CISC Science Subcommitte Notes

CISC Science Subcommitte Notes

October 29, 2008

Number:
Date: / October, 2008 / Attachments:
To: / CISC
From: / Sharon Twitty
E-mail: /
Committee: / Science

Summary for Minutes:

Main topics of discussion
2009 Goals
Utilizing dynamic on-line professional development similar to NSTA presentation
Becoming and remaining aware of ways that we can be involved with important science issues such as;
«  Framework committee
«  Safety PD
Utilizing the vibrant leadership of the group to advance a high quality science education for all students

Specifics:

Committee Operations
A.  Meeting Dates
January 6, 2009 WestEd, Los Alamitos, CA
B. CCSESA Website
Please review the science committee information on the website for both public and private use.
http://www.ccsesa.org/index/subCommittees.cfm?cid=120
1) NSTA Presentation
NSTA Online Professional Development Tools & Resources
Presented by: Joan Scheppke Senior Director & Deborah Tucker Science Education Consultant who can be contacted at 707 252-8955
Scalable, Sustainable & Customized Professional Development to provide high quality tools that teachers can access any time via computer from a long list of NSTA tools
«  Includes a library where people can organize their resources
«  Includes a transcript tool to keep tract of training completed
«  There is an NSTA Certificate if a person chooses to master Sci-Path & pass the assessments
«  ~ 3,000 resources currently available in the NSTA Learning Center (4 new journals every month
2) Report from The Tech
The Tech museum is known for design challenge learning. Director of Education – Alysia Caryl - Available at
CDE Update Patricia Terry, CDE
1)  CaMSP
·  38 grants totaling over $24 million was received for the $5 million available.
·  Recipients will be notified (end Nov to beginning Dec)– projects operational January 1, 2009
·  Cohort 7 expected in the Spring
2)  Assessment
a)  Field-testing for the eighth grade CMA science assessment began on September 15, 2008, and the test will be operationally ready for the spring 2009 STAR testing administration.
b)  Standard Setting for the CAPA science and CMA grade 5 science assessments was held September 16-18 and October 1-3 respectively.
Public hearings for the standard setting were held last week. Results and recommendations will go to the November 2008 State Board Meeting (November 5-6). Once the standards are approved, the Accountability Branch will apply the performance standards (proficient and above, etc.) to the CMA scores, which currently show only percent correct. Schools and districts should get those new scores some time in January. A similar process will occur when the CMA grade 8-science test becomes operational.
The Standards and Assessment Division is still recruiting persons to serve on assessment review panels. If interested, contact Mahala Archer by phone at (916)319-0349, or by email at .
3)  Update of the Science Framework
The Science Framework for California Public Schools Kindergarten Through Grade Twelve (Science Framework) is scheduled for update. As part of the update process, the California Department of Education (CDE) will accept applications from individuals for appointment to two groups:
·  Science Framework Focus Group Members - application deadline
August 27, 2008
·  Curriculum Framework and Evaluation Criteria Committee (CFCC) – application deadline December 3, 2008
Please HELP RECRUIT CFCC members. Share this information with individuals or organizations that may be interested.
Science Framework Focus Group Meetings
Additional information about the Focus Group meetings is available on the CDE Website at http://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/sc/cf/ (refer to 2010 Science Framework Update and then Recruitment Letter: Focus Group Members). Attendees indicated the focus group meetings were very open and relevant.
Curriculum Framework and Evaluation Criteria Committee (CFCC)
The CFCC will work with a primary writer contracted with the CDE to prepare a draft of the Science Framework. Meetings of the CFCC members will be held June – October 2009 and will take place in Sacramento. The CFCC recruitment letter and application are available on the CDE Website at http://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/sc/cf/ (refer to 2010 Science Framework Update and then Curriculum Framework and Evaluation Criteria Committee letter).
CDE Contacts
Susan Martimo, Administrator, Curriculum Frameworks Office, 916-319-0446 or by email at
Cynthia Gunderson, Lead Science Framework Consultant, Curriculum Frameworks Office, 916-319-0451 or by email at
Mary Sprague, Consultant, Curriculum Frameworks Office, 916-319-0510 or by email at
