialist 7.1% 1Parent 14.3% 2Other 14.3% 2
answered question 14skipped question 0
3) Which of the following best describes your local school district?
Answer Options Response Percent
Response Count
Rural 64.3% 9Suburban 28.6% 4Urban 7.1% 1
24
answered question 14skipped question 0
Appendix C (continued): Non-teacher needs assessment data by question 4) My local school system can benefit from additional staff development opportunities addressing science education in the following areas: Please select all that apply.
Answer Options Response Percent
Response Count
Formative Assessments 84.6% 11Summative Assessments 76.9% 10Collecting Student Growth Data 76.9% 10Differentiation of instruction 69.2% 9NGSS: Engineering, Technology, and Application of Science 84.6% 11
NGSS: Physical Science 61.5% 8NGSS: Life Sciences 53.8% 7NGSS: Earth and Space Science 61.5% 8Other (please specify) 2
answered question 13skipped question 1
5) I would describe the teachers’, in my district, understanding of formative assess-ments in the classroom as:
Answer Options Response Percent
Response Count
Novice/beginner 7.1% 1Average 57.1% 8Proficient/Skillful 14.3% 2Expert 0.0% 0Not sure 21.4% 3
answered question 14skipped question 0
6) I would describe the teachers’, in my district, understanding and implication of PS4 Waves as:
Answer Options Response Percent
Response Count
Novice/beginner 35.7% 5Average 21.4% 3Proficient/Skillful 0.0% 0Expert 0.0% 0Not sure 42.9% 6
answered question 14skipped question 0
25
Appendix C (continued): Non-teacher needs assessment data by question 7) I would describe the teachers’, in my district, under-standing and implication of ETS1 Engineering Design as:
Answer Options Response Percent Response Count
Novice/beginner 50.0% 7
Average 14.3% 2
Proficient/Skillful 0.0% 0
Expert 0.0% 0
Not sure 35.7% 5
answered question 14
skipped question 08) Please describe my local school district’s plan to address the implemen-tation of the Next Generation Science Standards.
Answer Options Response Count
14
answered ques-tion 14
skipped question 0
Question 8 Response Text Categories
Teachers & administrators are planning together best practices for implementation. Teacher lead-ers attend professional development courses, conferences, etc then bring ideas back to cohorts.
I know the teachers are working on it but we do not have curriculum yet.
Secondary and Elementary transition teams are studying the Frameworks book and planning awareness level PD for their colleagues to be delivered during spring semester late start PLC times. Additional PD is being developed by the South Sound Laser Alliance.
As soon as the state completes the next generation science standards and our school studies the content, we’ll put together a plan of implementation.
26
Not sure of the plan
not sure of one
I don’t know what this is.
Unknown
Embedded professional development provided by principals of schools during late start days on Monday
?
I am not sure how they plan to do this.
I have not asked our administration what our plan is.
PD through the ESD
Still in planning phase
27
Mil l Creek f reshman a b ig w inner a t in ternat iona l In te l sc ience compet i t ion
By Miguel OtárolaSeattle Times staff reporter
Say the following out loud: Application of Tetrahedrite and Magnesium Silicide in a Novel Thermoelectric Unicouple to Generate Electricity from Industrial Waste Heat.
Few of us can make it through that phrase in one breath, let alone know what it means. But for one high-school freshman from the Mill Creek area, it is much more than just a string of 18 words. It is the title of her science project, which earned her a trip across the country for the prestigious international competition where she emerged a winner in various categories.
Sriharshita Musunuri, 15, received the $5,000 Best in Category award in the Physical Energy group at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF), which took place in Pittsburgh last week.
Musunuri also won a separate $3,000 first-place award for the Physical Energy group, $3,000 in stock from United Technologies Corporation, and the Innovation Exploration Award, which will take her to Pasadena, Calif., to present her research at Caltech Institute of Technology.
Sriharshita Musunuri, 15, received a $5,000 Best in Category award at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair.
