Northeast Alliance

1. Contact

2. Information on the Center

3. Directions to the Center

4. Additional Materials

5. Professional Development Trainings

 

1. Contact

Wendy Whitmer
Alliance Director, ESD Science Coordinator
Director for the Center for Instructional Services
Northeast Washington Educational Service District 101
4202 South Regal St.
Spokane, WA 99223
Voice: 509-323-2725
Fax: 509-323-2785
wwhitmer@esd101.net
 

Beth Worthy
Science Kit Program Manager
Northeast Washington Educational Service District 101
4202 South Regal
Spokane, WA 99223
Voice:509-789-3525
Fax: 509-323-2785
bworthy@esd101.net
www.esd101.net/csi

top


2. Information on the Center

North East Washington Science Education Resource Center (NEWSERC) is housed at NEWESD 101 in Spokane.

NEWESD 101 is the largest, geographically, of the nine ESD regions in Washington. There is vast diversity in size and geographic isolation among districts. The main goal of NEWSERC is to provide high quality materials and professional development science education resources to all schools in the NEWESD region both large and small.

Northeast Washington Educational Service District 101 and 29 school districts have formed the Northeast Washington LASER Alliance to support K-12 science education in the NEWESD 101 region. Those same districts formed a materials refurbishment cooperative housed at NEWESD 101. Although NEWSERC started with nine districts, we are now up to 25. It is hoped that many more will join as their circumstances permit.

In year one of operation, NEWSERC supported 100 teachers in grades K-6 Foss physical science kits implementation through providing professional development, purchasing and refurbishment services, and teacher leader development. Year two served 200 teachers and provided support for implementation of earth science and physical science kits. We now offer support for over 650 teachers and provide support for implementation of earth, physical and life science kits in both elementary and middle school levels. 

North East Area Participants at Strategic Planning

North East Area Participants at Strategic Planning

 

Science Formative Assessment Discussion

Science Formative Assessment Discussion

top


3. Directions to the Center

 

Regal Center map

Regal Center map


top


4. Additional Materials

Northeast Washington LASER Alliance Members

Central Valley (2007)

Cheney (2005)

Chewelah (2006)

Colfax (2007)

Columbia (2007)

Creston (2010)

Curlew (2007)

Cusick (2005)

Davenport (2008)

Deer Park (2007)

Freeman (2009)

Garfield (2008)

Inchelium (2008)

Liberty (2010)

Lind (2009)

Loon Lake (2010)

Mary Walker (2008)

Medical Lake (2005)

Newport (2010)

Nine Mile Falls (2006)

Northport (2005)

Oakesdale (2008)

Odessa (2007)

Palouse (2008)

Pullman (2005)

Reardan Edwall (2005)

Republic (2007)

Ritzville (2008)

Rosalia (2005)

Selkirk (2007)

Spokane

Tekoa (2008)

Wellpinit (2007)

West Valley (2007)


 

Material Supported

The instructional materials (kits) supported by Northeast LASER Alliance are shown here.  Elementary kits are FOSS and Middle School kits are a combination of FOSS and STC.

Instructional Materials Support K-8 Kits  

 
Grade Physical Science Earth Science Life Science

FOSS

 

 

 

K

Wood and paper

 

Animals Two by Two

1-2

Solids and Liquids

Air and Weather

New Plants

1-2

Balance and Motion

Pebbles, Sand, and Silt

Insects

3-4

Magnetism and Electricity

Water

Human Body

3-4

Physics of Sound

Earth Materials

Structures of Life

5-6

Variables

Solar Energy

Environments

5-6

Levers and Pulleys

Landforms

Food and Nutrition

 

 

 

 

FOSS/STC

 

 

 

6 (Middle)

Light (STC)

Planetary Science (STC)

Diversity of Life (STC)

7 (Middle)

Energy, Machines and Motion  (STC)

Catastrophic Events (STC)

Human Body System (STC)

8 (Middle)

Properties of Matter  (STC)

Earth History

Populations and Ecosystems

 

 

 

 

top

 

5. Professional Development Trainings

The initial kit use trainings offered by the Northeast Washington LASER Alliance are designed to address the attributes of high quality science teachers. The Alliance started in 2005 offering three levels of physical science trainings and then added the earth science trainings in 2006-2007 and in 2007-2008 added the life science trainings. We now offer a wide variety of training ranging from initial use, to content training, professional learning communities in science, science notebooks, formative assessment, inquiry, and others. We are currently in the process of developing a plan to address the needs of all teachers in our region, both new to science reform and lead teachers. The table below shows some of the professional development activities offered during the 2010-2011 school year.

Table 1: Science Professional Development

Initial Use Training

Kit Use Grades K-2

Kit Use Grades 3-5

Kit Use Middle School

 
Content Training

Force and Motion and Energy

Energy and Life Science

Earth Systems and Processes

K-3 Physical Science Content
K-3 Earth Science Content
 
Alignment

STC Alignment with WA State Standards

FOSS Alignment with WA State Standards

 
Science Pedagogy

Science notebooks and assessment

Formative Assessment

Differentiation through Inquiry
Gathering and Analyzing Data
Adapting Lessons to Reflect Best Practice
Curriculum Topic Study
 
Literacy and Science

Integration of Literacy into science curriculum

Grade-level workshops

Research into literacy and success in content areas

 
Strategic Planning Institute

New districts entering the alliance

Districts updating their strategic plans

Districts committed to putting their plans into action

 

 

For the latest information on training dates and locations, please check this website:  www.esd101.net/csi

 

Last updated 11/26/2011