National Board Certification – Take One! $395.00
Take One! Is a new professional development opportunity with pre-selected entries for all certificate areas. It is a unique offering from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards that provides a standards-based approach for improving teaching practice and links student learning to effective instruction.
Schools are using Take One! with their professional learning communities across the state. This special opportunity helps teachers ease into the process to become board certified. Teachers prepare and submit one pre-selected video portfolio entry from any of the current certificate areas of National Board Certification. A teacher may later transfer the score if he or she pursues National Board candidacy within two years.
For multiple subject teachers, the pre-selected Take One entry is mathematics and science integrated lesson.
For more information please contact Kay Garcia at or
916-428-2068
3) Science Safety Handbook Update Process
Patricia Terry, Consultant in the Math and Science Leadership Office is the Lead for the Science Safety Handbook for California Public Schools update initiative.
·  About half of the preliminary revisions discussed by the group, including a section on elementary science, were submitted by September 30, but all revisions discussed are in progress. A status meeting (by phone or face-to-face) is planned for December.
4) Environmental Education/Education and the Environment - http://www.cde.ca.gov/pd/ca/sc/oeeintrod.asp
«  Education and the Environment Initiative (EEI) – http://www.calepa.ca.gov/Education/EEI/.
«  California Regional Environmental Education Community (CREEC) – http://www.creec.org/
o  Directed by the California Department of Education, CREEC is a statewide project organized around the 11 CCSESA regions that provide educators with high quality environmental education resources.
o  The CREEC Resource Directory (http://creec.edgateway.net/cs/creecp/search/creec_res) is a searchable database of environmental education resources organized by county, region, or statewide.
«  Disney’s Environmentality Challenge (DEC) – http://disney.go.com/environmentality
«  National Environmental Education Week (April 12-18, 2009) - www.eeweek.org
o  NEEW aims to increase the impact of Earth Day by creating a full week of educational preparation, learning, and activities in K-12 classrooms, nature centers, zoos, museums, and aquariums.
o  Educators can sign up to participate.
o  Use Classroom Earth to find selected environmental education materials, including teachers' top 10 and materials for after school programs.
5) Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM)
«  STEM Equity Pipeline - http://www.napequity.org/
«  STEM Inventory – http://www.csewi.org/stem/
o  Sponsored by the California Space Education & Workforce Institute, the STEM Inventory is an on-line searchable database of many California and national STEM programs
6) Become A Teacher – http://www.cde.ca.gov/pd/bt/
«  Provides resources for individuals considering a career in teaching that include:
o  Articles outlining the current shortage of teachers.
o  Programs providing classroom experience.
o  External Web sites providing information to prospective teachers about California's college systems.
o  Information about financial support for individuals who are considering teaching as a career.
o  Information about the requirements for becoming a teacher and finding a teaching job in California
a)  Also links to Critical Path Analysis of California’s Science and Mathematics Teacher Preparation System (http://www.cftl.org/documents/2007/TCPA.pdf)
Regional Reports
Region 9
San Diego
The San Diego Science Festival will take place in March 2009 with a culminating Expo in Balboa Park on April 4, 2009. Log on to http://www.sdsciencefestival.com for info on school programs that offered throughout the month of March.
The 11th High Tech Fair will take place on March 11, 2009 at the Del Mar Fairgrounds featuring over 50 high tech interactive industry exhibits for middle and high school students. http://www.sdsa.org/htf
The San Diego Science Alliance will celebrate the 10th Anniversary of the Better Education for Women in Science and Engineering (BE WiSE) program on November 18th at the Neurosciences Institute. Info at http://www.sdsa.org/bewise
Orange County
Orange County shared about a water conservation contest with amazing prizes and tremendous community support. Additional information win.ocde.us
Region 6
Dinner with a Scientist Event is gaining in popularity. If you have interest in learning more about using this unique opportunity for students to dialogue with scientist, contact San Joaquin County Office of Education.