That’s a big achievement for someone currently finishing her first year at Jackson High School in Mill Creek. The annual Intel competition — featuring 1,700 students from more than 75 nations — is one of the world’s most competitive.
Andy Sevald, a teacher at Musunuri’s high school, called it the “freaking Super Bowl.”
Musunuri joined Jackson High’s Science Research and Engineering
Club in September with a desire to create a device that converts industrial waste heat into energy.
“There’s a lot of waste that’s being lost in the environment, and there’s not a lot that’s being done to recover it, so that sparked my interest,” she said.
Through her research, Musunuri came up with the idea to combine two materials used to produce electricity: tetrahedrite and magnesium silicide. By creating a temperature differential, a voltage could be created that can then lead to energy.
“This hadn’t really been done before,” she said.
With Sevald as her adviser and help from centers suchAlphabet Energy and the UW Washington Nanofabrication Facility, Musunuri was able to gather the necessary tools to build her project and gather data.
“She was reading into this stuff before school even started,” Sevald said. “This is quite a ninth-grader.”
After winning second place overall at the Washington State Science and Engineering Fair in March and a silver medal at the I-SWEEEP science fair in Houston in May, Musunuri was invited to attend the Intel competition.
Along with the prizes she received, her win means that Washington state’s fair and Jackson High will also each get a $1,000 grant. Sevald said Jackson High will use its $1,000 for field trips, materials and transportation to future competitions.
Musunuri plans to save part of her earnings for college, or to help her do future research.
Several other Seattle-area finalists competed at the Intel competition, too.
Mahalaxmi Elango of Interlake High School in Bellevue won $1,000 in the “Computational Biology and Bioinformatics” group. Rosemichelle Marzan, Cameron Beardsley and
Hyrum Bock of Northwest Nuclear Consortium in Federal Way earned $500 in the “Physics and Astronomy” category.
Sonia Murthy, Ethan Perrin and Sophia Tevosyan from Nikola Tesla STEM High School in Redmond won $1,000 in the “Environmental Engineering” group. They were also awarded $1,000 by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
Miguel Otárola: 206-464-2225 [email protected]
original article
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WSTA Board of Directors, 2013-14 Contact Information
Executive CommitteePresident JOHN PARKER [email protected]
President-Elect ROY BEVEN [email protected]
Treasurer KAREN MADSEN [email protected]
Recording Secretary DANA MARSDEN [email protected]
Executive Secretary JUDY SHAW [email protected]
Regional RepresentativesRegion 1 (ESD 101) MIKE ALLEN [email protected]
Region 2 (ESD 123) MARY MOORE [email protected]
Region 3 (ESD 171) ANDY BOYD [email protected]
Region 4 (ESD 105) MIDGE YERGEN [email protected]
Region 5 (ESD 189) JONATHAN FROSTAD [email protected]
Region 6 (ESD 121) DON PRUETT [email protected]
Region 7 (ESD 113) CARMEN KARDOKUS [email protected]
8 (ESD 112) CAROL SANDISON [email protected]
Region 9 (ESD 114) LOIS SHERWOOD [email protected]
Region 10 (ESD 121) LISA (CHI) CHEN [email protected]
Appointed PositionsAwards ROY BEVEN [email protected]
Business and & Industry DAVID REID [email protected]
Clock-hour Designee STEPHANIE BEARDRIEL [email protected]
Equal Opportunities in Science PHYLLIS HARVE-BUSCHEL [email protected]
20014 Conference Chair JOHN MCNAMARA [email protected]
Informal Science Ed. Liaison JACOB BLICKENSTAFF [email protected]
Long Range Planner BOB SOTAK [email protected]
Membership DIANE REID [email protected]
29
New Teacher Rep. MARTHA KURTZ [email protected]
OSPI Science Rep. ELLEN EBERT [email protected]
Professional Development Coordinator VICKI HORTON [email protected]
Ex-Officio MembersWebsite Support RICK FLOREK [email protected]
Reg. Science Coordinator Liaison GEORGIA BOATMAN [email protected]
