|
|
|
Welcome
to the Summer 2008 edition of the Washington State LASER
eNewsletter. We just finished our 10th LASER Strategic
Planning Institute--see article below--where 17 districts
developed a five-year strategic plan that helps them implement
a standards-based science program. Having completed ten
Institutes, we are assessing the successes and challenges of
the past decade to determine how the Washington State LASER
partnerships and infrastructure can be most helpful
(especially once the new revised science standards are
complete) for moving science education reform forward during
the next decade. Look for more information about these plans
in future eNewsletters.
Washington
State LASER would not be successful without great advisors and
collaborators, plus strong advocates across the state that
support keeping science an essential element in the school
program. We are delighted to highlight a number of these
outstanding individuals in this eNewsletter who were recently
honored for their efforts in education.
Have
a great summer. We look forward to being in touch in the fall
with the next Washington State LASER
eNewsletter.
Dennis
|
|
Strategic
Planning Institute's Ten-Year
Highlights |
|
|
 |
On
June 20, 1999, Washington State LASER launched its first
Strategic Planning Institute in Seattle, Washington with 14
school districts and one special team (Partners Achieving
Leadership in Science--PALS) participating.
|
 |
- As
of June 23, 2008, 191 (out of 295) Washington state
school districts have participated in a Strategic Planning
Institute.
- Approximately
85% of the students in Washington state are being reached
with standards-based science programs.
- An
extraordinary public-private partnership strongly supports
the Institute:
- Battelle
- Boeing
- Intel
Foundation
- WaMu
- Merck
Institute for Science Education
- Office
of the Superintendent of Public Instruction
- Many
publishers of inquiry-centered, research-based
instructional materials
- RMC
Research studied 40 elementary schools (top performers state-wide in the 5th-grade science WASL) and
discovered 100% use inquiry-based curricula. Seventy-eight percent are in LASER school districts.
- The statewide infrastructure of support is essential for
instructional materials purchase and refurbishment, as well as
for professional development. This is a unique addition to the
national LASER model which is key to our success in following
up on the Institute.
- One
sample story among many: Everett Public Schools attended a
LASER Strategic Planning Institute in 2003. Since then, the
district's teachers have become teacher-leaders (training and
guiding each other with reform-based curricula), and their
Science Resource Center has evolved from a one-room portable
to a 5,500 square-foot facility with space to rotate over 580
K-5 modules three times a year.
- Today,
more than 1100 schools statewide can take advantage of professional development (PD) and technical assistance
"products and services" as part of the LASER model.
|
|
Congratulations
to Two LASER Steering Committee
Members |
|
|
 The
2008 Western Washington University (WWU) Faculty Outstanding
Service Award goes to George (Pinky)
Nelson, Director of Science, Math and
Technology Education (SMATE). WWU's President
Morse states, "Pinky has led Western's efforts in the
service of science education, winning national acclaim for his
contributions to WWU and at the national level to science
education in general. He has built a multi-institutional
partnership for collaborative study of science teaching and
learning that will benefit generations of students. The
results of his efforts have already proven extremely effective
in K-12 students' abilities to learn and understand
science."
 The
2008 Washington State PTA's Outstanding Service Award goes to
Karen
Madsen of Everett. Karen, a 20-year member of
the Everett School Board and current president, has been
involved in many science efforts to improve student learning
from teaching in the classroom to serving on the school board
to serving as a LASER Steering Committee member. "To the
extent that I've been successful, it has been for four
reasons--my parents, my husband, my children, and this
organization (PTA)," Karen said when receiving the award.
"Everything that I've taken on, I have taken on because of
what I've learned in PTA--I cannot make life better for my
children, if I don't make life better for every
child."
|
|
2008 WA
State LASER Science Education Advocate
Awards |
|
The Science Education Advocate awards
go to five individuals, organizations, and/or project teams
who exhibited outstanding advocacy for science education in
the state of Washington by promoting the importance of science
education among the general public and/or the education
system.
"Awardees are being recognized for their
advocacy efforts--not necessarily their work as science
educators. We want to stress how important strong community
support and advocacy is to developing science literacy in our
state," said Dennis Schatz, Vice President for Education at
Pacific Science Center and Co-Director for
LASER.
The five awardees receive $5,000 each to
be awarded to the not-for-profit organization or public
education entity of their choice for use in its efforts on
behalf of science education. The monetary reward, as well as
funding for the awards process, was generously provided by the
Boeing Company.
Individual
Awards
 |
Dr.
Terry Bergeson
Bergeson
is Superintendent of Public Instruction for Washington
State.
Washington state is viewed by many
nationally as a leader in science education which, in no small
part, is due to the countless hours Bergeson has spent
advocating for science education.
Dr. Bergeson's
$5,000 donation was awarded to Washington State Science
Teachers Association (WSTA).
|
 |
Gary Masten
Masten is Superintendent of Highland School District and
Chairman of the Educational Service District 105 Science
Education Cooperative.