Partner Updates
K-12 Alliance
On March 2 – 3, 2009, there will be a high school summit to develop a white paper focusing on secondary science recommendations. 15 representatives will be recruited -mostly high school teachers. Focus areas will align to 4 areas of framework:
®  Nature of Science
®  Assessment
®  Universal access
®  Professional Development
CSTA
®  December 83 is the deadline to submit the application to sit on the curriculum commission – application is on-line at CSTA site
®  CSTA is looking for 8 board members – consider serving
Grants
Tapestry grant applications
Toyota TAPESTRY recognizes outstanding educators who are making a difference by demonstrating excellence and creativity in science teaching. For more information:
http://ecommerce2.nsta.org/toyota/
TeachersCount
Funding available for teachers in a variety of interest areas including math and science.
www.teacherscount.org/teacher/awards.shtml
Resources
CDE
Test Program Links: http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/tg
STAR Program: http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/tg/sr/index.asp
Science Professional Development: http://www.cde.ca.gov/pd/ca/sc/
Science Curriculum: http://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/ma
Environmental Education: http://www.cde.ca.gov/pd/ca/sc/oeeintrod.asp
CASEL
The Capitol Area Science Education Leaders (CASEL) will hold their annual conference at the San Joaquin County Office of Education in Stockton Jan. 22, 2009. The flyer is available at:
www.edserv.sjcoe.net/casel
Exploratorium
Online since 1993, the Exploratorium was one of the first science museums to build a site on the World Wide Web. Our site now contains over 18 thousand award-winning Web pages exploring hundreds of different topics. We currently serve 20 million visitors a year. That makes us one of the most visited museum Web sites in the world.
www.exploratorium.edu/
National Science Teachers Association
www.nsta.org/
West Ed
Mathematics and Science
www.wested.org/cs/we/view/area/16
California Building a Presence
www.cabap.org
Science Event Information:
Science Olympiad
National
www.soinc.org/
Northern California
www.stan-co.k12.ca.us/scoe/admin/nScienceOly/welcome.htm
Southern California
www.ocde.k12.ca.us/scioly/
For more information: http://www.ocde.k12.ca.us/scioly, http://www.soinc.org,
Intel International Science & Engineering Fair (ISEF)
It is time for the twelfth annual Internet Science and Technology Fair <http://istf.ucf.edu/> (ISTF).
The ISTF is a national technology literacy program that last year involved 180 student teams from multiple states and two countries. It offers students in grades 3 through 12 an opportunity to work on-line with technical advisors from corporations, federal laboratories, and academic research centers. Students research how National Critical Technology applications may be applied to real-world problems while adhering to content guidelines based on national science content standards. The ISTF combines science inquiry and the Internet while helping students develop interpersonal and critical thinking skills, such as teaming, communicating, researching, analyzing, writing, and web development.
The program begins in October and ends in February, when each student team's research findings are presented in a web-page format. A national panel of scientists, engineers and teachers judge teams' final projects on-line with certificate awards from the National Medal of Technology and Innovation Program at the US Department of Commerce. From now through November, education professionals (including but not limited to science, math, and technology teachers) in your state are encouraged to enroll student teams. Newcomers <http://istf.ucf.edu/Newcomers/> can access information specifically designed to better understand what is involved. Once a decision is made to participate, teachers may set up an ISTF Teacher Account at My ISTF <http://istf.ucf.edu/EnrollAdmin/> and begin enrolling student teams.
Please share this information with your elementary, middle and high school science, math and technology teachers and other educational professionals who might be interested. A one-page flyer <http://istf.ucf.edu/Team_Members/Teachers/Overview/> is available for distribution purposes. Should you have any questions, please contact my office <mailto:> .
Events/Conferences
CASEL Conference, San Joaquin County
January 22, 2009
register at www.edserv.sjcoe.net/casel/
San Diego Science Festival
April 4, 2009
NEXT MEETING: January 6, 2009 WestEd, Los Alamitos, CA
Action: / Yes / No