Instrumental in the
formation of the South Central Leadership and Assistance
in Science Education Reform (LASER) Alliance, Masten's
on-going leadership has made this alliance a model for
others to follow. He holds a vision for what science
education needs to look like for all students and as its
advocate involves himself in the events, learns what it
is like in the classroom, and lobbies and makes
decisions for the benefit of the entire region (always
with his eye on the most important target of
all--students).
Masten's $5,000 donation was
awarded to Highland School District #203.
|
 |
Rod Proctor
Proctor
is a semi-retired consultant (Technology
Management).
Proctor has been actively involved
with the Washington Council of American Technology Associates
for more than 30 years. He was chairman of the council and has
served on the Government Affairs and Education Committee for
most of that time. He has lobbied to
the Washington State Congress on behalf of math, science, and
engineering education. He participated in the development of
the math and science standards, has given talks to Rotary and
other community groups on the importance of inquiry-based
science, and is an active volunteer for the Seattle Public
Schools.
Proctor's $5,000 donation was awarded to
AEA Education Foundation.
|
 |
Sally
Goetz Shuler
Shuler
is Executive Director of the National Science Resources Center
(NSRC).
As the leader of the NSRC, Shuler led the
development of a science education reform model that has
revolutionized science education programs across the state.
This model brought coherence and direction as Washington state
science leaders worked to collaborate on effective science
education for all students.
Leading by example,
Shuler has leveraged business and government leaders to become
partners in the reform efforts, recommended that Washington
state be included in the National Research Council's Rising
above the Gathering Storm report and has sought every
opportunity to showcase the work of Washington State
Leadership and Assistance for Science Education Reform
(LASER). This ongoing advocacy has brought additional support
back to the state.
Shuler's $5,000 donation was
awarded to Smithsonian Institution. "I also plan to use the
award funds provided by Boeing to support the NSRC internship
program for inspiring the next generation of leaders working
to improve K-16 science education," said
Shuler. |
Organization
Awards
 |
Washington
State Math, Engineering, and Science Achievement (MESA)
MESA
is a program that brings together school districts,
businesses, and colleges/universities to support student
achievement in math, engineering and science for
underrepresented groups.
Washington State MESA is
a leader in education reform to promote academic success and
ultimately college graduation for underrepresented students.
The program has been singularly
focused in bringing the challenges facing Native American,
African American, Latino and females in science and math to
the light and worked diligently to eliminate barriers.
It serves as a catalyst and model for educational excellence
and equity.
Washington State MESA's $5,000
donation was awarded to Tacoma MESA. |
 |
More
information regarding the awardees is at: http://wastatelaser.org/_awards/recipient_0708.asp.
|
|
Northwest
LASER Alliance Moves into New Materials
Center |
|
|
Late
this spring, Northwest LASER Alliance moved into a new
materials center, doubling their current space. In making the
move from two portables in the Lakewood School District
(SD) to four portables at Port Susan Middle School in the
Stanwood-Camano SD, they not only gained more storage and
refurbishment space but also added space for training. In
addition, the move will allow for the expansion of the
refurbishment cooperative to welcome more districts.
|
|
Olympic
Peninsula LASER Alliance Works Toward Regional Support
System |
|
|
The
Olympic Peninsula LASER Alliance continues its work to
establish a regional professional development (PD) system.
Several stakeholder groups have met this year to discuss PD
needs and how leveraging their collective resources and
opportunities will best meet the needs of the region. In
addition to LASER, three other projects (North Cascades and
Olympic Science Partnership [NCOSP], Olympic Math Science
Partnership [MSP], and Transition Math Project) are providing
critical connections among all districts within Olympic
Educational Service District 114 [OESD]. As an outcome, a
Regional Science Leadership Network and a Regional Elementary
Math/Science Cadre have been established for 2008-09.
|
|
First
BSCS AIM Facilitator's Retreat |
|
|
Washington
State LASER in partnership with BSCS (Biological Sciences
Curriculum Studies) hosted the first BSCS AIM (Analyzing
Instructional Materials) Facilitator's Retreat in Leavenworth,
Washington on May 9-10, 2008. The BSCS AIM Process is a
research-based collection of tools which districts can use to
deeply evaluate instructional materials either for teacher
professional development or curriculum adoption. On May 9-10,
15 science leaders from across the state began the process of
becoming facilitators of the BSCS AIM Process. Participants
were introduced to the first tools used in the AIM process. A
follow-up event is planned for Fall 2008. These events are
made possible through the generous support of the Merck
Institute for Science Education.
| |
|
|
 Special
thanks to Washington Mutual for their ongoing support of
Washington State LASER, including
this newsletter.
| |
|
Dennis
Schatz
Washington State LASER |
|
 | | |
